"when socialism fails, blame capitalism and demand more socialism." - A friend
"You know the difference between libs and right-wingers? Libs STFU when evidence refutes their false beliefs." - Another friend
“Don't waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.” - Paulo Coelho
Yes, the U.S. is an empire.
It's just a statement of reality.
If we read about it in a world history book from Lithuania, I suspect that's what it'd be called.
The questions I asked are, what I was getting at.
If Empires fall mostly via conquest or decline?
& the fate of the average people at the decline & fall of empires?
Last edited by revelarts; 05-15-2024 at 08:00 PM.
It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties. The freeman of America did not wait till usurped power had strengthened itself by exercise, and entangled the question in precedents. James Madison
Live as free people, yet without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but live at all times as servants of God. 1 Peter 2:16
I don't recall stating the US is or is not an "empire".
I responded to Rev's question regarding the fate of empires. I further stated the US is in decline. FJ picked as good a date as any and away we go down the rabbit hole arguing "when".
Empires fall when they go into decline. Doesn't happen in a day. There is truth to both opinions as to "when", depending on one's focal point. We in fact have done little to attain and a lot more to maintain since WWII. Hungry people build empires. Fat people watch them crumble. We've been fat for a long time while stupidity has stolen the show.
"When" to me is second fiddle to the chickens coming home to roost now for trying to rest on our laurels since the end of WWII
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke
Your question was answered.
The fate of the "average people" is determined by who succeeds the empire. Looks like we got a bunch of pussies with big mouths taking of the US. Few if any want to destroy the US. They want to control it. The German Empire/Weimar Republic and the resulting aftermath appear a good example of what's happening to the US.
If you're asking can Joe Average who is affected little by government hide out in his basement and maybe not be bothered, cowards and sheep usually survive regime change They just kiss a different ass.
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke
"when socialism fails, blame capitalism and demand more socialism." - A friend
"You know the difference between libs and right-wingers? Libs STFU when evidence refutes their false beliefs." - Another friend
“Don't waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.” - Paulo Coelho
"The government is a child that has found their parents credit card, and spends knowing that they never have to reconcile the bill with their own money"-Shannon Churchill
Many a tangled web... This question raised reminds me of a clip of that great historian Rick Steves talking about some village somewhere that would have it announced to them, "you are now French," and then eventually, "you are now British," as they went about their daily lives.
"when socialism fails, blame capitalism and demand more socialism." - A friend
"You know the difference between libs and right-wingers? Libs STFU when evidence refutes their false beliefs." - Another friend
“Don't waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.” - Paulo Coelho
Interesting take. What always comes to my mind is Vietnam. You're a poor rice farmer and that's what you know. Go to the 'ville every so often to hang out with other rice farmers. Meantime, China, France, N Vietnam, South Vietnam and finally the US have been traipsing back and forth across your paddy blowing each other up. Stealing your rice as "taxes" when they aren't blowing up your paddy. They've all got their high-minded ideas about what you're supposed to think and don't care who they have to kill or destroy to ensure you do.
All you're thinking is if they'd quit blowing up my rice paddy and killing my kids we could eat. Doesn't matter who's doing it at the rice farmer level.
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke
Originally Posted by khanacademy
FYI anyone been following the Series of events where parts of the world are/have stopped trading in dollars or petro-dollars.
As in the saudis always wanted other countries to pay them with dollars to buy their oil now, not so much.
And Russia, because of all the U.S. sanctions, is not trading with dollars if it can help it.
Russia, hit by new US sanctions, halts dollar and euro trade on main bourse
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/china-russia-trade/.
...In March 2023, China settled a payment for UAE gas in its own currency rather than US dollars for the first time. Then in November, China and Saudi Arabia signed a currency swap agreement, citing a desire to expand the use of their currencies...
theconversation.com/why-the-world-is-turning-away-from-the-us-dollar-220093
I'm not a financial guru scientist so I'm not sure if or how bad news this is, at the very least is means less subtle or symbolic dominance of world commerce.
Last edited by revelarts; 06-23-2024 at 09:05 AM.
It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties. The freeman of America did not wait till usurped power had strengthened itself by exercise, and entangled the question in precedents. James Madison
Live as free people, yet without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but live at all times as servants of God. 1 Peter 2:16
These seem to be things that we are doing to ourselves by being the arbiter of good vs evil in the world and attempting capitulation by kicking countries out of SWIFT for example. Countries are not going to be thrilled about holding currencies that are not stable in value and my guess is that they may settle trades in their own currency but quickly buy something that is more stable.
"when socialism fails, blame capitalism and demand more socialism." - A friend
"You know the difference between libs and right-wingers? Libs STFU when evidence refutes their false beliefs." - Another friend
“Don't waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.” - Paulo Coelho