Empire State
"It's amazing I won. I was running against peace, prosperity, and incumbency"
-George W. Bush, June 14th 2001, speaking to Swedish Prime Minister Goran Perrson, unaware that a live tv camera was still rolling.
If history has shown us anything, it's that empires or "superpowers" come and go. The Greeks, the Romans, Mayans, or yes Jon (you wookie lover), the Imperial Empire too. Sometimes empires that weren't even know have ended, like "Family Guy's" take on the Irish before they discovered alcohol and how they were the most technologically advanced empire.
I've seen the collapse of the Russian superpower in my lifetime and there are inklings that the Chinese may soon become a superpower. Britain's empire has steadily broken apart since the American Revolution. Which leads me to the question: how long can our "democratic empire" last?
Kamal first caught my attention a few years ago by questioning how long America could stay as dominant on the world stage as we currently are. He even went as far as to compare America to Rome during it's glory days before the waning began. You know when Rome's senators or politicians became absolutely corrupt. Rome's money was tied up in their war industry (stop me when you see the comparisons), and it's legions were spread all around a vast empire trying to hold off various groups from taking over a part of the empire.
We are a nation that is proud of it's bravery, steadfastness, and it's heritage. We have a few black eyes as a country, but when things become hairy, we're there for each other. Just because I don't wrap myself in a flag doesn't mean I don't like our country, the purpose of a democracy and free speech is to be able to criticize things when you don't believe in them. I don't hate America, I just don't like Bush's vision of America. He has divided our nation like no other has done in our history.
I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I don't think the America we knew will ever come back. I have a distinct feeling that unless we change our path, America cannot survive in it's current state. It may for awhile, but eventually, it will split or completely change in spirit. I guess I sound like Chicken Little, and I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see things turning out with the same country being around 50 years from now. Alright, any comments?
-George W. Bush, June 14th 2001, speaking to Swedish Prime Minister Goran Perrson, unaware that a live tv camera was still rolling.
If history has shown us anything, it's that empires or "superpowers" come and go. The Greeks, the Romans, Mayans, or yes Jon (you wookie lover), the Imperial Empire too. Sometimes empires that weren't even know have ended, like "Family Guy's" take on the Irish before they discovered alcohol and how they were the most technologically advanced empire.
I've seen the collapse of the Russian superpower in my lifetime and there are inklings that the Chinese may soon become a superpower. Britain's empire has steadily broken apart since the American Revolution. Which leads me to the question: how long can our "democratic empire" last?
Kamal first caught my attention a few years ago by questioning how long America could stay as dominant on the world stage as we currently are. He even went as far as to compare America to Rome during it's glory days before the waning began. You know when Rome's senators or politicians became absolutely corrupt. Rome's money was tied up in their war industry (stop me when you see the comparisons), and it's legions were spread all around a vast empire trying to hold off various groups from taking over a part of the empire.
We are a nation that is proud of it's bravery, steadfastness, and it's heritage. We have a few black eyes as a country, but when things become hairy, we're there for each other. Just because I don't wrap myself in a flag doesn't mean I don't like our country, the purpose of a democracy and free speech is to be able to criticize things when you don't believe in them. I don't hate America, I just don't like Bush's vision of America. He has divided our nation like no other has done in our history.
I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I don't think the America we knew will ever come back. I have a distinct feeling that unless we change our path, America cannot survive in it's current state. It may for awhile, but eventually, it will split or completely change in spirit. I guess I sound like Chicken Little, and I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see things turning out with the same country being around 50 years from now. Alright, any comments?
posted by Ryan Mac at
9/28/2004 10:22:00 PM
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