Is the United States headed for a civil war? Every new partisan battle feels like the battle to end all battles.
But contemplating apocalyptic violence and massive upheaval brings doubt: even with all the current acrimony, could it really be the case that the most successful nation on earth is spiraling towards internal war? Isn’t intense partisanship a hallmark of American democracy? At what point does intense partisanship threaten to devolve into civil war? And how would we know—especially when so many of our intuitions are bolstered by unfounded hopes and the assumption that things can’t change?
Let’s step away from the moment’s heat and look at things from an outsider’s point of view. Aristotle is a helpful guide. Not only did the ancient Greek philosopher think deeply about the numerous civil wars that took place in the tumultuous world of ancient Greece, but he also grasped a profound point that’s easily lost on us: civil wars don’t show up like some surprising and alien virus attacking an otherwise healthy body. Civil war takes place because familiar forces wear down the healthy civic bonds that hold citizens together until some crisis finally triggers action.
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-Rurik
If you want to know what is happening, why, and where we're heading read "THE FATE OF EMPIRES and SEARCH FOR SURVIVAL" by Sir John Glubb. It is THE study on the life cycles of empires. I think that you'll find it both illuminating and shocking. You can find it as a free downloadable PDF at:
ReplyDelete-> http://people.uncw.edu/kozloffm/glubb.pdf <-
If you want an idea about what you can do about it I'd suggest the book "Forging the Hero: Who Does More Is Worth More (A Tribal Strategy for Surviving the Decline of Empire)" by John Mosby. Being a print book it's not free, but it's a very good book. You can find it at:
-> https://mountainguerrilla.wordpress.com/book-questions-and-concerns/ <-
Bad things are coming.
Matt
Thanks for sharing Matt. I agree..
ReplyDeleteMosby is very good, I like reading his stuff.
I basically think most everyone in the younger generation have no idea who, what or where in this quickly changing situation, a lot of us older folks are definitely wondering as well, is going. Those raised with cable tv and cell phones are going to be sadly shocked when those of us who build and maintain the system that allows their instant gratification to operate say fuck it and walk away. I've found that the majority of those young people have no clue about most anything important. Over the years I've hired several and tried to teach a marketable skill, electrical and plumbing, that commands a very good salary to them. They believe it is all about the end product, say programming, with no thought of the need for supplying power, it's always been there so why worry about it. SMH
ReplyDeleteJD
Way back when I majored in philosophy and studied Aristotle and the histories of Greece and Rome I did not fully realize that Aristotle lived in the crumbling ruins of the Greek empire. The glory days were long before his time and what he lived in was a mess. Time to go back and reread Herodotus and Thucydides.
ReplyDeleteWhile you are at it, reread Plato’s Republic, Books 8 and 9. There, Plato predicts that an Aristocracy will transition into an Oligarchy, which will transition into a democracy, which will transition to a dictatorship. Plato does not explain how the transition occurs, One of the mechanisms could very well be a civil war.
DeleteI was reading the narrative poem "Horatius" in the book "LAYS OF ANCIENT ROME" by Thomas Macaulay. This was written in the 1840s and tells the ancient story of a battle to defend Rome.
DeleteI was surprised when upon reading it many of the same problems we are having now are mentioned in the poem. History repeats.
Matt