The Course of Empire
The best instituted governments carry in them the seeds of their destruction: and, though they grow and improve for a time, they will soon tend visibly to their dissolution. Every hour they live is an hour the less that they have to live.”-Henry St. John, First Viscount Bolingbroke, 1738
The Course of Empire is a five-part series of paintings created by Thomas Cole in the years 1833-36. It is notable in part for reflecting popular American sentiments of the times, when many saw pastoralism as the ideal phase of human civilization, fearing that empire would lead to gluttony and inevitable decay.-Wiki
Edward Abbey gave us 100 years back in the ’80′s. That could well be correct, although since it took us more than 200 years to get to this point, our cultural suicide may take a bit more time to reach a flat line on the monitor. Although, in some respects, Ed probably should have started counting at the end of Second World War, since that’s when the real acceleration of decay started. In that scenario, we have about 35 years remaining.
Today’s New York Times makes 35 years seem optimistic, and many believe there are triggers that can rapidly accelerate the process, meaning, you may be able to put a fork in us in a matter of months. Consider Wall Street, which is about the closest thing we have to a beating heart. It teetered on the brink of failure last year but was narrowly bailed out by the government in what seemed to me a very uncertain, much disputed plan. Afterward, the government didn’t respond with an appropriate amount of regulation and oversight. It added some window dressing by slapping those greedy executives on the hand and holding their bonuses for a few months. Then suddenly, all was back to normal. Tally ho, mate.
Looking back, we know that was a mistake. Banks are still teetering, and AIG once again posted huge losses. Foreclosures are up, and unemployment remains a massive problem.
What does Washington do next time around when its foolproof plan is shown to be foolish?
The Savage State
The Pastoral State
The Consummation of Empire
The Destruction of Empire
Desolation
