Re: au vs. us

[Russell Coker <russell@coker.com.au>]

On Wed, 24 May 2000, Chris Wagner wrote:
>**(If anyone *really* must reply to this, snip debian-isp)**
>Craig sent me a quite funny diatribe.  Seems he thinks I'm a "stupid American".
>
>At 10:07 PM 5/23/00 +0200, Russell Coker wrote:
>>ROFL.  I did research, I watched a TV show!  Could you indict America any
>>further?
>
>Despite the generally vapid nature of American TV, there are good
>informative shows to watch if you know where to look.

I wasn't referring to the quality of TV shows at all.  I was referring to the
attitude of "I have seen a TV show so I know something".  No matter how good
a TV show is (and you'll have to admit that most aren't much good) it's still
not much good as research.

>>As for the Roman Empire.  I believe that we are coming to a time of change. 
>>I think that a number of currently first-world countries will fall in the
>>next few decades.  Large parts of America will go down, but I think that some
>>states will evolve into seperate countries which remain in first-world
>>conditions.
>
>I don't know, the US is on an economic tear right now with no stopping it in
>sight.  Civilazations fall when the quality of their citizenry declines.
>That is currently happening here.  That happened to Rome, it fell.  To
>barbarians.
>
>So, who is it that topples the American Empire? :)

The barbarians did not destroy the Roman empire.  Sure they sacked Rome, but
someone had to do it.  The Roman empire declined of it's own accord because
everyone at the top focussed on competing with their colleagues (which
usually meant keeping down anyone who was too good) and attaining personal
shot-term benefit regardless of the cost to themselves and/or society in the
medium or long-term.  The people at the bottom of society were entertained
and subsidised in being stupid (like dole bludgers nowadays).  Eventually it
got to the stage where they were unable to defend Rome properly and it fell.

With the way the world works now invasion isn't practical.  It used to be
that you could conquer a country and the peons wouldn't mind that much (one
feudal over-lord is much the same as another), the rulers would be dead or
quislings, and the empire would expand.  Now if you try to conquer a country
you can only expect a situation like Vietnam, Ireland, or Chechnia.

But I can imagine a situation where the USA degrades to a level where they
can't police the population.  Then most parts of the large cities could
become over-run by gangs which could then evolve into a new feudal form of
government.


Russell Coker