Dromond
Pleasantly abstruse.
That's the title of a Der Spiegel article written just before the US election on November 5. I just now read it. The article talks about the relative decline of the United States in the world, and goes into detail about why the decline is happening. As a foreign publication, it has no partisan axe to grind. It does skewer Democrats and Obama, though the lion share of the skewering in the article is directed at Republicans.
With good reason, in my opinion.
I read the article and parts were painful to read. Some of what the author was saying I didn't want to believe, but I didn't close my mind to it. He makes a lot of sense, and he's describing reality. The language is a little odd in places, but I suppose that's to be expected from reading a translation of a German article.
The article is way too long to repost here, so you'll have to read it on the site.
I'm expecting the right wingers to scream bloody murder, and attack the article, the author, and me. Go right ahead if that's what makes you feel better. But the truth is, the United States is in decline. Our infrastructure is embarrassing. Our power grid is 19th Century and our bridges are crumbling. We lead the world in only two metrics: the number of people incarcerated, and in military strength. We have a wave of anti-intellectualism poisoning our education system. Our universities are still the envy of the world, but it's getting so only the rich can afford them. Poverty and third world living conditions are endemic to quite a few parts of the country. It's a DISGRACE.
I predict we're not heading for a hard fall or a total collapse. We won't go the way of the Roman Empire. We will, however, probably go the way of the British Empire. A retreat to the core, shedding the trappings of empire, and leaving the rest of the world to it's fate. We'll guard the continent, and keep an eye on South America too. The rest of the world will be in other hands.
With good reason, in my opinion.
I read the article and parts were painful to read. Some of what the author was saying I didn't want to believe, but I didn't close my mind to it. He makes a lot of sense, and he's describing reality. The language is a little odd in places, but I suppose that's to be expected from reading a translation of a German article.
The article is way too long to repost here, so you'll have to read it on the site.
I'm expecting the right wingers to scream bloody murder, and attack the article, the author, and me. Go right ahead if that's what makes you feel better. But the truth is, the United States is in decline. Our infrastructure is embarrassing. Our power grid is 19th Century and our bridges are crumbling. We lead the world in only two metrics: the number of people incarcerated, and in military strength. We have a wave of anti-intellectualism poisoning our education system. Our universities are still the envy of the world, but it's getting so only the rich can afford them. Poverty and third world living conditions are endemic to quite a few parts of the country. It's a DISGRACE.
I predict we're not heading for a hard fall or a total collapse. We won't go the way of the Roman Empire. We will, however, probably go the way of the British Empire. A retreat to the core, shedding the trappings of empire, and leaving the rest of the world to it's fate. We'll guard the continent, and keep an eye on South America too. The rest of the world will be in other hands.
