I don't find this Statement of Principles particularly horrific. It's only to be expected. You can read similar statements put forward by prominent speakers at the beginning of the end of all their Empires. The Romans were particularly good at this sort of thing because they could speak in Latin and thus impress people.
http://www.lawca.com/lawdude/decline.html is an interesting look at the similarities of the fall of Rome and the current state of the USA. Ben Stein's article serves only to reinforce the picture of the USA as a state in decline - all the points he raises have been raised before in a similar way as an attempt to halt the decline of Empires. Never worked before. They're symptoms, not causes. Saying that things are looking bad doesn't fix anything, it's just an observation - saying 'Oh look. A giant goose is about to drop an explosive golden egg on my head' is unlikely to be very useful as a method of preventing the actions of the goose.
Problem is that all Empires fall. I vaguely suspect you could work it all out using Chaos theory. When any system reaches the level of complexity the Empire of the USA has, it's inherently unstable and destined to collapse. And you can't build an Empire that doesn't reach this level.
Sic Transit Gloria Mundi. Get used to it.
Disclaimer - Mr FBI, in no way am I advocating the fall of America, and will take no part in any action designed to hasten this fall. It's a matter of historical inevitability. Read Gibbon for God's sake. |