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Why Does the Good Life End?
Pajamas Media ^ | 9/25/11 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 09/26/2011 7:08:46 AM PDT by JudyM

A look Back

People just don’t disappear. Look at Germany in 1946 or Athenians in 339 B.C. They continue, but their governments and cultures end. Aside from the dramatic military implosions of authoritarian or tribal societies — the destruction of Tenochtitlan, the end of Nazism, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the annexation of tribal Gaul — what brings consensual states to an end, or at least an end to the good life?

The city-states could not stop 30,000 Macedonians in a way — when far poorer and 150 year earlier — they had stopped 300,000 Persians descending on many of the same routes. The French Republic of 1939 had more tanks and troops on the Rhine than the Third Reich that was busy overrunning Poland. A poorer Britain fought differently at el-Alamein than it does now over Libya. A British battleship was once a sign of national pride; today a destroyer represents a billion pounds stolen from social services.

(Excerpt) Read more at pajamasmedia.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: elitists; government; liberty; sloth
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A sad commentary on the current state of the USA......
1 posted on 09/26/2011 7:08:52 AM PDT by JudyM
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To: JudyM
everyone knows why it happens.

Anyway, the good news is, that bad lives end, too.

2 posted on 09/26/2011 7:17:01 AM PDT by the invisib1e hand (...then they came for the guitars, and we kicked their sorry faggot asses into the dust)
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To: JudyM

It’s not just the USA. THere are a host of other countries suffering the same fate. Most of europe, japan, canada, australia...even westernized parts of the middle east.

western civilizations are committing slow suicide.


3 posted on 09/26/2011 7:36:31 AM PDT by mamelukesabre
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To: mamelukesabre

Because politicians and Liberal judges are causing it.


4 posted on 09/26/2011 7:43:18 AM PDT by SkyDancer (A critic is like a legless man who teaches running.)
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To: JudyM

Wow. Thank-you for posting this. I’m actually going to have to sit and think about what this guy wrote.


5 posted on 09/26/2011 7:43:25 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: mamelukesabre

Because people lose their connection with God...and now there is a jump start to Him...copingstrategiescd.com. Being used widely in the U.S. military now because it works!


6 posted on 09/26/2011 7:46:31 AM PDT by fabian (" And a new day will dawn for those who stand long, and the forests will echo with laughter")
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To: blueunicorn6

A good read and spot on. It only means that things are now getting ready for a drastic change. I believe that things will swing left as “Progressives” attempt to give all things away to their supporters in the Masses—when that fails (when the USA can borrow no more cash) the nation will fall apart and turn to the right and a fascist state will emerge. Oddly enough, such a “New Order” will bring unity and work—end programs and purge regulations. Things will be re-built. There will be parades, music, songs, education camps, monuments, new films, and a new nationalistic pride. The streets will be safe at last—any who oppose the “leader” of hos programs will be dispatched to the Camps in Alaska to be worked to death. Everyone will have a group to join, a uniform to wear. No more homeless, no more confusion. Maybe even good “People’s cars” for everyone. They will need scapegoats in this new order—not Jews this time—but Illegals will be targeted. Their crime will be treason against the state! Then, there will be the Wars as we take Canada first, then Cuba, then Mexico. My pay for oil when we can seize it? A new empire will rule the third world bring peace and order at a coast. It will be a bright new world—but it will not resemble the USA we know and love.


7 posted on 09/26/2011 8:05:40 AM PDT by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
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To: the invisib1e hand

VDH and the historical perspective.

Goes great with my morning coffee.


8 posted on 09/26/2011 8:23:35 AM PDT by CPT Clay (Pick up your weapon and follow me.)
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To: Forward the Light Brigade
How does this "New Order" differ from Progressive Marxism? If this is a vision of Neo-nazi America, it's nothing more than totalitarian Socialism. Ergo, I find it difficult to envision a switch from slavish Democratic Socialism to a system that supplants a bloated bureaucracy with a "Dear Leader" tyrannical socialism. Is there no room for a free enterprise and a Constitutional form of governance?

A turn from Marxism to Naziism is a difference with no distinction and would make no sense to our Democratic Party handlers.

9 posted on 09/26/2011 8:26:51 AM PDT by Thommas (The snout of the camel is in the tent..)
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To: JudyM

If you liked VDH’s column, then you really ought to read the new book by David P. Goldman, aka Spengler, called “How Civilizations Die.”

http://www.amazon.com/How-Civilizations-Die-Islam-Dying/dp/159698273X


10 posted on 09/26/2011 8:29:15 AM PDT by Clioman
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To: JudyM
The city-states could not stop 30,000 Macedonians in a way — when far poorer and 150 year earlier — they had stopped 300,000 Persians descending on many of the same routes.

Uhh, the Macedonians were not Persians, nor was Phillip Xerxes.

The difference is that when the Greeks fought the Persians the Greeks had a vastly superior tactical weapons system, though at first, such as at Marathon, they weren't really aware of it. Something like WWII tanks vs. WWI or WBTS infantry.

By the time Phillip came around he had improved significantly on the Greek phalanx, while they hadn't changed much. It was now sort of like Gulf War tanks vs. WWII tanks.

While there's little doubt Athens and the other city-states, especially Sparta, had degenerated, that isn't why they lost. They lost because their part-time citizen-soldier militia couldn't stand against the far superior professional armies of Phillip and Alexander.

11 posted on 09/26/2011 8:29:57 AM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: JudyM

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over lousy fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average of the world’s great civilizations before they decline has been 200 years. These nations have progressed in this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to Complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependency back again to bondage.
Alexander Tyler, 1770


12 posted on 09/26/2011 8:31:20 AM PDT by JGT
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To: Forward the Light Brigade

The drastic change has already happened. We are outnumbered by illegal aliens, self-indulgent and smug liberables, and topped off with a whopping throng of do-nothing loafers and leeches in this country who have found the keys to loafer-heaven.

As it is, there is barely 1+ people working to pay SS payments to those already in retirement. Couple that with the 25% of SSI and disability payments and you have your disaster - right now. Add to that the 40+million on food stamps, the 40% on EITC paying NO TAXES at all (save ‘payroll’) and your disaster is here - been here for a while as a matter of fact.

Now, add to that the paltry number (12 million by government count - 50 million by my count) of illegals here and their impending legitimization which will reap more SS payments, further medical benefits, more education benefits, and you have a real honest-to-goodness disaster on top of an already-existing disaster. Make no mistake, it’s here now.


13 posted on 09/26/2011 8:37:39 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Sherman Logan

I think Philip I of Macedon did a pretty good job of dividing the city-states prior to military operations while Xerxes did a pretty good job of uniting them.

Agree with your other observations, btw!


14 posted on 09/26/2011 8:37:45 AM PDT by Tallguy (You can safely ignore anything that precedes the word "But"...)
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To: Tallguy
Xerxes did a pretty good job of uniting them.

Common idea but mistaken.

The considerable majority of continental Greek states medized, notably including Thebes, one of the great powers of the Greek world, Macedonia, the Thessalians, etc. Many Greeks fought on the other side at Salamis, for instance, though quite possibly with no great enthusiasm.

The Persians were not Assyrians, and were by comparison to other great empires remarkably tolerant and allowed their subject peoples significant freedom.

Given how the Greeks tore their world apart in civil war not too long after, it is possible to make a good case they would have been better off, materially at least, had they submitted to the Pax Persiana.

15 posted on 09/26/2011 9:15:01 AM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: JGT
These nations have progressed in this sequence

This has been posted many times. I'd like to see someone post just one example of a nation that actually followed such a sequence in the time range shown.

Methinks this a truly classic example of a glittering generality that has no truth in reality.

16 posted on 09/26/2011 9:17:39 AM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: JudyM
The French Republic of 1939 had more tanks and troops on the Rhine than the Third Reich that was busy overrunning Poland.

Heck, the Allies had more and better tanks and planes at the start of the Battle of France. They also had 5M men vs. 3M Germans.

It is amazing how seldom these little facts are mentioned. The common narrative is that the Allies were destroyed by overwhelmingly greater German force.

17 posted on 09/26/2011 9:25:06 AM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: Forward the Light Brigade

Illegals will not be the new Jews. Illegals will be revered and in charge. The scapegoats will be the conservatives, the Chrisitan, the white, Anglo-Saxon protestants and catohlics from north European stock. White guilt will be turned into white hate.


18 posted on 09/26/2011 9:56:55 AM PDT by Alas Babylon!
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To: Sherman Logan
It's not even about who has the larger army. It's all up here (pointing to head) and here (pointing to heart). The Germans hated the French and English because of Versailles and Hitler fanned that hatred to a red hot coal. Meanwhile, the British and French, who went to war with Hitler over Poland—did nothing while Poland was crushed.

And the French had thousands of tanks and millions of men on the German border, but did not have the intelligence to strike Germany with its back turned nor the heart to march in against a grave injustice. All they could worry about was “when will the Hun attack us?” Never, “Let us attack the Hun now, with all we've got!!”

Hitler's generals where ready to oust him had the French came over the Rhine. The most amazing thing to them in the whole war was why they never did.

19 posted on 09/26/2011 10:05:49 AM PDT by Alas Babylon!
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To: JudyM

One great article. Maybe we should just elect Cain and be done with all this mealy mouth talk.


20 posted on 09/26/2011 10:10:47 AM PDT by EscondidoSurfer
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