Quote

“The government, which was designed for the people, has got into the hands of the bosses and their employers, the special interests. An invisible empire has been set up above the forms of democracy.”

Woodrow T. Wilson (American 28th President of the United States 1856-1924)

Ruminations on the Decline of Empire

A couple years ago a columnist from "The Guardian" named Timothy Garton Ash wrote an article where he spoke of The Iraq War as America's Boer War. He claims that the 1905 Boer War kicked off the 50 year-long decline of the British Empire resulting in a loss of "top dog" status in the world. It's pretty convincing stuff actually.

If his claims are true (or even true-ish) then we have an interesting and not necessarily unattractive time ahead of us here in the States. Now, granted, that 50-year decline of the British Empire included two world wars and should this next protracted decline of a hyper-power also include such things then life will suck immeasurably. So let us hope that things like the Cold War's Mutually Assured Destruction will still apply through the coming years and that no big country knock-down, drag-outs will occur.

But barring the world war syndrome, we could see benefits from a slow releasing of America's grip on the world. Perhaps more money could be spent on schools and such. After all, half of the rest of the world's students want to study here (much like they did want to study in Britain back in the early to mid 20th century) and so becoming even more of a knowledge superpower (while discarding some of the ass-kicking superpower ways) would be a useful way to go.

If you look at Britain in those 50 years of imperial downsizing, there is a lot of good stuff! How many great British books were written, published and read worldwide from 1905 onward? How many great British plays were written and put on by theater companies worldwide? How much great rock and roll came off of those isles in the deep post-imperialist age? It's really almost as if the releasing of itself from empire spawned renewed creativity, isn't it? Take Monty Python. That is pure brilliance. It is also quintessentially English AND distinctly post-empire AND hugely influential on world culture. And did anyone think, when they heard and saw the Beatles, that England had lost its influence in the world? I think not.

Fast-forward to now. Washington is London a hundred years ago. Imperial over-stretch looms. One cannot conceive of a world where the US isn't all powerful and yet history teaches us that that world is coming. But it doesn't have to be that scary after all. And there could be benefits. There will also be some downsides to the end of US hegemony. You need only take a moment to imagine how Russia and China might behave toward their southern neighbors in a world free of those huge American fleets patrolling around tropical waters. I think certain countries will miss America's relatively friendly use of its powers. Let's be honest, if Russia or China had America's current power, they would never bother to spend 5, 10, or even 15 years merely warning a country to stop messing with their business interests, oil supplies, and diplomats of questionable motives. They would never allow tens of millions of their own citizens to vilify their own government's policies.

Be that as it may, and with the caveat that there is no current heir to US power (no you can't count China any time soon...not when they are still afraid to let their fighter pilots fly too far from base for fear that they might defect) US power will naturally diminish. I hope to see some good art, music, and literature come out of it.

I wonder if Rome's decline had any cultural benefits.

Hard to hide

I knew that Al Qaeda would finally figure out to which extent Scandinavian society is the dead opposite of radical, militant religious fundamentalism. It was only a matter of time. There is simply no place on this planet that is further from and more unlike the imagined caliphate of Osama Bin Laden than are the Scandinavian countries, with the sole exception perhaps of Holland. 'Must be a combination of herring, cheese, and beer that does it. That and girls that get to anything that boys get to do. Well maybe those things plus an actual free and open debate about what the people want and don't want (and that without fear of intimidation).

I myself am a Norwegian and as such I am quite typical in being a dyed-in-the-wool opponent of any and all theocracies as well as being a proponent of 100% gender equality. I am also a huge believer in free speech. I do think the guys that are publishing these cartoons in Scandinavia are pushing the envelope a bit too far these days, but I am happy that no one is busting open their doorways and shutting them down for it. I am happy that they have the right to express themselves, even if I think they are going too far.

So there you have it. When presented with which side to support in this whole cartoon-based violence dilemma, I come down on the side of the people that do NOT do things like condone honor killings.

Question for the Times

It would be interesting to see exactly how many tens of millions of dollars worth of Government aid Denmark has given to Pakistan over the last 15 years or so. 'Probably similar in amounts to the many millions given to the other countries where Danish embassies have been attacked. 'Money well spent?