If you were in the late Roman Empoire, chances are you wouldn't know the end was coming

[Taverner]

With a whimper rather than a bang....

Just sayin'

[Anakin Skywalker]

1. No? Armageddon is Not a Bang?

One would hardly know from seeing those "end times" books being pimped by the born-agains. Left Behind, whatever.

[gateley]

3. Ha! But sometimes I think if I were a Christian I'd be thinking 'Armageddon' with

all the extreme weather, quakes, wars, bizarre behavior, etc. :7

I agree with the OP. We're clueless as to what's going on and happening to us.

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. I have fundie neighbors.

They have expressed their "concern" about me in light of the "pending" Rapture.
I asked them if they want me to take care of their car and house and cat when they "go".
Apparently their 6 y/o daughter did not realize Fluffy was staying behind, she got upset.
Now they don't talk to me anymore.
sigh.

[Curmudgeoness]

16. LOL, oh, you are cruel. Poor kid. But nice of you to offer

to take care of the cat.

[gateley]

2. Agree. nt

[pscot]

4. Is this one of those trick questions

like who's buried in Grant's tomb?

[VioletLake]

5. "History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme." - Mark Twain

Each case is unique. The Soviet Empire fell rather quickly.

[taught_me_patience]

6. The Roman empire was in decline for 400 years

before the fall. Those alive during the fall were 20 generations removed from the height of the empire.

[mwb970]

7. We do everything so much faster these days! /nt

[Taverner]

8. But did the folks know it?

During those 400 years?

I say they didn't

[depakid]

9. I'd say moving the capital to Constantinople was a pretty good indication

that the "powers behind the throne" knew well what the dynamics were.

[Taverner]

10. Not sure if that counts

At that point there were "Two Romes"

After Rome fell, many of the citizens moved to Constantinople

But before then, there was always the hope that Rome was eternal

[old mark]

11. Well, it IS still there... great food, shitty traffic....nt

[14thColony]

13. I get your point and I agree

Regardless of how fast or slow it happened, the question is did average citizens realize they were in a dying state, or did they figure the ship would somehow right itself again? I'd say for most of the decline they probably never expected the empire to end, and when it finally did most of the ones alive at that point either didn't notice or didn't care.

[another saigon]

14. yeah well

don't you think nukes accelerate the scenario of empire demise?

[david13]

15. This may be the beginning of the end. The economy may never

get better. It may only get slowly and surely worse, as the trade deficit has for the last what, 30 or more years?
America will some day be a third world country and China and India will rule the economy of the world. This is probably an inevitability, something that no one can control.
It's always nice to say pass a law against it or adopt a policy that prevents it, but it won't work.
America's great moment is long gone. There may be large 'last gasps' before the actual, final nose dive.
But maybe not.
dc

[LooseWilly]

18. The economy will surely get "better"... as corporate profits statistically bring up the average.

Eventually, when Americans are willing to work for rupees (45 rupees to the dollar... so a 45X reduction in pay...), then the corporations will be willing to bring jobs back.

If you think about it, it's the inevitable result of globalization... regions of high concentration of wages (the "first world") will "diffuse" that "concentration" to regions of low concentration of wages (the "second" and "third world")... until the system is in a balance. Good for those who previously worked for low wages (as their wages will rise a bit) and very bad for those who previously worked for high wages.

For those who have an inside line on an "executive track" job, it's all roses... the rest of the grubby masses can only hope to start a YouTube and sell it off to the corporate machines... or just toil for subsistence, at best, wages. The age of American Un-Exceptionalism is upon us... embrace a third world standard of living for yourself and your children (some people live quite nicely in the third world, after all).

[david13]

21. I know. But that's not really my idea of "better". The executive

jobs are few and far between. And more so in the future.
dc

[LooseWilly]

25. I didn't mean it as a serious answer regarding "better" either...

I just meant to brace you for the spin that's coming.

When you hear talk that the economy is getting better... my annoying post will make you double check... and we both know that you'll find that it is corporate profits growing, while worker pay and employment levels are stagnating— at best.

I'll also add that, as things get tighter, I suspect that the executive jobs will become increasingly nepotistic in their hiring practices... though I suppose it will probably be 100 or so years before executive positions become completely dynastic/dynastic-inbred (only members of the families of executives hired for executive positions... though Exxon might hire the scion of a Goldman executive family...) — Of course, having a daughter who makes it as a model or actress might be sufficient to get one into the the clique, or one's grandchildren at least... and likewise a son who can marry in. (I can only wonder at the prospects of the mother of some lucky girl who marries Cheney's daughter... at least from the financial perspective... being in the same room with Liz Cheney for more than 10 minutes seems like a sure way to prison for murder, or the morgue for suicide, to me...)

[closeupready]

19. Neither China nor India will ever be big global players.

n/t

[david13]

20. They already are. dc

[northernlights]

17. eh! climate change will trump economic collapse

of course, the pols could always sign a treaty to limit warming to some number of degrees they think is ok. I'm sure that will work out fine, and earth will agree to it and all...:shrug:

[Warren DeMontague]

22. Wur Doomed! Wur Doooomed! WUR DOOOOOMED!

Personally, I blame the lead pipes. Or maybe Christianity.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

23. Why

Why do people wish for the demise of America? A world where America is not the preeminent power is a world that I'd rather not live in. The idea that China, India, Russia, or any other alternative will be more benevolent to the world than America is a fallacy.

Interesting enough, people in the "third world" are more likely to wish for America's success than our downfall. If America, the great land of freedom and opportunity fails, what hope is their for anyone else?

[proteus_lives]

24. Is the inability to use spell-check one of the signs of decline?

:rofl: