Ahistorical, dontcha think? Under capitalism, change and disruption speed up per historical norms; things just change faster... much, much faster. How many Edwardians saw the end of the British Empire in their own--OK, maybe their child's--lifetime? And that empire had more "classical" characteristics than whatever the hell the US has.
The US's economic power, and its corresponding ability to maintain a hypertrophied military, could collapse within a decade. This is of course not equivalent to the collapse of capitalism and capitalists, who can be a new bunch and who can always find a successor enforcer state, if needed.
On 4/18/09, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
> <http://doughenwood.wordpress.com/2009/04/18/empires-fall-slowly/>
>
> A friend pointed out the other day: people sometimes compare the U.S.
> empire to Rome’s decline....
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