History will record that 9/11 was the beginning of the decline .....

[kentuck]

of the last superpower. Through arogance, incompetence , and the urge for revenge, the USA declared war on Islamic fundamentalism and, in the process, spread their troops too thinly throughout that part of the world and, also, spent their national treasury on programs such as Homeland Security and other domestic programs intent on protecting their people. Also, they gradually did away with constitutional freedoms they had cherished since the founding of their country with legislation such as the Patriot Acts.

History will also record that the world became more fragile and dangerous because of the actions of the last superpower. In their blindness, they began the process of dissolving the last great superpower and, at the same time, creating the conditions for world tension and numerous regional wars. But, they thought they were only fighting the "war on terrorism". They had no idea the damage they were doing.

[Selwynn]

1. This too shall pass...

What history will ultimately record, is that America rose and fell and the world had its highs and lows too, but ultimately kept right on going.

[Benhurst]

2. America's domination lasted less than a century, a flash in the pan

historically. History will record it as a footnote, unless of course the current fool in the White House brings on World War III or an environmental catastrophe.

[opihimoimoi]

3. The damage done by Bush is going to be BEYOND REPAIR

History will record the decline starting with Rove and his dream of being a master puppeteer and using the Shrub as the Tool to Fool.

Bush is ignoring Global Warming and the consequenses are dire for our future and our children.

He is scaling back environmental laws, not very interested in saving some of our resources for our children....very selfish indeed.

Our fiscal policies are shot. Way too much spent in the wrong areas and all counterproductive.

We are Fucked.....

[barb162]

29. Yes, I believe it is beyond repair now as we can't handle

another 4 yrs. of this type of destruction. But I would differ with when this started. I think it started around the 1970s as a reaction to legal abortion, Johnson's civil rights and other progressive legislation, etc. That's when the fundies and conservatives started organizing.They have been working on taking control for 30 years and a lot of it was done under the radar screen. When Hillary Clinton made a comment about the vast right wing conspiracy, people laughed. But they tried like hell, investigation after investigation, to get Clinton and the Dems out of power starting 12 years ago when he got in office. They were ruthless 12 years ago but people were somehow missing it... seeing it as a small group or as no group at all.

[OneBlueSky]

4. one point I disagree with . . .

"spent their national treasury on programs such as Homeland Security and other domestic programs intent on protecting their people" . . .

Homeland Security was not created to protect the American people from terrorists, but rather to protect the power elite from the American people . . .

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

24. Rather,

it was designed to bilk Joe and Josephina Taxpayer. Same thing, ultimately.

[Coventina]

5. Pretty much like the Roman Empire

Too corrupt and full of itself to pay any attention to the "barbarians" they had mistreated.

Notice the quotes.

[donsu]

6. the 2000 election coup d'etat was the beginning not 9/11

nt

[BurtWorm]

8. I was just about to say the same thing.

But actually the decline starts even further back, with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. If Gore had been able to take office in 2000, it's possible that Reagan would be seen as a relatively harmless bump, but as Gore was not able to, it must be seen as the beginning of the end.

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. Yep!

:-(

[Lone Pawn]

18. I'd say LBJ, actually.

The Great Society/Vietnam/Counterculture era and its backlashes and backbacklashes, combined with the post-Nixon cynicism, are what made Reagan possible. LBJ backlash led to the policies; RMN evil led to the Morning in America love affair with feel-good "optimists."

[clem_c_rock]

25. Exactly - The PNAC makes it's move

Move 2: knock some buildings down - everything is soooooo easy after that!

[leftofthedial]

7. history might record that, but

the reality is that December 12, 2000 was the beginning of the end.

[ramapo]

9. Try 1980 as the beginning of the end

It's been all downhill since Reagan except for the Clinton pop.

[barbaraann]

12. You got it.

Actually, I think the most important election of our lifetime was the Carter/Reagan election, not this last one.

[Jawja]

13. I would go further back

to the assassination of JFK.

[ramapo]

16. The world would be a much different place

Who could've imagined a Bush dynasty replacing the Kennedys.

[DireStrike]

22. Which may have roots in WW2.

Or further?

[dflprincess]

26. I agree

n/t

[knight_of_the_star]

10. They will record

How the US only outlived the superpower it struggled against in the Cold war only by 20 years, tops and state how inconclusive the struggle was.

[forgethell]

11. Actually history recorded

that the Roman government lasted way over 1000 years after it made the transition from Republic to Empire. Of course, they weren't very comfortable years for most of the people, but the government survived.

What does that tell us??

Merry Christmas :)

[jsquared]

14. Kevin Phillip's book Wealth and Democracy does a great job in

puting the US decline in context. These declines are always marked by increased income disparity and poverty, political arrogance - especially unnecessary military agression, and dependence on financing, versus real business. This apparently happenened to the former empires, such as the Spanish, Dutch and British, and it's now our turn. Certainly GWB accelerated the trend, but it almost seemed inevitable, if one looks at history. Also, the good news is that income redistribution (versus willy nilly growth) becomes a big priority, after these excesses.

[Doctor_J]

17. yeah, if we'd had a decent leader on 9/11/01,

we'd be high on the hog right now. If a Clinton or a Gore had been president, we would've taken the world's good will and multiplied it by 100. The 99.999% of the world's people who are not terrorists would all be pulling together against the .0001 % that are, and probably have them at bay.

Instead, we proved that we can be as bloodthirsty as the terrorists themselves, and not much more respectful of human life.

[Starlight]

19. If we had a good president there would never have been a 9/11.

Whether it was through compliance or gross incompetence, Bush et al are responsible for 9/11. Don't ever forget that. :nuke:

[Doctor_J]

20. true

but even if 16 determined murderers HAD made it through, and killed 3000 of us, we would soon thereafter had the world united against them and their soul mates. And if it'd been Clinton that rallied the world to our side, the Limbeciles would be pissed.

[Starlight]

21. That's absolutely true, TOJ. n/t

[Seldona]

28. I think you hit it on the head.

I was amazed at the outpouring of sympathy fom the world after 9/11.

And less than a year later we have a leader, uhg cannot even stand saying that concerning shrub, that is talking about how you are either with us or against us, old Europe, etc.

I do believe that is the biggest waste of 'political capital' ever, a term *Bush is so fond of these days.

What an imbecile.

[Stephanie]

23. I think you have it exactly backwards.

History will record that Selection 2000 was the beginning of the decline.

Through arrogance and incompetence and the urge for revenge members of the Republican administration, and its corporate partners, decided upon a war of conquest in the Middle East before they had even taken office - many months before September 11. From the moment they took office they were waiting for an opportunity to make their move against Iraq. When they were warned in August of 2001 of possible hijackings - "conventional hijackings" as Condi said - they simply ignored the warnings and went on vacation. Then 9/11 happened.

From there on your description is correct.

[Threedifferentones]

27. I doubt we'll be the last superpower

There are plenty of nations that could potentially take or spot, most notably China or a truly united EU.



3D0

[shadowknows69]

30. Problem is...

I don't think we'll let anyone else be the last superpower


GW: "If we can't have the world...no one can!!! Eat radiation heathens!!!!"