Sobering analysis: Twelve Stages of Empire

[Jackpine Radical]

#1. Isolation and Growth. A non empire society with promise can grow if isolated from older militarized neighbors and allowed to devote resources to economic growth rather than military spending.

#2. Economic Dominance. The growing society eventually overtakes the slower growing militarized economies around it and becomes dominant economically.

#3. Military Domination War. Economic domination leads to military domination after war between the top two economic powers. Usually the other power has been dominant but has limited its growth through militarism allowing the new power to catch up and overtake it.

#4. Military Control of Others. Military domination leaves the new power in an unstable position, usually leading to maintaining high levels of peacetime military power in the mistaken belief that it is now a rich society and can afford to maintain a higher level of military spending.

#5. Economic Control of Others. The new power can dominate now both militarily and economically and proceeds to do so.

#6. Military: Source of Political and Economic Power Internally. The military now becomes a dominant internal force and begins to dominate and control politically and economically within its own original society.

#7. Destination for the Young. The new dominant society attracts aspiring young people from around the world who want to be a part of the highest level of civilization.

#8. Military Industrial Complex Dominates Government. The high levels of military spending lead to the formation of a military industrial complex that turns its dependency on the government around and starts to dominate and control the government.

#9. Generating Wars to Dominate Internally and Externally. The new military economy justifies itself to the larger community by generating and rationalizing new wars to increase its domination both internally and externally.

#10. Economy Erodes as Scientists, Engineers, and Capital Wasted. The economy erodes with the new high levels of military spending as the best resources of scientific talent, engineering talent, and capital investment are consumed in the nonproductive military economy.

#11. Workforce and Society Stagnate and Change. The new slower growing economy that emerges now demands a “sideways” workforce to manage the stagnation. Soon the whole society changes to meet the new situation. The command and control nature of the military reinforces these internal changes. Crime, poor health, and income inequality grow.

#12. Collapse or Replacement. The now collapsing society can salvage some of its former glory by abandoning expensive overseas entanglements, or seeking another society to take over its formal role of dominance. New international institutions can help make either task easier.



For more information about how these twelve points apply to America:
https://www.academia.edu/5415354/STAGES_of_EMPIRE

[libdem4life]

1. Right as Rain...been saying it for years. Hard to believe that the Emperor has No Clothes.

The Christians certainly know it because they firmly believe that #12 is when Jesus comes down and forms a New World Order. Who knows...maybe they are right.

[Live and Learn]

2. Looks like we are at 11.5 now. nt

[Louisiana1976]

3. That makes sense.

[nc4bo]

5. Yep, #11 feels very much like today..........

Now, what shape will #12 take?!

[Live and Learn]

6. I'm for letting Canada take over. nt

[Jackpine Radical]

7. I'm holding out for Andorra.

Lyrics to Andorra

(Pete Seeger)

[Chorus after each verse:]
I want to go to Andorra, Andorra, Andorra,
I want to go to Andorra, it's a place that I adore,
They spent four dollars and ninety cents
On armaments and their defense,
Did you ever hear of such confidence?
Andorra, hip hurrah!

In the mountains of the Pyrenees
There's an independent state,
Its population five thousand souls,
And I think they're simply great.
One hundred and seventy square miles big
And it's awfully dear to me.
Spends less than five dollars on armaments,
And this I've got to see.

It's governed by a council,
All gentle souls and wise,
They've only five dollars for armaments
And the rest for cakes and pies.
They didn't invest in a tommy gun
Or a plane to sweep the sky,
But they bought some blanks for their cap pistols
To shoot on their Fourth of July.

They live by the arts of farm and field
And by making shoes and hats,
And they haven't got room in their tiny land
For a horde of diplomats;
They haven't got room in their tiny land
For armies to march about,
And if anyone comes with a war budget
They throw the rascals out.

I wandered clown by the Pentagon
This newspaper clipping in hand
I said, "I want to see everyone
In McNamara's band."
I said, "Look what they did in Andorra,
They put us all to shame.
The least is first, the biggest is last,
Let's get there just the same."

The general said, "My dear boy,
You just don't understand.
We need these things to feel secure
In our great and wealthy land."
I said, "If security's what you need
I'll buy a couch for you,
A headshrinker is cheaper and quicker
And a damn site safer too."

[arikara]

11. Not advisable, at least at this time

We have Harper busy dismantling everything good about canada. Maybe when we get rid of that destructive idiot we can regain some of our self respect.

[valerief]

8. Going to 11

[adirondacker]

13. 1% mentality right there!

[daleanime]

9. K&R....

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. The problem with empires is that they end up becoming dependent on the colonies they exploit.

They simply can't exist without the raw materials, cheap goods, and cheap labor the colonies provide. Inevitably, the colonies get weary of providing the good life to the Romans, Brits, French, Americans, while remaining poverty stricken and exploited. It costs more to keep them in line by mollifying them with less exploitation (paying more for the raw materials and labor) or force. Not to mention the threat of wannabee empires who want the goodies. More cost ensues in protecting the colonies from the wannabees or buying them off.

Sooner or later the Empire is paying more than it's taking in and has to cut loose the colonies and become just another has been empire or become a colony of the new empire.

"History supplies little more than a list of people who have helped themselves to the property of others." - Voltaire

[woo me with science]

12. K&R

[JEB]

14. K&R

[malaise]

15. Check

X 12.

Rec