tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22781533.post4699425683800190297..comments2024-03-23T14:04:57.635-05:00Comments on Father Hollywood: Dismantling the EmpireRev. Larry Beanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06705910892752648940noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22781533.post-50069630452597800292009-08-01T12:53:19.881-05:002009-08-01T12:53:19.881-05:00Dear Greg:
Thank you. I thought about it, but gi...Dear Greg:<br /><br />Thank you. I thought about it, but given that there really isn't anything new here, and that this post already links to a couple of other LRC pieces, I decided to just post it here.<br /><br />Thanks for the link!Rev. Larry Beanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06705910892752648940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22781533.post-45974072187733741682009-08-01T12:52:02.418-05:002009-08-01T12:52:02.418-05:00Dear Msgr. Scott:
I'm afraid I concur with yo...Dear Msgr. Scott:<br /><br />I'm afraid I concur with your pessimism. We may have to endure some dark times before things get better. Come, Lord Jesus!Rev. Larry Beanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06705910892752648940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22781533.post-87393469566320542432009-08-01T12:50:55.024-05:002009-08-01T12:50:55.024-05:00Dear Matt:
The problem with Empire is that it nee...Dear Matt:<br /><br />The problem with Empire is that it needs to expand to survive - like a giant ameoba. It sustains itself by subjecting others, by draining the resources of other people for the good of the citizens at home. This is how it is that Americans consume such a large portion of the world's resources in an increasingly competitive environment - and as third-world economies emerge, the competition for resources will drive prices up (e.g. oil).<br /><br />Empire is eventually unsustainable, whether it lasts a thousand years or a hundred years. All empires have a lifespan. How the endgame is to be played out is somewhat under our control.<br /><br />The American Empire is different from Rome insofar as we don't have provinces, but military bases and spheres of influence in host governments. We have puppet states around the world. We still largely control the world through "dollar diplomacy."<br /><br />This breeds contempt (especially the quartering of foreign troops in sovereign countries, as our own Declaration of Independence points out) and terrorism. Bin Laden bluntly explained that 9-11 was in response to American bases in Saudi Arabia, and the humiliation of Arabs being under American occupation.<br /><br />Eventually, (like the game "Risk") one's resources are too far flung across the globe, supply trains are too long, the costs of maintenance are too dear (especially as oil becomes increasingly expensive). And when this decline begins, it is a difficult (if not impossible) thing to arrest.<br /><br />I don't think we have hundreds of years. The world moves at a faster pace than it did in the days of the Caesars. I think we're beginning to reap the whirlwind now, and I think the economic stress on the imperium is beginning to cause cracks in the entire system - at home and abroad, affecting guns and butter.<br /><br />When it gets to the point where our soldiers are paid in scrip to risk life and limb in a cause that they no longer associate with defense of their own country - the empire will begin to disintegrate quickly, and things will become perilous. We will see political chaos. And something worse will fill the vacuum.<br /><br />But if we can somewhat control the implosion and manage the contraction in an orderly way, we will be far better than simply pretending that because we're Americans (Yes, we can!), we're invincible, and can do anything we put our minds to. That plays well on FOX and CNN, but there is no philosopher's stone. <br /><br />Once again, that was the lesson of the fall of Rome. And when it happened, it was little consolation to the Romans of that day that the Empire had a nice run of several hundred years.<br /><br />And again, I'm afraid our fall will be a lot worse than Rome's.Rev. Larry Beanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06705910892752648940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22781533.post-63987965096624790172009-08-01T12:20:55.644-05:002009-08-01T12:20:55.644-05:00The Roman comparisons always intrigue me. Frankly...The Roman comparisons always intrigue me. Frankly, I probably lean toward Fr Hollywood's ideas of politics, but probably not as far...I describe myself as a libertarian with conservative sentiments. However, the Romans had a pretty good run before their lamentable fall. The Republic was always expanding on the Italian peninsula from the mid-4th century BC onwards. If we use the western fall date of c.480 AD...that's a pretty good run. However, the Roman empire survived in the East for many centuries after that. If we just lament the loss of our Republic as it becomes an empire because we are Ciceros or Catos...that's ok. However, the idea that America is becoming a Roman empire is not necessarily a bad thing. If we begin with Caesar Augustus through Marcus Aurelius that is 200 years of really effective, prosperous empire. If you want a different, probably more neo-conservative perspective see Tom Madden, Empires of Trust.Matthias Flaciushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16694173538247881415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22781533.post-26447501186583723602009-07-31T19:21:12.913-05:002009-07-31T19:21:12.913-05:00Thank you Larry, this is an excellent and sobering...Thank you Larry, this is an excellent and sobering piece of writing. I have linked to it from my blog. You should consider submitting it to Lew Rockwell.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07639215330146004282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22781533.post-22118472952967888532009-07-31T15:41:35.977-05:002009-07-31T15:41:35.977-05:00Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere an...Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;<br />Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,<br />The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere<br />The ceremony of innocence is drowned;<br />The best lack all conviction, while the worst<br />Are full of passionate intensity. - William Butler Yeats<br /><br />or perhaps,<br /><br />"What has been will be again,<br /> what has been done will be done again;<br /> there is nothing new under the sun. " - Ecc 1:9<br /><br />I do not think the current republic will last much longer (100 years, maybe). It's common for large empire/republics to dissolve like this. Perhaps it will be the genteel decline of GB as opposed to the Roman implosion. I'm not hopeful, though, as the US doesn't have the moderating influence of the monarchy.<br /><br />I think it's too late. I don't think people want a republic, or freedom. I think they feel entitled to security and services. I think Benjamin Franklin's comment is appropriate: http://www.bartleby.com/73/1593.html<br /><br />And, I think for those values which the founding fathers took to be valuable to be reinstilled in people, we'll need some suffering. To understand the value of these rights and freedoms and responsibilities we were bequeathed, we may have to have them taken away.Monsignor Scott Rassbachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11685549734111626335noreply@blogger.com