[Grovenet] America in the Time of Empire

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Excellent piece, Geri! 

Some observations:

"State and federal assistance programs have been slashed." 

This is one of the last acts of a government falling into bankruptcy, and it
is usually the catalyst for revolt. The masses are kept submissive and quiet
by huge infusions of money, either through direct payments or government
subsidies. When the oligarchy can no longer maintain the expense, they face
revolt.

In order to provide those benefits to satisfy the masses, a government will,
in the name of the people, launch into wars of expansion to take what they
need from others. That's what England did in building her empire by
negotiation, where possible, or through brutal conquest and subjugation of
any who had what she wanted. 

That's what America did in taking over the areas west of the Mississippi in
the early 1800's, by negotiation where we could (buying land from France) or
by force were we couldn't (genocide and what today is called "ethnic
cleansing" against the Indians) to make the historical lands of the native
people open for exploitation. 

That's what Germany did in the years after WWI when their existence was
threatened by the extreme demands of the Treaty of Versailles. (The fact
that it was the Nazi party who rose to power is, I think, incidental. Either
Germany was do die or someone would lead it to conquest.) 

And it's what I think America will do again in the years ahead, using
nuclear arms if needed, to take what we need     to avoid revolt at home. 

"It all amounts to a tacit complicity on the part of a passive population." 

The oligarchy will nuke others for our benefit because keeping us happy is
required for their survival. Of course, if we are nuked too that will
"prove" the others deserve our violence. 9/11 is a perfect example. The
American outrage was because we were attacked. No one cared that those who
attacked us were members of societies who had been subjugation and exploited
by America for years. Many Americans still feel justified in doing anything
we choose in retaliation. 

"It signals the twilight of our empire."

"Twilight" suggests a quiet ending. If we let it get to that point I don't
think there will be anything quiet about it. That's why so many nations are
so afraid of what we might do. 

Ron D'Eau Claire 


 



-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of Geri
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2007 10:24 AM
To: GroveNet
Subject: [Grovenet] America in the Time of Empire


G-Nuts,

A friend passed this article on to us ... 

http://tinyurl.com/ywqwuc


Geri
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