End Of Days: When America Falls

History reveals three primary reasons why countries fall, governments change and ways of life vanish.

The Taliban, Saddam, Nazis and many other governments fell because of war with other nations.

Revolutions brought on by internal strife, an insurgency, social unrest and disillusionment, reduced respect and admiration of the nation’s military (note that the Marines and Army are finding it very difficult and sometimes impossible to meet their recruiting goals), loss or reduction of social values and norms, and political extremism bring down some governments. Examples include Iran in 1979, France in the late 18 th Century, China in the late 1940s, and Mexico and Russia in the early 20 th Century.

Sometimes governments just quit for a variety of reasons, resulting in ethnic fragmentation, like in the case of the Soviet Union.

Perhaps you noted that America is currently suffering from two of the three aforementioned reasons why countries fall.

Right now, America is fighting a type of war–global asymmetric warfare–that has never been fought before by any nation. Our enemies wear no uniforms, abide by no rules, attack civilian targets, are in 90 countries including our own and want every American dead and the country destroyed.

We are suffering from political extremism mostly on the left; a clear reduction of social values and norms; widespread disillusionment when it comes to the war, social issues, politics, and the economy; and even some strife (a huge homeless population, high bankruptcy rate, a massive illegal alien population consisting of between 16 and 20 million people, etc.).

What makes many Americans think America is invulnerable to collapse or destruction? Such a belief is spectacularly arrogant.

History applies to all countries. According to history, we are far more at risk than what most Americans believe.

Extremists in the media (the Denver Post’s Reggie Rivers, the Rocky Mountain News’ Jason Salzman, the New York Times’ Tom Friedman, Paul Krugman and Maureen Dowd; Bill Moyers, Air America’s Al Franken, Michael Moore, Barbra Streisand, Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Ed Asner, et al), politics (Howard Dean, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Barbara Boxer, Sen. Ted Kennedy, Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Robert Byrd, et al), and our collective societal commode (Ward Churchill, Louis Farrakhan, et al) are trying to dramatically change America as we know it. From their influential (upon many Americans suffering from muddy thinking) positions, such radicals fuel the flames of hate and discontent among those who are repulsed by the very idea of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Fury, frustration and disbelief replace reason and respect when these types are forced to accept major political losses and when they realize most Americans disagree with their fanatical agendas. Their shrill fanaticism acts as an accelerant in creating an emotional inferno among the followers of such would-be tyrants, which increases the chances America falling while advancing the time line for our demise.

Nevertheless, many if not most Americans, in their complacency and ignorance of history, believe we have no reason to worry; that America will always exist regardless of history and the threats currently facing our nation.

A related Issue (and Story):

9/11 triggered an intense interest on my part to re-study Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" --along with ancillary readings of Pipes, Lewis, Fukuyama, Giddes, Armstrong, etc.

I then originated, structured and (finally, with considerable political difficulty) implemented, and taught a seminar course on the impact of the "Islamic Resurgence on Western Civilization" at the local college.

The course was very well received by the students; but I ran into a sustained atmosphere of political correctness and ANTI-MILITARY bias from the Dean and Chair of the Department. The discomfort was palpable. And the success of the course provided the administration obvious heartburn.

Even though the students were totally supportive of the course -- and even wanted to continue the studies ad hoc, at the end of the semester -- the credit seminar was prefuctorily DROPPED from the formally credentialed Political Science curriculum.

I am in a "going to the mat" with the President of the College -- and may bring in Senator Kyl before it is over. The college gets federal money through support and grants; yet, I am cut off at the knees by the faculty lefties in the administration, simply because I am a retired Naval Officer with graduate degrees, who might challenge the students to do some serious, unbiased academic work for a change.

Political Correctness and anti-military bias is rife at the college -- and we now reside in rural Arizona! God only can imagine what I would have run into in the Bay area.

The country is in serious trouble. These academics are tearing the country apart at the seams! I kid you not, folks! /s/ Captain Daniel K. Pope IV, USN (Ret)

Moog, your story, and many I'm sure are not reported by the media.. and whose job it is to plow through obstacle...?? Yours. I can tell you what I see and hear that isn't in the media, and teachers are as intimidated by their administrations, just as regular business folks are intimidated. Fear of losing a job. Pretty much the whole deal in a nutshell. Do teachers cow their students.. damn straight they do, and that's where the power of the press comes in, and it does affect children. Whether good teachers like yourself want to engage their administration to take on the perception of the public about a highjackedup education system or not, is probably not a fair question.. but nothing is fair about this is it? Whose future is screwed up if the adults don't take charge?

I don't forget there are teachers, bankers at Wells Fargo, salespeople at Home Depot, cashiers at Target, that have friend and family in Iraq. I have family there too. So what is an American to do when their company endorses anti-American politicians, policies? What if that company wants to be a big global player, but they have to turn their back on the country that afforded them success in the first place? Business is business.. we are just people that get in the way.

Actually, my administration here is pretty pro-military too. BUT that's not the point I want to make now. You have identified many reasons why I do what I do. I realize that it is ME that has to make a difference in my little corner of the world and that's what I try to do. I get tired of being blamed for the problems of society and of people of the "all education is bad" persuasion. I see miracles every day I teach. I get tired of a press and others who emphasize negativity in all aspects of life. I get really angry at those teachers who don't realize that when they pull idiotic stunts, they only make it worse for the rest of us and provide fodder for the education liberals. I'm tired of people complaining over mundane things without the bigger picture in mind. I'm tired of incessant poltical attacks and mind games played by others against each other for political gain at the expense of others. I'm tired of people putting down the military and not recognizing the good that they do. I'm tired of people not realizing that there are a lot of good teachers out there and that we're not all communist-promoting, nation-hating, military-bashing people. In fact I know of NO teacher who is. I could make this list go on and on, but I won't. You're probably asleep by now.

I spend all my waking hours fighting for what I believe in. BUT I try to look at myself first and see how I can improve before I try to criticize others (I'm not saying I'm perfect at it). I try to look for and exploit the good I see happening. For example, I am big on parents spending time with their kids, especially dads and really try to put forth that point. I try to give my students a good educational experience and am willing to do whatever I can to do that. I won't bore you with all the details of what I do, but just say that working with the parents and children are among my biggest joys in life. I am involved in my community and again, try to promote the good. If I make even one small difference in a child's life, then I have done my job. Actually, it's not me doing it, but the parents and the man upstairs. I have no idea why I get blessed so much each school year, but someone is looking out for me.

It seems we are focused on ourselves and want to complain, complain, complain. Sometimes, I hear, "I want, I want, I want" from some grownups with kids and I just think. I think about how I want to have a child more than anything in the world and someone who does have that privilege can do nothing but complain. I DO try to see how I can serve other's children (I do live in the community I teach) and not to complain.

Again, I try to focus on the good. I give out many genuine compliments to people when I see good happening. If I hear someone speak well of another, I stop by their house and tell them. I remember to show sincere thanks when someone does something for me. I remember to give thanks to God for the many blessings that I do have--like flush toilets, running water, a nice house, and so on and so on. We are getting spoiled nowadays and should sit back and smell the roses before trying to always want what the other guy has.

We are pawns in an ever-complex chess game. This pawn DOES not want to be the loser and will fight all he can to be a force of good in his community and little part of the world. Am I succeeding? I'm so far from perfect that I could never shoot an arrow that far. BUT I have seen many wonderful things happen and have been able to talk to and get to know many wonderful people.

I have two stories that have really helped me in my life.
1) I learned not to complain so much from my former student who had and died of brain cancer. I became really close with his family. At the time, I felt my own troubles would overwhelm me, but then God sent Carlos back into my life. He NEVER complained once, became even more full of humor than when he was not sick, and still never wanted to stop learning. My own petty troubles became insignificant as I saw my own greatest teacher teach me more about life than I had ever learned on my own.

2)I read a story about a girl who had written a letter to Dear Abby complaining about how she wasn't happy. She had said that "Happiness was when your parents let you do what you want." and similiar statements thereafter. Abby invited other readers to respond. One soldier wrote from Vietnam and said that the girl had it wrong. Happiness was each day that you were able to still walk, talk, hear, etc. when you saw so many others that could not. His letter followed accordingly. I told this story as part of a sermon in church about being thankful for what you have (I was only a teenager). One lady went up to my mom after and said it had moved her to tears because she hadn't been showing thankfulness for what she had lately. No, I don't think that the sermon was earth-shattering, but it was the message and Holy Spirit that did the work.

I remember in elementary school when we had an assembly. One of the fifty hostages had gone to MY elementary school. Pictures were shown of him and there were plenty of yellow ribbons. I thought he was so brave and was proud again, that he had come from my own school. That's when my life began.

Now, you're probably sound asleep. BUT this is one teacher/person who will never stand pat and watch the world go by. Nor will I sit on the fence and bicker and moan about how tough I have it and how it's everyone else's fault. I am on the same page as you. I am just a simple person, but trying to do my best to do good in my own little place on Earth.

BTW, I don't cow my students. I'm a bull.:)

I posted this theory of mine a number of times:

I'm a believer of Christians standing united, it's not only religion that is at stake, but Western Civilization itself, Roman civilization was based on paganism, and so when it was replaced with Christianity, the empire crumbled because although Christianity is far superior of a religion, it still meant that Rome lost the social fabric that held it together.

WRT to modern times, Christianity is being replaced by secularism within, and Islam without, and once the West loses it's central tenet, along with other factors of course, it will collapse, and Western Europe and North America, and indeed the entire World will experience another dark age.

The most telling thing that what I predict will happen, is not so much the internal strife of our civilization, but the rise in international terrorism. Terrorists are the new barbarians, Osama is to the West what Attila was to Rome.

Barbarians, like terrorists, are opportunists, and all opportunists prey on the weak, to some degree. Barbarians saw a weakening empire, and plundered it, and likewise today, terrorists see a weakening West and attack it. Of course they also are attacking us because open societies are sitting ducks in the eyes of criminals of all persuasions, but a century ago we also had open societies, but little terrorism, because we were still strong.

To conclude international terrorism is the symptom, rather than the disease, and so therefore The War on Terror is the painkiller rather than the treatment, the man in the cave in the Afghan-Pakistani border would have to kill us all before he'd win, Westerners are the biggest threat to the West, as we alone will bring the greatest civilization in history to it's knees, so we must stay strong and we must stay united- Viva La Counter-Revolution.

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