Well, cicero's son, you aimed your arrow unerringly at the achilles heel. Is the critique of the current wave (an irresitable tidal wave, it appears) of history meaningful, or is it all petulant childishness? Are those of us who reject the facile embrace of "God's will" as an explanation, lonely prophets or merely infantile egoists?
Why did someone like Augustine have the intellectual power to turn away from longing for the classical culture he so loved, and not only live through the change but put in place the very foundations of the next wave? Is it genetic-- hormonal?
Or does it just mean that some people grow up faster than others; growing up being the ability to say, with equanimity: "...Empires are not perfect...The alternative is worse. .."
You point out:"...Witness what happens when Empires retreat into themselves..." You seem to think they have any choice in the matter. I have no doubt our Empire will be able to marshal one last mighty battle cry. And when the dust settles, and we have a chance to examine more closely the inside of our skyscraper facade, we will find there is nothing left.
Growing up being the ability to perceive that it is all decay and corruption proceeding in elliptical waves until finally we are drawn, inexoribly, into the "final realization" where everybody ultimately dwells--Tamarlain, St. Francis, Idi Amin, Gregory The Great, Hitler, Anne Frank, Osama Bin Laden, Charles Martel, Joe Smith...
It seems unbearable...