Do you think that America and Western Europe are in a serious decline?

Question

Besides morals, I believe that we are physcially declining and are about where the ancient Romans were in the year 420. (Just 46 more years until the complete fall). Think about it, the native peoples of these countries don't want to do the dirty work anymore (military service and manual labour), so they have to bring in others (immigrants). The Romans were just like this towards the end when they brought in Gothic barbarians to fight against.....you guessed it, other Gothic barbarians. The glory days are over and China's chance might be sooner than you think.

Well Kobaincito, if it wasn't for us 'facist British' you probably wouldn't be on the computer right now. The British and Americans have invented so many things that people these days take for granted. We would all be living in stinking mud huts if it wan't for the Industrial Age brought on by the English.

Answer 1

I think that is a possibility.

I read this book for my political science class called "Clash of Civilizations" by renown political scientist Samuel P. Huntington.

Here's a summary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_civilizations

Anyway, it goes on to talk about past civilizations which came and went, like the Romans, and how these things work in cycles. He breaks down the world into four or five distinct civilizations: the West, India, Japan, China/East Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Basically, these civilizations are defined by very distinct CULTURES which have different ways of life. Obviously, the dominant civilization is the West.

RJ makes a flawed argument about why China won't be a superpower - she argues that its human rights violations and health scares will prevent it from being dominant. What she doesn't realize is that shes looking at this from the scope of her Western beliefs - its a very ethnocentric viewpoint and its COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT.

Different civilizations value different things. Rome was the dominant civilization for centuries, and in that culture it was normal for grown men to have sex with young boys. In Western culture, that is considered taboo.

In China, it may be ok to do this or that, but the Western world does not agree. Does it even matter? Why should conforming to the Western world's definition of "humane" be contingent on gaining power? How does it even correlate?

In the history of man, to be powerful you need two things: Money and man power. Those are the only two constants which have held up to the test of time.

Anyway, Huntington concluded by asserting that Western civilization will inevitably fall, and he said that the Middle East, China, or India are most likely to succeed.

If any of you are skeptical, keep in mind that this was written in 1996 - before Sept. 11. Sept. 11 was the fist step in the "Clash of Civilizations". Westerners will never fall into step with Islamic ideology and vice versa. Expect these clashes to continue.

Answer 2

Well, I don't think your Rome analogy is correct, since the inclusion of immigrants as a vital part of the economy and military occurred even in the reign of Claudius, and that was a golden age. Immigration is not the sign of the collapse of a civilization, but when people start freaking out about immigration it is. Its a sign that the structure in place is about collapse from internal problems. But population stress is occurring worldwide, not just the 'Western World,' and any short term success that China may have in the proceeding years will soon be overshadowed the the issues in their systems. In short, we're all doomed.

Answer 3

But hasn't that been the history of every country in history?? What makes us so special to think that we can last forever??
The Romans and ancient Egypt lasted for thousands of years and even they fell.
Oh, and yes barbarians did take over Rome, but so what?? They were the ancestors of what are now great countries like Germany and France. Same too with Mexico one day??

Answer 4

Civilization has been in decline since the stinking English brought us the Industrial Revolution!

Answer 5

Since 1963 Americas decline has been caused due to a departure from the Constitutional principles that made it great.

Supreme court precedent has been established upon basis other than the Constitution. In one case, they even based a decision on a precedent over 2,000 year old!

This is precisely why we all need to support Ron Paul for President in 2008. He intends to establish the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.
.

Answer 6

What makes you think native people don't want to do the work? Wake up and smell the tortillas - globalization is the destruction of first world countries by giving resources to third world countries. The communists HATE western civilization.
China will implode soon.

Answer 7

America for sure. My friends and I have be theorizing about this for years. I think it's only a matter of time before we fall. Europe seems to be doing better though. And with China's health scares and human rights violations, I think they're a long ways off from being a superpower.

Answer 8

Scary...I hope not......we should study the past failures of other great civilizations!~ are system today is advanced but not perfect- I think it's time for fine tuning the loop holes out!

Answer 9

China is ascending while the rest of us squabble over oil,as you rightly state grow weak and puny. Academia is all well and good,but the workforce needs a strong body not just a healthy mind.

Answer 10

Yes, I do. I think that the massive immigration of Hispanics into the USA, and of the North Africans into Western Europe and Great Britain will eventually turn these countries into third world countries.

These intruders, on both ports, come from illiterate, backward, intellectually deficient cultures. They will do the same to their host countries.