Civilization(s) In Decline
by
MG Paul E Vallely, US Army (Ret)
Chairman – Stand Up America US Foundation
November 20, 2020
History tells us that a civilization or an empire has six stages of evolution.
- Age of pioneers and/or explorers
- Age of conquests seeking new land and resources
- An age of commerce and agriculture (and now technology)
- An age of influence and class diversification
- An age of affluence, education, intellect, and healthcare
- An age of decadence and loss of values [i]
Some civilizations reach their peak of power, then collapse and remain in decline or even disappear. Others thrive for thousands of years. What accounts for the difference and what does it matter to the U.S.? Does our civilization have what it takes to survive? With the United States seemingly at the height of its power and at the start of a new presidential term, Americans are increasingly concerned and divided about where we are going. How long can America remain ascendant? Where will we be as a nation 10 years from now and beyond? To save America and the world, we must rebuild the traditional culture of America, return to our traditions, values, and upgrade morality.
A collapse in a society can be characterized by the loss of cultural identity. These collapses can be caused by natural disasters (floods, fires, earthquakes, etc.), pandemics, prolonged warfare, pestilence, famine with a depopulation of the society. A collapsed society or culture may revert to a more primitive sate, absorbed into another society, and disappear completely. [ii]
In Douglas Murray’s The Strange Death of Europe, the author offers a sobering assessment of modern Europe and raises unsettling questions about the future. “At any time, the loss of all unifying stories about our past or ideas about what to do with our present and our future would be a serious conundrum,” Murray writes. “But during a time of momentous societal change and upheaval the results are proving fatal. The world is coming into Europe at precisely the moment that Europe has lost sight of what it is.” Most significantly, Murray questions whether Europe is still Christian. He cites the absence of any mention of Christianity in the European Union’s new constitution, written in 2000, despite the efforts of Pope John Paul II and his successor. The EU instead wraps itself in high-flown rhetoric about “human rights” without any acknowledgment of their source.
Murray traces this crisis of identity back to the late 19th century, to two seminal events. First, the textual criticism of the Bible, originating in Germany and spreading throughout the West, undermined the Biblical foundation of Western Christianity. The second seismic blow occurred simultaneously, with the development of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Whereas it had been a foundational belief that a divine, awe-inspiring plan was behind all of civilization, it suddenly was widely held that science — not faith — held all the answers.
The challenge for Europe that it is coupled with a massive influx of immigrants and raises the more serious question as to whether European civilization and historic nations will even survive. First, the millions of immigrants who have entered Europe in the past five years have already altered these societies. When coupled with current birth rates for native and non-native populations, the impact grows quickly in future years. Second, there is little indication that these immigrants assimilate into Western civilization and European cultures and reside in ghetto “no go zones”. Third, there is also little indication that the liberal democracies of Western Europe have the will, the leadership or sense of purpose to require assimilation.
The death of Europe is “strange” indeed and is the result of fatal self-inflicted wounds by well-intentioned and misguided governments — governments that sadly mirrored the philosophical, spiritual floundering of their own people. You can also attribute the decline in Europe to weak and misguided leaders.
Unlike all previous civilizations, modern industrial civilization is powered by an exceptionally rich, non-renewable, and irreplaceable energy source—fossil fuels. This unique energy base predisposes industrial civilization to a short, meteoric lifespan of unprecedented boom and drastic bust. Megacities, globalized production, industrial agriculture, and a human population approaching 8 billion are all historically exceptional—and unsustainable—without fossil fuels for a considerable period. And, while there are energy alternatives, there are no realistic replacements that can deliver the abundant net energy fossil fuels provide in the foreseeable future.
Unlike past civilizations, the economy of industrial and a high-tech society is capitalist in nature requiring a profitable operation and efficient organization. Production for profit is the driving force. The unprecedented surplus energy supplied by fossil fuels has generated exceptional growth and enormous profits over the past two centuries. But in the coming decades, these historic windfalls of abundant energy, constant growth, and rising profits may vanish.
However, unless it is abolished, capitalism will not disappear when boom turns to bust. Instead, energy-starved, growth-less capitalism will turn catabolic. Catabolism refers to the condition whereby a living thing devours itself. As profitable sources of production dry up, capitalism will be compelled to turn a profit by consuming the social assets it once created. By cannibalizing itself, the profit motive will exacerbate industrial society’s dramatic decline.
Unlike past societies and civilizations, industrial civilization is not Roman, Chinese, Egyptian, Aztec, or Mayan. Pre-industrial civilizations depleted their soil, their forests, and polluted rivers. But the harm was far more temporary and geographically limited. Once market incentives harnessed the colossal power of fossil fuels, the energy revolution began.
Human civilization’s collective capacity to confront its mounting crises is crippled by a fragmented political system of antagonistic nations ruled by corrupt elites who care more about power and wealth than people and the planet. Humanity faces a perfect storm of converging global calamities. Intersecting tribulations like climate chaos, rampant extinction, food and freshwater scarcity, poverty, extreme inequality, and the rise of global pandemics are rapidly eroding the foundations of modern life.
How people respond to the collapse of a capitalist civilization will determine how societies survive and what will replace it. The challenges are monumental. They will force us to question our identities, our values, and our loyalties like no other experience in our history. Who are we? Are we, first and foremost, human beings struggling to raise our families, strengthen our communities, and coexist with the other inhabitants of Earth? Or do our primary loyalties belong to our nation, our culture, our race, our ideology, or our religion? Can we put the survival of our species and our planet first, or will we allow ourselves to become hopelessly divided along national, cultural, racial, religious, or party lines?
Great civilizations are not built in a day, nor do they collapse suddenly. Deterioration is gradual, therefore noticeable. In the Land of Israel, the First Temple was destroyed due to idolatry. The Second Temple was destroyed due to baseless hatred. In the 21st century, the subtler combination of irrationality with pusillanimity constitutes the fatal concoction. Our relationship to the obvious serves as an index through which the symptoms of decline are noted. Let all concerned for the commonwealth take caution, for here is how we sophisticated moderns lose civilization:
History reveals that great civilizations decline and fall due to internal erosion, not external invasion. Intrinsic corruption and corrosion invite outsiders to raid, rape, pillage, and plunder. Conquest is thus merely the coup de grace (a coup de grâce is a death blow to end the suffering of a severely wounded person or animal. It may be a mercy killing of mortally wounded civilians or soldiers, friends, or enemies, with or without the sufferer’s consent) – a finishing stroke in the aftermath of prolonged dissolution. In most cases, conquerors appear more impressive than they deserve because the conquered first methodically, albeit unwittingly, lay the groundwork for them. Any species of predatory brutes can kick in a Maginot Line, and most do.
Most historians and scientists agree that we are in the last stage of a declining civilization which is the age of decadence. All civilizations come to an end, some do it peacefully while others do it abruptly and with a lot of chaos. 2000 years ago, the Roman Empire was the most powerful and technologically advanced society in that era, yet they have fallen just like other civilizations but recovered in a new way.
Why is the US in decline? Many of the same reasons Rome declined.
- Religion and Western culture are under constant threat and assault
- There is an unequal application of justice in Europe and America
- Decline and attack on the nuclear family
- Increasing depravity in the media, art, and entertainment
- Increase in violent crime and insurrection
- Declining middle class
- Moral decay with the approval of government
- Widespread government corruption
- The combining of government and corporate power
- The failure of people to act
- Disease
The Roman Empire was the richest and most advanced civilization of its era, but this did not prevent it from falling. The decline of any civilization takes a long time and most people do not even notice it happening as all they see is that things are getting worse year by year.
Each civilization will have the same fate, it is just a matter of time. While we do see signs of a declining civilization throughout the western world there are civilizations that have just started the age of commerce and affluence and most of these countries are 3rd world countries. Eventually, 3rd world countries would rise after the western civilizations fall apart, making the western civilizations 3rd world countries.
What is different now from historical civilizations decline.
Destruction of the family core
During the past, several years there has been a war on core family values which eventually will lead to the decline of civilization as we know it. It is increasingly risky for a man to marry and have children, as around 50% of marriages end up in a divorce. Schools indoctrinate our children with liberal poisons. Socialism is presented as something positive. If any conservative child/student dares to speak out, he or she will be isolated by liberal teachers. There is truly little or no education in history, patriotism, morality, or spiritual life. Internet almost works as a death trap, it constantly churns out poisonous programs filled with fake news, foul languages, violent /decadent programs.
Mass stupidity
We live in the most prosperous time for humanity, our technology has come so far that we no longer need to worry about basic needs such as food, water, and shelter. Nowadays most people take everything for granted, and few of them know the joy of a hard day at work. With the current culture of giving praises and celebrating people who lost in a race, what is the point of being first if you all get the same trophy and congratulations?
We live in an age where students think that communism is a viable form of government like everybody would have a good job, nice house, car and so on. But history has taught us that communism does not work in the long run, everybody will be dirt poor except the ruling class. I have several friends from former communist countries, during that era once you got married you got a small apartment from the government, what people do not tell you is that everything was rationed like in a wartime situation.
Although Christian holidays were banned during the communist era, people still celebrated it in secret. Good old Christmas miracles during the communist era where every year somebody would snitch on a neighbor celebrating Christmas and the secret police would drag the entire family away. A couple of weeks later somebody new would move in and nobody from the neighborhood would dare to ask any questions of what happened to the family that has been dragged away.
The signs of a declining civilization are present all around us. We need to look up from our cell phones, Twitter, Facebook, and computers and take a good look at people’s and politicians’ behaviors. Every civilization will come to an end eventually. We must save America before the decline is so great that we cannot recover!
Released and Distributed by the Stand Up America US Foundation
Contact: standupamericausa1@gmail.com
[i] Wikipedia
[ii] Wikipedia
