Paul Rosenberg has penned an excellent article corolating the end times of the Roman Empire with those times upon us current Americans.  He starts off with commentary on the coming federal election next year.  I have friends already excited about the prospects thereof.  Most are gleefully supporting Donald Trump.  Others are leaning intrepidly towards Rand Paul or even Bernie Sanders.

Were a gun to my head and I was forced to participate, I would support Dr. Paul, the younger. However, I still stand by my mantra from 2007-2008: Dr. Paul, Sr. was the final hope (in 2008) to reverse course and “save” the Republic.  That chance we missed. It is done. Over. The Donald can’t save us. Bernie can’t do it. Hillary can’t. Certainly none of the other has-beens trotted out for our inspection can.

Another American election cycle is upon us, and large numbers of people are lining up to pour their time and money into the sewer of politics, to be lost forever.

This system will not be fixed. Period. This is Rome in 460 AD. The rulers, as in Rome, are liars, mad, or drunk (these days, drugged)… or all three.

Rosenberg

Those living few who have consumed Edward Gibbon’s History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire understand, in depth, what Rosenberg alludes to here.

Do we really believe that central bankers will just lay down their monopolies?

Can we seriously expect a hundred trillion dollars of debt to be liquidated without any consequences?

Do we actually believe that politicians will walk away from their power and apologize for abusing us?

Do we really think that the corporations who own Congress will just give up the game that is enriching them?

Does anyone seriously believe that the NSA is going to say, “Gee, that Fourth Amendment really is kind of clear, and everything we do violates it… so, everyone here is fired and the last person out will please turn off the lights”?

And does anyone believe that the military-industrial complex will stop encouraging war, or that corporate media will stop worshiping the state, or that your local sheriff will apologize for training his cops to be vicious beasts?

Do we really believe that public school systems will ever stop lauding the state that pays all its bills?

I could go on, but I think my point is made: This system will never allow itself to be seriously reformed. Trying to fix this is like trying to revive a long-dead corpse.

Rosenberg, Id.

The answers to these questions are all “no.” Interestingly, what we Americans have witnessed in the past few decades is more akin to the combined collapse of the Roman Empire and Republic than the Empire alone. What took the Romans 500 years we have accomplished in about 100. Technology? American exceptionalism?

History.com.

The good news is vast. After the fall of Rome the world did not end. Ours will not either. By the time the Collapse was realized it had no effect on the average Roman citizen. Odd as it may seem, this will be our experience. The most damaging effects of the next turn will mostly be felt by banks, insurance companies, arms manufacturers and other mega-corpotations – hardly a pitiable crowd. For most people the change will go largely unnoticed. No more D.C.? Well then, just pay taxes to Atlanta or Boston or not at all.

For those who love State control, some government(s) will invariably crawl from the ruins of post modern Amerika. For those like me the lack of overwhelming regulation from Washington will be a much appreciated reprieve.  The future holds something for everyone in the short term. Over the long run bigger and better societies will emerge just as Rome was eventually replaced by the likes of Charlemagne, England and, in turn, us.

As for now, go ahead and vote as you like. It won’t change anything but it also cannot hurt.  As a bonus elections always provide comic (albeit criminal) relief.

St. Benedict approves this message.