Welcome to "Forward-USA": America's Roadmap to Success (ARTS)
5. How to Manage the End of Empire-USA
Home
1. The US Dollar: How Fake Money Starts Wars, and Damages the Economy and Ethics
2. David Redick, ARTS Founder: Speaker and Author
3. ARTS Position on Issues, and Recommended Reading
4. A. '9-11 : A Crime, Not a War'; B. Impeach or Indict Bush & Cheney'; C.'The Chicken-Hawk Brigade'
5. How to Manage the End of Empire-USA
6. Dave's Bio, Reagan letter; Tributes to Cindy Sheehan, Cong. Paul, Sen. Hagel, P.C. Roberts
7. Donate, Volunteer, or Contact Us
8. Dave's Writings: Columns and Essays

The analysis shown below explains why all empires, and 'Imperial Style' governments, in history have failed, and why our 'Empire-USA' faces the same fate. The only question is whether the people and government of the USA have the wisdom and will to engage in a 'Managed Decline' by terminating the empire and imperial conduct on their own schedule, rather than by chaotic crash of the US Dollar, economy, and lifestyle. Take notice of the 'Solutions' section in Part C below.
 
          ***************************
 

The Phases of an Empire

 

Part A: Key Points

 

* An Empire is a nation that; 1. Owns colonies, and/or 2. Controls, or has great influence over, other nations. Empires require economic and military strength to start and maintain, and this is expensive.

 

* All Empires fail, and for the same reasons: 1. Expense of military abroad, and subsidies at home, 2. Decline in domestic productivity (spoiled, parasitic citizens), and 3. Corruption (illegal conduct) and decadence (unethical and immoral conduct) by leaders and citizens.

 

* Empire-USA, Our Deal to other nations is: ’We will be the world’s policeman and protect you, but you must accept our fake money and ‘influence’. The USA is far into Phase 3-Failure. Look around you for the symptoms shown in Part B-3 and Part C below.

 

Chart Height Shows Combined Military and Economic Strength (Power and Wealth)

 

 

                                  o   o    [ - ]    o   o

                             o                                 o     1. (Disband Empire: Reduced

                        o                                         o      o       Homeland Survives)

                   o                                                  o           o       o       o       o

              o                                                          o     

         o                                                                   o     or 2. (Total Failure:

    o                                                                           o  Homeland is Gone)

     x               x         x                     x          x         x            x

 USA 1776    1845   1898           USA 1960     2007   2020 ?     2090 ?

 

[  Phase 1 - Growth ] [Phase 2 - Maturation] [ Phase 3 - Decline or Failure >>>

 

Part B: Events/Symptoms in each Phase

 

Phase 1- Growth

 

* Land: Gain territory by ‘discovery’ (too bad for the natives), or conquest.

 

* Strength: Start growth of economic and military strength. Sound currency (precious metal, or convertible paper).

 

* Government: New land is governed as a colony or part of homeland nation (becoming a sovereign republic may require a revolution).

 

* Ethics: Most government people and citizens are hard working and honest. Government is a ‘servant’.

 

Phase 2- Maturation

 

* Land: Add contiguous land, or remote colonies, by conquest or negotiation.

 

* Strength: Become a world leader in both economic and military strength. Homeland receives cheap imports from colonies. Currency is debased to foster ‘growth and prosperity'.                                          

 

* Government: Grows stronger and acts as boss, manager, nanny, owner, etc. Power is used to ‘manage’ other nations to impose/protect its ‘interests’.

 

* Ethics: Corruption and decadence grow due to decline in personal responsibility caused by nanny state.

 

Phase 3- Decline and/or Failure

 

* Land: Lose colonies by revolution or voluntary release (due to expense and unrest).

 

* Strength: No longer a world leader. Power declines by 50% or more. Value of fake currency crashes in purchasing power by 50% or more. Default on debt (or pay off with low value paper money).

 

* Government: Gets weak and desperate. Leaders try to gain power to survive citizen discontent. ‘Bread and Circuses’ grow, now called grants, subsidies and entitlements.

 

* Ethics: Corruption and decadence are rampant in both social and government conduct. Failure occurs as either; A. Nation survives, but at a reduced level of strength and standard of living (England, France, Spain, and Russia are examples; see list in Part D), or B. Ceases to exist due to takeover by other nations or groups.

 

Part C: Empire-USA is in Phase 3: Decline and/or Failure

 

Problems:

 

* High Expenses: The expense to maintain bases, and fight wars, worldwide exceeds the monetary and political benefits. The US has over 700 military bases, with troops (not counting embassies), in over 130 countries, and the US acts as the world’s policeman to protect its ‘interests’, and impose ‘influence’. Resistance by our ‘subjects’ is building. Military expenses are a drag on the economy, and the troops get less than ideal equipment due to cost problems. Host nations are unhappy having our occupying troops.

 

* High Debt: The US is a bankrupt Empire by any measure. It cannot hope to pay back the about $9 trillion in debt held by other nations, or the about $50 trillion unfunded future obligations of domestic programs (Medicare, Social Security, etc.). Interest payments are huge. In 2007 the US Dollar (USD) is still the world’s reserve currency (held as if gold by other nations; it can be viewed as a share in ‘USA Inc.’), despite the fact that the US is also the world’s biggest debtor. This combination has never occurred before in history! Thus, since all US government debt is denominated in USD, the government can create new low-value dollars out of thin air to pay its debts! A new form of default! The USD is in a precarious position due to excessive expansion of the money supply (‘inflation’) and the USD could crash in value at any time. The extreme is ‘hyperinflation’, when the money becomes almost worthless. As with heroin, lots of fake money (the Federal Reserve Bank calls it ‘liquidity’) feels good at first, but has withdrawal pain called recession or depression. Since the federal government never runs out of money, it often becomes the funder for state projects (with strings attached, called ‘control’), and ‘states rights’ wither. This gives vote-getting power to Congressmen, and acquiescent State officials suck it up to avoid taxing to raise state funds.

 

* Enemies: The US often acts as a bully and occupying force to gain land and resources. This started in 1812 with the failed invasion of Canada, then 1845 with the Mexican-American War, and 1898 with the Spanish-American war (which led to occupation/acquisition of the Philippines and Hawaii). The World Wars, Korea, Vietnam and others followed. The recent Balkans, Afghan, and Iraq wars are primarily about; 1. Control of oil (The US wants it all; no ‘easy-cheap’ MidEast oil for India and China), 2. Defense of Israel, 3. Land for bases, and 4. Continuation of oil sales in US Dollars by Iraq and Iran. The US entered/started all these wars based on lies by leaders. What a disgrace and ripoff of the people! Trust and respect for the US has declined in the eyes of its citizens and other nations. This meddling foreign policy contributed to 9-11 and terror. The federal government grasps for new, unconstitutional power.

 

* Corruption and Bad Ethics: Ethics and social conduct are on the decline in the US. Corruption is rampant in both the government and business. Shady conduct is considered ‘normal’ (gang theft by vote, ‘earmark’ pork handouts, lying, etc.). Prime time TV is now riddled with sexual content, cursing, glorification of misconduct (‘The Sopranos’, ‘Desperate Housewives’, etc.), and violence (NASCAR, cop shows). Sports are riddled with violence (the fans like it!) and cheating, condoned by coaches and team owners that want to sell more tickets. Little or none of the above occurred in the ‘50s. The article below describes a good example of ethical decline:

 

'Imperial 'Justice' : The Haditha massacre and what it means to be an empire' (partial)

 

The Marines went berserk after of one their company was killed in a roadside bombing.

The Haditha, Iraq massacre occurred on Nov. 19, 2005. A few months later, after an outcry in the Iraqi – and American – media, murder charges were brought by the U.S. military against eight Marines. Today, all but Company commander Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich have either had their cases dismissed, mostly on technicalities, or, in one case, found not guilty. Wuterich's trial date has been postponed. Yousef Aid Ahmed, the sole surviving brother of what used to be a large family, told the McClatchy News Service: "We put our hopes in the law and in the courts, and one after another they are found innocent. This is an organized crime."

Well, yes, it is organized crime: or, at least, that's what they call it when the Mafia does it. However, when our government engages in such activities overseas, it's called U.S. foreign policy. In spite of the "legal" façade being erected over the brutal reality of their execution, there is no justice for those who were murdered in Haditha, only imperial "justice," which is a rationale for murder. The two Marines who murdered Ahmed's brothers were let off the hook in August 2007.

This is why they hate us, not only in Iraq but throughout the region. Listen to young Ahmed: "Right now I feel hatred that will not fade. It grows every day."

When we thrust our soldiers into the role of occupiers, we are giving them a choice: commit war crimes, or die. Become a monster, or a corpse.

Our foreign policy of global interventionism has been heading toward this point since the end of World War II.

What we are discovering, however, is that conquering these new territories is much easier than holding on to them. An empire, we're finding, is a costly conceit, far more so than we ever imagined. On the other hand, the benefits, such as they are, accrue only to a well-connected few (usually known as ‘contractors’). And we're paying a moral price as well as one that can be calculated in terms of casualty counts and dollars and cents. Before we continue along the course of empire, we ought to wonder how many more Hadithas we want on our record – and whether we want to condemn the U.S. military to such a tragic fate. ~ Justin Raimondo, June 23, 2008. 

Solutions:

 

Of the two ways to end the inevitable Phase 3 of an Empire (Decline or Failure), it is far less painful to engage in a ‘managed decline’, or ‘nation restoration’, compared to a massive depression. England and France are examples. A 'managed' process would entail prompt action to;

 

1. Invoke a major change in foreign policy by; a. Terminating Empire-USA, and its role as policeman and bully of the world, and focus on defense; b Reducing spending and conflict by closing most, or all, overseas bases, and keeping only a minimal standing army (primarily State-controlled National Guard); c. Stop meddling in the affairs of other nations by force, sanctions, or bribery; and d. Promote free trade.

 

2. Invoke a similar change in domestic policy where; a. Federal spending is reduced by 50% or more; b. Creation of new fake money is ended; c. Sound money is introduced (paper is convertible to precious metal); d. The Constitution and law are adhered to (with repeal of recent bad laws); and e. Market intervention (favors to firms, unions, people) is ended, and free enterprise capitalism is used.

 

These steps would help bring the government back to its proper role to; ‘Protect the personal and property rights of citizens, as individuals, from threat or violation by others’. With this approach, the USA and its citizens would enjoy a future of peace, prosperity, justice and good ethics. It always works! I cite W. Germany in 1948, and later Ireland, Prov. of Alberta, Canada, and New Zealand.

 

Part D: The History of Empire Phases

 

Sources: 1. ‘An Inquiry into the Decline and Fall of Nations’, W. Playfair, England, 1805 (Rare books library, Toronto, Canada), 2. ‘Empire of Debt’, Bonner and Wiggins, 2006

 

Name               Start        End           Total    Status

                       Phase 1    Phase 3     Years

 

Babylonian       1900 bc    1600 bc     300      gone

Assyrian           900 bc      612 bc      288      gone

Carthage          800 bc      100 bc      700      gone

Persian             648 bc      330 bc      318      gone

Athenian-Greek 500 bc      300 bc      200      gone

Macedonian      338 bc       309 bc       29      gone

Chinese            221 bc      1912         233     gone

Roman              31 bc        395         426     gone, split to Byz. & Holy Roman

Byzantine         395          1453         1058     gone

Arabian            630          1258          628     gone

Holy Roman      406          476            70       gone

Portuguese      1495         1975          480      Homeland survived

Mongol            1206         1920          714    gone, Mongolia survived

Abyssinian       1270         1974          704      gone

Ottoman          1281         1923          642      gone, Turkey survived

Spanish           1492         1975          483      Homeland survived

British             1500         1950          450      Homeland survived

French            1600         1965           365      Homeland survived

Dutch              1627        1944          317       Homeland survived

Austro-Hung.   1804        1918           114      Austria and Hung. surv’d

USA                 1845        (active)       162 +   In Ph. 3;#1 world power

German           1884        1918             34      Homeland survived

Japanese         1871        1945            76       Homeland survived

 

Author: David Redick, All rights reserved.

 

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Let us know of a link that you find interesting and we may add it to this page.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.", Edmund Burke

"Resistance is not futile, but the most constructive and noble stance of all.", Lew Rockwell

"There are lots of bad governments in this world. The only bad government we have a right or obligation to change is the one in Washington, D.C.", Charley Reese

"Most members of Congress now reflexively claim the power to federalize at will almost any aspect of American life, the Constitution notwithstanding.”, Charlotte Twight