I read this guy's blog each day, but thought this one was especially interesting. Usually his logic is robust and he takes the time to flesh out his ideas.
One of the recurring things he writes about frequently is the fall of the Roman Empire. At the end you had the elites who controlled everything, the lower class who basically existed in a welfare state of free bread and lots of entertainment, and the middle class who paid for both of the others. Sound familiar?
I read this guy's blog each day, but thought this one was especially interesting. Usually his logic is robust and he takes the time to flesh out his ideas.
One of the recurring things he writes about frequently is the fall of the Roman Empire. At the end you had the elites who controlled everything, the lower class who basically existed in a welfare state of free bread and lots of entertainment, and the middle class who paid for both of the others. Sound familiar?
While the fall of Roman Empire might be a bit much as it relates to the US, but I can certainly see your point. We are very much moving to that aspect of a widening gap with many roadblocks in getting to the "haves."
thanks for the link. quite a tallented writer, well articulated with some sound ideas! sad how you rarely come across this level of writing when you pick up a paper or magazine these days....
The Fall of the Roman Empire is an apt analogy, finally somebody else seeing it. Sure there was more to it (for example refusing to aknowledge the obsolescence of their military model) but the rest fits like a glove.
As a coincidence last week I was pondering this very situation about the costs of medical care. My insane, sociopathic stepdaughter (21 years old, refuses to speak to her mom for over a year) got herself knocked up last summer and had the baby last week.
Three days in the hospital, C-section, another day for recovery, baby in ICU for a night (all are fine now). What will that bill come to these days? $40,000? $75,000?, $100,000?
Guess how much she will pay. Nothing. Zero. She is apparently on Medicaid, and refuses to work. Hasn't worked since she told both sets of parents to **** off 15 months ago over not working. Since then she has been freeloading off friends, partying, lived for a time at the Baby Daddy's house until she wore out her welcome with the Baby Grandma. Now living with the Baby Daddy in an apartment, he's working and paying all the bills. I don't like the guy but my goodness 18 years of that not even he deserves.
We thought she was going to deliver April 1, fitting to have a baby on the day dedicated to lying to others. Anyway, on the day she was going to deliver, I emailed my wife and said "looks like we are working for free today".
Here is the thing. A person like her will have many more, and wouldn't think of getting her tubes tied even if it was free. She will never work, and will become a parasite on society. And there are millions of people just like her. The whole world owes them something. I fear her mentality is becoming the norm rather then the exception.
Last edited by sburns2421; 04-10-2009 at 02:36 PM.
Unfortunately Sir, I think you may be right, been out lately, dining, movie, traffic? There is a growing percentage of society who seem to really believe not only that the world OWES them something, but they are somehow "special" and above the laws of a civil society......
-Rocky-
__________________
ROCKYMT
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
One of the recurring things he writes about frequently is the fall of the Roman Empire. At the end you had the elites who controlled everything, the lower class who basically existed in a welfare state of free bread and lots of entertainment, and the middle class who paid for both of the others. Sound familiar?
No doubt, that's the path we're on. The poor people can't stop it or worse don't even know what's happening, and the rich people like it. But I've read that the real reason, the main reason that Rome fell is lack of food supplies. They farmed unsustainably, ruined many fertile fields mainly due to erosion, and just couldn't keep up with their own growth in population. There were several factors though and it's debatable.
__________________ "...let us not ignore the truth among ourselves, that we are the aggressors and they defend themselves. The country is theirs, because they inhabit it, whereas we want to come here and settle down."
David Ben-Gurion (the father of Israel) "When fascism comes to America it will be draped in a flag and holding a cross." Sinclair Lewis I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands. One nation, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.
No doubt, that's the path we're on. The poor people can't stop it or worse don't even know what's happening, and the rich people like it. But I've read that the real reason, the main reason that Rome fell is lack of food supplies. They farmed unsustainably, ruined many fertile fields mainly due to erosion, and just couldn't keep up with their own growth in population. There were several factors though and it's debatable.
One of the other things he hits on in previous essays is "marginal returns" as it related to the Roman Empire. They expanded to the point where their conquered lands didn't provide them with enough tax returns to cover the resources required to govern them.
I wonder if the mindset actually in Rome of Roman citizens was to just keep taking over lands and tax them to keep the actual city of Rome going. You could probably just as easily apply that to the USSR as well.
Very good point about tax income. Before the taxes, however, came the looting (not to mention slavery). Same thing with England. Go to the museums and you see the artifacts of stealing. Most successful cultures (including the U.S.) are built on taking advantage of the unknowing and weak. In a way, things like drug trafficing and piracy are payback for wrongs of the past.
__________________ "...let us not ignore the truth among ourselves, that we are the aggressors and they defend themselves. The country is theirs, because they inhabit it, whereas we want to come here and settle down."
David Ben-Gurion (the father of Israel) "When fascism comes to America it will be draped in a flag and holding a cross." Sinclair Lewis I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands. One nation, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.
As a coincidence last week I was pondering this very situation about the costs of medical care. My insane, sociopathic stepdaughter (21 years old, refuses to speak to her mom for over a year) got herself knocked up last summer and had the baby last week.
Three days in the hospital, C-section, another day for recovery, baby in ICU for a night (all are fine now). What will that bill come to these days? $40,000? $75,000?, $100,000?
Guess how much she will pay. Nothing. Zero. She is apparently on Medicaid, and refuses to work. Hasn't worked since she told both sets of parents to **** off 15 months ago over not working. Since then she has been freeloading off friends, partying, lived for a time at the Baby Daddy's house until she wore out her welcome with the Baby Grandma. Now living with the Baby Daddy in an apartment, he's working and paying all the bills. I don't like the guy but my goodness 18 years of that not even he deserves.
We thought she was going to deliver April 1, fitting to have a baby on the day dedicated to lying to others. Anyway, on the day she was going to deliver, I emailed my wife and said "looks like we are working for free today".
Here is the thing. A person like her will have many more, and wouldn't think of getting her tubes tied even if it was free. She will never work, and will become a parasite on society. And there are millions of people just like her. The whole world owes them something. I fear her mentality is becoming the norm rather then the exception.
The fastest growing segment of the population in developed countries is made up of the lowest Socio-economic-status people (un/low education, low income etc) while the more successful are having a lower birth rate.
There was a movie based on this called Idiocracy
The dumb (majority) are multiplying while the more intelligent are supporting them while at the same time the few privelaged are using the system to siphon excess for themselves
the few privileged are using the system to siphon excess for themselves
Unfortunatlly those few were not elected by anyone, own all the large banks and have most of the politicians in their back pocket. Not a good combo for any nation much less a planet.
Squeezing of the Middle Class
Linear Mode
