“Perhaps it is possible, especially in strange times such as these, for an entire people, or at least a majority, to deceive themselves into believing that things are in fact going well when in fact they are not, when things are in fact farcical. Most Romans worked and played as usual while Rome fell about their ears.”
– Walker Percy, The Second Coming
I shamelessly stole that quote from someone’s Facebook profile. I’ve never read Percy. All the same, it struck me as an incisive analysis of what’s happening right now in America.
It’s interesting to me that I’m studying the Fall of Rome in school while I’m watching the same thing happen in America. We’re not there yet, but there’s no saying how fast it will happen or how technology will influence the rate of consolidation or decline. If I had to make a comparison (and such things inevitably fall short, considering the differen cultural contexts) I’d say we’re heading from the Republic into the Empire stage. Obama is, as I said yesterday, our Julius Caesar, though instead of returning, unwanted by the Senate, to Rome, accompanied by his army fresh from the triumphant Gallic campaign, he will storm Washington, cheered on by the Senate, and order home our army from Iraq.
Regardless, he will become a well-loved hero who will gather power unto himself, and in the frenzy of public support, foment his role as imperator, thus suspending the republic and beginning centuries of American dictatorship, under which lewd behavior will be rewarded and Christianity will be persecuted, until at last the central government cannot support the expanse of territory and individual power centers (ie., states or regions) will break off into independent nations.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Letting my imagination wander, I see an interim period beginning in about 2011 where the government will have consolidate substantial economic, political and military power, all of which will be willingly given over at first by those who want a handout in a time of economic crisis.
This leads to the development of a totalitarian American Regime which becomes truly imperialistic (you ain’t seen nothin’ yet, hippies) recognizing the need to marshal resources, and aggressively moving to secure things like energy sources in other countries. We’d be smartest to start with Venezuela, because it’s close to home and has lots of oil. Mexico also has a lot, of course, though supplies there are dwindling.
Internally, we’ll be seeing increasingly unwelcome totalitarian control emerging in major urban areas - thin East German style, but with lots more hi-tech surveillance - and people will begin waking up to what they brought upon themselves too late to do anything about it but follow the curfew and steer clear of the Homeland Security jackboots. We’ll be seeing a lot of UAVs in the skies, and probably robotic patrol bots (they’re already using these in Iraq) and the level of communications monitoring that the conspiracy theorists are always clamoring about will become transparent as the government acts on it, perhaps invoking the “common good” as expressed through the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorist Act (which Obama has been said to support.)
Where things start to get dicey is the outlying areas - the rural parts, the midwest, etc. America is too big and spread out to really occupy, and we have an ingrained notion of freedom deep in our bones. I see government control sticking to major infrastructure routes and population centers, leaving the rest of the heartland to decay and foment into rebel groups which the government hopes will just devolve into insignificant militia bands, but could lead to serious secessionist blocs.
I could go on with my orwellian vision, but I’m starving. What do you think will happen, worst (plausible) case scenario?
(And yes, I realize this post is full of pretty stream-of-consciousness stuff…I’m just thinking out loud here.)
What do I think? You can’t handle what I think! B)
It seems to me that your scenario above is pretty much a worst-case scenario. The problem with it is that BHO would have to re-institute the draft to make it happen, and suddenly there would be a real reason for the 17-24 year-olds to get their minds out of their crotches and wake up. Vietnam at the start was fairly dependent on the attitudes and conventional wisdom that had come out of WWII. That world is gone, and a draft is pretty much impossible absent a genuine existential threat to the country (and no the GWOT doesn’t count as genuine).
All of the above really depends on how the “Greater Depression” we have in the works plays out. I see three possibilities.
1) US currency collapse, hyperinflation, economic devastation
2) world economic collapse, Us is better off than most, but things are very hard
3) Somehow muddling through. Things take a long slide, interest rates like the early 1980s (15-20%) wages stagnant, taxes high.
Under scenario 1, the American people will revolt, and all bets are off. In the short term, most everybody loses most everything, people go hungry, and there is bloody violence in the streets. Think Zimbabwe. If this happens, (and I think it a very real possiblity) the people might turn to a secular political messiah, and it could be BHO. If it occurs after the inauguration, he could use force to seize all power, declare martial law and all your worst dreams come true. Not many would object.
Under Scenario 2, as bad as things get here, they will be much better here than elsewhere, especially eastern Europe and East Asia.Things would be pretty grim here, approaching Great Depression circumstances, 25% unemployment. Deflation would be a serious problem, making credit very difficult even for well qualified buyers. War will be a distinct possibility, and not with some 3rd world reject like Iran either. To avoid it, we may have to abandon Taiwan. The political scene tilts seriously leftward and we’re just going to have to put up with it and salvage what we can.
Under Scenario 3, it’s more like the late 1970s. Carter, high interest rates (exceeding 20%) high inflation (exceeding 10%), moderately high unemployment (10-12 %). People who are doing well will do very well, most people will get through okay with a lot of anxiety. BHO is a one-term president. Any wars would be like the current GWOT, interminable excursions into horrible poverty-stricken 3rd-world hellholes. Sudan, Somalia, Venezuela, that sort of place.
Danby,
For dystopian fun, I can always count on you!
Compared to your original post, I’m a laff-a-minit comic riot.
I’ve been thinking a lot about your last two posts.
Some of my friends have told me they’re voting for McCain out of fear of an Obama presidency and this has always really concerned me. How did we as Catholics became so fearful?
One thing is for sure, we’ve been bombarded with information on Obama: what he’ll do, what he stands for, FOCA, FOCA, FOCA — all of which have been extremely successful in sending the same bold message: we ought to be afraid of this man. Be very afraid.
But is this really what God wants? Fear?
I don’t know about you, but I most easily recognize when I’m responding to God’s grace by the peace that accompany a given decision, not when feelings of fear motivate me. I’m just not convinced that’s how God works.
I wonder just how much Catholics will let this fear “take the wheel and steer” when they vote. And what might happen if Catholics went to the voting booth this November - not with fear in their hearts and minds - but with confidence and trust? Not in a politician, but in Jesus?
If someone feels at peace with voting for McCain, then great (and please share!), but if fear is what motivates them, I would pause and question it.
In the days before the election, I’m convinced that the Internet will continue to be a tool for the devil to use to his advantage. Let’s not give into the temptation to spread any fear, rather, we should be trusting in Jesus even more right now. He will bless us if we do.
Monica,
I agree that voting out of fear is a bad move. But there are times when not being afraid shows a lack of comprehension. This is a time to be afraid - more because we live in a truly trying time not of our own choosing, and not of our ability to make right - than because we think not casting a vote for one or the other will make that much difference in the long run.
Steve,
Being afraid is often a very sensible and logical reaction. Reacting out of fear is usually a very bad idea.
My father was very tough bird who I can’t recall ever backing down from a fight, physical, electoral or verbal. He taught me that when you are in a fight, the moment you can get your opponent to react out of fear, you’ve won. You can use that fear to control his reaction. When you are reacting out of fear, you are losing. You are being controlled by your opponent.
The only way to win a fight is to keep your head clear and react to what your opponent is actually doing, not what you fear he will do, and do your best to make him react out of fear. And if he does what you fear, keep your head clear and look for an opening. He’s most vulnerable when he’s trying to land a felling blow. He’s thinking about what he’s doing, not what you’re doing.
If his right hook is legendary, you know he’s going to throw it at you. Be ready with a left kidney punch.
Maybe that’s too much boxing. Dad was a boxer. Still, he was right.