Change in the Wind

I would argue that the dream of America becoming “the new Rome” was achieved. The tentacles of American influence and power embraced the world. But things in the modern world move at a vastly different speed then at the time of Rome’s greatness. The Western Roman Imperium lasted for several centuries. The American Imperium was the 20^th century. It was merely a 100 years.

Nations have life cycles which chronicle their rise, ascendancy and slipping from grace. A nation rises with it utilization of raw resources. It starts with heavily industries such as steel, energy like coal and oil, and agriculture. The wealth created by these industries trickles through society. This is the genesis of a self sustaining consumer market. Small businesses appear to meet their individualized wants. Manufacturing industries such as textiles blossom.

As the wealth factor increases, the domestic businesses increase output and start to market their wares to other nations. The people, in search of meeting even more individualized wants, create a market for the influx of foreign goods. Over time, many of the domestic manufacturing industries give way to those in foreign lands. The goods can be produced cheaper in these other countries. But the vacuum is filled by a new domestic enterprise of becoming international brokers. The Chicago Commodities exchange and Wall Street become very powerful. The domestic market expands and becomes one vast market for foreign items for sale.

As this is happening, money is available to the government for other things. Social systems like public education is affordable. Another is investment in science and technology. At the height of American power the war machine evolves to be without peer and an organization like NASA appears. The wealth funds the efforts of researchers leading to the most Nobel prizes and entrepreneurial innovation.

As the nation declines public education suffers. The disparity in wealth accelerates. The benefits of society flow to a small select group. Social mobility grinds to a halt. Other nations make notable achievements. The level of military power is a lagging indicator of demise because it is the last to starve for funds. The military is the last thing to decline. The leading indicator of change is science and technology. This is the first definitive sign of retreat.

Have you noticed the most advanced and largest particle physics super collider, the Large Hadron Collider, is located at Cern, in Switzerland? Have you noticed that France puts a lot of satellites in space for private companies and nations? Have you noticed that when we needed the largest transport plane in 2000 we had to ask the Russians? Do you know we dismantled our heavy lift rocket program and Russia has the heavenliest lift rockets? Have you notice that NASA has to send astronauts to Russia for advance space training? Have you noticed the Hubble Space telescope is on its last legs with no America replacement?

In today’s newspaper was a satellite achievement. The American Spitzer infra red telescope just failed? The newspaper said the timing was fortuitous. The EU just launched a new far better one, named “Herschel”.