4 ms·

It's hard to care about articles like this anymore. They're like the SV bubble articles. Every month some other genius tells us the EU is about to collapse and

It's hard to care about articles like this anymore. They're like the SV bubble articles. Every month some other genius tells us the EU is about to collapse and they've been telling us this since 2008. The EU has faced some pretty massive hurdles in that time and managed to overcome them and I see no reason that can't continue with the new refugee crisis and the ongoing financial crisis in some of the member states.

rtpg 11y ago
It's like how people have been predicting the fall of the American empire for over 100 years now.
- lukasm 11y ago
  Isn't it a given? Historically every empire collapsed.
  - Wintamute 11y ago
    I'd say it's a hazard, but not necessarily a given. The current cultural and economic interconnectedness of the globe is profoundly unprecedented in all of human history, no reason why old patterns should repeat themselves.
  - scrollaway 11y ago
    ... except those that are still around. I'm not sure how that logic can work. You're essentially saying "immortality is impossible because the people who are dead aren't still alive".
    - vidarh 11y ago
      He's essentially saying that historically the odds are vastly in favour of every empire eventually falling. The "American empire" is a historical shortlived blip compared to many other empires that eventually fell.
- threeseed 11y ago
  What empire ? The idea that the USA is a superpower is antiquated and I am still surprised people think it is. It is unquestionably the strongest country but it isn't able to just unilaterally impose its will. Obama's most notable legacy for me has been the acknowledgement of this and realising that the USA is far stronger and far more successful leading multilateral coalitions.
  - rtpg 11y ago
    sorry, should have put quotation marks, I meant it a bit facetiously. Usually articles about America's decline have that sort of bent to it ("Emperor has no cloths", etc.) I do think that the US gets away with much more stuff than it would in another universe. Especially in the financial domain (American sanctions work so well because of the virality of the regulations and the ubiquity of the dollar). But hey, Russia annexed a part of Ukrain, so they're not the only one.
  - jessaustin 11y ago
    ...far more successful leading multilateral coalitions. No example of this springs to mind. To what successful multilateral coalition do you refer?
  - pdkl95 11y ago
    > What empire ? We absolutely are an empire... which is failing rapidly. But don't take my word for it - Lawrence Wilkerson[1] as a much better explanation[2] of the travails of the American Empire. [1] retired Colonel and former chief of staff to Sec. of State Colin Powell [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckjY-FW7-dc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckjY-FW7-dc
nitrogen 11y ago
It's interesting to hear something like this coming from Soros because as I understand it he has himself caused the collapse of government banks in the past. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Soros#Currency_speculation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Soros#Currency_speculat...

rtpg 11y ago

It's like how people have been predicting the fall of the American empire for over 100 years now.

lukasm 11y ago
Isn't it a given? Historically every empire collapsed.
- Wintamute 11y ago
  I'd say it's a hazard, but not necessarily a given. The current cultural and economic interconnectedness of the globe is profoundly unprecedented in all of human history, no reason why old patterns should repeat themselves.
- scrollaway 11y ago
  ... except those that are still around. I'm not sure how that logic can work. You're essentially saying "immortality is impossible because the people who are dead aren't still alive".
  - vidarh 11y ago
    He's essentially saying that historically the odds are vastly in favour of every empire eventually falling. The "American empire" is a historical shortlived blip compared to many other empires that eventually fell.
threeseed 11y ago
What empire ? The idea that the USA is a superpower is antiquated and I am still surprised people think it is. It is unquestionably the strongest country but it isn't able to just unilaterally impose its will. Obama's most notable legacy for me has been the acknowledgement of this and realising that the USA is far stronger and far more successful leading multilateral coalitions.
- rtpg 11y ago
  sorry, should have put quotation marks, I meant it a bit facetiously. Usually articles about America's decline have that sort of bent to it ("Emperor has no cloths", etc.) I do think that the US gets away with much more stuff than it would in another universe. Especially in the financial domain (American sanctions work so well because of the virality of the regulations and the ubiquity of the dollar). But hey, Russia annexed a part of Ukrain, so they're not the only one.
- jessaustin 11y ago
  ...far more successful leading multilateral coalitions. No example of this springs to mind. To what successful multilateral coalition do you refer?
- pdkl95 11y ago
  > What empire ? We absolutely are an empire... which is failing rapidly. But don't take my word for it - Lawrence Wilkerson[1] as a much better explanation[2] of the travails of the American Empire. [1] retired Colonel and former chief of staff to Sec. of State Colin Powell [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckjY-FW7-dc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckjY-FW7-dc

nitrogen 11y ago

It's interesting to hear something like this coming from Soros because as I understand it he has himself caused the collapse of government banks in the past. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Soros#Currency_speculation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Soros#Currency_speculat...