5 ms·
It’s amazing and terrifying watching an empire die
by looksjjhg 7mo ago
It’s amazing and terrifying watching an empire die
- lpa22 7mo agoThe US is the best 400 mil population country in the world
- ndr42 7mo agoWhat does "best" means? Which population size would you consider comparable to the US (i assume you don't meant it in a way in which Germany would be the best 83,6 mil population country in the World)?
- rrr_oh_man 7mo ago> i assume you don't meant it in a way in which Germany would be the best 83,6 mil population country in the World I think that's exactly what OP meant.
- deleted 7mo ago[deleted]
- HarHarVeryFunny 7mo agoWell, it's certainly not the "best" if you remove that population stipulation. A bit like saying that Walmart is the best 4000 store grocery store in the USA.
- tastyface 7mo agoWhat's the point of this comment? It says little, accomplishes nothing, and convinces no one of anything.
- ambicapter 7mo agoYou should see it from the inside!
- tw-20260303-001 7mo agoNope, thanks!
- deleted 7mo ago[deleted]
- jjtwixman 7mo ago[flagged]
- atlas185 7mo ago[dead]
- Dumblydorr 7mo agoWho deserves it? What is it? Wishing bad things onto others is not a wise policy.
- wlowenfeld 7mo agoWatching these types of comments begin to pop up here on HN of all places is fascinating.
- mlrtime 7mo agoIt's disgusting. I thought this place was for rational free thinkers, turns out it can resort to lowest common comments just like anywhere else.
- specproc 7mo agoI spent a fair bit of time in the former Soviet Union, what happened there is instructive for what comes next. I think we will see, across the West broadly, to varying extents: - peripheral states flipping (e.g., Baltics) - widespread looting of public assets, a new oligarchal class minted - total destruction of the middle class, particularly those with ties to government and NGOs (I'm in this camp and miserable for it) - at least one civil war, lots of territorial disputes kicking off, separatism - breakdown of law and order, local gangsters as local authorities - mass ex-migration, ethnic cleansing - weak governments, coups, demagogues, vassalage - hyperinflation and scammy get rich quick scams (watch crypto)
- michaelchisari 7mo agoThe collapse of the Soviet Union was ahistorical in many ways. It's rare that collapse of an empire can be pinpointed to a single day. And what you saw was a result of shock therapy imposed from the outside. I doubt that would happen to the US. It's unlikely collapse will be felt as a singular, apocalyptic event. More like a slow, steady loss of influence and excess wealth. Countries on the periphery stop considering the empire's perspectives before making their own decisions. Other trading partners emerge. Bridges stop getting maintained until they're no longer usable. And soft power declines. Imagine a day when the biggest pop star in the US, someone on the scale of Michael Jackson or Madonna nationally, is virtually unknown outside of its borders. There are reasons to believe the American empire is in decline, but I maintain this will look more like Britain. It could take 50 years before American fully realize it. Thankfully, that means there's plenty of time to reverse or mitigate the trends, or to make a decision to strengthen the Republic over the Empire.
- specproc 7mo agoBritain's demise was relatively swift, and took place over the course of the two world wars. It fell almost immediately into vassalage, under the US. Not quite a bang, but not as drawn out as you suggest. Its former colonies experienced all I described above and more. In this case, the colonies are most of the world: where are the bases? Everywhere. With the States, here's the scenario, not too far fetched. We will see 1) constitutional breakdown, as Trump (or his crew) digs in, and 2) economic breakdown, 2008 but exponentially worse. This would constitute a Soviet scale collapse, to my mind.