It’s peak irony that Trump thinks he can coerce Canada into a $61B protection racket (aka the ‘Golden Dome’ pipedream) when the only way we could pay that much up front would be to sell off our US Treasury Bond investments.
There was another factor at work in both the decline of the Roman Empire and in the British Empire - disease.
The 1918-1919 Spanish flu pandemic took some 50-100 million lives worldwide - many of these in the UK which had just had battlefield losses of some 886,000.
The Roman Empire suffered the Antonine Plague (possibly smallpox) 165-180CE and then the Plague of Cyprian 250-266CE both of which devastated the population and economy and left the empire substantially weaker.
With the wholesale sacking of staff from health organisations in the USA and the muzzling of disease reporting, the Trump government may be setting the American Empire up for a similar fate.
Well, that was a scary read. I’m guessing I will be dead (I’m 70) before the decline will be apparent to the masses. I hope. My guess is that civil unrest at best a civil was at worst will be the stage when the decline is blatantly obvious.
Sadly, I think a civil war is increasingly possible in the US, aided by its gun culture. If Trump isn't tamed soon, some people may get very desperate.
It’s peak irony that Trump thinks he can coerce Canada into a $61B protection racket (aka the ‘Golden Dome’ pipedream) when the only way we could pay that much up front would be to sell off our US Treasury Bond investments.
Trump is dreaming if he thinks he can force Canadians into some weird defence dome to avoid invasion.
Interesting, thankupu.
It's just my view. There are plenty of smart people out there.
There was another factor at work in both the decline of the Roman Empire and in the British Empire - disease.
The 1918-1919 Spanish flu pandemic took some 50-100 million lives worldwide - many of these in the UK which had just had battlefield losses of some 886,000.
The Roman Empire suffered the Antonine Plague (possibly smallpox) 165-180CE and then the Plague of Cyprian 250-266CE both of which devastated the population and economy and left the empire substantially weaker.
With the wholesale sacking of staff from health organisations in the USA and the muzzling of disease reporting, the Trump government may be setting the American Empire up for a similar fate.
What a fascinating bit of information. Thanks for sharing that. I hadn't considered it. Very interesting.
It's like how the French Revolution was aided by a mini cold snap which ruined crops and made the peasants revolt for food.
Well, that was a scary read. I’m guessing I will be dead (I’m 70) before the decline will be apparent to the masses. I hope. My guess is that civil unrest at best a civil was at worst will be the stage when the decline is blatantly obvious.
Sadly, I think a civil war is increasingly possible in the US, aided by its gun culture. If Trump isn't tamed soon, some people may get very desperate.
Interesting discussion which relates to America's decline:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-04/societal-collapse-democracy-inclusive-global/105358546?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other
Europe is re-arming because the American Empire is declining.
Canada and Australia are also boosting their militaries.
https://open.substack.com/pub/deanblundell/p/breaking-britain-just-declared-war?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=4mzfmy