People often believe that history is something that is distant and removed from their day to day lives. That what happened in the past has little bearing on the present and future, minus a few convenient tidbits that have been rearranged to support trendy political narratives. Americans’ are notorious for their ignorance and lack of appreciation for history. As a young vital nation the future has always seemed more exciting and important, but now that excitement has waned and been replaced by fear and perhaps a nagging sense that something is wrong. History is happening all of the time, and we are on the verge of something momentous. A combination of economic debasement, overzealous military action, cultural decay, resource depletion, corruption, and many other signs clearly indicate that some sort major event is near. Our civilization is crumbling, while the masses amuse themselves with an ever expanding assortment of entertaining distractions. Most people will be caught off guard in the years ahead as the degeneracy becomes apparent.
This future history has not been written yet, and what form and shape it takes is not yet fully known. The corrupt financial system will significantly damage, or lay waste, to the economy in the not too distant future. It is unknown if this will be a slow a painful process or a massive shock and crisis. But I get the sense that the nation is ill equipped to handle either. Identity politics, divisiveness, moral decay, apathy, dependency and blame have weakened the social fabric. We have witnessed appalling behavior in relatively good times and abundance. This does not bode well for when things get tough and scarce in what some have called “The Greater Depression.” We do know that in times of economic uncertainty anything can happen, i.e. wars, rise of collectivism/fascism, civil unrest etc.
A few months ago the city I live in was hit by a hurricane and sustained moderate damage. I am thankful for the experience as it was a clear indication of how unprepared we are for anything major. All of the conveniences we enjoy in modern society were suddenly not there – electricity, gas, food, internet, ATMs etc. Even the first responders were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, they did not know what to do. The systems that are in place are fragile that even a mild disruption can send shock waves throughout.
Some sort of economic reset must and will happen. There is no way to pay off the debts and liabilities without default or hyper-inflating it away. The transition process will be difficult and harsh, but out of the destruction will be opportunity for creation. If the nation/globe can avoid the dystopian nightmare, there is tremendous potential to create a more equitable and healthy way of living. It is how we respond to the challenges ahead that will define the history we are making.