(from http://cezl.wordpress.com/category/the-end-is-near/)
A student wrote that it was time for our decline after all the average life span of any world power is on average only 200 years she argued. How sad to have such an outlook. How sad that she would have such a stilted view of history. No, the average life span of a great nation is not 200 years. That is a myth. The Egyptians, Ottomans, Chinese, Romans, British, and and and - all have had empires last far longer than 200 years. The USA did not start out as a world power from its inception by the way. We only became that actually if you think of the invention of the Atom Bomb in the 1940's. Always considered a "sleeping giant" because of our land mass size and number of resources, the US as a world power is not even then much more that just over half a century old.
The place we are in now is because of scare tactics. We are going to hell in a hand basket. Life is horrid. The world is ending. We are fiddling while Rome burns. Life in the US is only going to get worse.
I blame sensationalism. I blame a press who has become more interested in ratings than challenging the outrageous statements. I blame foolish politicians who monger in fear and refuse to look at reality. I blame reality television which is about as real as a game show...in fact, most of them are game shows. I blame those who take no stand against this insanity that divides us. I blame the Mayans.
Let's face it, there have always been guys standing on street corners with sandwich signs announcing the end of the world. He was on that street corner in New York City, in Dallas, in ancient Persia, on the Great Wall as it was built. There are just some folks who don't seem to see what a great place we live in. They miss the massive support from ordinary folks following Sandy and Katrina and other disasters. They've missed the folks who contribute to their food banks and donate coats and toys. They miss the wonder of Christmas as a child sits on Santa's lap or the discovery of the incredible sacrifice of Easter or Passover. They were unaware of the steps that men like Lincoln, Washington, Franklin, Armstrong, Glenn, Salk, Roosevelt, and countless others have made for freedom and mankind. They miss the man who maxes out his credit cards to buy pumps for flooded basements in New York not because he can use them all but he knows his neighbors can. They miss the artists, the magic of theatre, music and dance and that we do always seem to come together to do what needs to be done. The secret of our country, you see, is not our age but our resilience and the hand we offer in troubled times to others.
We know that sooner or later we must do more to protect our planet and try to stop over-population, global warming, and that we should be caring for all and not listening to extremism of the fringe who think freedom only applies to what they believe. The problem is for the first time in history the guy with the sandwich sign can appear in more places by being on TV or YouTube or Facebook. His sign has been replaced by a meme which is just as big of lie as the sign he once wore is. It makes them seem like they really do have a stronger and scarier voice. They are still fringe and the only power they have is to deal in fear, lies and half-truths. One writer I saw recently put it this way. Every town had a wacko standing on the street corner. They thought they were alone. Now, they are discovering their fellow wackos online and banding together.
NO we are not a dying nation. We are still a great nation. Don't let the sensationalist and scary people and politicians make you think otherwise. Paranoia is easy. Fear is easy. Living is a challenge that only you can take. There are far too many who don't think...they react. Wackos are just louder than they used to be, but they still don't know what they think they do and if you follow them, you need your own sandwich sign.
What do you choose?
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