"But the world isn't like that."

[Terrance]

Bandwraith at aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 10/14/2002 12:51:06 AM Eastern Standard Time, lycidas2 at earthlink.net writes:
> 
> >>The USA is not in decline.<<
> 
> It's manifesting all the signs and symptoms.

Maybe not. Hegemonic Cycles...hmmmmm.  As useful as they may be, I guess
I'm not a big fan of these world cycle theories. Not a big fan of any
super cycle theory that explains the rise and fall of nations or tries
to explain current events.  The past is only a bit less protean than the
present because it has been recorded and can be analyzed systematically,
but we live and have lived in a very unpredictable world. When a war in
the Ivory Coast sends the price of Cocoa through the roof or the rumor
of drought in Brazil sends the price of coffee souring, I'm only willing
to place my bets on day to day analysis of what I feel in my guts. ;-)





Thought you might find this of interest. 
That Snowvian stuff you've mentioned. 

http://www.stanford.edu/group/SHR/6-1/html/conlon.html



> 
> >
> > Again, I don't think a "decline" real or imagined is what is driving USA policy.<
> >
> 
> The USA cannot cope with its own internal problems,
> which normally wouldn't have bothered Bush and his
> corporate sponsers, excepting for being caught
> completely flat-footed by the terrorism of 9/11.
> Now he's really up shit's creek. He must ask us
> to be prepared to shoulder huge economics burdens
> to allow him to undertake a foreign adventure of
> uncertain dimensions, potentially forever. All
> this after savaging the solvency of America in order
> to give large corporations billions dollars, not
> just in tax cuts, but RETROPSPECTIVELY, on taxes
> collected decades ago.
> 
> STOP THE WAR!


My gut says we won't. We're all in the boat. Up shits creek we go.

 As Stevie Wonder says, 

"Heaven help us all." 

Thanks for your posts, 

T