aka Contrarian

The terms "civilization" and "empire" are not interchangeable according to Gemini, a distinction I'm very comfortable with although I'm inclined to believe you two will disagree. There's nothing drastically distinctive about American culture and mores when it comes to the ongoing progression of western Civilization. Its location is what distinguishes it. It became an Empire via conquest and political domain.

WOW. That's all I can say. Ancient history I'd forgotten about. I've been outed. 😮

@ProfD I didn't know at first that Rachel Scott was a sista - with impeccable journalistic credentials! Trump has also been accused of referring to Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Jackson as having a "low IQ". He seems to really be intimidated by black women who, when it comes to being qualified, put that skank Melania to shame whose only notable accomplishment is being multi-lingual, able to say "unzip" in 7 different tongues. 😛

@ProfD Everything bad we know about Joe Jackson, we learned from his children. Later in life they did give him a few props. He had a love child and he and Kathryn were estranged (divorced?) at the time of his death. She seems to be the glue who consistently held the family together.

@troyg Is a "civilization" the same as an "empire"? I never thought of America as a specific civilization.

I'm rather impressed withTa-Nehisi Coates and Angela Davis.

I've come across several references to this book entitled " America's Expiration Date" by Cal Thomas, published in 2020, and it sounded like something I would be enlightened by, so I turned to my new best friend Gemini and requested a summary of the work which, according to Gemini, draws heavily on a historical thesis proposed by a Sir John Glubb who, back in the 1970s, concluded that the average lifespan of an empire is approximately 250 years (roughly ten generations). Supposedly, such 250-year periods can be broken down into the specific stages that empires historically go through before they collapse, and these phases are as follows:⁰ The Age of Pioneers: Bold, determined individuals explore and settle new lands. The Age of Conquests: The nation expands its borders and establishes military dominance. The Age of Commerce: The focus shifts to wealth creation, trade, and economic prosperity. The Age of Affluence: Success leads to the accumulation of great wealth and the rise of a "ruling class." The Age of Intellect: A shift from action to debate and philosophy; the society becomes increasingly self-analytical and focused on education. The Age of Decadence: The final stage, characterized by moral decay, internal division, excessive luxury, and a loss of the original pioneering spirit. In comparing these eras with America's history, author Cal Thomas believes that the American Empire is on a collision course with extinction because it is currently in alignment with this 250-year pattern. Using the timeline that dates back to this nation's birth in 1776, and adding 250 years to that number, amounts to 2026... Thomas goes on to cite massive, mounting national debt as a primary symptom of the "Age of Decadence," along with the moral and cultural divisions that cause the loss of shared values and the extreme political polarization that causes unity to unravel. He mentions eight major empires (including the Roman, Ottoman, and British ones) noting that they all staggered and eventually lost their superpower status after reaching these similar cultural milestones. Gemini's optimistic takeaway from this data is that while the 250-year pattern is historically consistent, it is not a death sentence and that America could potentially escape this fate through a cultural and spiritual renewal, rather than through political or economic policies or the waging of wars. The book's author notes that in entering the final Age of Decadence, the financial overreach caused by unsustainable national debt and a devalued currency, and the moral and cultural shift causing a weakening of the family structure along with the obsession with entertainment and sports and sexuality are definitely hurdles, but not challenges that are impossible to overcome. Meanwhile Trump and company march on in lockstep, pursuing their version of what will make America great again.

@ProfD If everything you say about the true nature of Black people is right, then they have no reason to complain about being at the bottom of the totem poll. That's where they belong😜

I've always contended that if the situation were reversed, black people would be racist against white people. MLK called this "a dislike of the unlike". In all if my years, I've never met a black person who said they actually like white people. They always roll their eyes and say something to the effect that they can tolerate some of them. Even Uncle Toms have an uneasy smile when discussing their sentiments about them. Me, I can "em take or leave 'em. Whatever. I am, however, starting to develope an affinity for the element among them who genuinely hate Trump.And there are millions of them out there who see him for what he is. He has really polarized this country.

That's why Trump's base is so loyal to him. Because he makes rudeness and crudeness virtues. He never takes the high road or personifies the civility expected of a wise diplomatic leader with integrity. And he is the hero of 50 million mostly white Americans.

@Troy very true. In this dog-eat- dog world, ignorance can be bliss. One person's concern, is another one's indifference. Such is life...

Well, when it comes to the Jackson family, its no secret, their domineering father Joe had a lot to with their being ummm - eccentric. Michael always complained about being robbed of his childhood, attributing his affinity for young boys to that, imagining himself to be a real live Peter Pan. La Toya was /is nutty as fruit cake and always claimed that Joe tried to molest her when she was a teenager. Jermaine was reportedly consumed with jealously of Michael, hence his leaving the group and going solo. He was reportedly furious when he hit on Whitney Houston and she rejected him for Bobby Brown. Mama Kathryn, was a devout Jehovah's Witness and didn't celebrate Christmas but supposedly accepted and encouraged family members to give her large packets of money in plain brown paper bags on December 25th. Prince was a total control freak, the reason for his breakup with Vanity and the failure if his 2 subsequent marriages His older half sister from his father's first marriage supposedly warned his inner circle early in his career, that Prince's weakness for cocaine needed to be reined in... The price of being a superstar took its toll on so many young Blacks who died relatively young. But, - that's show biz...

I appreciate you all's perspective on this subject but why, then, do you give so much weight to YouTube which you regularly post clips from, either because they support your views or contradict them. To me, YouTube, aside from its musical offerings, has always been a haven for crackpots and snake oil salesmen. I'm not defending FB, I'm just holding it up as a mirror that reflects Life's vicissitudes. In a perfect world, it wouldn't exist.

@Troy One of the reasons I posted the article about Thomas Sowell, was that I knew you were familiar with him. I, myself, don't know a lot about him, but do know he's a favorite among black right-wingers who love to cite and reference his ideas. What I find most noteworthy is that he personified the conservative philosophy by being someone with humble beginnings who "pulled himself up by his boot straps" and went on to become a successful, well-respected negro. But, as the article in question illustrates, the "Young Turks" of liberal black sociologists are taking him to task and besmiching his legacy. So be it. When it comes to America's racial dilemma, there are 2 sides to every issue. In response to your complaints, I can only reiterate that Sowell's academic critics are not, themselves, posting their articles on social media. It's ordinary people who find these commentaries thought-provoking who call attention to them, using FB as a source of what turns out to be free publicity for controversial black spokesmen. Yes, Zuckerberg profits from black patronage, but all FB users including Blacks, take advantage of it offering them an outlet for free publicity, always with the possibility of a post going viral. Some folks even get paid by FB if they have a large following and generate a lot of traffic. Finally, FB is literally a free bulletin board available for public access, its notices running the gamut from funeral arrangements to a wide vatiety of upcoming events. I don't say this to heap praise on Zuckerberg, I just mention it to call attention to the fact that FB users are not totally exploited. "Free" exposure is the operative word when it comes to assessing its appeal.

For many people, FB is a sounding board. A chance to get on your soap box and blow off steam to a vast, ready-made audience. It is many-faceted and convenient for millions of people who have nothing better to do when it comes to occupying their free time. It's escapism and is very accessible. It also provides a way to connect with friends and strangers. To me, since I no longer have a lot of mobility, hangin around there is just something to do... I've always been curious why the guys on this site always express so much disdain for FB, but have no problem with YouTube, which to me is not that different from Face Book. They both just need to be taken with "a grain of salt".