What lies ahead?

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.