You Know Your Empire is Crumbling When....

[Proud2BAmurkin]

http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0202-26.htm

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. Classic. Recommended.

...

You know your empire’s crumbling when the folks who are gearing up their empire to replace yours start blowing up satellites in space. And then they don’t bother to return your phone calls when you ring up to ask why.

You know your empire’s crumbling when those same folks are cutting deals left, right and center across Asia, Latin America and Africa, while you, your lousy terms, and your arrogant attitude are no longer welcome.

You know your empire’s crumbling when you’re spending your grandchildren’s money like a drunken sailor, and letting your soon-to-be rivals finance your little splurge (i.e., letting them own your country).

...

You know your empire’s crumbling when you trade your prior moral leadership on human rights issues for global disgust at your torture, ‘extraordinary rendition’ (a.k.a. kidnaping for torture) and the dismantling of nine centuries worth of civil liberties progress.

...

[mod mom]

4. I'm going to make copies of this and leave it in waiting rooms

so that some sheeple will pick it up and read it!

[malaise]

2. Great read

K & R

[mod mom]

3. so many good ones:

here are a few:

You know your empire’s crumbling when your emperor is warned by a CIA briefer of an imminent terrorist attack of vast proportions, and responds by remaining on vacation and dismissing the briefer with the words: “All right. You've covered your ass, now.”

You know your empire’s crumbling when the World Health Organization ranks your healthcare system 37th ‘best’ in the world, just above Slovenia, and just below Costa Rica. (And far below Colombia, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.)

You know your empire’s crumbling when you send soldiers into war with two weeks training and a lack of armor, and then you keep them there for three, four and five rotations.

[spanone]

5. One more:

you know your empire is crumbling when the PEOPLE vote in opposition to an illegal war and then the people they voted in may barely muster enough votes to send a NON-BINDING, republican watered down version of a resolution to the president knowing all along that he will dismiss it with a wave of his hand.

[OregonBlue]

6. You know... when your citizens don't believe you any more.

[Cabcere]

7. Wow. I feel like this could be the perfect antidote

to all those disgusting Freeper-esque chain letters about how great things are going, how Democrats are traitors because they "don't support our troops," etc. Just copy & paste THIS into the e-mail, and give them a taste of their own medicine! :headbang:

[HughBeaumont]

8. I can answer #'s 23 and 24, as far as "the opposition party" . . .

You know your empire’s crumbling when your government gives tax breaks to industries as a reward for exporting your jobs elsewhere.

You know your empire’s crumbling when the so-called ‘opposition’ party can’t even turn that obscenity into a viable campaign theme and use it to clobber the worst emperor in your history.

Well, that's because they would be wholesale admitting that yes Virginia, corporations run this country, not the government or the people. They'd be stepping on the toes of their handlers and donors who own BOTH parties. Judging by the way the hyper rich/rest of us gap has expanded one thousand-fold these past three decades (as #25 so dutifuly points out) and what the government has done to aid and keep that trend going, it doesn't look like anything's changing in that regard.

We need to get rid of THAT obscenity once and for all. But as someone previously pointed out on another post, that would mean at least putting the brakes on unbridled, unregulate corporacentric capitalism and whiskey-throttle, debt-plagued consumerist economics.

Other than that, I'm gettin' this thing circulated and KICKED. This is the ultimate truthful rebuttal to any Republican't, who'll just end up blaming the Clenis for everything.

[Greyhound]

9. Some more faves...

You know your empire’s crumbling when it’s considered an achievement to pretend that you’ve halved the rate at which you’re adding to the massive mountain of debt you’ve already accumulated.

You know your empire’s crumbling when you weaken your currency until it looks as anemic as a Paris runway model, and you’re still setting record trade deficits. (Hint: Because you’re not making anything anymore.)

You know your empire’s crumbling when the World Health Organization ranks your healthcare system 37th ‘best’ in the world, just above Slovenia, and just below Costa Rica. (And far below Colombia, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.)

You know your empire’s crumbling when people are getting more religious and less scientific, not the other way around.

It all happened so fast...:cry:
:kick: & R

[tnlurker]

10. nice

[EVDebs]

11. Nobody reads Kevin Phillip's book Wealth and Democracy...

which shows us that these economic empires cease to exist once the elites amass sooooo much of the wealth on top that the country is literally and figuratively 'top heavy'.

Spain, the Netherlands, (once) Great Britain, and now the US, have all allowed the richest one and a half percenters to rule the economy and all but the US, so far, have seen their empires disappear.

[Quantess]

12. I love it! One question:

I don't get the Belgium comment at the very end. My junior high western civilization class wasn't very good, so I'll need someone to explain that one.

[kineneb]

13. Belgium -used- to be an imperial power

they ran the Congo and much of Indonesia in the 19th century (Book on their adventures in the Congo: King Leopold's Ghost )

Now Belgium is a charming but small country, which one can drive across in less than 2 hours; its major claim to modern fame is it is the location of the EU administration.

Oh, and Brussels has a very nice musical instrument museum.

[Quantess]

14. Thanks! So, Belgium was imperialistic for a while.

I see... They overextended themselves, then.

I spent about 2 days in Brussels in 1996. It's a very nice place. Unfortunately we missed the musical instrument museum, but I ate about 5 pounds of their delicious chocolate.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

17. Yes, and Spain and Portugal had their own turns at being the leading, or among the leading

imperial world powers as well. This will not get a Spaniard or Portugese person a cup of coffee at a Denny's anywhere in the world now.

Many Americans will still believe in the exceptionalism of America and its immunity from such a fate until the rude truth is too obvious.

[afrosia]

23. They have the best food and beer I've ever had.

Even their waffles sold by the side of the street are restaurant quality.

Best steak I've ever had was in the Titanic restaurant in Brussels.

[piedmont]

15. A little too gleeful for my tastes. nt

[beastbitten]

16. kick n/t

[Quantess]

22. Dear little beastbitten boy, why are you a kitten kickin'?

[tom_paine]

18. Powerful, concise and right on target

So sad and so very very true.

[_dynamicdems]

19. Terrific! K&R! n/t

[Swamp Rat]

20. ... when they literally want your blood.

U.S. Set to Begin a Vast Expansion of DNA Sampling

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/05/washington/05dna.html?hp&ex=1170738000&en=4f5fb3a245f37a20&ei=5094&partner=homepage

By JULIA PRESTON
Published: February 5, 2007

The Justice Department is completing rules to allow the collection of DNA from most people arrested or detained by federal authorities, a vast expansion of DNA gathering that will include hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, by far the largest group affected.

The new forensic DNA sampling was authorized by Congress in a little-noticed amendment to a January 2006 renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, which provides protections and assistance for victims of sexual crimes. The amendment permits DNA collecting from anyone under criminal arrest by federal authorities, and also from illegal immigrants detained by federal agents.

Over the last year, the Justice Department has been conducting an internal review and consulting with other agencies to prepare regulations to carry out the law.

The goal, justice officials said, is to make the practice of DNA sampling as routine as fingerprinting for anyone detained by federal agents, including illegal immigrants.
Until now, federal authorities have taken DNA samples only from convicted felons.

(snip)

[truedelphi]

21. Excellent! n/t