0 comment Wednesday, June 25, 2014 | admin
Blogger AndyK has another interesting post, relating to the theme on which he has been posting: the possible future breakup of the U.S.A. He presents a story by William S. Lind which was published back in 1995. It's a piece of what I suppose would be speculative fiction about a possible future for the U.S., based on current trends. It's called Militant Musings -- Looking back from the year 2050.
It tells of a breakup of the USA into several smaller countries, with a restoration of traditional conservative values, and is rather graphic at times. It's long but worth the time to read.''
It is worth reading; it's fascinating to see how well the writer foresaw some of the present trends, even from the vantage point of 1995. Anyway I recommend going over to AndyK's blog and reading it. It really is a fairly quick read.
Here's a little excerpt:
You see, some time around the middle of the 18th century we men of the West struck Faust�s bargain with the Devil. We could do anything, say anything, think anything with one exception: Verweile doch, du bist so schoen (Stay, you are so beautiful). We could not rest; we could not get it right and then keep it that way. Always we must have novelty � that was the bargain.
It�s funny how clearly the American century is marked: 1865 to 1965. The first Civil War made us one nation. After 1965 and another war, we disunited � deconstructed � with equal speed into blacks, whites, Hispanics, womyn, gays, victims, oppressors, left-handed albinos, you name it. In three decades we covered the distance that had taken Rome three centuries. As recently as the early 1960s � God, it�s hard to believe � America was still the greatest nation on earth, the most powerful, the most productive, the freest, a place of safe homes, dutiful children in good schools, strong families and a hot lunch for orphans. By the 1990s the place had the stench of a Third World country. The cities were ravaged by punks, beggars and bums. Laws applied only to the law-abiding. Schools had become daytime holding pens for illiterate young savages. Television brought the decadence of Weimar Berlin into every home.
Didn�t anyone realize that when the culture goes it takes everything else with it? Of course, some people knew. But going back to a culture that worked, to traditional, Western, Judeo-Christian culture, meant breaking the Faustian bargain.
Read the entire thing at the link. I like how the story offers some rays of hope. Things may seem to be falling apart, but who knows whether something better might ultimately come of it?
It tells of a breakup of the USA into several smaller countries, with a restoration of traditional conservative values, and is rather graphic at times. It's long but worth the time to read.''
It is worth reading; it's fascinating to see how well the writer foresaw some of the present trends, even from the vantage point of 1995. Anyway I recommend going over to AndyK's blog and reading it. It really is a fairly quick read.
Here's a little excerpt:
You see, some time around the middle of the 18th century we men of the West struck Faust�s bargain with the Devil. We could do anything, say anything, think anything with one exception: Verweile doch, du bist so schoen (Stay, you are so beautiful). We could not rest; we could not get it right and then keep it that way. Always we must have novelty � that was the bargain.
It�s funny how clearly the American century is marked: 1865 to 1965. The first Civil War made us one nation. After 1965 and another war, we disunited � deconstructed � with equal speed into blacks, whites, Hispanics, womyn, gays, victims, oppressors, left-handed albinos, you name it. In three decades we covered the distance that had taken Rome three centuries. As recently as the early 1960s � God, it�s hard to believe � America was still the greatest nation on earth, the most powerful, the most productive, the freest, a place of safe homes, dutiful children in good schools, strong families and a hot lunch for orphans. By the 1990s the place had the stench of a Third World country. The cities were ravaged by punks, beggars and bums. Laws applied only to the law-abiding. Schools had become daytime holding pens for illiterate young savages. Television brought the decadence of Weimar Berlin into every home.
Didn�t anyone realize that when the culture goes it takes everything else with it? Of course, some people knew. But going back to a culture that worked, to traditional, Western, Judeo-Christian culture, meant breaking the Faustian bargain.
Read the entire thing at the link. I like how the story offers some rays of hope. Things may seem to be falling apart, but who knows whether something better might ultimately come of it?
Labels: Future, Secession, Social Divisions, Societal Decay, Speculative Fiction