WEBVTT 00:02.670 --> 00:06.230 All right, we're back. Good morning, Doug. We're what? 00:07.230 --> 00:12.370 you know recent use of attack ins in Russia and Ukraine, but I 00:13.190 --> 00:13.730 Think it's 00:14.290 --> 00:18.970 Today instead of doing that which everybody does we're gonna like to take a step back and look at the big picture 00:18.970 --> 00:24.630 By covering this paper that I shared with you called the fate of empires and the search for survival 00:24.630 --> 00:30.050 We'll have a link for that in the description of this video. It's 25 pages long written in 1976 00:30.830 --> 00:36.190 And I'm shocked that I never saw this before that never before came up on my radar 00:36.190 --> 00:40.350 Because this is the thing that this is like something that interests us a lot 00:41.050 --> 00:45.950 Yeah, do you ever you'd never heard of it, Doug? Hmm. I don't believe I have no 00:47.490 --> 00:55.570 But it's actually quite a good paper and he makes some excellent points and what impressed me about the paper is 00:56.330 --> 00:59.250 That it was written 50 years ago 01:00.250 --> 01:00.750 and 01:01.990 --> 01:05.070 That's highly relevant today and in reading it 01:05.070 --> 01:08.670 There are a few things that he doesn't cover which I think are worthwhile 01:09.370 --> 01:11.390 covering and commenting about but 01:12.170 --> 01:12.970 It's great 01:14.370 --> 01:16.530 Yeah, I found it really useful, too 01:16.530 --> 01:21.950 I mean, I've read a lot of books essentially trying to get this encapsulated idea and have not gotten it so 01:22.570 --> 01:28.030 Clearly as he describes I mean you have things like the fourth turning which kind of talks about these cycles in American history 01:28.030 --> 01:31.810 But I think that's useful for thinking but it's you know 01:31.810 --> 01:37.250 It's only part of the story and essentially he just goes through he has a bunch of different 01:37.930 --> 01:43.810 Empires in here that he covers that he that are included in his study. So from Assyria and Persia 01:45.050 --> 01:48.850 Greece Alexander Roman Republic and the Roman Empire Arab Empire 01:49.590 --> 01:53.350 Etc. Etc. So he's got a whole bunch of good things in there 01:53.350 --> 01:55.150 And I don't I don't know where do where should we start Doug? 01:55.210 --> 02:00.650 Should I just outline what he what are the stages or are there other comments you'd like to make about it first? 02:01.710 --> 02:03.070 Well, let me see 02:07.190 --> 02:11.390 You know one thing he says in the introduction because what I did is I I 02:11.390 --> 02:15.530 Underlined a number of things in it and in his introduction to this whole thing 02:15.530 --> 02:22.470 He has a paragraph and he says I I remember once visiting a school for mentally handicapped children 02:23.230 --> 02:23.870 and 02:23.870 --> 02:29.730 quote our children do not have to take examinations the headmaster told me and 02:30.270 --> 02:34.510 So we were able to teach them things which will be really useful to them in life 02:34.510 --> 02:42.130 And I think that's so apropos to what's going on in colleges today 02:42.790 --> 02:43.830 it's all about 02:44.430 --> 02:51.550 Get passing an examination so you can get your QPI and they give you a piece of paper that is a degree and 02:52.110 --> 02:53.570 But he's quite correct 02:54.750 --> 03:00.310 Don't have to take examinations so we're able to teach them things which are really useful to them in life anyway 03:01.090 --> 03:03.730 interesting observation on his part early on 03:05.690 --> 03:12.990 Well, let me let me just so there's let me just explain the stages first just I'll name them and then we'll go through them 03:12.990 --> 03:17.790 But the he basically breaks it down into different ages. He says these empires last for 03:18.830 --> 03:24.190 Consistently around 250 years. It's plus or minus a little bit, but 250 years seems to be it 03:24.750 --> 03:31.450 And he said it starts off with what he calls the age of the pioneers then it goes from the to the age of conquests 03:32.330 --> 03:33.910 to the age of commerce 03:34.770 --> 03:36.230 age of affluence 03:36.970 --> 03:42.930 age of intellect age of decadence and then the age of decline and collapse 03:45.150 --> 03:45.630 and 03:47.030 --> 03:49.950 Yeah, I mean we just say about the pioneer one first is like 03:50.870 --> 03:55.050 You know, this is where like a culture has a lots of energy and you know, it has 03:55.710 --> 04:03.890 It has a lot of innovation that it's not burden. It will it follows Kamala Harris's thing where you know, it's not burdened by the past 04:04.450 --> 04:04.970 right 04:05.890 --> 04:09.770 No, not burdened by what has been I think we're her 04:09.770 --> 04:14.270 What was it she stole from somebody else unquestionably? 04:16.010 --> 04:20.930 Yeah, and but it has a new energy because of it and so, you know and a lot of 04:21.710 --> 04:26.190 Hope so it starts off as up as this pioneering stage and then you know, and then 04:26.990 --> 04:32.310 You know, he talks about some specific he provides some specific examples in the area talks about 04:33.350 --> 04:34.370 You know in the year 04:35.330 --> 04:37.910 600 the world was divided between superpower groups 04:38.790 --> 04:42.890 As it has been for the last 50 years. He's talking about between the Soviets and the rush Russia 04:45.330 --> 04:48.630 But I'm sorry, that wasn't the line. I was talking about I want to say sorry 04:49.350 --> 04:53.790 He talks about the Arab Empire, you know when the Arabs crossed the Straits of Gibraltar in 04:53.790 --> 05:00.850 711 with 12,000 men that defeated the Gothic army of more than twice their strength marked straight over 05:00.850 --> 05:07.490 250 miles of unknown enemy terrain and sees the Gothic capital of Toledo. That's this 05:08.210 --> 05:14.570 Outburst stages pioneering stages, which is kind of and which goes into the conquest stages of overlapping 05:15.770 --> 05:16.610 Yeah 05:17.550 --> 05:18.390 the 05:19.530 --> 05:21.270 You know club 05:22.610 --> 05:24.630 Reading his his bio 05:25.570 --> 05:28.710 He spent it appears most of his life 05:29.410 --> 05:35.070 He was born in 1897 and he was an oral war one 05:35.070 --> 05:38.410 But then he transplanted himself to 05:39.350 --> 05:44.630 the Middle East to Iraq and Jordan and this is kind of interesting 05:44.630 --> 05:51.130 It's that from 1939 to 1956 he commanded the famous Jordan Arab Legion 05:51.670 --> 05:58.090 Which was the Jordanian army, which means that when Israel was created in 05:58.950 --> 06:03.990 Just after World War just after World War two is when all the fighting went on 06:03.990 --> 06:09.860 he would have been fighting against the Israelis as the head of the Jordanian army and 06:10.470 --> 06:14.490 that's kind of non-PC in today's world, but 06:15.610 --> 06:19.550 And he doesn't really mention that but that's kind of interesting 06:20.290 --> 06:24.600 so he's a specialist in the Middle East actually is 06:25.270 --> 06:27.190 what he is and 06:28.090 --> 06:31.130 The empires that he mentions he starts with Assyria 06:31.700 --> 06:37.730 Which lasted for 250 years and then Persia a real empire a successful empire 06:39.470 --> 06:42.090 Started with Cyrus and ended with 06:42.860 --> 06:46.010 Who was it the Greeks wiped out Alexander wiped out 06:46.760 --> 06:49.390 Was it Xerxes? I think I think it was 06:50.060 --> 06:54.670 So that was 230 years and he's got Alexander and his successors, but 06:54.670 --> 06:58.550 He jumps over the Athenian Empire 06:59.230 --> 07:03.930 Which really was an empire should have mentioned that in this in this list 07:05.810 --> 07:06.490 and 07:06.490 --> 07:10.290 Going up to modern times. He's got the Spanish Empire 07:10.290 --> 07:13.510 But the Portuguese had kind of an empire too 07:13.510 --> 07:15.210 kind of skated over 07:15.210 --> 07:19.430 Then he's got Spain doesn't talk about this the 07:20.850 --> 07:25.410 The French Empire which is a little bit different and lasted a longer time 07:26.050 --> 07:31.690 So anyway, but these are good examples that he gives and he doesn't mention the American Empire 07:32.210 --> 07:33.370 which of course is 07:34.030 --> 07:35.470 is the biggest 07:36.270 --> 07:37.290 the biggest one 07:39.210 --> 07:43.070 In many ways, yeah, well, he does he does use the American he doesn't have that in his list 07:43.070 --> 07:47.990 but he does talk about the American Empire and in in terms of its stage of 07:47.990 --> 07:55.170 At least the seeds of it when it's he says, you know when it goes into this conquering stage most of the time that conquering is 07:55.750 --> 07:56.050 externally 07:56.710 --> 08:00.330 But for America it was conquering the vast territory 08:01.130 --> 08:04.410 Available in America, right? So that that was their conquering 08:05.110 --> 08:07.410 and does he mention uh that 08:08.230 --> 08:12.610 When this was written let's say in 1975 that America was 08:13.270 --> 08:17.250 well by some measures at its peak or close to its peak or 08:17.250 --> 08:21.730 Just slightly past its peak. Does he have another observation on that? I don't recall 08:23.130 --> 08:26.090 he there was some reference to uh 08:26.690 --> 08:30.530 the wilsonian era era being like the the 08:31.770 --> 08:34.270 The at the at this intellectual stage 08:34.970 --> 08:37.790 The the country being at an intellectual stage then 08:38.470 --> 08:43.130 You know where the influence kind of had already been there and so now it you know, uh, 08:43.830 --> 08:46.130 It gone then from a fluence to intellectual 08:46.870 --> 08:49.310 And that's where a lot of infighting begins and 08:49.850 --> 08:53.350 Yeah, so it's kind of all downhill from world war one 08:53.910 --> 08:55.170 And that makes sense 08:56.390 --> 08:59.430 Western relations have been all downhill from world war one 08:59.990 --> 09:04.210 It's just been disguised by improvements in science and technology 09:04.210 --> 09:08.390 But culturally it's been on a slippery slope for the last hundred years 09:08.970 --> 09:10.430 And when you look at it 09:10.430 --> 09:12.470 In the big picture 09:13.070 --> 09:19.730 You know the course of empire like this. Yeah, that's true. What is that famous series of paintings? 09:20.770 --> 09:21.110 uh 09:21.710 --> 09:26.650 I think it's what is it. It's really excellent. I think it's by john thomas cole 09:27.310 --> 09:28.990 It's called the uh 09:28.990 --> 09:33.950 The course of empire. I think if you're if you've seen that series. Yeah, I think 09:34.570 --> 09:35.090 Yes 09:36.230 --> 09:37.470 Let me see if I can 09:38.450 --> 09:40.050 Look it on me. I think it is 09:41.610 --> 09:42.490 mid 19th century 09:43.630 --> 09:47.430 Yeah, it is uh, let's see. What's it called? It's 09:50.150 --> 09:54.950 Sorry, I can't find the name of the artwork yet, but I find it's yeah, it is thomas cole though 09:56.790 --> 10:01.750 We ought to show it to people not every not everybody's seen it, but it's very famous and very 10:02.450 --> 10:04.250 appropriate to this and very true 10:06.110 --> 10:08.410 All right, yes, let me uh 10:09.610 --> 10:10.870 Yeah, because he's got the 10:12.230 --> 10:16.330 Arcadian or past pastoral state. I think it's one stage 10:17.030 --> 10:18.010 Yeah, is that right? 10:18.630 --> 10:22.710 Yeah, I mean I could I could share my screen real quick and flip through them if you want me to real quick 10:22.710 --> 10:27.070 Why not do that because I think a lot of people haven't seen them, but they're worth saying 10:29.990 --> 10:33.290 These paintings done in the mid 19th century 10:35.150 --> 10:40.450 Yeah, so um, yeah, that's the first one. Okay 10:43.950 --> 10:48.210 The consummation the course of the empire 10:48.210 --> 10:58.370 The course of the empire destruction in 1836, yeah 11:01.140 --> 11:02.550 The savage state 11:04.250 --> 11:06.490 I I don't think I'm doing them in order here, but 11:08.450 --> 11:10.390 The empire desolation 11:12.790 --> 11:19.230 Yeah, I guess that's it then the savage the savage state would have been the first one 11:19.890 --> 11:20.390 Yes 11:24.050 --> 11:25.230 Pastoral would be next 11:26.910 --> 11:29.010 And then we go to 11:31.790 --> 11:32.390 Oh 11:33.470 --> 11:40.630 Sorry, I'm just flipping through wikipedia here, so I'm guess this is a consummation. That would have been the third right 11:42.770 --> 11:43.370 And 11:44.250 --> 11:46.170 The course of empire destruction 11:46.970 --> 11:48.530 Yeah, and then 11:49.010 --> 11:51.130 The last where's that is desolation 11:51.970 --> 11:52.570 desolation 11:53.730 --> 11:56.970 Exactly. Yeah, that's interesting. Yeah, it is 11:57.530 --> 11:59.910 All right. Well, that's kind of the way the cookie crumbles 12:00.870 --> 12:02.210 Exactly. Yeah 12:03.450 --> 12:05.150 That is the way it works 12:05.750 --> 12:06.270 so 12:06.910 --> 12:13.710 And and we're part of history here in the u.s. Or well, we're an oral wife by god at the moment, but 12:14.350 --> 12:18.770 And it is morning in america, so it's never it's never straight downhill 12:19.530 --> 12:24.030 But as I've said before morning only lasts six hours in the real world, so 12:25.450 --> 12:26.130 Right 12:27.590 --> 12:35.250 Getting back to her john glub and his course of empire the stages that he's got 12:36.330 --> 12:39.730 Does he list the stages everybody? No, I 12:40.310 --> 12:42.650 Yeah, yeah, I read I read him off to people already 12:42.650 --> 12:48.510 So it's age of the pioneers age of conquests age of commerce age of affluence 12:49.270 --> 12:50.190 age of intellect 12:50.830 --> 12:52.050 age of decadence 12:52.650 --> 12:54.470 And then the age of decline and collapse 12:55.230 --> 12:55.910 mm-hmm 12:56.630 --> 13:00.730 Yeah, so I'm I'm trying to figure out the u.s. Based on that 13:01.470 --> 13:02.030 Are we 13:02.690 --> 13:10.370 in just in decadence or actually decline and collapse? I think we're in decline collapse. We've been in decadence for 13:11.490 --> 13:15.590 There's for some decades, but I think we're in decline collapse at this point 13:17.170 --> 13:23.230 Now what let's let's talk about so we talked about the pioneers and the conquest stage, you know 13:23.230 --> 13:27.910 And he has examples where he talks about like a till of the hun in the conquest stage. You think about that 13:27.910 --> 13:29.330 I mentioned the arab 13:30.590 --> 13:34.790 You know crossing the Straits of Gibraltar. That's in the conquest stage 13:35.430 --> 13:41.950 Uh after that though comes this age of commerce and I thought there were a couple interesting things about this stage, uh that 13:42.770 --> 13:46.530 I really I didn't really understand before I guess in the way he described it was 13:47.370 --> 13:52.750 That once you have this vast territory that's under a standard law 13:53.390 --> 13:56.150 And it's been sort of conquered then often 13:56.970 --> 14:00.210 Within that area at least free trade flourishes 14:01.330 --> 14:06.310 And that causes a huge boom and whatever and you know, whatever 14:07.170 --> 14:08.270 Empire that is 14:08.810 --> 14:14.010 and you know, he talks about these people think of, uh, you know the globalism or 14:14.790 --> 14:21.950 You know, this world trade is being something that's new, but it's not at all new and I mean one of his examples he uses is that 14:23.130 --> 14:30.150 Uh, he says objects made in ireland scandinavia and china have been found in the graves or the ruins of 14:30.150 --> 14:33.410 Of the middle east dating from a thousand years before christ 14:36.310 --> 14:36.890 Yes 14:38.450 --> 14:43.430 Well, so global trade's always been it's been a thing. It's and that's not new 14:44.830 --> 14:47.750 Yeah, but of course in those days you could 14:48.430 --> 14:51.290 If you were if you were a merchant 14:51.990 --> 14:58.770 Uh involved in commerce, uh chances are you were what you might call a merchant adventurer 14:59.770 --> 15:00.970 where uh 15:01.550 --> 15:05.450 You financed your trips by becoming wealthy in the process 15:05.450 --> 15:09.830 So you weren't an explorer per se, but you were a merchant adventurer 15:09.830 --> 15:16.670 combination explorer and merchants kind of a concept that that i've always liked and 15:18.060 --> 15:23.130 Marco polo right Marco polo kind of yeah exactly and 15:23.920 --> 15:26.710 He points out that as they succeed 15:27.530 --> 15:29.010 and become wealthy 15:29.870 --> 15:34.630 You get into art and luxury which is natural enough 15:35.450 --> 15:36.330 but then um 15:37.190 --> 15:38.810 He'd go beyond that 15:39.830 --> 15:41.810 In the age of 15:42.800 --> 15:43.150 of 15:44.290 --> 15:46.770 Conquest and early commerce 15:47.520 --> 15:52.630 He says what boys are supposed to do boys are still required first of all to be manly 15:52.630 --> 15:58.190 Well, they're not anymore. It seems to me just the opposite actually they're all soy boys and 15:59.020 --> 16:02.510 Transgenders and and all the rest of it says 16:03.350 --> 16:07.270 They're still required to ride shoot straight and tell the truth 16:08.150 --> 16:08.850 which is a 16:09.650 --> 16:13.050 I think that does that come from louis lamour, but I think louis lamour 16:13.050 --> 16:17.850 Took that from the persian empire. That was a password in the persian empire 16:18.670 --> 16:19.010 Oh 16:19.010 --> 16:24.170 Straight and tell the truth shoot straight being with bow and arrow, of course 16:25.470 --> 16:27.770 In those days and he says 16:27.770 --> 16:33.330 It's remarkable what emphasis is placed at this stage on the manly virtue of truthfulness 16:33.330 --> 16:38.690 For lying is cowardice the fear of facing up to a situation 16:39.510 --> 16:41.450 Well, that's quite correct 16:42.410 --> 16:43.310 Actually, I don't think 16:45.470 --> 16:48.930 And and in those the virtues of truthfulness and 16:49.690 --> 16:50.770 courage and 16:52.010 --> 16:57.970 Being, you know, uh hardworking and all that stuff are our virtues that are essentially 16:59.350 --> 17:03.130 Make made possible that conquest stage, right? 17:03.650 --> 17:08.990 So, no, like they wouldn't have been able to do that if they hadn't had these characteristics like dealing with reality 17:08.990 --> 17:14.650 You know, so they could be truthful about where the enemy positions are and what your losses were and all those things, right? 17:14.830 --> 17:18.750 So had to be and then that carries over into the commerce area 17:18.750 --> 17:25.510 And you know where you have you you follow certain rules and obligations commitments or whatever 17:25.950 --> 17:28.430 That enables commerce to flourish 17:29.310 --> 17:35.810 But you know, then people get too affluent and then the decline begins once you just get too rich, right? 17:36.530 --> 17:42.910 I think it's I think it's natural both in individual life and in an empire and 17:42.910 --> 17:44.770 under the age of affluence 17:45.710 --> 17:49.590 Which comes after the commerce he says the first direction 17:50.130 --> 17:55.250 In which wealth injures the nation is a moral one. That's so true 17:56.190 --> 18:01.130 Money replaces honor and adventure as the objective of the best young men 18:01.730 --> 18:03.870 In other words, we've already gotten away from 18:04.590 --> 18:06.970 Ride shoot straight and tell the truth to 18:07.790 --> 18:09.890 As he said money replaces 18:10.530 --> 18:14.330 Honor and adventure as the objectives of the best young men. Yep 18:14.770 --> 18:16.690 At least I think I can see this everywhere 18:18.410 --> 18:21.270 So we're we're well past the age of affluence 18:22.050 --> 18:22.610 and 18:23.350 --> 18:26.150 another another thing he mentions in the age of affluence 18:26.150 --> 18:33.090 He says parents and students alike seek educational qualifications, which will command the highest salaries 18:33.810 --> 18:41.530 Yeah, got to get into harvard or equivalent so I can get a high paying corporate job. Okay. This is age of affluence stuff 18:42.150 --> 18:44.450 Uh, and and we still see a little bit of that 18:45.230 --> 18:47.350 But uh, and he says students 18:48.170 --> 18:52.330 Uh, no longer attend college to acquire learning and virtue 18:53.190 --> 18:57.270 Uh, forget about virtue. That's nobody thinks about virtue 18:58.050 --> 19:02.410 Uh, which is ride shoot straight tell the truth and so forth 19:02.950 --> 19:06.690 But to obtain those qualifications, which will enable them to grow rich 19:07.790 --> 19:09.750 Okay, excellent diagnosis 19:09.750 --> 19:15.950 From by an Englishman living in England 50 years ago very accurate 19:17.010 --> 19:17.770 So 19:19.930 --> 19:23.690 Yeah, and he he describes this era as the high noon 19:23.690 --> 19:27.050 It's kind of peak of empire at this stage 19:27.590 --> 19:30.830 Have the wealth, you know that the the orientation toward 19:32.070 --> 19:33.990 wealth is starting to supplant 19:34.950 --> 19:35.830 virtue and 19:36.470 --> 19:38.330 just and and learning 19:39.150 --> 19:41.750 And uh, and it's just about the pursuit of money says 19:42.930 --> 19:46.550 Um, well, I guess you already said that never mind. I don't want don't want to repeat you 19:46.950 --> 19:50.910 But yeah, and then and then it's in the next paragraph Doug Ray compares 19:51.410 --> 19:52.810 This talks about Wilson 19:53.810 --> 19:54.170 um 19:55.650 --> 20:00.510 Yeah, perhaps we might add the age of Woodrow Wilson in the United States to this high noon era 20:00.510 --> 20:00.670 Uh 20:03.310 --> 20:05.330 Yeah, Wilson was a total 20:06.450 --> 20:07.010 sociopath 20:07.850 --> 20:12.910 And psychopath even certainly a scum a disastrous scumbag, but 20:13.510 --> 20:13.950 You know 20:14.530 --> 20:20.590 That's when he lived and so forth and it was Wilson lived in during what he calls the next stage 20:20.590 --> 20:26.510 After the age of affluence, which is the age of intellect am I correct? Yes 20:29.290 --> 20:29.650 So 20:31.190 --> 20:37.430 The ambition of the young once engaged in the pursuit of adventure and military glory 20:38.130 --> 20:45.370 Uh, then a desire for accumulation of wealth now turns to the acquisition the acquisition of academic honors 20:46.190 --> 20:51.830 Okay, and this is once again 50 years in england. Um, this is before there was 20:52.590 --> 20:53.550 basically, uh 20:54.130 --> 20:57.490 Where everybody has to get a postgraduate degree 20:58.270 --> 20:58.670 Uh 20:59.390 --> 21:04.090 In some obscure worthless subject as often as not 21:05.550 --> 21:12.270 Or or frankly, I I'm not a fan of MBA degrees. Uh, my wife has one 21:12.830 --> 21:18.430 Uh, and she's also a lawyer which makes her quite intellectual actually 21:18.910 --> 21:19.930 She actually is 21:20.490 --> 21:27.170 But I've always felt that wait a minute the best way to learn is by doing as opposed to 21:27.170 --> 21:31.530 Listening, which is all the they do in MBA courses. I think 21:32.410 --> 21:35.510 When you learn a few valuable things like accounting and that but 21:36.190 --> 21:36.850 you know 21:38.570 --> 21:43.710 Staying in the academic room for another couple of years to get your mda which allows you to 21:44.330 --> 21:44.830 you know 21:45.570 --> 21:47.430 Claw up the corporate ladder 21:48.230 --> 21:51.110 Faster and so forth. So he's right 21:52.430 --> 21:54.890 He is right. He is right in all this 21:56.150 --> 21:56.710 um 21:59.470 --> 22:05.990 Yeah, it talks as in merchant in the age of intellect he talks about uh, the merchant princes of the age of commerce 22:06.710 --> 22:09.910 Seek fame and praise not only by endowing works of art 22:09.910 --> 22:12.370 Or patronizing music and literature 22:13.110 --> 22:14.910 um, you know, they they also 22:15.550 --> 22:17.950 Found and endowed colleges and universities 22:18.490 --> 22:22.030 And one of the things he talks about in this age of intellect is interesting as he said 22:22.630 --> 22:24.890 something like whatever happened to 22:26.450 --> 22:31.510 Oxford and Yale and Harvard and Cambridge being enough instead 22:32.270 --> 22:38.870 Every city needs a university and see the proliferation of these colleges all over the country. We've certainly seen that 22:38.870 --> 22:43.290 I mean, he didn't even see the end of that. I mean in 1976. We weren't there yet 22:45.030 --> 22:52.030 Yeah, and I don't see people going to colleges today anymore to actually learn 22:53.030 --> 23:00.790 Things either real intellectual knowledge that helps you to figure things out more or practical knowledge 23:01.530 --> 23:06.990 They're doing it to get a degree and you can't do some stuff without getting a degree 23:07.450 --> 23:12.970 I think you're not even allowed to be an army officer anymore without a at least a b.a 23:13.990 --> 23:15.510 Yeah, unless you're a warrant officer 23:16.330 --> 23:17.110 you know the 23:18.210 --> 23:20.270 But yeah, yeah, not a real officer. No, that's true 23:21.070 --> 23:24.870 And I think that uh, I mean if people go to college for two reasons though 23:24.870 --> 23:27.330 I think it's one is so they can get a job 23:27.890 --> 23:29.450 And the second one is for 23:30.190 --> 23:31.790 The college experience 23:33.690 --> 23:39.490 Whatever it is exactly well, I listen even when I had my college experience 23:40.030 --> 23:45.670 It it wasn't like in the movies about what it's supposed to be like 23:45.670 --> 23:47.970 It was mostly frankly 23:48.910 --> 23:50.090 get out of class 23:50.770 --> 23:52.730 and party and 23:53.750 --> 23:54.790 and not 23:56.010 --> 23:59.410 And then not be able to get up in the morning for your morning classes 23:59.410 --> 24:04.850 Or if you did because they took attendance attendance in those days still mostly 24:05.360 --> 24:08.190 uh falling asleep during the class and 24:08.820 --> 24:14.790 And even if you stayed awake your notes weren't good. The college experience is a fraud quite frankly. It's a fraud 24:14.790 --> 24:19.970 It's just hanging around with other young yahoos who have the same problems that you do 24:20.480 --> 24:22.870 lack of experience bad ideas 24:23.360 --> 24:27.650 Being reinforced. So the college experience is is bullshit 24:27.650 --> 24:33.630 And I'm sure a hundred years ago when high schools were teaching latin and greek as a regular thing 24:34.380 --> 24:40.330 As opposed to today when colleges are teaching remedial reading. This is amazing actually 24:41.270 --> 24:43.250 It's a different thing. It's 24:43.860 --> 24:46.910 People are living in the past. It's crazy college colleges 24:47.510 --> 24:53.310 It's not just worthless. It's worth less than nothing. It's a negative experience today in most cases. I think 24:53.950 --> 24:58.210 Sorry for that little lecture, but that's basically what he's kind of saying 24:59.010 --> 25:03.890 And he doesn't even factor in the cost in there, which I don't think he could have imagined 25:03.890 --> 25:09.230 In 1976 that the cost of this education would explode in the way that it has 25:10.010 --> 25:14.310 He couldn't have imagined it. That's right because that was still in the days 25:14.310 --> 25:19.810 When it was possible and many people did work their way through college 25:20.390 --> 25:24.830 Not possible today out of the question ridiculous concept. Yeah 25:25.490 --> 25:25.870 so 25:26.350 --> 25:27.390 So very true 25:28.270 --> 25:28.730 anyway 25:29.730 --> 25:35.350 Then he has a subsection here on the inadequacy of intellect and 25:36.330 --> 25:39.770 He says the survival of the nation depends basically 25:40.510 --> 25:44.170 Upon the loyalty and self-sacrifice of the citizens 25:44.810 --> 25:48.130 Well, I'm I'm a big believer in loyalty 25:49.050 --> 25:49.470 but 25:50.170 --> 25:51.430 self-sacrifice 25:52.750 --> 25:58.330 I don't know. Maybe listen. Maybe I'm too cynical and I don't believe that there's 25:59.150 --> 26:04.030 Anything that you should well, this is a randomized concept. It's that 26:04.670 --> 26:11.730 Sacrifice cannot be good. Why because it's giving up the greater good for a lesser good the way she defines sacrifice 26:12.530 --> 26:18.150 And I don't like the idea of sacrifice quite frankly. Yeah, I understand. Maybe it's got some good 26:18.150 --> 26:18.870 expert 26:19.580 --> 26:23.330 We people get all triggered anytime we've talked about this in the past 26:23.330 --> 26:25.570 But it's because they're not quite grasping 26:25.570 --> 26:32.830 That she's defining sacrifice differently than you are currently like and so like if you were to 26:33.340 --> 26:34.990 Take a bullet for your kids 26:35.590 --> 26:37.150 That's not a sacrifice 26:37.860 --> 26:40.050 That is you trading something 26:40.870 --> 26:43.410 Trading something not as good for something 26:44.350 --> 26:50.630 Good, you know, I mean that's sacrifice value you value your kid more than you do yourself 26:50.630 --> 26:57.730 You say hey, I've already had my good long party the kids. Yeah. So that's not really a sacrifice when you look at it that way 26:58.410 --> 27:00.430 Right. So that's where people get hung up on it 27:00.430 --> 27:02.870 But they gotta think about it a little deeper and you'll see that 27:02.870 --> 27:09.730 That the thinking around it is correct. And if you value though the community the nation, you know 27:10.870 --> 27:13.830 What the zeitgeist the you know in 27:14.570 --> 27:18.450 You know of the country differently than maybe you would you wouldn't see 27:19.230 --> 27:21.130 Serving in the military or 27:23.030 --> 27:23.770 You know 27:24.310 --> 27:29.110 Back in the before became career politicians before you actually when you had to go serve you 27:29.110 --> 27:34.250 You know, you that you it was a part-time job. Essentially, it didn't pay for anything and it really was 27:35.010 --> 27:39.210 A cost to people serving as representatives in the government like 27:39.730 --> 27:42.330 You know, I mean they didn't make money by doing it 27:42.330 --> 27:47.830 It was it was a it was an act of public service where they thought that was of it wasn't really 27:47.830 --> 27:54.870 By the way, we would define it. It was them doing something they thought was more valuable than them just seeking to earn a profit for themselves 27:55.490 --> 27:56.690 You know by giving up their labor 27:57.550 --> 28:00.910 Well, that was kind of in the days of the citizen soldier 28:01.490 --> 28:03.610 kind of the way things were in the 28:04.130 --> 28:06.730 the roman republic when it was 28:07.270 --> 28:07.750 when 28:08.630 --> 28:12.070 When it was actually considered a privilege to be 28:12.990 --> 28:14.490 In the in the army 28:15.150 --> 28:16.770 But it's not that way now 28:17.510 --> 28:17.890 because 28:18.630 --> 28:19.770 people had loyalty 28:20.390 --> 28:26.910 To their to the republic just like we did in the early american republic because it was worth being loyal to 28:27.490 --> 28:27.810 but 28:28.470 --> 28:33.970 Today when things are degraded and it's not based on any sound moral concepts 28:34.630 --> 28:36.330 I mean, how can you 28:37.130 --> 28:43.150 Be loyal to the u.s. Government as as criminal and degraded as it's become 28:43.630 --> 28:48.810 So of course loyalty has been washed away and the idea of self-sacrifice in the 28:49.370 --> 28:53.190 You know kind of the classic good sense has been washed away. Yeah 28:53.190 --> 28:54.390 And he says 28:54.990 --> 28:57.790 The survival of the nation depends on those two things 28:58.330 --> 28:59.270 And they're gone 29:00.230 --> 29:00.870 So 29:02.270 --> 29:03.110 He's right 29:04.590 --> 29:05.830 Yeah, one of the 29:08.230 --> 29:11.570 Let's see is it in this section or maybe it's getting into 29:12.930 --> 29:13.970 into uh 29:14.690 --> 29:17.410 Well, one thing I thought was interesting is that in this age of intellect 29:18.030 --> 29:18.550 that 29:19.110 --> 29:24.190 Um an unexpected symptom he talks about shows up and of national decline 29:24.750 --> 29:29.290 Is the intensification of internal political hatreds 29:29.290 --> 29:31.070 So it's like now that you're affluent 29:31.850 --> 29:36.750 And now there's a there's value a lot of value placed on education 29:37.550 --> 29:37.930 then 29:39.150 --> 29:42.730 There there seem to be a lot of talking heads that pop up 29:43.390 --> 29:48.110 You know and political dissent is created by lots of discussion about 29:48.870 --> 29:53.670 Really attacking the core, you know just the criticisms around that says talking heads 29:54.190 --> 29:55.550 sort of end up 29:55.550 --> 29:58.990 Undermining it also or accelerating the decline 29:59.790 --> 30:04.010 That's that's an excellent point because you know if uh 30:04.570 --> 30:06.110 if if Woody Allen 30:06.950 --> 30:10.630 Had to load 16 tons in a coal mine every day 30:11.050 --> 30:17.110 He wouldn't have time to go home and direction wine and and and complain so 30:17.950 --> 30:23.870 When you reach an age of affluence and intellectualism. Yeah, that's what you do 30:23.870 --> 30:26.310 Yeah, you criticize everything 30:27.070 --> 30:27.950 So, yeah 30:28.630 --> 30:33.450 It's right about the the Byzantines spent the last 50 years of their history fighting 30:33.450 --> 30:41.130 Uh one another in repeated civil wars until the Ottomans moved in and administered the Coup de Grasse 30:43.230 --> 30:47.790 Yep, so they had enemies all around them, but really they spent the entire time fighting with themselves 30:49.030 --> 30:55.150 Yeah, and that certainly happened more and more with the Roman Empire as it got older 30:56.030 --> 30:58.970 One general would try to take over and they'd 30:59.410 --> 30:59.910 You know 31:00.410 --> 31:06.010 Try to kill him and destroy a bunch of capital and a whole bunch of soldiers and burn cities down 31:06.010 --> 31:11.070 And it was all internal forget about the the barbarians to the north 31:11.710 --> 31:15.670 And the Parthians to the east they they really were destroying themselves 31:17.790 --> 31:19.970 One of the things about destroying themselves he talks about is 31:20.590 --> 31:24.850 Apparently, this is a common stage is the influx of foreigners 31:25.790 --> 31:32.410 He said the you know oft repeated phenomena of great empires is the influx of foreigners to the capital city 31:33.230 --> 31:37.530 Talks about Roman historians is complaining about the number of Asians and Africans in Rome 31:38.190 --> 31:40.350 Baghdad in its prime in the ninth century 31:40.350 --> 31:47.510 Was international in its population Persians Turks Arabs Armenians Egyptians Africans and Greeks all mingled in the streets 31:47.790 --> 31:50.270 And then he talks about today. He says in London 31:50.850 --> 31:52.790 And this is again in 1976 31:55.390 --> 31:59.050 Yeah, and those aren't the only examples either. I mean 31:59.650 --> 32:02.070 was true of Rome and then 32:02.750 --> 32:10.090 Uh, it was true of Alexandria after before that after Alexander founded it where it was a very international city 32:10.790 --> 32:11.670 and uh 32:12.310 --> 32:17.070 Actually after more than Jerusalem was kind of the headquarters for international Judaism 32:17.870 --> 32:18.510 because 32:19.210 --> 32:20.290 after the Romans 32:20.290 --> 32:25.890 You know burned everything down and so forth. So yeah, that's true. And of course, New York 32:25.890 --> 32:30.870 There's no native New Yorkers left in New York anymore and same in London. Absolutely 32:31.690 --> 32:33.170 And in in Paris 32:33.950 --> 32:35.250 Same thing. Yeah 32:36.010 --> 32:37.970 Well, it makes sense because 32:38.650 --> 32:39.710 if you're uh 32:39.710 --> 32:45.150 From a backward country you want to go where the streets are paved with gold 32:46.250 --> 32:46.810 Right 32:47.530 --> 32:53.690 Exactly. So it's a so it's a combination of these factors of the influence. Well the the commerce 32:54.250 --> 32:59.810 So there's you know goods and services moving now across what might have been borders before 33:00.510 --> 33:05.270 So it also allows the movement of people and they come to where the affluence is and then 33:05.770 --> 33:08.490 This movement toward intellectualism 33:08.490 --> 33:11.130 Basically has people abandoning 33:11.130 --> 33:16.150 Maybe the core identity group ideas I guess and being more 33:17.170 --> 33:24.070 Gracious toward foreigners as they come in at first at least, you know, uh shows a high-mindedness for them to do that 33:25.050 --> 33:25.550 and then 33:26.550 --> 33:29.950 One thing he talks about this is second or third generation foreign immigrants 33:30.430 --> 33:34.030 He said may appear outwardly to be entirely assimilated 33:34.630 --> 33:39.230 But they can but they often constitute a weakness in two directions 33:39.230 --> 33:44.350 It's the first their basic human nature often differs from that of the original imperial stock 33:45.190 --> 33:45.910 um 33:46.630 --> 33:48.770 And then his second one was 33:49.610 --> 33:54.750 While the nation is still affluent all the diverse races may appear equally loyal 33:54.750 --> 34:01.050 But in an acute emergency the immigrants will often be less willing to sacrifice their lives and their property 34:01.050 --> 34:04.330 Then will be the original descendants of the founding race 34:05.370 --> 34:12.330 Yeah, I think there's a lot to that. I mean it certainly happened with the irish who 34:15.070 --> 34:16.850 Who still got involved 34:16.850 --> 34:22.850 I mean I know this personally from a lot of irish people that I knew and of course I was 34:23.510 --> 34:24.690 kind of irish myself 34:25.370 --> 34:31.030 Although I never got involved in that nonsense. They you know still really cared about what was going on 34:31.050 --> 34:32.290 in ireland with 34:32.810 --> 34:37.910 Talking about the time of troubles and supporting the ira and all the rest of this type of thing 34:37.910 --> 34:44.210 So, yeah, they were fully integrated, but maybe not so much and the italians with the mafia and so forth 34:44.810 --> 34:48.990 Fully integrated, but maybe not so much and I think it's 34:49.670 --> 34:53.510 But the thing is that the irish and the italians 34:54.130 --> 34:55.630 Look like other europeans 34:56.190 --> 34:58.590 but is this true with 34:58.590 --> 35:03.710 The africans and the the muslims that are moving into the us 35:04.270 --> 35:06.990 Well, that's it's going to take longer for them because 35:07.650 --> 35:13.830 You know they immediately can identify each other just by their skin color and other characteristics 35:13.830 --> 35:15.230 So, yeah, he's right 35:16.070 --> 35:19.970 It says what well, you know while the empire is still enjoying its high noon of prosperity 35:19.970 --> 35:26.190 All these people are proud and glad to be imperial citizens, but when decline sets in 35:26.190 --> 35:30.270 Uh, it is extraordinary how the memory of ancient wars 35:30.270 --> 35:38.810 Perhaps centuries before is suddenly revived and local or provincial movements appear demanding succession succession or independence 35:38.810 --> 35:40.230 and outside to this 35:41.490 --> 35:41.970 reparations 35:43.370 --> 35:48.010 Reparations that's that's right. And isn't it true 35:48.710 --> 35:49.190 that 35:50.530 --> 35:54.750 That 16 19 or what a june 19th 35:54.750 --> 35:58.090 Is is an official national holiday now 35:58.930 --> 35:59.270 correct 36:00.350 --> 36:01.770 I I find that 36:02.510 --> 36:11.290 Shocking and disgusting and ridiculous where these people say that the history of america really began when the first slave was 36:11.290 --> 36:12.390 Inboarded 36:12.390 --> 36:17.530 What the hell's the matter with this government that they would actually acknowledge that as being a fact 36:17.530 --> 36:23.570 It's it's crazy to have june 10th. I guess it's called as a national holiday 36:23.570 --> 36:30.470 I mean one of the things trump should do and it's very hard to go backward on this stuff is to uh 36:31.310 --> 36:35.950 Delegitimize it and say nope not a holiday anymore. It's crazy. In fact, it's 36:36.530 --> 36:42.750 It's it's an evil evil stupid and wrong holiday june 19th, but you're right. Yeah 36:43.490 --> 36:44.070 reparations 36:45.310 --> 36:49.030 Yep, but I think that's an example how you know when decline sets in 36:49.630 --> 36:51.290 the memory of ancient wars 36:51.290 --> 36:57.150 You know and and different grievances appears and I think that's a great example of it 36:57.870 --> 36:59.290 Yeah, it is 36:59.290 --> 37:01.990 And then the next thing we get into 37:02.790 --> 37:05.570 Following from that part of the influx of foreigners 37:06.490 --> 37:14.050 Section that he's got is he's talking about how the roman mob had an endless appetite for free distributions of food 37:14.650 --> 37:17.570 and of course that's he doesn't go into 37:18.270 --> 37:18.910 the 37:19.790 --> 37:20.570 How wars 37:21.290 --> 37:24.270 foreign wars fit into all this type of thing but 37:25.130 --> 37:27.930 The way Rome got into its 37:28.730 --> 37:30.470 giving out free bread 37:31.170 --> 37:32.150 to people 37:32.730 --> 37:39.310 Was after the wars when they would after the after the carthaginian war last one ended in 150 37:40.310 --> 37:40.990 bc 37:41.490 --> 37:45.670 You had all these demobilized soldiers and their farms had 37:45.670 --> 37:48.190 Turned to shit because they were away in the wars 37:50.290 --> 37:53.850 So and the war profiteers what happened is 37:54.350 --> 37:58.470 They were making money on the wars in a number of ways even then it was possible 37:58.470 --> 38:02.330 So the average the average legionnaire comes back 38:02.330 --> 38:08.870 You know his his his farm has gone gone to the bush because his wife couldn't take care of it 38:11.010 --> 38:11.530 Meanwhile 38:11.970 --> 38:12.210 Oh 38:13.010 --> 38:17.490 The rich guys who made money off the laws would buy it up turn it into a lot of fundia 38:17.490 --> 38:21.850 And bring imported slaves in from abroad to run the farm 38:21.850 --> 38:25.370 That used to be run by yeoman farmers and now what's he gonna do? 38:25.550 --> 38:28.590 Well, he's gonna go into the city to seek opportunity 38:29.170 --> 38:30.590 But the government gives him 38:31.250 --> 38:36.330 Free free food while he's living there. So it's pretty much pretty much the same thing 38:36.890 --> 38:41.310 Just a variation on free food and uh frivolity 38:41.910 --> 38:49.630 Ah, yes, that's right. It's not enough to have three pots and a cot. You got to have free entertainment too 38:50.150 --> 38:53.190 So we have you know, we have all kinds of 38:53.930 --> 38:54.550 sports ball 38:55.590 --> 39:03.110 Exactly on the internet. So we don't really we don't really need the coliseum and the circus maximus anymore because we got 39:03.710 --> 39:05.830 You know 24 7 39:07.530 --> 39:09.090 entertainment on the internet 39:09.910 --> 39:17.030 Exactly he says the heroes of declining nations are always the same the athlete the singer or the actor 39:18.490 --> 39:23.530 More true in america now than it was in britain 50 years ago when he said that 39:25.210 --> 39:28.230 No doubt about it. No, I've done about it 39:29.170 --> 39:36.190 So yeah, and this so obviously we're in the uh, you know the decadence stage at this point in the paper and I think um 39:37.310 --> 39:40.010 There were some he talks about uh 39:41.270 --> 39:43.110 You know, uh 39:43.110 --> 39:50.270 He talks about the arab empire in this section, which I thought was great because I never heard anybody try and 39:51.670 --> 39:57.030 Use that as an example to demonstrate that there was a larger trend that occurred across 39:57.910 --> 40:01.170 Different types of you know peoples and civilizations 40:01.170 --> 40:05.950 So I loved it the inclusion of the arab empire and in this and 40:06.790 --> 40:08.250 you know, he talks about um 40:08.650 --> 40:15.070 You know the works of contemporary historians of bagdad in the early 10th century are still available 40:15.070 --> 40:20.750 He says that they deeply deplored the degeneracy of the times in which they lived emphasizing particularly 40:21.270 --> 40:27.930 The indifference to religion the the increasing materialism and the laxity of sexual moral morals 40:27.930 --> 40:31.830 They lamented also the corruption of the officials of the government 40:31.830 --> 40:36.710 And the fact that politicians always seemed to amass large fortunes while they were in office 40:37.550 --> 40:38.710 Isn't that strange 40:39.690 --> 40:41.350 Who would have guessed 40:42.690 --> 40:47.690 Rightfully, I'm a little bit. Yeah, that was surprising to me because of course the most um 40:48.330 --> 40:50.110 virulent and dogmatic 40:50.810 --> 40:57.210 Religion in the world today is undoubtedly islam where uh, you know people don't just take it seriously 40:57.210 --> 40:58.630 And I think the average 40:59.150 --> 41:04.750 The average muslim does take it much more seriously much more seriously than the average christian does 41:05.370 --> 41:07.370 but uh, some people are 41:08.470 --> 41:09.670 Really fanatics 41:10.250 --> 41:14.250 Or it's it has been a resurgence of that in the uh 41:14.250 --> 41:20.870 In the muslim and he doesn't deal with the that form of the religious aspects of things in the current day 41:21.570 --> 41:25.930 Which i'm sure he would have had opinions on having lived in the middle east his whole life basically 41:26.590 --> 41:27.390 But yeah 41:28.850 --> 41:32.550 And I mean one of the things that's just stood out to me about this when I was 41:33.130 --> 41:36.310 Trying to sell maxim on reading this which I didn't tell you it wasn't hard to do 41:36.310 --> 41:37.670 I was trying to think what it would be most 41:38.070 --> 41:39.570 You know get at him as I said 41:40.050 --> 41:47.550 The idea that feminism was an issue in the uh, you know in the ninth century or I guess 10th century arab empire 41:47.550 --> 41:49.490 and it talks about specifically that 41:50.650 --> 41:51.050 um 41:51.990 --> 41:57.750 That women demanding admission to the professions which were previously monopolized by men 41:57.750 --> 42:01.530 Uh, what wrote a contemporary historian? 42:02.250 --> 42:06.250 Have the professions of clerk tax collector or preacher to do with women 42:06.890 --> 42:10.090 He says these occupations have always been limited to men alone 42:10.610 --> 42:16.130 But women were making their way into those roles and also many women practiced law 42:16.130 --> 42:18.350 This is 10th century arab empire 42:18.350 --> 42:21.830 This is uh, not what most people think of as islam, but 42:23.390 --> 42:26.990 Certainly what we see today with ursa ursa lavander laden. I mean 42:27.550 --> 42:30.310 Kamala Harris, you know, I mean it's it's like 42:30.970 --> 42:38.890 Women are absolutely everywhere and of course women are well over 50 percent of the students in uh 42:38.890 --> 42:42.670 In college and even more so in graduate school 42:47.310 --> 42:47.950 they're 42:47.950 --> 42:50.970 Lawyers, I mean lots of corporate heads 42:51.500 --> 42:57.450 Yeah, so this is kind of a trend too, isn't it and this paper is interesting because he's talking 42:58.120 --> 43:03.320 Not about islam really he's talking about the arab empire, which you know 43:05.270 --> 43:09.830 Raul is out of nowhere and took over the world starting from 630 to 43:10.650 --> 43:11.850 The 9th century 43:12.700 --> 43:15.470 So it's it's very interesting from that point of view 43:15.470 --> 43:19.530 Like to find out, but of course the evolution of islam is 43:19.530 --> 43:25.450 Not exactly the same thing as the evolution of the arab empire during those two years of 43:25.930 --> 43:28.030 good times for the arab's 43:28.690 --> 43:29.370 in particular 43:30.410 --> 43:31.050 so 43:31.050 --> 43:37.570 He says when I first read these contemporary descriptions of 10th century bagdad 43:37.570 --> 43:40.070 I could scarcely believe my eyes 43:40.070 --> 43:42.350 I told myself this must be a joke 43:42.350 --> 43:45.810 The descriptions might have been taken out of the times today 43:45.810 --> 43:53.530 The resemblance of all the details was especially breathtaking the breakup of the empire the abandonment of sexual morality 43:53.530 --> 43:59.810 The pop singers with their guitars the entry of women into the professions the five day week 44:03.830 --> 44:06.330 It really does underline a 44:06.330 --> 44:09.030 cyclical a few of history, I would say 44:09.030 --> 44:12.290 And you know, I've got to mention this 44:12.290 --> 44:15.330 That everything that we know about history 44:16.170 --> 44:18.310 really only goes back for 44:19.210 --> 44:22.790 3000 years, maybe you can say 4000 years 44:23.510 --> 44:27.850 Maybe if you start out with the egyptians, but and the samarians 44:28.410 --> 44:31.070 but listen, that's nothing because 44:31.850 --> 44:35.010 that's like the overlapping lives of like 44:35.890 --> 44:37.370 50 or 60 44:39.070 --> 44:39.810 grandfathers 44:40.590 --> 44:41.910 they you know 44:42.650 --> 44:44.970 50 or 60 people from 44:45.620 --> 44:47.670 from the neolithic times with 44:48.140 --> 44:52.810 You know beating rocks together. I mean, it's it's just amazing. So 44:53.410 --> 44:55.370 humanity is still just a puppy 44:57.750 --> 45:01.390 A blink of an eye it really is 45:04.310 --> 45:07.630 So let's see what else what's the next thing that he he 45:08.110 --> 45:12.090 He points out so the immigration of poor people to the empire which 45:12.910 --> 45:18.450 Changes the values of the empire that made it great. That's absolutely happening in the u.s 45:19.930 --> 45:21.510 And he goes on to say 45:22.490 --> 45:23.890 There's an impression that 45:24.690 --> 45:25.290 uh 45:25.290 --> 45:27.610 It will always be automatically rich 45:28.270 --> 45:31.850 And that causes the declining empire to spend lavishly on its 45:31.850 --> 45:35.690 own benevolence until such time as the economy collapses 45:35.690 --> 45:39.530 The universities are closed and the hospitals fall into ruin 45:40.470 --> 45:43.050 Well, exactly. That's exactly what happened in 45:43.830 --> 45:45.550 thomas cole's painting the 45:46.410 --> 45:46.750 the 45:47.790 --> 45:49.930 decadence of empire a series of 45:51.070 --> 45:54.110 There used to be all those things and then it went back to bush 45:56.550 --> 45:57.030 Yeah 45:58.350 --> 46:03.350 He does he does get into religion a little bit. I don't know if there was anything that stood out to you about that part 46:03.350 --> 46:09.310 Though I didn't have many notes. I didn't underline anything that he had to say about religion, which is 46:11.010 --> 46:14.130 Which surprised me since he lived in the 46:14.890 --> 46:15.570 you know 46:16.410 --> 46:19.830 lived among the followers of the prophet for most of his life 46:20.470 --> 46:21.350 including having 46:22.050 --> 46:23.730 Been the head of the geordianian army 46:23.730 --> 46:24.390 so 46:25.350 --> 46:26.230 Well, I think 46:26.950 --> 46:29.430 Maybe he didn't want to say anything about it. I don't know 46:30.390 --> 46:33.090 Maybe that was too much of a hot button. I don't know 46:34.070 --> 46:35.870 The one thing he does say is that 46:36.670 --> 46:41.250 Some of the greatest saints in history lived in times of national decadence 46:42.110 --> 46:47.230 Raising the banner of duty and service against the flood of depravity and despair 46:48.030 --> 46:50.470 That's the only line I underlined from that whole section 46:51.510 --> 46:52.970 Well, that could be 46:53.670 --> 46:54.410 a resurgence 46:55.530 --> 46:57.550 Things are going downhill and then you 46:58.150 --> 47:01.050 Have an uptick. Maybe that's what he's talking about 47:01.830 --> 47:02.350 Yeah 47:03.030 --> 47:07.950 Yeah, or maybe they just stand out as saints because they're they're basically trying to hold back the tide 47:08.590 --> 47:10.510 So they stand out, you know 47:11.230 --> 47:12.730 They won't give up the ghost 47:13.910 --> 47:16.050 Yeah, that could be 47:17.230 --> 47:24.110 Yeah, I mean the only time we we see salmon is when they're swimming upstream and they jump out of the water, but 47:25.530 --> 47:28.470 They're gonna die shortly. Yeah, they're going to die 47:32.210 --> 47:37.450 He's got one section here, uh where he points out that decadence is not physical 47:37.950 --> 47:40.790 And that's a good point. It's basically moral 47:44.010 --> 47:44.690 Exactly 47:44.690 --> 47:51.210 Um, the habits of members of the community have been corrupted by the enjoyment of too much money 47:51.590 --> 47:59.110 Too much power for too long a period the result has been in the framework of their national life to make them selfish and idle 47:59.770 --> 48:02.770 A community of selfish and idle people declines 48:03.670 --> 48:09.790 Uh internal quarrels develop in the division of its dwindling wealth and pessimism 48:09.790 --> 48:15.710 Follows which some of them endeavor to drown in sensuality or frivolity 48:18.470 --> 48:22.870 Yeah, and of course he attributes a lot of this to 48:23.830 --> 48:27.790 success and money and wealth, but 48:28.790 --> 48:32.390 It's it's there's a contradiction here in that 48:34.350 --> 48:35.690 He kind of thinks that 48:36.510 --> 48:39.650 We don't want to have that because it destroys 48:40.590 --> 48:45.010 Morality and sound virtues and he's right, but on the other hand 48:45.910 --> 48:47.130 If you don't have 48:48.050 --> 48:49.550 An accumulation of wealth 48:50.330 --> 48:53.030 Uh, you're not going to progress 48:53.990 --> 48:55.230 so it's uh 48:55.790 --> 49:00.850 I guess the answer is to accumulate wealth, but all the well emphasizing 49:01.570 --> 49:05.190 solid moral virtues to overcome the 49:05.730 --> 49:07.730 negative aspects of becoming wealthy 49:08.490 --> 49:09.550 Yeah, I think on an 49:09.550 --> 49:16.050 I think on an individual basis you can still be virtuous and do that, but just as the 49:17.090 --> 49:22.430 Nation and as a broad, you know as a culture. I think it's it's hard because the um 49:23.230 --> 49:24.510 You know the issue is 49:25.090 --> 49:31.990 You know, like if you think about the the virtues that americans have that was founded or that came out of 49:32.410 --> 49:35.990 The frontier, you know, we're like the self-reliance 49:36.410 --> 49:38.190 You know the independence the 49:38.710 --> 49:42.110 Hardworking like all those were requirements for survival 49:42.930 --> 49:47.430 Requirements, so if you didn't have those qualities you wouldn't exist 49:48.390 --> 49:50.670 And then there's a there's a 49:51.670 --> 49:52.950 There's a natural 49:54.270 --> 49:56.450 But then when the world becomes not wealthy 49:56.450 --> 50:01.750 You don't have to have those qualities anymore your your necessity level 50:01.990 --> 50:05.930 Has gone down and you do other things. So it's like 50:06.610 --> 50:09.710 It's like the natural flow of things that uh 50:10.830 --> 50:12.050 You know, it's 50:12.590 --> 50:18.250 It's like it's like what happens. It's well. What happens with empires is almost like what happens to individuals 50:18.250 --> 50:23.550 You know, you're you're young and outgoing and adventurous and you become successful 50:23.550 --> 50:27.170 Then you become fat and old and then you generate and then you die 50:27.830 --> 50:29.430 it's it's 50:30.090 --> 50:32.270 Individual life on a grand scale 50:34.170 --> 50:35.510 Yeah, yeah, and I 50:35.510 --> 50:42.650 I think one of the things that I got from this whole paper is just that idea it actually made me feel 50:43.550 --> 50:47.230 That's not bad, but maybe kind of feel better in a way than just seeing that 50:48.030 --> 50:51.130 Oh, this is this is a process. It just happens 50:52.050 --> 50:56.690 And it doesn't mean I mean individuals can still be fine in this when it's happening 50:57.150 --> 51:01.410 Um, oh, what anything he talks about when he talks about decadent states he talks about 51:02.470 --> 51:07.910 You know when in when an individual when individual members of such a society 51:08.970 --> 51:14.670 Decadent society emigrate into entirely new surroundings. They do not remain 51:15.290 --> 51:21.110 Uh conspicuously decadent pessimistic or immoral among the inhabitants of the new homeland homeland 51:21.670 --> 51:26.590 Once enabled to break away from their old channels of thought and after a short period of readjustment 51:26.590 --> 51:29.090 They become normal citizens of their adopted countries 51:29.650 --> 51:33.150 Some of them in the second or third generations may attained 51:33.670 --> 51:37.790 Preeminence in the leadership of their new communities. So it is like it is 51:37.790 --> 51:45.470 An echo chamber almost within that empire that if you're trapped in it, it's hard to get out and I've seen this with my 51:46.070 --> 51:50.490 Some family that you know feels to me. There's they're just running on this 51:51.110 --> 51:55.830 And Sumerism treadmill like crazy and can't give it up. They like 51:56.450 --> 51:58.270 They order their lives around 51:58.970 --> 52:00.250 consumption and entertainment 52:00.250 --> 52:04.550 You know and they and they accumulate more debt because of it and they 52:04.990 --> 52:08.370 I don't think that they can even see they're like, you know, the fish swimming in water 52:08.370 --> 52:12.770 They have no understanding that's what they're doing because the society is so like that now 52:12.770 --> 52:17.310 And if they stepped away for three months and many other parts of the world 52:17.310 --> 52:18.150 I think that they would 52:18.150 --> 52:22.490 They'd be free of it and it could be any good and productive again 52:23.390 --> 52:25.990 well, I think that's absolutely correct and 52:26.610 --> 52:27.210 immigrants 52:27.890 --> 52:30.770 Have always been the best kind of people that 52:30.770 --> 52:33.390 Jump out of the cesspool that they're in 52:33.390 --> 52:39.370 And go into fresh waters and work hard in in that because they have to so 52:40.150 --> 52:44.310 I'm all for immigrants, but not the kind of immigrants we have today that are 52:44.870 --> 52:45.230 being 52:46.090 --> 52:46.630 you know 52:47.850 --> 52:54.210 Imported and then land on a feather bed with free credit cards and free places to live and free food and free medical 52:55.070 --> 53:00.730 You're drawing exactly the opposite of the kind of people you want not the kind of immigrants that you'd get otherwise 53:00.730 --> 53:02.370 If it wasn't for the state 53:03.570 --> 53:06.450 I'm talking about the kind of immigrants. We are that's what I mean 53:06.890 --> 53:08.990 I think we're value 53:09.710 --> 53:13.350 I kind of think so. Yeah, I think there's a lot to that 53:14.180 --> 53:17.840 So anyway, the last part of his his um 53:19.470 --> 53:21.350 Well, he makes one statement 53:21.910 --> 53:22.390 uh 53:23.350 --> 53:24.010 before 53:24.970 --> 53:27.330 part number 39 53:28.160 --> 53:32.650 Which is the summary, but there's one other statement that he mentions that I underlined 53:33.350 --> 53:40.530 And he said that all religions seem to reach the conclusion that love is the key to human life 53:41.250 --> 53:44.970 And I don't see I think he's jumping to a conclusion 53:45.550 --> 53:49.490 on that. I mean, it's a key with christianity 53:51.590 --> 53:52.130 But 53:53.250 --> 53:56.370 It has absolutely nothing to do with islam 53:57.010 --> 53:59.570 That love is the key to human life nothing at all 53:59.570 --> 54:05.030 And I'm surprised that he'd say that having lived in in that part of the world most of his life 54:05.570 --> 54:05.910 and 54:06.660 --> 54:08.190 Love is the key to human life 54:08.750 --> 54:09.830 I don't think that's 54:10.530 --> 54:11.510 It's not what 54:12.270 --> 54:19.430 The buddhist or the daoists or I don't think anybody says that except for the christians. Am I right or wrong? 54:20.230 --> 54:23.830 I mean, I can't I'm out of I'm not an expert on all the religions 54:23.830 --> 54:26.010 but certainly in the 54:26.570 --> 54:31.290 The mode of christianity that is emphasized today. It is I think but 54:32.950 --> 54:35.290 Yeah, I don't know about elsewhere. I don't know 54:35.870 --> 54:37.330 anyway, that's 54:38.190 --> 54:38.510 You know 54:38.510 --> 54:45.010 It would be something that would have been nice to talk to him about that but he's been dead for a long time 54:45.630 --> 54:50.030 But the last part the summary I found was interesting because 54:51.290 --> 54:52.510 He goes into 54:54.350 --> 54:55.250 Two things 54:56.070 --> 54:58.270 in his kind of summation 54:59.110 --> 55:02.950 He says decadence is marked by and he gives the 55:02.950 --> 55:04.990 Outward signs of decadence 55:05.570 --> 55:10.570 And then he says decadence is due to and then he gives the reasons for that decadence 55:11.250 --> 55:14.470 And I think he's pretty right. What do you what do you think about? 55:15.550 --> 55:20.970 Well, I I didn't I didn't underline part. Can you explain what he says that decadence is defined by? 55:21.810 --> 55:22.270 well 55:23.310 --> 55:27.490 Well, let's see. It's yeah, it's defined by it's marked by is what he says 55:28.590 --> 55:29.550 Uh defensiveness 55:30.210 --> 55:32.790 Okay, as opposed to reaching out 55:34.190 --> 55:35.470 Uh pessimism 55:36.070 --> 55:37.630 Yeah, I suppose that's true 55:38.270 --> 55:43.830 Uh materialism very definitely frivolity very definitely an influx of foreigners 55:44.570 --> 55:47.050 Yeah, destroying the values that made the 55:47.830 --> 55:52.950 State what it was and the welfare state. Yeah, and a weakening of religion. Yeah 55:53.410 --> 55:58.510 I'm not a religious person, but he's absolutely right about that because people don't believe in anything anymore 55:59.050 --> 55:59.370 so 56:00.150 --> 56:02.530 I think that those things all 56:03.630 --> 56:05.590 Mark are current 56:06.130 --> 56:09.650 Are signs that we're in the decadence stage of 56:10.570 --> 56:15.950 Of the rise and fall at this point and what did he say that was due to? 56:16.570 --> 56:18.430 He says that it's due to 56:19.130 --> 56:23.590 Too long a period of wealth and power. Sure. He'd become fat and lazy 56:24.350 --> 56:24.990 selfishness 56:25.910 --> 56:27.530 thinking only I guess that's 56:28.510 --> 56:31.670 You think only about yourself and you're not loyal to 56:32.530 --> 56:35.630 The group that you're a member of okay, that's true enough 56:36.290 --> 56:37.070 love of money 56:38.210 --> 56:41.230 Okay, I would interpret that as being a 56:43.890 --> 56:45.630 Insufficient emphasis on 56:46.370 --> 56:46.970 um 56:48.850 --> 56:51.230 Virtue virtue right exactly 56:51.990 --> 56:56.630 And uh loss of a sense of duty. Yeah, I think that's true too 56:57.330 --> 56:57.730 uh 56:58.910 --> 57:00.230 I mean where the 57:01.190 --> 57:06.570 common wheel has been replaced by the government and 57:07.230 --> 57:07.870 you know 57:09.150 --> 57:14.690 I'm a believer in loyalty and duty, but not to the government because they're just criminals 57:15.310 --> 57:15.710 so 57:16.750 --> 57:20.550 I guess my attitudes are influenced by the fact that everything is 57:20.550 --> 57:21.510 Decadent 57:22.130 --> 57:29.530 So but I think he's generally right and all these things that he mentions you could do an interesting essay just on 57:30.270 --> 57:35.730 The signs of decadence and the causes of decadence. So I think I think he's spot on 57:36.550 --> 57:43.970 Generally, yeah, let's expand it into a really great book covering a covering a few other subjects that he just touches on 57:43.970 --> 57:46.190 But anyway, everybody ought to read that paper 57:46.970 --> 57:55.130 Yeah, you really should it's it's 25 pages very well written very easy to read and it 57:56.750 --> 57:57.430 It's 57:58.070 --> 58:03.970 I think it's a it's a it's a big picture thinking tool to understand where exactly we're at and what's coming next 58:04.510 --> 58:07.610 regardless of who's elected president or temporary advances 58:08.530 --> 58:09.210 in 58:09.710 --> 58:14.270 We can have temporary political advances and temporary even economic advances I think 58:14.270 --> 58:19.150 But the decline of empires if unless all of a sudden this time is different 58:20.430 --> 58:22.850 You have to see what's the writing is on the wall 58:23.470 --> 58:25.230 with it, I think I 58:25.790 --> 58:28.450 I I feel pretty certain 58:29.050 --> 58:30.930 that he would have read Spangler 58:31.630 --> 58:32.110 and 58:32.110 --> 58:34.890 Kind of stood on his shoulders and summarized it 58:36.010 --> 58:42.210 Yeah, I read Spangler and I don't think I'm smart enough to really read and understand everything that Spangler says, but uh 58:43.410 --> 58:44.710 Yeah, this is the 58:45.310 --> 58:48.070 This is what I was hoping to get out of reading that 58:48.770 --> 58:52.050 That book it's two volumes in nature like 900 pages 58:52.050 --> 58:57.870 I read one volume and started the second one and what I was hoping for actually was this 58:57.870 --> 58:59.790 25 pages summation 59:01.690 --> 59:05.190 No listen life is too short and 59:06.270 --> 59:07.390 You know 59:08.630 --> 59:12.070 Yeah, exactly what what I'd like to find actually is 59:12.990 --> 59:13.750 somebody that 59:14.490 --> 59:15.210 does 59:16.750 --> 59:19.990 Spangler for dummy Spangler for dummies something like that 59:19.990 --> 59:25.690 Actually, I mean you don't have to beat yourself up with all kinds of 59:27.490 --> 59:31.170 Yeah, it should be readable because if it's 59:33.750 --> 59:41.490 Everything should be readable and understandable and it shouldn't be so obscure and obstruous and complicated which is 59:42.630 --> 59:48.130 They get a good idea and and screw it up by making it unintelligible 59:49.090 --> 59:54.090 Right, but at the same time I wish this guy would have turned this into a book because I would have loved to have read it 59:54.090 --> 59:56.250 That was some of these details, but um 59:56.730 --> 01:00:00.130 By the way, yeah, I strongly encourage everyone to check it out to definitely read it 01:00:00.130 --> 01:00:03.270 I'll have a link for it in the description below. I hope you found this 01:00:04.630 --> 01:00:05.030 Uh 01:00:05.690 --> 01:00:09.110 Stepping away of the drama of the day of the latest 01:00:09.110 --> 01:00:15.250 You know geopolitical movements or market movements useful. Uh, certainly this is stuff that I'm all more interested in 01:00:15.910 --> 01:00:20.870 Yeah, me too and my guess is that of all of the uh 01:00:21.510 --> 01:00:22.490 of all of the 01:00:23.690 --> 01:00:28.750 Podcasts we've had this is probably the one that's least likely to go viral, but we'll find out 01:00:29.270 --> 01:00:33.070 Yeah, I think that's you that's okay. We do it for ourselves anyway. So that's fine 01:00:33.590 --> 01:00:35.290 That's that's right exactly 01:00:36.130 --> 01:00:39.930 Okay, okay. Well, thanks a lot Doug. I appreciate it. We'll be we'll be back next week with more 01:00:41.230 --> 01:00:42.390 Can't wait Matt. Thanks