The four phases of a superpower’s lifespan

By Jaime Ortega.

 

The inception of Neo-liberalism is deeply enrooted in the dawn of mankind. The historical-cycle of liberalism is directly intertwined with the rise and fall of past civilizations. All cultures share a similar facet of power and decline thereof.

  1. When nations rise to become superpowers these are characterized with large population numbers, strong nationalism and military strength to project the core of its stabilization. New nations that turn into superpowers generally plan regional preeminence to gain strength and transform territory inculcating a new social order to expand globally. When land and marine trade routes are fully controlled, new regulations emerge to change the laws of the old system. Resources ship in and out at high volume; national growth continues to increase and financial prosperity influences the apparent transformation of society. National pledge is viewed with honor and courage to all class structures that respect military efficiency. Crime is at its lowest level during the first phase of civilization because fervent black and white laws encourage fear over institutional imprisonment; violent criminals, gangs and outlaws are dealt with instant execution and implacable punishment. As people recover from poverty, work rate accelerates allowing new companies to double production rates. This is also true for state run production chains. The labor force throughout this initial stage struggles financially to sustain a decent living standard, but with time, achieves prosperity. Unqualified people work in all low income jobs during the first phase as unemployment drops. Strong national values are reinstated to suppress demonization of national unity trough military power. Discipline, regulations, conservative values, strong nationalism, unity and military dominate the first phase of a nations rise to power. (Example United States, before1940’s)
  2. In the second phase of a civilization, after 6 to 7 generations a new phenomenon occurs. The nation continues the leading superpower, but a new generation of idealist emerges from the social ranks of middle-class and elitists. This generation is incongruent with the ruling system advocating for prosperity and peace instead of patriotism, force and war. With abundant wealth cascading the system, living standards show the highest levels of conformity and struggle changes into relaxed financial stability. New philosophers influence educational reforms no longer accepting to participate in foreign quarrels, viewing war unnecessary to achieve peaceful goals. Discipline in all vocational levels starts to modestly decline with unions sponsoring hourly job reductions. With new thinkers religion and conservatism drift slightly backwards. The new generation questions the moral standard in which the nation stands and struggles to seek change. They become revisionist instead of conformist, campaigning for greater rights in the name of diplomacy; waving the flag of liberty to modify the current political establishment into a new social order without need of religious consent. Society starts to show signs of ideological change. Nationalism still remains active in the nation, but the new thinkers start to radically influence the next generation planting new seeds that will guarantee the continuance of their political dogma utilizing education to funnel their propaganda. Activism is common during this phase. (Example United States reaches the great 1950’s with financial prosperity – but in the 1960’s the peak thwarts with the Vietnam War, and activism starts to show signs of change)
  3. In the third phase of civilization, generation 8 to 11, the nation has being radically transformed with the indoctrination of the earlier adopters. Nationalism is viewed totalitarian. Military is viewed anthropomorphous and religion is viewed primitive thinking. At this point in time, the liberal reformist don’t just become thinkers, they subtly control all levels of education and society. The youth grows in the midst of ideological anarchy. Morality becomes abstract; strict discipline is viewed oppressive and detrimental to society and freedom. Eccentric liberal Idealist control behavior and political correctness comes into sight. Military enrolment sharply declines at this phase viewed as ‘culturally repressive’, not representative of the new political order. Work ethic falls dramatically, materialism stifles the lower middle class and unqualified people pick and choose jobs not based on survival, but on the standards that suits them better creating a larger welfare state plagued with preventable unemployment for those nations that can afford it. Crime drastically increases; the judicial system becomes tolerant-oriented by institutionalizing violence. Rival aspiring superpowers for the first time start to eccentrically consolidate global power via military to impose their presence undermining retaliation from the declining superpower. Schism in society dangerously steepens disunity; traditionalist versus new age reformist. Two sets of opposite ideologies thwart the nation’s future to create civil-strife. The right is now boxed inside a cage. Liberalism protects all underserved levels of society that where once viewed as cancerous to the nations interest. (Example – This transformation started to grow stronger and stronger each decade from the 70’s – 80’s – 90’s – 00’s – 10’s…)
  4. In the fourth phase a revolution sparks. Traditionalist, conservatives, religious devotees, nationalist, and the military unite to combat the liberalization of government on society. Neo-libertarians view the uprising as seditious toward progressivism. Signs of a civil war brink the end of a waned superpower. The government starts to collapse within its own pillars with no agreement reached by either side. The extreme and moderate right no longer trusts the left, showing a blind eye to any proposed concessions made. At this point only three options remain:

 

  • Reach common understanding to reunite the nation (improvable)
  • Split the nation into two separate countries (Probable)
  • Full fledge civil war directed to retake the country by force (Very probable)

The founding fathers fought English colonialism to mold the American constitution. Sacrifices were made to achieve national freedom; Washington burned, Tea-Party members were massacred and rural patriots hanged. The ‘peace with strength’ model broke the bonds of enslavement with a brutal Civil-War that killed Confederates and Union members. United States entered War World 2, to stop a conspicuous military superpower from achieving its goal to control the world.

In the end of the spectrum, neo-liberalism marks the end of a superpower; it surges from national prosperity fueled by military supremacy, but it takes the opposite approach when austere liberal idealism reforms education. Neo-liberalism rises out this cycle like a virus and punishes nationalism labeling it a ‘crusade of ignorance’ for the sake of ideological tolerance. The youth becomes anti-establishment and anti-government rebelling to the core-principles that define national unity, in exchange for progressive utopias not proven to exist.

The point I am trying to make with this argument, is that the US has already reached the third phase of this historical cycle to the point of no return. Democrats and republicans show decadence in government failing to address the real ideological problems the nation is about to withstand. Unlike the past, republicans are drawn closer to leftist dogmas pushed by the historical winds of Neo-liberalism in the ending phases of power to gain popular acceptance.

The only possible way to reunite the nation is with strong nationalism which will bury the radical progressive left allowing the US to remain a global superpower for at least 20 more years. With the possible prospect of a future financial collapse, if the system has not changed then; sooner or later, we all doomed to watch the events of the fourth phase unfold.

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