The+Flat+World+Times+Blog

The following was originally published June 25, 2006 at http://theflatworldtimes.blogspot.com/2006/06/flat-world-times.html //"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within. The essential causes of Rome's decline lay in her people, her morals, her class struggle, her failing trade, her bureaucratic despotism, her stifling taxes, her consuming wars."// - Will Durant, __The Story of Civilization__, Vol 3, 1944

We live in a flat world. This is a forum to discuss flat world issues.

Despite that nagging worry about the future of this econonmic system called the United States, do you still reason, "Well, as long as we can stay flat with the rest of the rapidly emerging economic systems, then we can at least hold our own."?

But then do you further reason, "Well, if the world is flat, then why do I still have this nagging feeling that the U.S. economic system is still sliding backwards?"

Then it's time to realize something: The term "flat" is not synonymous with the term "level." In other words, a tilted backwards plane is still flat. If fact, you are sliding backwards even faster because the plane is flat and there is no resistance to slow the slide. Chew on that concept for a while. Yes, we live in a flat world, just not a level one.

But, hey, we're just talking about economics. What about everything else that makes society worthwhile? Time to realize one more concept: Everything //**is**// Economics. In one way or another, directly or indirectly, every aspect of society is tied into economics. Without a good economic base, society can not hold its own.

One of the key ingredients to a strong economy, if not the main ingredient, is a healthy education system. That, my friend, is not something the Economy U.S. has these days. Did we ever? That is open to debate (time to go back to basics? Well, how far do you want to go back? When we used slate tablets? When the pencil sharpener threatened the development of whittling skills?). But it is true that when you are the only game in town, then you can play as sloppily a game as you want because you have no competition. However, there are new games in town and they are winning the economic hearts and minds of the global economy.

Another concept to chew on: Historically, societies that truly have the will to survive will rise to the occasion. Simply put, the problem solvers, i.e. the experienced and responsible members, will have the drive to survive and find solutions to problems of society. Why is that? Because they want to pass on the society to posterity. The descendants really had no other place to go to be successful. Hey, that is changing in today's global flat world of rapid and easy migration. My children and grandchildren are successful and will be successful, but today it doesn't just have to be in the U.S. And if society does not make it worthwhile the struggle and does not emphasize the values of a successful society, then why should they waste precious energy in being successful in the U.S. when they can be just as successful in another economy? And that brings us back to the original premise of problem solving. If I don't have to worry about creating solutions for a successful society for my descendants, then why should I want to expend my limited and valuable creative energy on such things (there's that "everything is economics" again). I could spend it on just making my dwindling years the best I can in the immediate future. Or, I could just migrate elsewhere myself and take my creativity and experience with me. This is the stuff of which future historians will analyze and compare the U.S. with the decline of other economic systems over the millennia...the last one to leave, turn out the lights.

One final concept: Did you ever wonder if past economic top dogs realized they were on the downward slope before the crash? Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Ancient China, Spain, France, Great Britain, etc? Or did they say, "Well, yes, we realize we are making mistakes that will cause us to be eclicpsed. But, hey, we want to be fair and share the spotlight and so we'll continue our wayward economic (direct and indirect) ways to make our slide backwards go faster." I can think of only one economic powerhouse to actually withdraw from the stage purposely, the Mongolian Empire when it was still at the top of the heap, but they had a whole different viewpoint toward life and values. Ironically, in addition to dropping out of the world scene on its terms, the Mongolian Empire is the only economic entity historians still say if given enough time it could have conquered the entire known world...though Japan might disagree (even then the Mongolians took it as a sign from the gods to back off after a couple of storms wiped out conquest attempts and therefore tried no more...perhaps also why they withdrew from Europe despite being unstoppable by the West). Well, the historical statistics are overwhemingly stacked (100%) against the Economy U.S. being the top economic entity in perpetuity, so it is just a matter how fast do we want the decline to happen and under what terms it will happen.