The Sweet Ashes of Empire

Sometimes I wonder. What went through the mind of a working-class Roman citizen during the fall of the empire? But of course, I need not wonder for too long before I simply assess how I, as a US citizen, think and feel about the fall of America as I witness its collapse. The word 'delighted' comes to mind. Though I doubt the ability of any linguistic expression to capture the extent of my pleasure.

While the seeds of domestic terror, slavery and genocide were sown into its very foundation, these past several decades have seen the United States descend into the global imperialist behemoth that plagues our planet. Much like the way the Roman Empire plagued the known world of its time. And like Rome, the US is all but immune to foreign threats, though highly susceptible to the effects of economic mismanagement at home and the effects of military aggression abroad.

To acquire, to expand, to conquer, to dominate, to control, to extract, to exploit. This is the essence of capitalism. And such a concept is not bound by the imaginary lines we call borders. Hence Vladimir Lenin's assertion that imperialism is the final stage of capitalism. Once the money men have exploited any and all domestic resources, their greed then demands foreign acquisitions. Such thirst for more and more and more has had horrific consequences for countless numbers of our fellow humans. It is in this context in which I celebrate the fall of empire and the defeat of the ideas that afflict our species.

And the decline, albeit slow and steady, can certainly been seen all around us. Outdated infrastructure is crumbling. The petrodollar continues to lose value. Organized religion is being rejected. Military aggression is being challenged. Diplomatic influence is waning. And the public's approval of government remains consistently low.

Whether its Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies reforming the monetary system on the way to its abolition or whether it’s the Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump presidential runs that threaten to outright destroy the two-party political paradigm, we've been blessed to bear witness as the words of The Honorable Mumia Abu-Jamal come to pass: Today's empire is tomorrow's ashes.