Bell Bottoms, Empires, & the Decay of Responsibility

I have heard it said, "History Repeats Itself". I remember when my grandparents gave me their "retro" lamps from their living room circa 1971-and they were already cool for the 2nd time around. Both Bell-Bottoms(60-70s) & Tight pants(80s) came back already since their initial debut. Hollywood is reproducing all the cult classics and hits from the past 40 years-with new faces and new techniques. Same story, different dance.

So, yeah, do you remember the last great empire to fall? In recent years I have read reports of the great cities of America that are in decline. First one that comes to mind is Detroit. A once thriving metropolis that was built on an industry that crashed and looks more ghost town-like with factories sitting empty. Other cities built on industries that are dying soon follow. The last great empire to die...was Rome. I have visions of the great city of Rome- based on movies and pictures I have seen and the books I have read. The Roman Empire, was at one time, the greatest empire the world had ever seen. I came across an excerpt from the book THE DECLINE AND FALL OF ROME, by Edward Gibbon, written in 1788. In the book he highlights 5 reasons the Roman Empire withered & died:

1. The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home.
2. Higher & higher taxes.
3. The mad craze for pleasure.
4. The building of great armaments, when the real enemy was within: AKA-the decay of individual responsibility.
5. The decay of religion; faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life, losing power to guide people.

So, read these once again out loud and instead of thinking Roman Empire, replace now with the title, The Decline & the Fall of the United States of America.

Wow, those 5 reasons, look as if Gibbon wrote this book about America and released it last week.

I have heard history repeats itself. The sad part is that all these 5 reasons mentioned above are a huge part of the contemporary culture of America. I'm proud to be from America, and I admit some of the above I have no control over. But there are a few, that I do and I have a voice. Bell bottoms were cool for me the 2nd time around, although I preferred the butterfly collared shirts way better. The fact is, I sure hope we can change the pattern up a little in America. That is the role of the citizen to use your voice. So, will you? or will you sit by and watch the Fall of the Great Empire known as the United States of America?

Ball's in our, the people's, court.