THE RISE AND FALL OF GREAT POWERS

PAUL KENNEDY WROTE SUCH A BOOK ON THIS SUBJECT,  HISTORY IS A STORY OF "MAN" AND THE ATTEMPTS TO BECOME SUPREME AMONGST THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH.  PRIDE AND GREED ARE THE TWIN FUELS TO POWER THE DESIRE TO BE SUPREME AMONGST THE NATIONS.  YET, HISTORY SHOWS THAT NO NATION IN RECORDED HISTORY HAS BEEN AT ITS PRIME FOR MORE THAN 300 YEARS.  THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS AT ITS ZENITH FROM 96 TO 180 A.D.    YET,WAS IN ITS DECLINE FOR OVER FOUR CENTURIES.   ROME FELL!!!   AGAINST ALL HOPES, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS FALLING FAST, AND THERE IS NO RECOVERY....WE REACHED OUR ZENITH IN THE 50'S.  MATERIALISM AND THEN INSATIABLE GREED FOR MORE, BETTER, BIGGER, FASTER.  WE BECAME DELUSIONED THAT WE WERE THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD; THE SOLVER OF ALL PROBLEMS, THE MILITARY ANSWER TO ALL THREATS.  KENNEDY, IN HIS BOOK, SHOWED THAT THE DEMISE OF EVERY GREAT POWER HASBEEN SUCH.   THE DEMISE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME.  AN OVER ESTIMATION OF A COUNTRY'S ABILITY TO FINANCE ITS DREAMS , ITS PRIDE, SUCH AS THE BILLIONS SPENT IN OUTER SPACE EXPLORATION....AN EFFORT THAT HAS PRODUCED SENSUAL AND STIMULATING DISCOVERIES, BUT DOES LITTLE FOR US ON EARTH.  OUR DEBACLES IN VIET NAM, THE MID-EAST.  WHO DO WE THINK WE ARE OR WHAT WE CAN AFFORD?   SADLY, WE SHALL FALL TOO....SHARING THE CEMETERY WITH THE ROMAN EMPIRE....STRANGE BED FELLOWS TO SAY THE LEAST....SORRY,