That is what I am reading right now. I have always been fascinated when governments/empires/countries collapse. The plight of a nation, its leaders and their reactions is so interesting. It's almost always sad to me, with Nazi Germany and fascist Italy and the Soviet Union as exceptions. I've read multiple books about Imperial Russia, Imperial Germany, the French revolution and the Hapsburgs. It's not like the world would be better off with the countries still as empires or monarchies, but the world would certainly be different.
Now I have turned my attention to the collapse of France at the hands of the Nazis in 1940. It is certainly rare in history that a republican form of government collapses. It is even rarer when that government is democratic. The book is called(obviously)
The Collapse of the Third Republic. It is part military history, part social history and mostly political history. It chronicles all the short-comings of the parliamentary form of government installed in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War.
Sometimes I feel like the United States is in a similar position, governmental infighting, the opposition to the president literally making friends with our enemies, our culture rather decrepit and everything seemingly a mess. Now, obviously I think the USA is different, but in reading the book, some of the similarities really struck me. That is certainly the importance of history, to know what mistakes humanity has made, and to not repeat that. Of course, I say that and then I see Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in Syria meeting with terrorist thugs. I hear Dick Durbin call
our troops Nazis. I watch Americans fawn over defeatist-Socialist Barack Obama. It can make this guy certainly pessimistic. And if we were to collapse, I can tell you that France won't save us.
I wonder who to support for president. The whole thing is a total, sickening circus. The media have no shame. Chris Matthews asked the Republican candidates if they thought it would be good to have Bill Clinton(!) back in the White House. What a waste! While we're at war!
Of course, we Americans keep watching E! channel and thinking that Lindsay Lohan is important. We live lives where dads fight at a little league games, moms dress up their little girls like sluts and teenagers disrespect everyone and everything.
A poll was just released that said that 80% of young American Muslims are opposed to suicide bombings. Wow. That means that of every five Muslims you meet, four don't want to kill you. That fifth one, however, well, who cares, "Lost" is on tonight! And on it goes.
I don't understand the Democrats. They care more about health care, gay marriage, "choice", and keeping Christianity out of our lives than fighting an enemy that wants to take away all those rights and then put the women in their own personal tents.
By the way, what the heck is the threat that Christianity poses, compared to Islam??
So, maybe we're collapsing, probably we're not. But we are certainly changing, and I don't necessarily think it is for the better.
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