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Old 10-21-2010, 11:11 AM   #8
spence
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Quote:
Originally Posted by detbuch View Post
Could someone, Spence, somebody, point out what is wrong with Tytler's observation, or, how it doesn't apply to the drift in American history.
Well, if as you say human nature doesn't change and great civilizations only last 200 years...then we're done for

Generally speaking, he's just telling a somewhat spun story (Glenn Beck style even) to make a pretty simple point. I think few would argue that a financially strong US reinforced with independent and well educated people isn't a good thing.

But the implication of the article is that our current trajectory has doomed us towards bondage because of an already established cycle. We're simply following a patten set by history...ah, unless we wake up and change our course.

Do civilizations really only last 200 years and do they really always follow the same patten? That's a pretty good question to ask. Perhaps the facts are just being fit around the policy to create some intrigue.

While we certainly do have real issues in the US, I don't think we're headed for bondage any time soon. I work with manufacturing companies across many industries and see smart, hardworking Americans churning out innovations that make people's life better and drive our economy every day.

Pessimists may want to see things as America slipping but the reality is that other countries are just catching up...largely by doing what we've taught them to do. I'm not sure this is necessarily a terrible thing.

So let's spend less and focus a bit more on our future, makes sense to me, but I'm not sure we're all that off track.

-spence
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