Decline and Fall : The End of Empire and the Future of Democracy in 21st Century America

__Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.__ Although he was writing nearly a century ago, William Butler Yeats could just as easily be describing the United States today. The decline and fall of America's global empire is the central feature of today's geopolitical landscape, and the nature of our response to it will determine much of our future trajectory, with implications that reach far beyond the limits of one nation's borders. __Decline and Fall: The End of Empire and the Future of Democracy in 21st Century America__ challenges the conventional wisdom of empire. Using a wealth of historical examples combined with groundbreaking original analysis, author John Michael Greer: * Shows how the United States has backed itself into a blind corner in the pursuit of political and economic power * Explores the inevitable consequences of imperial collapse * Proposes a renewal of democratic institutions as the only constructive way forward By shifting the conversation from whether today's American empire __should__ survive to whether it __can__ survive, and arguing persuasively that the answer to the latter question is "no," __Decline and Fall__ makes an invaluable contribution to the body of speculative post-industrial literature. This book is a must-read for anyone concerned about the state of the Union, or who believes that the time has come to reinvent the American Dream. **John Michael Greer** is a scholar of ecological history, an internationally renowned Peak Oil theorist, and the author of more than thirty books including __The Long Descent__. Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. Although he was writing nearly a century ago, William Butler Yeats could just as easily be describing the United States today. The decline and fall of America's global empire is the central feature of today's geopolitical landscape, and the nature of our response to it will determine much of our future trajectory, with implications that reach far beyond the limits of one nation's borders. Decline and Fall: The End of Empire and the Future of Democracy in 21st Century America challenges the conventional wisdom of empire. Using a wealth of historical examples combined with groundbreaking original analysis, author John Michael Greer: Shows how the United States has backed itself into a blind corner in the pursuit of political and economic power Explores the inevitable consequences of imperial collapse Proposes a renewal of democratic institutions as the only constructive way forward By shifting the conversation from whether today's American empire should survive to whether it can survive, and arguing persuasively that the answer to the latter question is "no," Decline and Fall makes an invaluable contribution to the body of speculative post-industrial literature. This book is a must-read for anyone concerned about the state of the Union, or who believes that the time has come to reinvent the American Dream. John Michael Greer is a scholar of ecological history, an internationally renowned Peak Oil theorist, and the author of more than thirty books including The Long Descent The political theorist and author of After Progress examines the future of U.S. dominance on the world stage in this persuasive and provocative book. The decline and fall of America's global empire is the central feature of today's geopolitical landscape. How we respond to this reality will determine much of our future trajectory, with implications that reach far beyond the limits of one nation's borders. In Decline and Fall, John Michael Greer examines the path we’re on and presents a persuasive challenge to the conventional wisdom of empire. Rather than asking if today's American empire should survive, Greer asks whether it can—and goes on to demonstrate that the answer is "no.” After exploring the inevitable consequences of imperial collapse, Decline and Fall proposes a renewal of democratic institutions as the only constructive way forward. Prologue: Understanding Empire -- Part One: The Course Of Empire. Origins of American Empire -- The Struggle Over Empire -- America at Zenith. Part Two: The Widening Gyre. The Failure of Politics -- The Economic Unraveling -- The Specter of Defeat -- The Consequences of Collapse. Part Three: A Republic, If You Can Keep It. The Future of Democracy -- Reinventing Society -- Facing a Hard Future -- Afterword: A Choice of Tomorrows. Prologue: Understanding Empire -- Part One: The Course Of Empire. Origins of American Empire -- The Struggle Over Empire -- America at Zenith.;All empires fall, and America is no exception. What comes next?