Consider where we are, in our nation’s history. We are no longer at a crossroads as a nation. We are in decline as a nation and society. This can seem a blunt assessment, but it needs to be said and understood if anyone is to successfully prepare for the future. Although no one has clairvoyance, and it is still possible to turn our nation and society around to a path for prosperity, there are undeniable facts that support the assessment that the U.S. is in deep trouble and in decline. Many of you are all too well aware of this but many are not as clear. The Western world has had 1,500 years of progress and is due for a new Dark Ages. One cannot escape the cycles of history.
Although our decline as a nation likely began in around 1969, and many may already realize the current situation our nation is in, many people and those self-sufficient, are not clear just how dire our current circumstances are. Past empires/nations in the history of humankind declined in a gradual manner over many years, such as the Roman empire. Due to the structure of our modern society, and its interconnectedness and reliance on technology, the speed of our deterioration will be faster by factors of 10 compared to Rome. In addition to American society, the world may very well follow the U.S. into decline due to our position as a world super-power and our influence in the world.
I am going to outline some background information on historical cycles and generational theory in order to provide a lens to view our current situation, and provide a clear basis for this assessment. I have a medical and public safety background which has allowed me a position to be an astute observer of people, populations and society. I couple this with education in history, public health and sociology. A historical/generational lens provides clarity to where we are, where we were and where we may be headed as a nation. The target of this article is every preparedness- minded person, family and group in the U.S.
After this background information I will then outline some of the steps that need to be taken in light of our current scenario in order to begin building prepared communities. Many of the steps for preparing and creating preparedness-minded communities have already been detailed on this blog, but I will be attempting to show the urgency of them due to what faces us as a nation and society.
Some of this background is based on the work of historians Neal Howe and William Strauss who authored the book The Fourth Turning. Mr. Straus also maintains a blog on these topics. I highly recommend this resource for anyone prepping and looking at future with a strategic lens. Unfortunately, Straus’ recent work has taken a liberal political bend in order to support a specific liberal narrative and is off-base with our current conditions. But with that being said, the premise of this work remains accurate. There are others who also have compiled works on generational theory and historical cycles that support the work of Straus and Howe.Continue reading“Consider Where We Are – Part 1, by APD-4”
