Well, another year draws to a close, and the fact that we're living in the Chinese definition of "Interesting Times" (thanks in no small part to the Chinese themselves) has everyone feeling a little Millennial, even Orson Scott Card. If you're a classical history buff, the column is a good one.
I especially like the punchline towards the end, however, where in his thumbnail book review of America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It, he describes Mark Steyn as "a gun-totin' anti-big-government conservative", and says it like it's a bad thing. ;)
(By the way, if I didn't mention it already, Steyn's book is a fascinating, albeit somewhat depressing, read.)
Why is it that in recent times a line from a song from Rocky Horror keeps going through my head? "I'm at the start of a pretty big downer!"
ReplyDeleteA fairly interesting read. Card is usually quite a good writer. He's a bit of an authoritarian though, so I can see how he would disdain the anti big government gun toters of the world.
ReplyDeleteExcellent article. Gives a nice summation of the fall of Rome along with many of the underlying reasons and consequences.
ReplyDeleteThe potential for a similar fate today is there, but he leaves out the option we have as the greatest military power of taking the oil that we and the rest of the west need. I'm not necessarily advocating it, but should things deteriorate enough, there will be plenty who do.
I haven't read Steyn's book yet but will order it today.