Peter Dale Scott, correctly in my view, compares the whole world to a criminal organization, a scary, unsettling, but hard to argue with observation. Underworld and overworld are one. I would add that capitalism is the glue (and religion) that makes the whole ball stick together.

Of course, Not everyone person on the planet is a criminal. But when it comes to institutions, there is less innocence. When it comes to nation states, there is no innocence. Which makes me wonder what folks who declare an end to American power think. (In the Christian Bible, American power does end, but it is ‘not’ replaced by another manmade power, which would mean, if American power is nearly done, that this world is about over. Actually, The beast’s - nation states collectively - lease to this world ended in 1914 C.E.. Things are only wrapping up. For those who truly bemoan the atrocious behavior of beastly nation states, that is good news.) Because, While America may decline militarily and economically, The reasons have less to do with moral, economic and military lessons learned, and more to do with being beaten by others who also play the great Darwinian game of ‘riches for the strongest’, which is the point.

Like a certain Simpsons episode I found amusing, and disturbing, in which Bart’s classmate just happens to be the son of a mafia don, The US is (without outside intervention) just another mafia don that will get devoured by other mafia dons the moment it shows weakness, which is the lesson Bart’s friend learned when he wanted to take up baking. What is the solution? Will it come from a mafia don or from citizens who are okay with belonging to countries that are essentially part of global organized crime?

As for those bedarkened army hawks who bemoan the loss of honor of their miltary, They need to stick to places like Granada and Haiti, where small numbers of opponents and their total defenselessness will ensure that the glory and honor remains with the victorious and mighty invading US armies.

The ‘American Century’ only began 60 years ago. But it seems already to be over, with the disaster of Iraq forcing some of the United States’ ruling elites to realise that its hegemony has been severely weakened. But nobody seems to know what to …