Do Not Ask For Whom The Bell Tolls….
“What can oppose the decline of the west is not a resurrected culture but the utopia that is silently contained in the image of its decline.”
—
This is a very fascinating video with Eric Kline, re: the decline and collapse of eastern Mediterranean civilization between 1220 and 1170 BC. The video was recorded in 2016, and he asked than that you compare what was going on then with what happened in 2016. It is also a good idea to apply that to what is going on now in 2020.
He makes some very good points about how and why a thriving civilization in the eastern Mediterranean collapsed in the 12th century BCE, including what foreshadowed its collapse and why. Also, note that he does not point to just one event or cause factor as The Cause of The Collapse. He indicates clearly that there were several causes for it, which, when put together, made it happen.
It’s a shade over 1 hour of your precious time, and it is very, very relevant to today’s world, even though the video is four years old. The way Dr. Kline describes the peak period of the Mediterranean cultures in every way parallels the world as it is now.
It is very much worth your time as there are some distinct parallels to the world we are living in now. So pop some popcorn, get some snacks and cold drinks, and settle in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRcu-ysocX4
Category: America, China, COVID-19, Economy, Foreign Policy
Cool. Interesting AND educational…and scary as all hell too. Nikita was correct when he said, “We’ll bury you…and never fire a shot.” The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Wilbur Smith wrote one of his Archeological/Historical tomes on this subject set in Africa called The Sunbird. That one became a case of what’s wrong with keeping your enemies closer.
Tanks!… I think.
The parallels between what happened in the eastern Mediterranean civilizations 3300 to 4,000 years ago were what got my attention. It Dr. Cline’s narrative mirrored antiquity with what is going on right now.
Extremely scary stuff. I’m taking it as a warning: assume anything!
Thanks for the feedback, 5th/77th.
I blame Trump.
Folks have been predicting the doom of America for over 200 years
Horsefeathers.
Our best days are ahead, not behind. There may be some rough patches on the road ahead, but we can and will get past them.
Doomed? Poppycock.
Very interesting.
I was familiar with most of it, with the exception of the lack of evidence for sickness as being a major driver of the Late Bronze Age collapse. I am sure at some point the archeological evidence will be found. It is hard to imagine drought and famine without their companion.
However, I disagree we are on the brink of a similar collapse. Today’s technologies allow for much more expansive supply networks that would step in to cover any regional shortages. National collapse is always possible, but a civilizational collapse? Highly unlikely, short of a large asteroid impact or a mega volcano explosion/eruption.
Also, I didn’t know the Thera explosion had been pushed back to the 1600s BCE. Obviously Minoan Crete survived the eruption.