Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The New Dark Age

Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that low'r'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.

-Richard III Act 1, Scene 1, William Shakespeare

Richard's reign was arguably invalid. He was installed unto the throne by something that might be compared to a modern day "Public Relations Blitz". Perhaps nothing more than a usurper.

The young princes left by the previous king, Richard's brother Edward IV, conveniently disappeared. The rumor has long been that Richard either killed his nephews, or had them killed to protect his claim to the throne.

When King Richard The Third (the last English King to die in battle) died at the hands of a rebel army during the Battle Of Bosworth Field, the Middle Ages came to an end in England.

The Early Middle Ages (The Dark Ages), High Middle Ages, and Late Middle Ages run together. Scholars wrangle over exactly when the periods started, or ended, and what characterized what part of which period.

But to the people who lived it, I really don't think it mattered to them. Living in that benighted time was hell.

The Dark Ages began following the collapse of The Empire Of Rome. Rome's decline is often cited as having begun when she went from being a Republic to an Empire.

Rome didn't just disappear over night. It was a long period of contraction where governmental financial mismanagement, and burdensome military commitments and expenditures outstripped the ability of the Roman citizens and subjects to fund. Inflation took hold as the government simply created money to fund its obligations. As a result, Roman coin lost favor and trade and industry faltered compounding Rome's financial woes.

Regions that had chaffed for centuries beneath Roman rule were quick to exploit Rome's weaknesses. Competing ethnic, religious (Islam), and regional factions started scrambling for control as Rome's ability to project it's military force and will shrank. Eventually Rome was invaded, at different times, by the Gauls, Visigoths, Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Arabs (Moors).

The Dark Ages were a period characterized by relentless war, conquests, and reconquests, displaced populations, starvation, disease, brutal violence, rape and pillage. Urban centers all but disappeared, and most trappings of a civil society vanished from the face of Europe. Gangs roamed the countryside subjecting the common folk to unspeakable acts.

The story of Rome, although greatly simplified, sounds all too familiar doesn't it? The story of the end of Pax Americana sounds just like the end of Pax Romana. It seems many of the same players are getting ready to take the stage again too.

I think what we may see may make me wish for a one way ticket to the Early Middle Ages.

Instead of an empire that straddled parts of three continents, this is one that straddles the globe. The Arabs (Muslims) didn't have nukes, bio weapons, or the ability to travel the globe in mere hours.

High tech can be a bitch.

The fall is going to be a hard one. Maybe it is too late for us to stop the collapse. Maybe it would be a bad idea to stop it. I don't know.

I do know that we who see what is ahead must not allow ourselves to get burned out, or distracted. We can not just plain give up. Lately, I've been feeling like doing what some other bloggers have decided to do. Pack it up, take my marbles and walk off the field.

That's what they want. To win by intimidation and attrition. Don't let them get to you.

And to those who think maybe I've been avoiding you, I apologize.

I have decided that I'm in it for the long haul. Eric Holder can proclaim me a terrorist. The Centurians can come for me at the behest of Obama, First Moor Emperor Of Empire America.

I don't care.

Somewhere out there in the wheat fields of the Great Prairie, the woods of the Pacific Northwest, the fields of The South, and all the places in between there is a Charlamagne, a George Washington, and a future for us all.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for anyone to ride to the rescue. I just know that there has to be a person people can rally around. Someone like Ron Paul.

All those famous people in the history books? They didn't get there by themselves. Thousands of people put them there. They sometimes wrote those pages with their very blood and bound those books with their own sinew.

I know my father helped write the pages with his blood. His blood, and the blood of his friends and fellow soldiers. When I drive by a National Cemetery, I look at those ranks of stones.

Thousands of them.

Each of them a silent challenge to all of us who call themselves an "American".

Each one marks the final resting place of a hero. Each one of those people who rest there have handed us a responsibility to see this nation, as embodied by the Constitution and Bill Of Rights, continues. They believed in this land and her people, and we can do no less.

You know when I realized how seriously wrong things had gone in this country? It was when Clinton was busted for selling spaces at Arlington for campaign contributions.

My father was eligible for burial at Arlington. He told us before he died that he didn't want to be buried there. He said there were men far more worthy of the honor than he. Men that never came home, and lay in places that their families would never know.

Clinton's actions were a personal affront to me, and many others. He, and the others like him, have yet to answer for their misdeeds.

And the honored dead call to us to set things right.

We need to prepare ourselves to be one in a force of many when a leader arises among us. And even if we are forced to take the field alone, and outnumbered, we should do so. Honor, and personal courage is how good vanquishes evil.

I just find one thing ironic.

Instead of a usurper heralding the end of a Dark Age, we have a usurper heralding the beginning of one.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe it won't be so "Dark" if we follow the Foundation premise (Asimov? Clarke?).
YeOldFurt

Catman said...

YOF,

I think you have far more faith in humanity than I.

Who will be the "Foundations" as envisioned by Asimov? When I look at this nation, and see the distrust, suspicion, and outright hatred fostered by the people in power and their minions in the various branches of the state controlled media, how can we even put the Foundations together here in our own land for our own preservation, not to mention the world.

From your lips to God's ear, buddy. For everyone's sake.

HermitJim said...

I'm totally astounded daily by the seemingly uncaring attitude of the general populace! Still taking so much pleasure in the mundane and the silly...still spending and consuming instead of saving...still buying into the media image of what we should be!

Good Lord, what is it going to take to convince these people that things are NOT OK, and recovery of the system is a mere pipe dream!

Good post, buddy!

ErinAndBrad said...

I have to agree with all of the comments and they are better written than I could have.

I have decides as well that I am in it for the long haul and will fight to leave my children with something - at least knowing that their folks did not just sit idly watching the TV while their future was being destroyed.

We are living it now - this is it and it is people Yaweh God and you Cat and Fel and all the other patriots and preppers out there that give me the hope, the fortitude and the strength not to give up or give in.

Bless You All!

Humble wife said...

Excellent as it is sad. My father also was to be buried in Arlington and my mother requested that he be buried at Fort Benning, because she was pregnant, had 5 children 5 and under and did not feel that she could do the trip.

I too was disgusted by Prostitute Clinton's term for all he did like that.

My only strength and hope is others that see the truth. I pray that we all figure out that at some point we may need to have some gathering places when time get really bad.

Take care Catman
Jen