The American Empire is over.

[elocs]

Richard Wolff

&t=2038s

All world empires have eventually come to an end, some better than others.
Our sin in America has been one of national pride, hubris in that we could never anticipate or believe that our empire could ever end because that only happened to lesser nations who were not as great as we are. And yet, here we are.
Even if we recover from what Trump has done to us, the United States will never be the same again.

[FarPoint]

1. I do not agree

I will not surrender.... Let's focus on winning back our losses.... Yes, it will take time to regain trust....We will do this and more...

[wordstroken]

2. Agree 100 percent, FarPoint. We can't cave. Got to keep fighting for as long as it takes. Whatever it takes.

[Initech]

3. If not we invent time travel and stop the rise of Limbaugh and Reagan!

[FarPoint]

4. I can't find anything current or relevant with your recommendation...

Maybe you are trying to say Legacy News Media "entertainment" needs new journalistic parameters.... I agree with that.... I see online media sources taking over more and more each week....successful with factual broadcasting....

[Initech]

5. The propaganda started with Rush Limbaugh and Jimmy Swaggart.

Last edited Mon Apr 28, 2025, 01:15 PM - Edit history (1)

Nearly all of our current problems can be traced back to the rise of Rush Limbaugh, Swaggart, Limbaughism and the Reagan GOP. Reagan eliminated the Fairness Doctrine and Fox News was born out of that.

[FarPoint]

6. Yes...

I agree...these folks laid the ground work....

[mitch96]

8. It looks like they were playing the long game...nt

[choie]

26. The seeds of our demise

resulted from our failing to hold the secessionists in the south accountable for the Civil War which the begat myth of the Lost Cause and subsequent alternate realities.

[Sky Jewels]

13. I'd also go back in time and secretly sterilize the grandfathers of

George H.W. Bush and Trump. That way we don't get that Nazi sympathizer/coup plotter Prescott Bush, let alone H.W. and Dubya and Jeb, et al. And we'd snuff out the Drumpf/Trump Nazi line.

[mitch96]

7. I can see countries that are close to Canada that have warm winters, will profiting from this..

It will be interesting to see what happens to Hollywood Beach Florida. A HUGE seasonal French Canadian
migration. Will the Toronto Blue Jays stop coming to west central Florida?
m

[elocs]

10. There are a number of YouTube videos about states that might want to join Canada,

all of which at least having a geographic connection to Canada, others also having a cultural connection. A number of these states also have a dependence on Canada for their energy needs.
But for sure, the US tourism industry will be hurt by Canadians choosing to stay home or at least not visit the US this summer or next winter.

[mitch96]

9. When the shelf become bare, maga will understand tfg's folly..Hopefully they will vote him out soon..

Hello my congressman? Impeach him
Hello my senator? Impeach him
Hello my supreme court?...........
m

[elocs]

11. Well, Trump can't be voted in or out again & impeachment w/o conviction is unsatisfying.

He was already impeached twice a in his first term but not convicted.

I wonder...has anyone written an alternate universe novel with the election of Hillary in '16 as the subject? What a different world it would be now had that happened.

[0rganism]

16. The alternate universe fiction exists, albeit centuries into the future: it's called Star Trek

Unfortunately, we're on a different path now.

[misanthrope]

19. Well, that alternative history

Also had the Eugenics Wars in the 1990s and World War III began in 2026. It only became what it was because they developed complete mastery over both general and special relativity.

[elocs]

20. My alternative history would have been one where Hillary Clinton beat Trump and

all the changes that would have brought us. But that Trump was elected twice by Americans is one of the big reasons that the other free nations of the world do not trust us because they know we could elect another like Trump after he is gone, if he goes, that is.

[misanthrope]

22. My alternative history

would have Ronald Reagan impeached and removed from office for Iran-Contra, then Donald Trump arrested for pedophilia in the 1990s after his Jeffrey Epstein involvement.

[0rganism]

21. Fair point, perhaps those wars are inevitable regardless of leadership

But it did give us Ricardo Montalban's greatest screen performance

[thought crime]

35. Star Wreck

With Trump starring as "The Alien".

[0rganism]

15. Far too little, much too late.

By this time next year, we won't even recognize our country. F47's crew is engaged in a complete demolition, a thorough rape, pillage, and plunder. They're playing it right, too: by thoroughly demolishing our legal system and upending our way of life the assholes protect themselves from legal consequences. The focus needs to be as much on rebuilding something better a it is on disabling individual saboteurs who've already done much of their work.

[misanthrope]

18. Sadly, that is the only thing they will care about

It has to hurt them for it to move their needle. All of it is an offshoot of this nation's worship of materialism and selfishness.

The U.S. is the blade humanity is using to slit its own throat.

[flashman13]

12. I can't argue with his financial analysis, but his take on the Ukrainian situation is bullshit.

[FakeNoose]

14. Sorry I'm not listening to this, nor will I recommend it

This guy is full of shit. The complicit right-wing media is 100% to blame for where we are now. Chump is 100% to blame for the rotten, corrupt politics of his administration, BUT the media got him into the White House TWICE!

I'm not going to listen to this guy deflecting it on the American people... like it's "our own fault."

[Mosby]

17. Richard Wolff is a Marxist and founding member of the Green Party.

Nt

[elocs]

25. Confession: I don't like Richard Wolff, at all. He's such a constant harbinger of doom,

but that would seem to fit right in with most of the OPs here at DU which only very rarely offer any hope at all.

[thought crime]

36. If you haven't noticed, this IS doom.

[elocs]

37. Unless the doom comes from an enemy, it should offer at least the possibility of hope.

Because without even the possibility of hope we must admit that Trump is smarter than we are and that we may as well give up now.

[SunImp]

23. As long as there are people righteously resisting it's not over

[elocs]

24. Resisting or not, all empires end. It's only a matter of how they end & what comes after. n/t

[ariadne0614]

27. Does America really need to be an "empire"?

Can’t we just settle for being the “shining city on the hill”? How about a beacon of freedom and democracy? It seems to me that empire-building has created more problems than it’s worth.

[elocs]

30. America has been more of a pseudo empire compared to the traditional definition.

We don't control lots of territories, be we have exerted power in the world both militarily and economic power. We don't need to be considered an empire. Great Britain once was mostly before WWII and they're doing ok. But given that 40% of the nation are maga supporters (Republicans today overwhelmingly self identify as being maga) I highly doubt we will ever be considered a shining city on the hill because most of the rest of the free world nations no longer trust us. They understand that Trump and maga can lose power and control over the US, but there is an electorate here that is more than willing to elect another Trump so it could happen here again because they play the long game while too many Democrats have a tendency to be complacent and over confident when they need to be vigilant.

[ariadne0614]

32. Yes, that's how I see it too.

But we can dream, no?

[elocs]

33. Nightmares are dreams too. What we have now is a nightmare for me.

At age 72, the only income I have is from Social Security. It's not much, but without it I will eventually be homeless. I had faith and trust in America that SS would always be there. Once that trust is gone, it's hard to get back.
The free nations of the world once had faith and trust in the United States, but that's gone now and will be hard for them to regain.

[ariadne0614]

34. For whatever it's worth,

. . .I’ll be 77 in July, and (aside from a minuscule pension) SS is my only income as well. Collectively and individually, every choice we make will move the story. Pretty scary, huh? We live in interesting times.

[harumph]

28. Richard Wolff - look him up - Russia apologist.

Sophisticated propagandist. Not a reliable or good guy.
Fuck this guy. I see through his smarmy condescending bullshit. And no, I don't give a shit about
his academic credentials.

[choie]

39. Richard Wolff

is not a Russian apologist.

[k_buddy762]

29. I'm so sick and tired of all this

doom propaganda, doom scrolling, end-of-the-world nonsense. Either stand up and fight or move the hell out of the way. This constant drip of anxiety-provoking, mental-health-destroying, morale-killing, over-the-top clickbait trash is getting old indeed.

[elocs]

31. The doom does get old, but I think the American "empire" is over.

Great Britain once was an empire and they're a decent enough nation. But we have too many millions of Magas in our midst and more likely will be a second world nation with nukes. The rest of the free world nations have learned they can just move on from us, so quickly has our collapse been, and they no longer trust us.

"Constant drip of anxiety-provoking, mental-health-destroying, morale-killing, over-the-top clickbait trash is getting old indeed." Then why are you here because it's rare that there is ever any good news to read?

[k_buddy762]

40. Yes, I am learning that!

""Constant drip of anxiety-provoking, mental-health-destroying, morale-killing, over-the-top clickbait trash is getting old indeed." Then why are you here because it's rare that there is ever any good news to read?"

I am definitely learning that there are a lot of "glass is half empty" types here. Meanwhile, every day the sunshine hits my face and my family thrives is the most glorious, best day ever for me, and I sure to have a lot of those!!!!

[elocs]

41. Reading DU is like continually poking that sore spot in my mouth with my tongue. Why do I do that?

One thing that the continual hell going on in America has given me is appreciation for what I have now knowing that one day I may lose it all. I take nothing good for granted anymore.
I've lived in an old trailer for 34 years now but for me it's a memory palace. The place where my daughter grew up. Sitting in my living room I can see her opening her presents by the tree on her first Christmas. Her bedroom still has the Winnie the Pooh stickers on the wall.

For years I took for granted that my Social Security check would be deposited each month, assured it would always come. No more. Now I anxiously wait for it and when it does come I begin my worrying that I will get it the next month. No check, eventually no home.
At age 72 I'm looking to go back to work, knowing that when I get a job and we go into a depression I'll likely lose the job. Now I plan on how will I live when I become homeless, what I can take living in my van, then what I will have when that goes.

But for the moment I am content and can get distracted but at night when I try to sleep my mind starts cranking with worries. Welcome to the new America.

[k_buddy762]

42. I'll be retired in two years

and will spend the rest of my life outdoors as much as possible doing the things I have loved doing my entire life. I won't look back, even for a second. I try to enjoy each day I am given as though it were my last. Very few things bother me anymore. The less time I spend online, the healthier I am. My goal is to own a bit of land far from the reaches of any cell network. I want to be completely departed from society and its insanity. Life will be good in the mountains!

[Bonx]

38. Not again! Seems to happen about once a month or so.