Way back in 1972, your publisher and editor heard and listened to a fellow high school student in Colorado give an “original oratory” speech at a speech meet proclaiming the need for a “Pax Americana.”
What’s that? A recreation from the District of Criminals of the Pax Romana, which supposedly established peace and prosperity inside the frontiers of the SPQR – the badly but morally misnamed “Senate and People of Rome.” That is, the Roman Empire.
He also compared it to the Pax Britannica, established by the United Kingdom’s British Empire from about 1815 to 1914.
Today, much of what that young man spoke of has been accomplished: not all, of course. The Soviets are gone, true. And American troops garrison many of the old Soviet Union’s Republics. And most of the former European part of the former “Second World” – the Soviet Bloc. 75 years after Soviet-backed Korean Communists started a war to reunite the peninsula, American troops still “keep the peace” in Korea. American legions garrison more than half of the world’s nations, and somewhat control the high ground: the orbitals. There are many other features that demonstrate that the American Empire is alive. And militarily stronger than ever.
But…
Most of the things the young speaker thought were needed, and would happen? They didn’t.
Of course, the reality? Both the Pax Romana and Pax Britannica supposedly provided peace. But neither did: the entire 300-400 years of the Pax Romana featured frequent wars. Not just on the frontiers, but internally. Vicious internicene wars, revolts, rebellions, coups invasions. Ditto for the Brits’ century: not just colonial wars in Africa, the Middle East, India, and North America, but significant wars in Europe and nearby: The Franco-Prussian, Crimean, the Balkan Wars, and more.
The Pax Americana has featured nearly constant war since (take your pick) 1945 or 1973. Communism didn’t take Europe or all of Asia. But it hasn’t gone away: China, North Korea, and Cuba have survived, Vietnam expanded, Hong Kong was sucked in, and various flavors of Communism are foound today in a half-dozen nations (not counting the Socialist nations including California, New York, New Mexico, etc.). And even nations that were “elements” of the American Empire have gone to war against each other, and have adopted ever more aspects of socialism and authoritarian rule. And we won’t even talk about Nicaragua, South Africa, Zimbabwe, or Burma.
Americans have not walked on Luna for more than 50 years. Russians and Chinese (and a lot of other nations) are up there in orbit. It is only courtesy of private business (even if often FedGov contractors) that American tonnages and satellites dominate the orbitals. And there are (as far as we know) no peace-keeping missiles or warheads up there.
Pretty pathetic, when you get down to it. But still, the FedGov is a colossus striding across the planet. Invading here and there, conducting incursions in dozens of places. Playing games of regime change and trashing societies. But there is no “American Mideast Territory” – just troops backing up Israel and “peacekeeping” in the Sinai and playing stupid games in Syria and Arabia.
But like Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Panama, the Philippines, and elsewhere, the DC regimes have failed to hold the “frontiers” as badly as the Romans did in Germany or Syria and Mesopotamia. As badly as the Brits did in the Raj and Southeast Asia. And Africa.
There is no Pax Americana in reality. Men cry out, “peace, peace,” but there is no peace. And in many places, there is less peace, less tranquility: starting with the big American urban areas but including Europe and Africa. And more.
But as with Rome (and Britain), the FedGov has bankrupted itself. Both fiscally and morally. THe ideals of American liberty have been betrayed. However much lip service they are given. (And will be given extravagantly as we near what we here at TPOL once called Anno Libertatus 250: the 250th year of liberty.)
It is beyond the power of any elected or appointed leader to get the FedGov (and most of our States) out of the incredible trouble we are in. The habits and “benefits” of Empire are too tempting, too valued, to allow the society to strive again for liberty.
It does not, however, have to be that way forever. Or even for the next decade: and no, we are not touting a Libertarian in the White House and in a majority in Congress. It is going to have to happen town by town, county by county, and perhaps State by State.
It takes people who will say (and teach) “Freedom = I Won’t” and not just ignoring but razzing the parasites and tyrants and jack-booted thugs.
If they are, if we are, willing to take the necessary action. Are you? Are we? A question to be answered.
Follower of Christ Jesus (a christian), Pahasapan (resident of the Black Hills), Westerner, Lover of Liberty, Free-Market Anarchist, Engineer, Army Officer, Husband, Father, Historian, Writer, Evangelist. Successor to Lady Susan (Mama Liberty) at TPOL.
The Price of Liberty 
The Empire is going strong
Way back in 1972, your publisher and editor heard and listened to a fellow high school student in Colorado give an “original oratory” speech at a speech meet proclaiming the need for a “Pax Americana.”
What’s that? A recreation from the District of Criminals of the Pax Romana, which supposedly established peace and prosperity inside the frontiers of the SPQR – the badly but morally misnamed “Senate and People of Rome.” That is, the Roman Empire.
He also compared it to the Pax Britannica, established by the United Kingdom’s British Empire from about 1815 to 1914.
Today, much of what that young man spoke of has been accomplished: not all, of course. The Soviets are gone, true. And American troops garrison many of the old Soviet Union’s Republics. And most of the former European part of the former “Second World” – the Soviet Bloc. 75 years after Soviet-backed Korean Communists started a war to reunite the peninsula, American troops still “keep the peace” in Korea. American legions garrison more than half of the world’s nations, and somewhat control the high ground: the orbitals. There are many other features that demonstrate that the American Empire is alive. And militarily stronger than ever.
But…
Most of the things the young speaker thought were needed, and would happen? They didn’t.
Of course, the reality? Both the Pax Romana and Pax Britannica supposedly provided peace. But neither did: the entire 300-400 years of the Pax Romana featured frequent wars. Not just on the frontiers, but internally. Vicious internicene wars, revolts, rebellions, coups invasions. Ditto for the Brits’ century: not just colonial wars in Africa, the Middle East, India, and North America, but significant wars in Europe and nearby: The Franco-Prussian, Crimean, the Balkan Wars, and more.
The Pax Americana has featured nearly constant war since (take your pick) 1945 or 1973. Communism didn’t take Europe or all of Asia. But it hasn’t gone away: China, North Korea, and Cuba have survived, Vietnam expanded, Hong Kong was sucked in, and various flavors of Communism are foound today in a half-dozen nations (not counting the Socialist nations including California, New York, New Mexico, etc.). And even nations that were “elements” of the American Empire have gone to war against each other, and have adopted ever more aspects of socialism and authoritarian rule. And we won’t even talk about Nicaragua, South Africa, Zimbabwe, or Burma.
Americans have not walked on Luna for more than 50 years. Russians and Chinese (and a lot of other nations) are up there in orbit. It is only courtesy of private business (even if often FedGov contractors) that American tonnages and satellites dominate the orbitals. And there are (as far as we know) no peace-keeping missiles or warheads up there.
Pretty pathetic, when you get down to it. But still, the FedGov is a colossus striding across the planet. Invading here and there, conducting incursions in dozens of places. Playing games of regime change and trashing societies. But there is no “American Mideast Territory” – just troops backing up Israel and “peacekeeping” in the Sinai and playing stupid games in Syria and Arabia.
But like Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Panama, the Philippines, and elsewhere, the DC regimes have failed to hold the “frontiers” as badly as the Romans did in Germany or Syria and Mesopotamia. As badly as the Brits did in the Raj and Southeast Asia. And Africa.
There is no Pax Americana in reality. Men cry out, “peace, peace,” but there is no peace. And in many places, there is less peace, less tranquility: starting with the big American urban areas but including Europe and Africa. And more.
But as with Rome (and Britain), the FedGov has bankrupted itself. Both fiscally and morally. THe ideals of American liberty have been betrayed. However much lip service they are given. (And will be given extravagantly as we near what we here at TPOL once called Anno Libertatus 250: the 250th year of liberty.)
It is beyond the power of any elected or appointed leader to get the FedGov (and most of our States) out of the incredible trouble we are in. The habits and “benefits” of Empire are too tempting, too valued, to allow the society to strive again for liberty.
It does not, however, have to be that way forever. Or even for the next decade: and no, we are not touting a Libertarian in the White House and in a majority in Congress. It is going to have to happen town by town, county by county, and perhaps State by State.
It takes people who will say (and teach) “Freedom = I Won’t” and not just ignoring but razzing the parasites and tyrants and jack-booted thugs.
If they are, if we are, willing to take the necessary action. Are you? Are we? A question to be answered.
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About TPOL Nathan
Follower of Christ Jesus (a christian), Pahasapan (resident of the Black Hills), Westerner, Lover of Liberty, Free-Market Anarchist, Engineer, Army Officer, Husband, Father, Historian, Writer, Evangelist. Successor to Lady Susan (Mama Liberty) at TPOL.