from animebytes "idc" forum

  • TreadOnMe [none/use name]
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    edit-2
    2 years ago

    The West is not 'falling'. It and most of it's organizational systems have been widely adopted by most of the world's countries, and likely will be used well into the future. It's just that the Chinese, in-lieu of actually understanding real Western tradition via their incorporation of Marx into their economical canon (even if they do not follow him strictly, he is still there and considered to be an important, if not one of the the most important, thinkers among the leaders of the CPC, have a more modernized and sophisticated understanding of what it means to exist and operate in a globalized capitalist system. Their whole society is based off of exploiting and developing that position, while ours is more than content to degrade and exploit.

    The biggest thing is that the Chinese seem much more aware of what they are doing, while the U.S. has, for the most part, tricked itself into thinking that it really is the good guy, which is why it is running into such a brick wall that incel chuds perceive as 'falling', even though dominate stagnation is usually the response of a 'winner' geopolitically!

    Who do you think Biden and his retinue think of as one of the foundational thinkers of the American national project. Jon Locke? Thomas Jefferson? Maybe, if we are lucky, FDR? Hell, given their political inclinations Strom Thurmond is more likely. Maybe Henry Kissinger? Ancient, mostly irrelevant thinkers, or people with highly specific ideology to their time. No large materialist thinkers, no city builders. The American project has lost vitality, but that is because we are sitting at the top, and that means there is nowhere to go but down.

    Also, this moron knows nothing of the constant wars, chaos and strife suffered by ancient empires. Rarely are there true periods of real political stability longer than 50 or 60 years.

    No investigation, no right to speak.

    • Tankiedesantski [he/him]
      ·
      2 years ago

      I think the West is failing in the sense that living standards are on a downwards trend for the majority and political deadlock will prevent any of the necessary reforms to pull it out of tailspin. The Western economies mostly never recovered from 2008 and the twin shocks of COVID and backfiring sanctions against Russia are bringing the collective West to an inflection point where the rest of the world is no longer scared of it.

      That is not to say that the West can't do a lot of damage on the way down, or cruise for decades on inertia. Kind of like how Tsarist Russia was still able to trade punches with Germany for a couple of years despite being rotten to the core.

    • BynarsAreOk [none/use name]
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      edit-2
      2 years ago

      Who do you think Biden and his retinue think of as one of the foundational thinkers of the American national project. Jon Locke? Thomas Jefferson? Maybe, if we are lucky, FDR? Hell, given their political inclinations Strom Thurmond is more likely. Maybe Henry Kissinger? Ancient, mostly irrelevant thinkers, or people with highly specific ideology to their time. No large materialist thinkers, no city builders.

      I forgot exactly who said it or started it but last year at the start of the war one of the talking points from some people is the realization the difference between Kissinger and the neolibs in charge today is that Kissinger would not be stupid enough to make these mistakes and even double down on them.