Since the publication of The Decline of the West in 1918, Oswald Spengler’s theories of civilizational decline have never truly gone out of fashion. War, Plague, Death and Conquest: no civilizational end of cycle is without its godly scourges. Kingdoms rise and fall, and all is overturned. The Classical Civilization’s crisis had its civil wars, its Justinian Plague, its Attila, and its Goths. The Faustian has had, and will keep having, its own Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
A great primer on changing conditions in the relationship between European nations and associated shifts in applied values, especially for me coming from great ignorance. Ihad to read this twice to appreciate the nuances and references in your writing, as I believe most would take two or three sentences to say what you have in one.
Your point on excessive saber rattling makes sense but recent talk on the USA rushing to the defense of Taiwan and Ukraine has me wondering if the bloodlust for war won’t win out in the end. But as your Spengler opening suggests we are only at the beginning of what will likely be increasingly instability and decline
Spenglerian moments, borders, and the rise and fall of kingdoms
A great primer on changing conditions in the relationship between European nations and associated shifts in applied values, especially for me coming from great ignorance. Ihad to read this twice to appreciate the nuances and references in your writing, as I believe most would take two or three sentences to say what you have in one.
Your point on excessive saber rattling makes sense but recent talk on the USA rushing to the defense of Taiwan and Ukraine has me wondering if the bloodlust for war won’t win out in the end. But as your Spengler opening suggests we are only at the beginning of what will likely be increasingly instability and decline