Game Over for the American Empire?

European Straits #71

Dear all,

Here’s one to lament the continuing fall of the American Empire. In a , I already explained how Donald Trump was marking the end of the “liberal tradition in America”. Now signs abound that support the idea of a sharp cultural and political turn in US (and world) history. Among those are the way immigrants are being treated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the adverse consequences of having a majority of Supreme Court justices now solidly anchored on the right, and older trends such as the spread of firearms and the opioid crisis spiraling out of control.

Trump supporters like to think that the US is more respected now with their new ‘strong’ leader. But respect really isn’t relevant here. It’s almost as if you witness your senile grandparent blindly acting out and doing harm to themselves and others. Respect no longer enters into the equation. Rather you remember what a good person they used to be and you lament their irreversible decline. This is the feeling tha…