If you have a spare 45 to 60 minutes today, read the latest essay over at ejectejecteject.com. The only problem I ever have with Bill’s work is that, well, he goes on for a really, really long time. His skills as an essayist are improving, but growing more wordy at the same time 🙂
The topic of this essay is America’s use of “The God Button”, as well as an overall look at historical use of power, and the maturity of the human race in dealing with it.
A far-ranging essay.
As the de-facto world superpower, will history consider the period of American dominance as a remarkable period of relative peace and prosperity? Historically, dominance of a large area by a single power usually prefaced remarkably violence-free societies at the core.
And, predictably, these periods of prosperity and peace were rudely interrupted by unexpected violence.
Which end of the yardstick of time are we on now? I’m not entirely certain. Is it possible to constrain power, and people, using a democratic society? Are we a self-regulating system that can prevent corruption and a seemingly inevitable failure and revolution?
Well, enough of my ramblings. Go read the essay. He has several hundred comments on his site already regarding it, and my small contributions are lost in the rabble– as well as often wildly disagreeing with what he has to say. And agreeing just as wildly.