Title Explanation

It may be necessary to explain the title of this blog briefly. I have been thinking for many years about the misconceptions that many Americans have toward the history of their country, especially regarding the economic advantage that they have enjoyed in the last century. My impression is that many Americans attribute the boom years of 1945- as some sort of reward for a virtue that is found only in the U.S. population

However the truth is that much of the accumulation of wealth that characterized the last half of the 20th century was due to historical accident more than to any status that we have enjoyed as "chosen" or destined to lead.

Each great civilization lives and dies like any organism. It is born, it grows and develops, it flourishes, dominates, declines and eventually succumbs to an illness or some other attack.

I think it was Arnold Toynbee who said that of all the world's civilizations, most have died and the progression has been the same: from slavery to great faith; from faith to courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to apathy; from apathy to dependence and from dependence back into slavery.

Can you guess which phase the U.S. is in right now?