The fall of an Empire - WHY?

Some years ago, I have been in Egypt, as a tourist, looking at the sights and leading the good life on a Nile steamer. But there was one question, never asked: why and how did this important civilization wither away. The people living now in this country have absolutely nothing to do with this great civilization.

To find out a bit more of this, I am reading now "The Fall of the Roman Empire" by Peter Heather. This mighty empire, stretching from Scotland to the Arabian Deserts vanished in some years.

And not twenty years ago, the Soviet Union disappeared in some months, like a drop of water on a hot plate. Why did this happen? I do not know really and nobody seems to care, anyway.

And what about us? Here in Europe, we are not living in an empire, the European Union is far from that. But we have certainly a special way of living that now seems to be threatened. Already in 1917, nearly hundred years ago, the German Oswald Spengler published "The Decline of the West", a great and important book and what he wrote 90 years ago still makes sens.

However, though all this looks a bit pessimistic, it is clear that I never led a better life. And lots of people around me are in the same position. So what?

What about a little trip into the near future, let's say into 2084? Could be, people of that time
don't pay taxes anymore, the cars run without petrol, you are living 110 years in excellent health, and it rains only at night, when you are sleeping. Could be however that there are only some wretched survivors of some stupid war struggling through ruins, like in Mad Max.

Interesting times ahead.

Winter is receding

The new barbarians ante portas

These days, the videos of those captured British soldiers can be seen on the tellies, worldwide.
They are eating and puffing cigarettes, the woman changed her battledress against this strange black Muslim cloak, looking like a Sicilian char woman.

Some of those soldiers offer excuses for having crossed the maritime border into Iran and urge Tony Blair to order his troops back.

Everybody knows that a soldier is not a politician. He has to go where his government tells him to go. He is no hero and no martyr, just doing his duty. When captured, he has to give his name and the number of his company and that's it. This is common practice for over hundred years now and has been laid down in the Geneva Convention.

I hate to see what I see on the telly, because those who ordered this kind of display stray away from civilized practice that took centuries to establish. Unfortunately, the Iranian government is by no means alone in throwing away civilized procedures. A government that orders to invade a country like entering a supermarket, just to make a quick buck, is certainly not better.

Here we see the new barbarians squatting on top of the nations who do not know what to do, how to get rid of them. In the West, at least, we can vote them out of office at next elections and I hope the people of the countries concerned will do so. That is our strength right in the middle of this misery.

Millions of people without work in Europe

Hallo Chackavak and everybody who wants to read this - regarding joblessness, people having no work


Unfortunately, no government will be able to change this situation. We are living in the midst of a technical revolution due to the introduction of the computer.

You see it everywhere: 15 years ago, 15 people were needed for job that can be done now by two or three! No new or old government is able to change this! However they are able to talk about it and telling us "sleep tight, we'll arrange this for you, just vote for us".

Unfortunately, this technical revolution is accompanied by a social one: there are people elsewhere ready to do our job for about a tenth of the salary! So, in a nutshell, we Europeans have bad cards, for the moment. Maybe in 20 years the Chinese earn as much as we do, but in the meantime: massive loss of jobs.

Politics seen from high up

Here in France, we have a Presidential election next month. At this occasion, all candidates tell us how they will be able to wash us in depth without making us wet. A real pleasure. One thing is sure, starting from next month, we all will be more affluent, richer, especially the poor and the jobless.

Some years ago, elected politicians told us that everybody will be richer by working less. And it was done, we worked less, no more than 35 hours and as a result some of us became richer in free time. Meaning they lost their job.

Presently, the same people explain us that those who still work too long hours should stop this nonsens and get relaxed. Work 35 hours per week and be happy like all those civil servants who do this already (coffee break, included) .

This evening I had my first coment on this blog. It came from an Iranian blog called Bereftd, never seen before. Thank you, unknown fighter for more rights in this country.

Whenever I look at an Iranian blog, I don't know what to think. A minority is fighting for human rights, democracy and thus for the rule of law. But I feel the vast majority of the people there are deeply immersed in their religion, hundreds of years away from us here in the West.

And naturally, the politicians there - same as here - are thrifty enough to take advantage of this situation. What to say about a politician who is endlessly talking about God? I suppose it's nothing but an opportunistic attitude - maybe they are atheists at heart, who knows. Our politicians talk always about our jobless people and the poor and the measures they would take in case they are voted into office............

Why this blog

These last days, I discovered a great number of interesting blog I was unable to comment without being a blogger. So I created one.

However, for the moment at least, I do not intend to go to great lengths and make big efforts in composing texts. There are so many good blogs and I feel the world will continue happily to turn around without this one.

Why this title

These days, everybody wishes this or that. Though it is never said, we all want to let is happen at no price. For exemple: global warming, yes, let's fight against this danger! But cycling instead of driving? A little car instead of a SUV. Forget it.