America's Failing System

https://www.history.com/news/8-reasons-why-rome-fell

https://crooksandliars.com/2023/02/ohio-bomb-train-spewing-toxic-fumes

Once upon a time, our country was the ‘Wild-Wild West’ type of justice until we became ‘civilized.’ In certain civilizations, such as the Germanic Tribes, they had a ‘weregild’ system, for wrongdoing. The offending party had to pay hefty fines to the ones the offending group had wronged, or they simply just fought it out. As time has gone on in my life, my political views have changed; from non-partisan, liberal, to leftist and now humanitarian. I want justice for those who have been wronged by Norfolk Southern. I think that the only way that our country becomes safer is that there is harsh punishment is levied by the government. If not, I’m a firm believer in ‘citizens justice.’ This is a time when people from different political spectrums can come together to truly defend a part of our country from an evil corporation. Hell, some wealthy people should also want to step in and see this corporation brought to justice, if for no other reason than self-preservation for the future.

When corporations are no longer held to account for their actions, is when citizens get desperate and search for other methods for justice. Unfortunately, for Norfolk Southern, many citizens in the area are already having health conditions from the exposure to toxins (same ones that killed tens of thousands of fish and polluted the river which provides drinking water). Overall, it is safer for everyone to have the corporations held to account, because when people lose faith in the laws and the government, this is when violence becomes the law. This is not the first toxic train derailment in recent history either, there was another major one in NY area a few weeks back.

Something that has been in my mind is that the US empire is falling. No one wants that. Yet the rich/mega-rich keep in their bubbles and ignore what is going on in our country and then seem surprised by mass riots/protests/violence and Jan 6th. I think that if people weren’t so desperate, that our country could survive longer. The wealthy in every previous empire to ours always though that they were going to be the special one that didn’t fall. Even the Roman Empire fell in the end, the US is simply getting to the end point much faster. There are differing reasons at times why empires fall, but we are sharing many of the same similarities. These are; over-extending our forces/military, greed from the wealthy/lack of funds into social programs that reward hard work, and divides among the people. For the over-extending our forces/military, we keep bombing the shit out of other countries and getting involved in wars to feed our military industrial complex (something that Eisenhower, a Republican, warned against). This leaves our country vulnerable to domestic terrorism events like the Norfolk Southern one. The media can’t classify it as one for reasons, but I think anytime a large number of people are poisoned by a corporation classifies as terrorism. It is no less deadly if it comes from an organization within our borders.

Greed is the next big one. At the height of the Roman Empire, there was much innovation. They even had ancient drive-thru’s. They had complex, working water systems, education system, public baths, sewers, forums for discussion and roman engineers were much sought after (and some of their roads are still intact). The wealthy, however, started to stop funding these public programs and innovations that helped everyone and so the other classes stopped funding them after a while, as they grew resentful of having to shoulder a larger burden of paying the share of the wealthy. Over centuries (along with invasions and an empire that was spread too thinly, amongst other factors) the empire went into a slow decline, with the full collapse coming at Constantinople.

Coming from a moderately wealthy family on my dad’s side, I was in the circles of some wealthier families growing up. I’m also an investor, but will be cashing in soon, so that I can help me community grow to be healthy. Money isn’t worth anything if we are not going to use it to improve everyone’s lives. If humanity is to survive, we will need everyone, and a strong support system to survive. Not taking care of those less fortunate and providing opportunities for people to care for their families will lead to desperation and violence, much of which will be centered at the rich.