The
Roman empire lasted for about 500 years, give or take. But all in all, the time when
Roman society was flourishing and making a lasting impact on the world was about 75
BCE to 425
CE. Don't
crucify me over the dates - it is an estimation of how long
Roman society was a force to be reckoned with.
Now, to our own history. Western society began arguably around 1700 CE, with The Renaissance and The Enlightenment. Before that, the world was fundementally different. It was at this time we began to develop the ideals which shape our lives today. We're more mature, now, than we were then, but all in total we could empathize with the people of that time. Just two centuries previous that would have been much more difficult. Almost at once, everyone in the world began to the conform to ideals set by England, France, Germany, and other European nations. Soon, though, America would come to symbolize all that was modern and good about our society.
Ok, so where I am going with this? Many "doomsday" soothsayers use the pseudolatin term "Pax Americana" ("American peace", and an offshot from the officially recognized period in Roman history named Pax Romana, meaning much the same thing for the Roman empire) to refer to the supposed "heyday" of America, which according to some must be coming to end. Basically, they're saying that we've had our moment in sun -- nations come and go, empires rise and fall. "Sure," you might say, "yeah right." But really, what human society as powerful as the western world -- which arguably is on the same track as America economy-wise and politics-wise -- has survived for more than 500 years, or so?
So, continuing to play Devil's Advocate, who's to say we aren't living in the peak of western society? I mean, what roman citizen, living around 150 CE, could have forseen the eventual breakdown of his homeland and governmental system in less than a few decades? Who's to say that we aren't destined to endure the same fate around 2200, when our nation's 500-year cycle is up?
Historians argue often over what really caused the fall of Rome. Some say it was economic decay, some say it was restless Germanic hoardes, some say is was farmland becoming barren. Still others say it was collective lead poisoning, contracted from the aqueducts lined with lead. So perhaps global warming will, in the end, destroy our decadent society. Perhaps it will be nuclear fallout. Maybe it will be some natural disaster. I guess you could say the odds are against any endeavour so large as a society surviving all the obstacles it must face, for that long.
So, essentially, enjoy it while you can, folks. You never know when it's going to end.
This has been a nodeshell rescue by xmatt.