The golden age

Submitted by Ianus (Poland), Feb 10, 2012 at 05:21

Dear Peter Herz , you wrote :

>Well, the Roman peace (and those imposed by the Han, Tang, and other major dynasties of China) all end with a great collapse and fragmentation.<

All things are in flux, aren't they?Yet, I don't think that a failure can be a conclusive argument against the idea of Roman peace which is in all respects preferable to barbarian wars that both precede and follow it. Later generations that looked back at those few centuries of peace and security,especially under Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, considered them the golden age in mankind's history , trying hard to revive the Roman idea and thus the Roman peace. Similarly, the generation that had lived through the nightmare of 1914-1918 considered the decades before it simply "la belle époque". Maybe one day we will also dream of the years between 1945-1991 as of our version of 'la belle époque" ?

> As for the Scandinavian (and other European social democratic peace), the economic base on which they rest is unraveling as badly as my own country's, and, worse, they've been on defense welfare for a while. Further, while I hate sounding "racist" (an albatross about my country's neck), I also note that Malmo, Sweden, has become the rape capital of Europe due to Muslim immigration.

And still the 'peacetime' murder rate in post-apartheid South Africa (c.59 per 100000 compared to 6 per 100 000 in the US) breaks all records. Anyway, "... due to Muslim immigration" is by all means worth stressing as it does show who the real culprit is and where the root of evil lies.

> Hence, I fear that I go into old age in the proverbially "interesting times".<

I share your fears,alas.

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