Dear Editor:

Is America on its' way to oblivion? What has happened to us? We once were a proud nation of "let's get things done. Period." No Mickey Mouse politics to muck up a good intention. Why do you (we) keep on voting for ego-centric politicians who walk around like gods?Yet, to hear the senators and congressmen speak, one would think that all our problems are the result of The Republicans and Bush's mismanagement or the meaningless rhetoric of Pres. Obama and the Democrats. What ever happened to lead by example? Why haven't we heard of the sacrifices they make? Why are they exempt from Obamacare? What medical coverage do they have? Why do they give lip-service to the really important issues? Why do they allow lobbyists to control them?Perhaps a look at history may enlighten us. The great civilizations didn't come crashing down with a loud thud! Instead they whimpered and were defeated from within. Not by guns (sorry about that NRA) but by the citizens who stood idly by, afraid or indifferent to their neighbor's misfortunes. Get involved! Good God man, that means they would have to think for themselves when it's much easier to be told how to think! And yet we marvel over the temples and palaces they built but never ask what became of the Macedonians? The Greeks? The Romans? The French (yes, the French!), The British? Have you noticed that the great civilizations all moved Westward?That is the observation of the great historian Arnold Thornby! Following this logic, what civilization is next to collapse? (Duh! Even Homer Simpson knows)Could it be America?Isn't it odd that the great civilizations began with a war? Remember Alexander the Great ? Julius Caesar? Napoleon? The British Kings? George Washington and our founding fathers? What differs our history from the others was we had no desire to conquer a people, to destroy their culture or to enslave them but to create a truly free nation. They all had a noble beginning......remember Socrates, Plato, Pythagoras? All great thinkers but only great because they had the freedom to voice their opinions. The Romans gave mankind the Senate and the poison tasters, a short lived career change! Seriously, the Romans developed the attitude, "I am a Roman. I am better than you. I will pay someone else to do my military commitment."And by the time they woke up their civilization was no more. Pretty much the same scenario for Napoleon. (go see Les Miserables") The people had enough oppression and were forced by destiny to boot the French kings and then to boot Napoleon.Then the British come along.....my king can whip your king..la-te-da. But eventually they did develop the House of Commons and verbal debate rather than who had the most money to raise an army? No more money to be had? "We'll just have to get some of that gold in the Holy Lands......and give God the headache!"Next on the Thornby tour: America. Forget the nobility, call a spade a spade.Gold was the goal. Discovering a new land was mere coincidence. Again war makes itself seen. Fortunately there wasn't an established civilization to conquer just lots and lots of land (we'll discuss the screwing of the American Indians in a future rambling). After acknowledging the military conflicts, how did we finally get free from England? Recall the song, "Money, money, money makes the world go around"?Economics is the true ruler of mankind. Perhaps we only have one foot out of the jungle. So, again, Mr. Thornby points out, follow the money!What the heck, how much money do we give in foreign aid? How many billions do we give to countries that would turn on us like a vulture on a warm carcass?Not counting the weapons of war. Here, too, we dismissed President Eisenhower's warning, "beware of the military- industrial complex!" To quote the godfather, "It's nothing personal, strictly business!" What with all the recent shootings I never heard a word about how much profit is being made by the gun manufacturers!I guess it's just like the government ignoring the price of fuel in figuring the cost of living. Why doesn't a (singular) member of Congress go shopping and try to live on a limited income? Guess they don't mind paying a buck and half for a smaller size can of soup or seven bucks a pound for cheese. So, wake up America and look Eastward and learn from history that you can a beat a man down and he will tolerate it BUT if he can't feed his family you will have an angry man on your hands. Gee, didn't Stalin and Hitler get the masses all worked up by exploiting and twisting history? Read the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx. Wonderfully written and the transition from historical fact to the violent overthrow is ever so subtle that one must give credence to the written word.Bye the bye, have you figured out which civilization is West of the United States? If not, then burn your high school diploma and shame on your teachers.Joseph P. KubertHometown