Description
Book SynopsisThe political theorist and author of After Progress examines the future of U.S. dominance on the world stage in this persuasive and provocative book.
The decline and fall of America''s global empire is the central feature of today''s geopolitical landscape. How we respond to this reality will determine much of our future trajectory, with implications that reach far beyond the limits of one nation''s borders. In Decline and Fall, John Michael Greer examines the path we're on and presents a persuasive challenge to the conventional wisdom of empire.
Rather than asking if today''s American empire should survive, Greer asks whether it canand goes on to demonstrate that the answer is no. After exploring the inevitable consequences of imperial collapse, Decline and Fall proposes a renewal of democratic institutions as the only constructive way forward.
Trade ReviewJune 2014 - UTNE Magazine Shedding new light on the misunderstood idea of empire and the costs of imperial overstretch, Greer shows how the US has backed itself into a corner in the pursuit of political and economic power and explores the inevitable consequences of imperial collapse. June 2014 - Review, Resilience.org, Mary Wildfire... there is much food for thought in this book, which brings together the realities of oil depletion and the other elements of the impending age of limits with the evidence that America's empire is in decline. Greer's work is nothing short of brilliant.---Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow, Post-Carbon Institute, and author, The Party's Over and The End of Growth When we find ourselves falling off the lofty peak of infinite progress, our civilization's mythology predisposes our imaginations to bypass reality altogether, and to roll straight for the equally profound abyss of the Apocalypse. Greer breaks this spell, and instead offers us a view on our deindustrial future that is both carefully reasoned and grounded in spirituality. --Dmitry Orlov, author, Reinventing Collapse and The Five Stages of Collapse The enormous virtue of John Michael Greer's work is that his wisdom is never conventional, but profound and imaginative.--Sharon Astyk, author, Depletion and Abundance and Independence Days John Michael Greer writes with unsurpassed clarity about the predicaments of energy and economy mankind faces. And he does it with a wonderfully kind, genial, and wise spirit. --James Howard Kunstler, author, The Long Emergency and The World Made by Hand novels The enormous virtue of John Michael Greer's work is that his wisdom is never conventional, but profound and imaginative. --Sharon Astyk, author, Depletion and Abundance and Independence Days, Greer ... offers us not only an excellent read, but tangible tools for navigating the transition. --Carolyn Baker, author, Speaking Truth to Power
Table of Contents Prologue: Understanding Empire
Part One: The Course Of Empire
1. Origins of American Empire
2. The Struggle Over Empire
3. America at Zenith
Part Two: The Widening Gyre
4. The Failure of Politics
5. The Economic Unraveling
6. The Specter of Defeat
7. The Consequences of Collapse
Part Three: A Republic, If You Can Keep It
8. The Future of Democracy
9. Reinventing Society
10. Facing a Hard Future
Afterword: A Choice of Tomorrows
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
