Look inward for cause of American decline

Richard Pratt, Henderson

Thursday, April 10, 2008 | 2:04 a.m.

Ray Harbert, in his Tuesday letter to the editor headlined “Nation has lost its way because of greed,” has hit the nail on the head in pointing out that greed is the core issue in our society today.

He is right on when he observes that nearly every major issue we read or hear about, from the housing market collapse and the Iraq war on the national level, to the budget issues on the state level, to the numerous health and safety issues on the local level, has greed at its core. Even presidential politics are about greed.

I find it curious that we Americans are so obsessed with outside threats to our national security. But history has shown that great empires do not fall because they are defeated by outside threats. They fall from the inside, because of greed. And the American empire will be no different.

I’m not saying that the American empire will collapse anytime soon. But I will say that we have reached the apex of our greatness and are witnessing the beginning of the decline and fall of the American empire. Enjoy the slide.