Nation vs Empire:
Irreconcilable incompatibilities within the MAGA movement.
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42 sats \ 2 replies \ @charonnakamoto 11 Jan
This was a good read, especially the parallels with the decline of the Roman and Ottoman empires. I also like the distinction between ‘America, the empire’, and ‘America, the nation, and its people’.
The US avoided a civil war in 2024 by inches(from DJT's skull), but the author seems to contend that it was merely postponed. Tech MAGA vs. Non-Tech MAGA will be interesting to watch, especially because of Elon’s influence.
It's inevitable that history rhymes, and the decline of America is almost a certainty(as did the Dutch and British before, and the Romans and the Ottomans way before). The million-dollar question is how peaceful that transition will be.
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @398ja OP 11 Jan
I also like the distinction between Nation and Empire. For us outside the US, we love the Nation and loathe the Empire.
On another note, it seems the US - and by extension the Western world - cannot compete economically on a global scale without the import of cheap docile labour, which I suspect is what the H1-B/immigration issue is fundamentally about: short-term profits for the rich, at the expense of the plebs, and the long term stability and viability of the country.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @charonnakamoto 11 Jan
I don't want to frame this in a victim-oppressor mindset, as though the people are being victimized. I think the people who apply for H1-B visas choose to do so based on their options. They're forgoing the opportunity cost of their time and energy for this(and the issues that come as immigrants), so they must be getting significant value out of this on the margins.
It's because of the currency arbitrage opportunities they have on earning on the world reserve currency. Once the US dollar declines, currency arbitrage will no longer be valid, and H1B visas will not be in demand.
However, the decline of the US dollar is not on the short-term horizon unless the US takes action that leads to hyperinflationary outcomes, such as war or a default on treasuries.
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