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THE COMING DARK AGE
Newsletter
July, 2004
1. INTRODUCTION
This month's newsletter contains some observations on the work of Oswald Spengler and the changing character of
the American presidency.
Past editions of the newsletter are at the following address: http://www.darkage.fsnet.co.uk/Newsletter.htm I welcome
all comments, suggestions and contributions, especially the latter. Please forward this newsletter to anyone you
think might be interested. Marc Widdowson
2. THE AGE OF CAESARISM
In his book 'Decline of the West' (German: Untergang des Abendlandes), Oswald Spengler suggested that civilisations
go through four 'seasons' like the seasons of the year. They start in spring, with vigour and the seeds of greatness.
They flourish in summer. In autumn they ripen, and in some ways this is their best time even though decay is already
setting in. Finally, in winter they become skeletal, cold and spiritless - Spengler had in mind the mechanistic
industrial civilisation that had taken shape during his lifetime (he was writing around the time of the first world
war).
Spengler also wrote of 'the age of caesarism', which he believed European civilisation was entering at the beginning
of the twentieth century. His model was Roman civilisation and the way that, around the time of Christ, the Roman
republic had given way to the era of absolutist emperors. First there was Julius Caesar, who became too powerful
as a result of his military victories, and was accused of having the ambition of turning the Roman empire into
his personal property. He was stopped in his tracks when he was assassinated by a group of senators - including
Julius Caesar's friend and protégé, Brutus - who believed that they were standing up for the ideals
of the republic. Yet soon Julius Caesar's adopted son Augustus achieved absolute power on his own behalf, after
a new round of civil wars. Augustus became the supreme and permanent ruler of the empire (like an African 'president-for-life')
even though he was careful never to say explicitly that that was what had happened.
In the days of the republic, the citizens of Rome had been a noble group of equals. But with the advent of Augustus
and his successors, they had become the slaves, or subjects, of an all-powerful autocrat. Spengler felt that western
civilisation was undergoing the same transformation, and indeed the first few decades of the twentieth century
were characterised by the dismantling of democracy, and the rise of fascism and dictatorship in numerous western
countries. (For an excellent discussion of this process, see Mark Mazower's book "Dark Continent").
On the other hand, the dictatorships of the early twentieth century collapsed after not so many decades. Some of
the last to hold out were Franco's Spain, and the neo-Tsarist Soviet Empire, but they too disappeared in the mid-70s
and early 90s respectively. The idea of democracy, seemingly, was restored.
In the light of Spengler's thesis, developments in the United States are now very provocative. Those who study
conspiracy websites will be familiar with such propositions as that the last American election was (partially)
rigged and that electronic voting machines, of a highly dubious nature, are being introduced in order to ensure
that future elections may be rigged even more effectively. There is also the idea that manufactured terrorist threats
may be used to shut down the elections, or at least to frighten people into voting 'the right way'. In short, many
people believe that President Bush would like to be the dictator of the United States and that he is surreptitiously
working to achieve that goal. But it is not just President Bush. President Clinton had already tried to overturn
the rule that prevents presidents from standing for a third term.
President Bush also likes to present himself as a warrior, as seen in the incident when he flew a fighter plane
onto the deck of the American aircraft carrier USS Lincoln to declare 'mission accomplished' over the recent Iraq
war. Presidential candidate John Kerry is also tuning in to the spirit of the age by boasting about his own soldierly
credentials and promising that he will enthusiastically lead the United States in its new agenda of foreign conquest.
This contrasts with presidents like Kennedy, Nixon and Carter, who might have been US commanders in chief and sponsored
military actions (e.g. Bay of Pigs, Vietnam, Iran hostage rescue), but who did not seem to wallow in militarism.
It will be interesting therefore to see how the US presidency evolves over the next few decades. It is possible
that Spengler may be proved right after all, and the presidents will turn into quasi-hereditary autocrats with
the process of democratic election being a sham at best. History after all does not go smoothly always in one direction.
The dictatorships of the earlier twentieth century may have disappeared, but that does not mean that dictatorship
has been vanquished once and for all. It can always come back. Fifty years before Julius Caesar, Rome had already
been subjected to the dictator Sulla. His reign lasted only a short while, and initially seemed to be just an aberration.
Yet in hindsight it could be seen as a trial run for the ascendancy of Julius Caesar, which was itself a trial
run for the more far-reaching absolutism of Augustus Caesar. In the same way, perhaps the Hitlers, Stalins and
Mussolinis of the last century were merely a trial run for the much powerful dictators who will be seizing control
during this one.
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