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I dread the appearance of descending into numerological fantasy, but there is a curious repetition to US history. At almost exact periods of eighty years the USA goes through a crisis and re-emerges as a completely different country. Just before the transformation, there is a four to six year period when the old country appears to be unsustainable.
1780 -- The colonial administration is on the point of collapse, preceded by four years of insurrection.
1860 -- The country is about to be torn apart, preceded by the four years of the ineffectual Buchanan administration, which witnessed Bloody Kansas, the Dred Scot decision, Harper's Ferry, etc. The USA was about to change from a country of agriculture and small-scale industry to one of buccaneer capitalism and monopoly.
1940 -- An isolationist and unmilitaristic America rushes into world war and hegemonic world domination; it becomes a hyper-militaristic national security state, evermore obsessed with maintaining and extending its empire.
2020 -- ??? In the present period of storm and stress, with an evermore divided country, with corruption rampant in almost every institution and aspect of society, this strange fatality seems about to be repeated.
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