Someone wrote that a system seems to only last about 200 years, and spoke about the US falling as it is now in that 200 year time frame. I don’t know how they decided that, and of course it depends on how a person defines a civilization or system, but the Pandyan Empire lasted about 1850 years, the Khmer Empire about 629 years, the Byzantine Empire 1123 years, the Silla Empire 992 years, the Abyssinian Empire 837 years, Greek civilization thrived for about 350 years, the Roman Republic  almost  500 years, the Roman Empire 499 years, the Ottoman Empire 600 years, San Marino  415 years and is on-going, the United States of America 239 years, and finally, one of the longest surviving group structures  at least 50,000 years and on now are the Aboriginal Australians. (1)(2)

So empires and political structures can last, but much depends on the people who reside within that structure as well as human nature and leadership. Additionally, we can consider global, lasting influence to examine how long a system lasts, and that can have even further reaching affects- as in Hellenism’s influence across the globe.

But looking at just the US, I understand the point the person was trying to make, and the red flags that result in the failure of a system, as we watch the chaos, conflict and inside threats to the democratic republic the US is from established extremist right-wing factions and the rise of left wing elements as a consequence of what is happening on the right. (And we are seeing the same thing in the UK, as the Tory party moves the UK closer to a feudal system rather than a democratic monarchy).

The problem is that the US is so new, and technology so advanced, that even the most irrational people now have access to a soapbox and can connect with others of similar mindset, and convince themselves they are as capable, intelligent, skilled as the best of humanity- and can also, like crabs in a pot, expose their envy and use these resources to tear down those they resent for their greater intelligence, education, critical reasoning, knowledge, skills, and even for having a refined moral compass….

They convince themselves and others that the US is coming to an end, and they create a self-fulfilling prophecy- perfect tools for the wanna-be kings, presidents- for- life, theocratic rulers, despots, and tyrants… and that’s the tragedy of the modern age. Everyone who decries the US as falling seem eager for it, yet so few of those same people seem to engage in community, county, state or federal to make it better…

Civilizations can last a long time- so could the US. It is usually corruption from within and attack from outside that cause them to fall. Ironically, in the US, it appears the failure will come mostly from within, not through corruption so much as through apathy, intention to destroy it for ulterior agendas, and through both the left and right giving up on the nation as a nation.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years, as we watch to see what the people decide will be their destiny. It is all too easy to lose a democracy, all to hard to win it back once lost.

(1) What are the longest-lasting empires, governments, or nations?, Brainscape
(2) 10 Most Long-Lived Empires in History, Klokowski and Guzman, Sept 2021

Related reading:
https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/gi-roundtable-series/pamphlets/em-42-our-chinese-ally-(1944)/the-oldest-living-civilization

https://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-greatest-empires-in-history-2011-9?r=US&IR=T

https://owlcation.com/humanities/How-long-do-empires-last