In recent decades, the West has witnessed a growing trend among increasingly hubristic US leaders to proclaim the United States as “indispensable.” This rhetoric reflects a mindset often seen in declining empires: the belief that their peak is yet to come, despite mounting evidence of decay.

To counter such self-deception, ancient Roman leaders employed a practice during triumphs: a slave (Auriga) stood behind the victorious leader, holding a laurel crown and whispering memento mori — “remember you are mortal” — into his ear. This reminder of mortality and the fleeting nature of success did not prevent the eventual fall of Rome, but it arguably delayed its decline for centuries.

The question arises: has the US empire adopted similar mechanisms to remind its leaders of their impermanence? The evidence suggests not. Some might argue that the mainstream media has assumed this role in the absence of a Roman-style slave. However, given that the MSM has been owned and controlled by a small corporate elite for at least the past four decades, its primary interest has been to perpetuate the myth of US indispensability. The media’s dominant narrative has been that the US represents the “end of history”, a notion reminiscent of the delusional claims of the “thousand-year Reich” in mid-20th century Germany. The message is clear: US dominance is eternal.

Yet history has a way of humbling people who think this way. The decline of empires is often marked by the erosion of the very qualities that fuelled their rise. A common thread in the fall of past empires is the disintegration of communal bonds, shared purpose, and collective effort. As inequality grows, so does the erosion of social cohesion, leading to civil unrest, economic breakdown, and a loss of faith in the system. The lower classes, increasingly alienated, become unwilling to defend the privileges of a heedless and greedy elite.

So, what are the signs of this breakdown in the US today? Let us begin with life expectancy. As the US rose to global dominance, life expectancy increased steadily, from 46.6 years for men and 48.7 years for women in 1900 to 74.7 and 79.9 years, respectively, by 2000. However, this trend has reversed in recent years. Between 2017 and 2021, life expectancy dropped from 79.7 to 76.1 years. By 2022, the disparity between genders persisted, with men living an average of 74.8 years and women 80.2 years (Kent State Online). This decline marks a stark departure from the previous century’s progress.

What about income and productivity? The Economic Policy Institute reports that the US middle class earned $17,867 less in 2007 due to rising inequality since 1979. Over the same period, worker productivity increased by 74%, while wages for the majority rose by only 9%. This gap has widened further in recent years. Since 1979, wages for the top 1% have grown by 138%, compared to just 15% for the bottom 90%. Real wages for young college graduates have been declining since 2000, eroding their stake in the system. Meanwhile, the Consumer Price Index has risen by 83.28% since 2000, far outpacing median wage growth of 34.7%.

Healthcare access is another critical issue. Over 40% of U.S. bankruptcies — approximately 530,000 annually — are caused by medical expenses. Tens of millions of Americans lack adequate healthcare, further alienating them from a society that fails to meet their basic needs.

The US was once the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, producing more than half of global manufacturing output after World War II. By 2024, this share had plummeted to 15.9%, due to the rise of manufacturing in Asia, Europe’s recovery, and the US’ shift toward the FIRE sector (finance, insurance, and real estate). These industries, parasitic by nature, extract wealth from productive sectors without contributing to real GDP. The decline of manufacturing has left entire regions in economic ruin, with rising unemployment, drug addiction, crime, and urban decay. Manufacturing employment peaked at 19.6 million in 1979, but fell to 12.8 million by 2019 — a 35% decline (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). Much of the remaining manufacturing is tied to the military-industrial complex, which consumes roughly $1 trillion annually without contributing to productive wealth.

Education levels in the US have also dropped. The cost of obtaining a degree has skyrocketed, leaving many young Americans burdened with debt. The US graduates approximately 70,000 engineers annually, compared to China’s 600,000. Student loan debt has reached $1.74 trillion, with nearly 7% in default. This financial strain has suppressed family formation and birth rates, which have been declining since the Great Recession. In 2023, the US recorded its fewest births since 1979.

Privatisation, driven by neoliberal economic policies, has further exacerbated inequality. Charter schools siphon off better-performing students, leaving public schools to struggle with dwindling resources. High school graduation rates are declining and are projected to continue falling through 2041 (Education Week). Privatisation has also fuelled the growth of the prison-industrial complex. The US prison population has ballooned from 329,000 in 1980 to 1.8 million in 2024, disproportionately affecting people of colour and the poor. Private prison companies lobby for harsher sentencing laws, while police forces have become increasingly militarised and brutal.

The US has always been a violent society, rooted in its history of genocide, slavery, and systemic racism. Today, there are more than 500 million firearms in private hands – roughly 1.5 guns per person and 1.93 per adult. This rate is nearly double that of the next highest country, the Falkland Islands, followed by Yemen. In 2023, the US experienced nearly 500 mass shootings, with gun deaths second only to Brazil. This pervasive violence has led to the militarisation of police and widespread fear of law enforcement.

These factors have contributed to the atomisation of American society. In 2019, over 60% of Americans considered community involvement very important; by 2023, only 27% held this view (Law and Liberty). The breakdown of community is a harbinger of civilisational decline. History teaches us that when communal bonds dissolve, empires crumble.

The US is now at a crossroads. The signs of decline are unmistakable: falling life expectancy, stagnant wages, rising inequality, failing healthcare, deindustrialisation, educational stratification, mass incarceration, and societal fragmentation. It is long past time for the US to heed the wisdom of memento mori – to recognise that both individuals and civilisations are mortal. Without such humility, the decline of the American empire may prove irreversible.

https://johnmenadue.com/america-and-the-forgotten-memento-mori-remember-you-are-mortal/

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.