Perfect Societies Are a Fantasy

Throughout history societies have risen, prospered, thrived and basked in their glory. From the Ottoman Empire, to the Ummayyad Caliphate established after the death of Mohammed; Byzantine, the Han Dynasty, the British Empire, Rome, all the way to the modern United States of America. Each of these societies, flourishing in its time; dominating the world with no parallel at times; seemingly an unstoppable juggernaut at its peak, (it is yet to be seen if the United States of America will suffer the demise of the others listed), have all been plagued, beneath the perceived appearance of glory, prestige and dominance as viewed from the outside eyes of citizens of other nations and entities, by societal issues that seem to eat away itself like a cannibalistic virus starting deep within their own "bodies" that can at times be impeded, yet for some reason these issues cannot fully be suppressed.

One has to think that with a Nation or Empire, which dictates the financial flow of the world; can militarily defeat any army posed against it; whom can fund the worlds most educated and established scholars and scientists in their efforts to advance societal health and perseverance; why has their not been, nor does there seem to be on the horizon a cure for this malady that has run rampant throughout history. The topic has been debated for centuries, however the answer is as old as the dawn of man. In this hub I hope to bring some light in to the mystery of imploding dynasties.

I am by no means a scholar who has traveled the world and locations of these great Empires gathering as much information as I could in order to put it all together and solve the age old mystery of why such powerful governments, nations and empires all seem to succumb to the same fate as each and every one of its kind previous to it. One would think that there would be some sort of road map or set of directions or political guidance that could be obtained from these historically dominant dynasties. Yet, only simple bits and pieces seem to find their way in to each of the new rising nations as they make their way to the point of global leaders. Some waffle over the why's and why not's....Other just naturally assume the worst will happen eventually, but can't explain why. To me, the answer seems simple. Complex in theory actually, but simple in fact. I could not possibly in one hub explain each and every factor that effects the power and stronghold these Empires and such form in the times in which they exist, but as you read I will do my best to touch on the major players which drastically hinder the advance and permanent domination that for long periods of time seem as if they could never be stopped.

The first two I will bundle in to one. Envy and greed. Two very powerful motivators that haunt each and every successful Empire from every corner of the world. It's a simple thing to see actually. One simply has to look at two children playing. If what the children have to play with is exactly the same, the play session typically and statistically will go smoothly. However, when one child has something that is perceived as "better" or more intriguing by the other child they will make their play to obtain that. This can be done in many ways. Manipulation; asking politely; or when less intrusive attempts begin to bear no fruit, even force becomes an option. Now, just because force is used does not mean that the child who originally has the "better" item will relinquish its possession of the mentioned item. At this point that child will either continue playing; find something else to do; or devise another way of obtaining this item unbeknownst to the other child. It seems like a simple thing, however, even at such a small proportion you can see the dynamics of the human mind at work.

Now view these children as two separate Nations. The stakes elevate immediately. The means instantly become a much more complex problem to avoid. Now picture one nation having what multiple nations want. If one child can attempt many different strategies on his/her own, imagine what one nation that has what everybody wants would have to fend off with so many different strategies coming from multiple different places all at one time and constantly. Hence begins one of the hurdles that causes the chain effect of destruction.

Now not all "children" as I used for a parody earlier will be as aggressive in their nature. As a matter of fact most won't. So this brings us to another obstacle that may not seem apparent, but plays a major role in societies, and that is population growth. Many people have a, "if you can't beat them-join them," mentally. So as people who do not want to fight these super powers or just simply want a piece of what they have, make the decision to either join these nations or move in to them. This topped with the fact the original citizens continuously grow in numbers through births in the families and such, in addition to added populous through the conquering of other nations and other means; these nations take on a wide diversity of populous that all want to be treated fairly and equally. Sounds simple...Right. Well, factor in that all these people from different places have different values, diverse cultures with diverse morals and beliefs. Take in to consideration that these people all celebrate different traditions. Some, which frown on the traditions and morals of the others; and the fact that each and every person has a unique set of beliefs and experiences they have learned from and been molded by and you see you a huge internal dilemma forms. Everybody wants equal and fare treatment, but in order to do this you must compromise the relationship of another. Not only do these nations or empires find themselves defending their perimeters, but also battling to maintain and preserve the peace within their own societies. However, now with an army of people who are beginning to dislike or flat out oppose the their own governing entity. There is a point within this cycle for each and every great nation where a turning point begins. Where they go from flourishing to floundering. From profiting to borrowing. Many factors go in to this, but with this being the case, the dream of a perfect society is simply just that, a dream. Nothing more than a proposed fantasy, which eventually becomes used as nothing more than a political leveraging tool in order to grab a piece of the pie by politicians, before the pie itself is consumed. All the while the next great nation is beginning its journey to greatness because it does not deal with all the global and inner turmoil and so hence nothing is truly posing any type of threat to its growth. As one falls another will inevitably emerge. And when it does... The cycle starts over as it will until the end of time...