“In every declining civilization there is a small "remnant" of people who adhere to the right against the wrong; who recognize the difference between good and evil and who will take an active stand for the former and against the latter; who can still think and discern and who will courageously take a stand against the political, social, moral, and spiritual rot or decay of their day.”

A good observation and accurate assessment. Volumes on multiple topics could, should, and have been written on the world's (especially America's) decline. There are but a few, comparatively, that love and recognize the difference between the good of law, liberty, freedom, justice, charity, individual rights, further education and enlightenment, the nobility of each and every sovereign life and the evil of compelled compliance, license, victimless crimes, larceny with impunity, the dummying down of the masses, and the herd mentality being the premise to all activities.

Absolutely right Mike, but I would replace the word law with the word justice. We have too many ridiculous laws now that do nothing but drain our pockets and slap us into line if we look like non-conformists. Our present system of central planning, central banking and arrogance in government are speeding towards a complete collapse. "Quantitative Easing" or rather "Printing a Bunch of Money" is the last gasp of every Banana Republic.

J Carlton I would agree if we were using today's government definition of law. When I use the term law, I'm using the Constitutionally specific - the laws of nature and nature's God, or natural law (that inherent to matter's expression which has natural consequence, i.e. gravity, fiscal endeavors, larceny, etc.). The breaking of such law enables justice. Man in such scenario, a creature in nature, can not create law but, only pass codes, ordinances, regulations, rules, statutes, etc. that harmonize with such. Man, from time immemorial, has declared himself as god with ability to create law. Man's rules, etc. can define for the good of society, that which by definition would be in harmony with said law (thus by extension may be called law) or, create rules that are contrary to law, that which by truth would be called tyranny. Those men/women that put into place tyranny and call it law, are acting as a god. I have my own religion and choose not to call the statist theocracy that infests this land's tyrannous cannons law, as a matter of principle. Those remnant few that recognize the difference between law and tyranny are the few that truly have a choice between right and wrong.

Fair enough Mike.

It is debatable as to whether civilizations ever really decline they just morph into something new or different. To believe in static civilizations that disappear and new static civilizations arise spontaneously by the writing of a static constitution for example is a false reading and understanding of history. Of course human institutions change. The Mayan's did not disappear for example they just returned to the countryside form which they had come.

Waffler, how philosophical, from one who makes his larcenous living off of the backs of the abused, criminalized, down trodden and otherwise helpless. I can see from your perspective that slavery, poverty, pain and anguish may debatabley not be a decline from a lawful existence in prosperity, inalienable individual rights, freedom and liberty.

It is this 'remnant' that keeps us from absolute slavery to a delusion. Well said, Mike.

Biography of Don McAlvaney here: http://mwealthm.com/main/about/don-mcalvany/

http://www.wordpress.com/bnafreedom

Waffler, many, many societies and civilizations in the past had collapsed. Some to the point of complete wipe out or near that. Going from populations of hundreds of thousands to only few hundreds is clearly collapse. Try reading about what you say before repeating mindless mantras of wishful thinking. I suggest "Collapse", from Jared Diamond, on this topic.

70 million people are not a remnant.  ;-)  Just piss them off and see.  (It's coming.)