History shows a bleak future

For 27 years in the 5th century B.C. Sparta fought Athens for domination of Greece. At the start, Athens was the unrivaled economic and military power. It was the seat of democracy and culture.

Sparta was a backward dictatorship. In the end Athens fell to Sparta partially because of an epidemic. The Athenian epidemic diminished the population of artisans and laborers, destroying Athens’ economy.

We are dealing with an epidemic. Unlike 5th century Athens, this epidemic has a very low mortality rate and modern medicine is coping just fine. Our population of artisans and laborers isn’t being culled by disease. But it is being culled by government policy. The excuse of what is essentially a bad flu strain is being employed to cripple our economy voluntarily, as the Athenian economy was crippled involuntarily.

The result will be the same. Without a strong economy our adversaries will prevail over us. It might not take 27 years.

Maurice Emmer

Aspen