THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE by Gore Vidal:

[Bruce P. Brychek]

Tuesday
03.24.2026
12:17 p.m.,
Chicago, Illinois time:

Dear Global Forum Members and Readers:

THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE, 1986 by Gore Vidal was previously Circulated,
Posted, and Written about by me.

Here's a Current Relevant Update for consideration for 2026 !

"On September 16, 1985, when the Commerce Department announced the United States had
become a debtor nation, the American Empire died. The empire was seventy-one years old
and had been on ill health since 1968. Like most empires, ours rested not so much on military
prowess as on economic primacy."

"After the French Revolution, the world power shifted from Paris to London. For three generations,
the British maintained an old fashioned colonial empire, as well as a modern empire based on
London's primacy in the money markets. Then in 1914, New York replaced London as the world's
financial capital."

"We should have an arms race, said one of the high priests, John Foster Dulles, and we shall win it
because the Russians will go broke first. We were then put on a permanent wartime economy,
which is why close to 90% of the government's revenues are constantly being siphoned off to pay
for what is euphemistically called defense."

"As early as 1950, Albert Einstein understood the nature of the rip-off. He said, 'The men who
possess real power in this country have no intention of ending the Cold War.' Thirty-five years
later, they are still at it, making money while the nation itself declines to eleventh place in
the world per capital income, and to forty-sixth in literacy and so on, until last summer [1985]
(not suddenly, I fear), we found ourselves close to two trillion dollars in debt. (Now [in 1992]
the debt is $4 trillion, with a Bullet, as they say in BILLBOARD.)"

FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, 03.24.2026 THE U.S IS APPROACHING $40 TRILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT,
AND HOW MANY ONGOING INVOLVEMENTS IN WARS ? Ukraine, Russia, Gaza, Israel, Iran, Venezuela,
Cuba developing again, etc. Feel Free to add your own.

By the way How is U.S. Literacy today ?

thoughts...
best...
bb.

thoughts...
best...
bb.

[Michael Calder]

Bruce,
I'm going to read Gore's book. I asked him a question at the Director's Guild in Beverly Hills one night. "What was your first reaction when you heard JFK had been shot? " He said, "Jack was a charming and intelligent man." That's it. Did not answer my question. Looking forward to reading his book.
M