Why Do Civilizations Collapse?

What will become of America, Canada, Britain and other nations that are struggling with democracy as it slips into corruption, is a question I keep asking.

I look for answers anywhere and everywhere. George Monbiot, Chris Hedges, Naomi Klein, Thich Nhat Hanh, Jonathan Sacks, Unitarian Universalism and other writings.

Sacks' recent post from his newsletter Covenant and Conversation, gives us a concise overview of other civilizations that have come and gone. But the part I was most interested in was near the end of his essay. He writes that civilizations come to a point where there are so many problems they cannot fix them, so they look for sacrifices - symbolic or real. 

"Surely there is a lesson here for the Jewish people today: Plan generations ahead. Think at least 25 years into the future. Contemplate worst-case scenarios. Ask what we would do, if… What saved the Jewish people was their ability, despite their deep and abiding faith, never to let go of rational thought, and despite their loyalty to the past, to keep planning for the future." 

This advice asks us to engage, no matter what our faith or heritage,  to think and to act with integrity - it is not magical thinking. The problem is for us all to deal with.