Customer Reviews

Dark Ages America: The Final Phase of Empire

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

A work of breathtaking erudition and synthesis, DARK AGES AMERICA offers no hope for arresting America's career as a self-destructive global hegemon. While that's a difficult conclusion to swallow, Berman amply defends his thesis, drawing his supporting evidence from a variety of disciplines: history, cultural studies, polling data, economic analysis, sociology and social psychology. The possibility of America's turning away from its dark destiny, which in Mr. Berman's analysis is now clearly manifest, is made to seem remote, and, regrettably, convincingly so.

Particularly compelling is Mr. Berman's discussion of America's need for an enemy, an Other upon which to focus in order that we never turn our attention to the emptiness at the center of the American psyche: The Red Menace, the Cold War, the War on Drugs, The War on Terror. Each of these wars has served to diminish and even outlaw critical thinking about America's empiric career. In a constant state of emergency, history for Americans is a set of bullet points which are cynically served up as justification for the latest military adventure. Berman's anecdotes and survey findings paint an American populace that is self-absorbed, provincial, and willfully anti-intellectual, a people for whom bullet points more than suffice.

We watch television shows about tightly knit families and groups of friends, staving off the loneliness generated by the individualistic, devil-take-the-hindmost ethos that is America's real civil religion, Berman says. We turn away from the terror that we inflict on innocent people in order that we may claim their oil wealth and so keep this dwindling life-blood flowing in the veins of the American project of global empire. We pay no attention to the vast sums of money spent to prop up the energy-military-industrial complex. Instead we are distracted by cynical stories of welfare queens, wicked tax and spend liberals, evil dictators and axes of evil, our resentments kept well-stoked and smoldering.

On a personal note, landing at Kansas City International Airport the other day, my vision of America altered by my in-flight reading of Mr. Berman's remarkable work, I saw the landscape through new eyes, a landscape I now understood to have been systematically vandalized by the corporatocracy: big box stores, chain hotels and restaurants, strip malls and gas stations, a landscape everywhere repeated across the United States, a landscape we intend to impose upon the world in order to fulfill our destiny as bringer of freedom as expressed through consumption.

While this cookie-cutter landscape had always before aroused in me a sense of unease, an unease that had become in me clich? and so easily subdued, with the assistance of Berman's perspicacious vision, I became alive to the fact that this American landscape represents in physical form the ingenuity and monomania of America's new empiric form.

Empty of community, driven by the ethos of radical individualism, I saw an interlocking system of endless consumption in which we are all driven by the relentless stoking of our vanity and desire by clever marketers who have taught us to confuse social goods with economic goods, and by a political structure which mystifies cause and effect, which ruthlessly condemns anyone who has the temerity to question the course of this bleak, empty empire.

Americans, perhaps even more than the citizens of other nations, are fond of repeating that their country is the greatest nation on Earth. They are not the ideal customers for the news that their nation is in the Dark Ages.
And given their boundless enthusiasm for hi tech, they are likely to find the notion absurd. How can we possibly be in the Dark Ages, when our copying machines would have seemed supernatural to medieval monks?
But the shadows on the wall of Plato's Cave are not any more real when displayed on a 62-inch flat screen TV.
Whatever crimes this book may be charged with, its worst offense is stating the plain truth.
Of course everyone will complain about the shortage of recommended cures.
But if a doctor isn't sure how to save a patient with a dozen fatal diseases, the patient's chance of survival is better if she at least knows what ails her.

As a true-blue American, my blood rings with the "Gee Whiz, we can lick this" attitude that is in so many of our DNA, and that traces back to Howdy-Doodee, Will Rogers, Horatio Alger, and so many real and not so real characters. The idea that some problems, and some bad state of affairs, are simply not solveable is difficult to swallow. It seems well, unamerican. So it's ironic that Morris Berman's argument that America itself is heading downhill, and is, in a sense, unsolveable is so well made. He makes a strong case that we are on the downhill slope of empire, trapped in our own hubris, with too many systemic flaws built into the operating system. His work is comparable, I suspect, to Kevin Phillips' new book, American Theocracy, which, according to reviews, also paints a dark picture of our future. Whatever side you take on this country's future, Morris Berman's latest book is well worth reading.

The guy behind you in the theatre bellows into his cell phone for the first fifteen minutes of the film, and then threatens to kick your butt when you ask him to be quiet. Someone in a Hummer sideswipes your car on the interstate off-ramp and then explains to the police that she shouldn't be ticketed because she couldn't see your car from "up there." The U.S. invades and occupies a sovereign nation based on ever-changing rationales and in violation of international law, kidnaps and tortures that nation's citizens, and then wonders why the world responds with contempt and violence. Meanwhile, those American citizens who protest the actions of their government, including things as beyond the pale as the legalization of torture, are called traitors.

What do all of these seemingly disparate phenomena have in common? According to Morris Berman, they are all indicative of a nation that is rotten to the core, an empire on the verge of collapse, and they are all the consequences of the laissez-faire, dog-eat-dog, me-first-and-devil-take-the-hindmost ethos that has permeated American culture since it's inception.

Ironically, this ethos is the "shadow side" as it were of those ideals that once made the United States great in the eyes of the world: its traditions of challenging monarchic authority and of guaranteeing individual freedom and the pursuit of happiness. Berman argues that this shadow side undermined any sense of community or commons and paved the way for a contemporary society in which financial success is the sole standard of achievement. Without any higher goals or deeper virtues than winning at any cost, American success has been surprisingly and shockingly empty. As well, because this ethos of empty consumerism has been predicated upon the maintenance of global inequities through militarism, much of the world (especially the so-called Third World) has grown to see the US as a belligerent Goliath bent on global domination, instead of as the self-righteous David of our national fantasies. The sense of false egalitarianism that pervades our culture (but that is opposed to any redistribution of wealth) means that being smart is shameful, that ignorance is endemic, and that we gleefully re-elect a moron as President because he doesn't threaten our own collective intellectual shortcomings. Our fascination with technology as a panacea has also contributed to the breakdown in civil society at home (e.g., the cell phone anecdote above) and to our lack of concern for those abroad (e.g., seeing smart bombs as somehow "benevolent" weapons). Finally Berman also discusses in some detail specific cases of US intervention in Iran, Iraq, and in the affairs of the Palestinians and their unintended but inevitable consequences in the blowback of 9/11 and the subsequent "War on Terror."

The picture he paints is not a pretty one and is one that most Americans will reject out of hand, precisely because, I think, it is so accurate. Like Dorian Gray, we are going to want to keep our true picture hidden from ourselves as long as we can, but unlike that famous literary monster, our false image (in this case, of global benefactor) no longer convinces those in the rest of the world. Contrary to what many of the reviewers here would have you believe, he also does not romanticize the other modes of social and economic organization that the 20th and 21st centuries have seen, including tribal fundamentalism, suffocating collectivism, or state communism, seeing in them situations that are as pernicious, if not more so, than the televoid consumerism the US seeks to export to every swath of land on the globe.

Most of the one- and two-star reviews of this book are indicative of the very trends that Berman addresses. They reduce his nuanced musings to the tired right-wing tropes of a "liberal elite" that "blames America," insist that the global US military presence is protecting the world from "someone else's" imperial schemes instead of being prima facie evidence of our own global domination, and even fall back on our military supremacy as some kind of litmus test for how civilized we are. As Berman notes throughout the book, we Americans have little patience for nuance and alternative perspectives, and have an uncanny ability to see the world in precisely upside-down terms.

Which is not to say that the book's critics are entirely mistaken; _Dark Ages America_ is far from flawless. His arguments at times draw on his own gut reactions to things, rather than on solid evidence (not necessarily a bad thing, but something that contradicts his thesis that we need to privilege reason over faith). As well, his prose is often long-winded, and the evidence he musters is sometimes self-contradictory (why, for example, does the laissez-faire, me-first ethos manifest in terms of a Christianist hive mind?). Finally, he overlooks the other converging catastrophes that we seem to be facing in the next century---global warming, peak oil, the total collapse of seafood stocks---and how these relate to the end of American empire. The value of the book far outweighs these relatively minor criticisms, though.

And, alas, Berman does not provide simple solutions, like "rocking the vote" or "electing Democrats," which would be the approach of traditional liberals who think that, with some tinkering, the system can be saved. He leaves the reader left scratching her head, wondering what, if anything, she can do to halt this juggernaut, and this has left him open to charges of being a pessimist. Instead I feel that he is guardedly optimistic about humanity's overall ability to survive and adapt. As he says in conclusion (p. 327),

"My own belief is that there is no warding off the Dark Age; all the evidence points in that direction. But you can certainly do your best to keep it out of your head, which is a contribution of a sort. What is thus called for is long-term study and thought, in an effort to come up with a serious alternative to global bourgeois democracy---blueprints for a better time, perhaps, and for another place."

In other words, those who already suspect that something is profoundly wrong need to be regularly reminded that their resistance to the "colonization of the imagination" is worthwhile and sane. For that reason alone, this book is profoundly important and should be read by anyone, left, right, or center, who considers themselves a radical (in the original sense of returning to the "root" of the problem in order to work out solutions).

I am happy to see that Morris Berman's latest book is getting at least some of the attention it deserves. For over 15 years I have been recommending Berman's writings to my sociology students, citing him as one of the USA's leading public intellectuals and, for that matter, a national treasure. Unfortunately, today's young Americans, even Ivy kids, do not as a rule read much of anything, so the advice has become pointless. Indeed, a few months before Berman's timely book came out I got the first negative teaching evaluations of my academic career, from University of Michigan students no less, and the summary report nicely substantiates the depressing anecdotes in Dark Ages America: "Students complained that professor mentioned books that they had not heard of." The rub is, America is a social system that has been systematically crippling its capacity to survive - by among other things turning universities into day care - and Berman's new book deserves praise for even hinting that good books and rationality still are worth writing and promoting. Undoubtedly, some sort of human settlement will continue to exist in the geographic space known as the USA, but its chances, just a few years from now, of being a carrier of the civilizational values underpinning Berman's opus are as grim as he makes them out to be. Ask not for whom the bell tolls.

This is the best book on the state of this faltering nation that I have ever read. It is an in-your-face description of a fatally overextended America where overwrought consumerism, mindless selfishness, and hopeless ignorance born of an obsession with individuality - and neglect of the values of community - has run wild. An America which has lost the virtue of its founders and whose sole purpose for existence has devolved into brutalization of other countries to force them to conform to our interests in a game where we make the rules up as we go along. Inevitably, our neighbors will become our enemies and circle our wagons. Most books that paint such gloomy (in this case more like abysmal) pictures offer a helpful laundry list of measures we can take to redeem ourselves. But it is to the great credit of Berman that he has the courage to explain in excruciating detail that he can see no path toward redemption, that the next vision that will lead to the next great civilization will arise elsewhere and elsewhen while or after the greatness that was the United States of America passes into the detritus of history. The only question Berman doesn't address is "Who will tell the children?"

The book will never be acclaimed by the mainstream because it tells the truths that no one in power wants to hear. It is a bitter pill indeed. But don't let that stop you from reading it.

This book laments prevailing U.S. policy, its declining civilization, current administration and dominant economic order. Author Morris Berman predicted bad times in his last book, `The Twilight of American Culture,' and in his eyes, they have come to pass. He is comprehensive, albeit not necessarily objective, in his charges, concerns and criticisms. His recaps of previous administrations, and his explanations of current policies are detailed and interesting. However, the depth of his dismay make his heartfelt arguments veer into intemperate language and leads to uneven presentations of some issues. Berman offers intriguing reasons to oppose much in the political, philosophical and societal evolution of the U.S. He examines the impact of Sept. 11, 2001, including the resulting foreign and domestic policies. He diagnoses a paucity of public debate and decries blows to civil liberties. We recommend this book to those who want to understand a point of view that departs from standard political thinking.

Morris Berman's Dark Ages America is an exceedingly well-researched study of contemporary America. More than exposing the problems of the present political regime, Berman's book exposes the large-scale structural dilemmas beneath the surface of American consciousness, which present an extraordinary amount of momentum toward a disastrous future. Gleaning insights from macro historical perspectives, such as present in Joseph Tainter's The Collapse of Complex Societies, Berman demonstrates that America has moved beyond the `Twilight' phase of its cultural history and that `post-9-11 America' is quickly moving into `Night.'

Berman explores four characteristics of the European Dark Ages. With exhaustive, always relevant, and often humorous findings, he demonstrates that contemporary America vigorously expresses (if not outright flaunts) these outward symptoms of cultural, moral, political, and economic decay. The signs are: the triumph of religion over reason; the breakdown of education and critical thinking; legalization of torture; and marginalization of the United States on the world stage.

Each page of Dark Ages America is compact with information, yet Berman's fluid and accessible prose pulls arguments and insights together into a clear-sighted and unified vision. For those readers who still see the light of youth in dead forms, this book will be a shocking revelation. However, for seekers of truth, this book is a sobering, yet ultimately hopeful vision of America's present cultural crisis. I highly recommend it!

Morris Berman's stark but lucid assessment of the present state of our country
should not come as such a surprise to those who are paying close attention, know deep history,
and have cultivated their critical thinking skills.

Nevertheless, this document will stun even the most astute observers of our political-cultural climate:
it is a thorough indictment that spares no one.

Near the end of the book, Mr Berman writes that which can serve as epilogue:
"[Nigerian novelist Ben] Okri writes, 'The end of the world begins not with the barbarians at the gate,
but with the barbarians at the highest level of state.' True, but it takes barbarians in the streets
cheering the barbarians at the highest level of state to make a new Dark Age a reality."

The best chapter for me is one near the end, The Roads Not Taken.
It has a different tone than the rest of the book.
One can say it is the lament of an American looking back and thinking: it did not have to come to be this way.

This sentiment is most succinctly said here:
"If American history shaped the American character, the reverse is also true.
The value system of at least 90 percent of the American population, down through the decades,
has acted to exclude options that are essential for a healthy society:
community, meaning, the craft tradition,
silence, 'nonrestlessness,' a deep appreciation of art and music,
inwardness, spirituality, and the criteria of excellence--
the sort of things that don't hold much interest for mass business-oriented society
but that nevertheless make life worthwhile."

A good list of the roads not taken and thus finding ourselves stranded on the road to nowhere

By chance I recently saw most of a CSPAN2 interview with Dr. Berman answering questions about his new book: "Dark Ages America...". Since then, I have read the book and numerous pro and con reviews.

Because I find the book to be important and very well written, I have an inherent bias. I enjoy the "pro" reviews and am not very impressed with the "con" reviews. My bias, however, has nothing to do with the quality of the book.

The reason I find most of the "pro" reviews helpful, and most of the "con" reviews unimpressive seems to reflect many of the arguments Dr. Berman makes in "Dark Ages America..."

That is: most of the "pro" reviews are attempting to observe fact, while most of the "con" reviews suggest emotion. The fact-based reviews observe that Dr. Berman is assembling facts based on reams of documentation, even if he doesn't like all of his own conclusions. The facts are the facts based on an extraordinary amount of scholarly research.

The emotion-based reviews literally ignore the facts and dwell in prejudice and name-calling, just because they politically or otherwise don't like the conclusions. Again, this appears to be part of many of Dr. Berman's arguments suggesting that America will not be able to recover from its many problems because so many of our American citizens are in denial and will lash out at anything or anyone who questions anything relative to American "correctness" in any area of discourse.

I hope that those who consider reading the book, even if they have an initial "con" bias, will try to get beyond their bias and honorably give the facts a chance to speak for themselves.