An article published Tuesday described some of the greatest kingdoms and empires to have ever existed on Earth. But you’ve probably never heard of them because they all collapsed, just like ours could if we’re not really, really careful.
The article, published by Live Science, detailed seven incredible African Kingdoms, some ancient, some just a few hundred years old. One of the most powerful was the Mali Empire, which ruled more than 400 cities in what are now the countries of Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Ghana, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Mali. The empire started around 1235 and lasted through the 15th century, when its control of the gold trade disappeared.
At the time, only the Mongol and Inca Empires were larger. And the king of Mali, a ruler named Mansa Musa, is still ranked as the world’s richest man in history — beating out almost all of the billionaires alive today. All it took for Mansa Musa’s rule and fame in history to fade was losing control of one thing.
More recently, explorer Forrest Galante described to Danny Jones how the former’s home in Zimbabwe went from being an economic powerhouse, on par with British sterling, to essentially a failed state in less than a decade. Its collapse was caused by ignorance, greed and the normalization of violence between “others” (largely based on racial identifiers). (RELATED: ‘Graduating In The Recession’: Students, Y’all Need To Be Prepared For What’s Coming In The Near Future)
Just imagine going from being one of the wealthiest countries in the world to not being able to afford a loaf of bread. That’s what we’re heading for unless we (a) start manufacturing and exporting American goods that the rest of the world want, and (b) figure out how to get past our petty differences and work together to sustain what our ancestors died to build.
Food Shortages May Lead To ‘Civil Unrest’ In Developed Nations | @DailyCaller
Well DUHHHHH https://t.co/u2CiXyI9od
— KAY SMYTHE (@KaySmythe) October 16, 2023
Whether it’s a great empire like Mali, or the others described by Live Science, or a smaller, more recent case study, civilization and societal collapse are as normal to human activity as death and taxes. It’s when we become spoiled, angry and turn on each other that we start to destroy our societies. And we’re on track to destroy America and ourselves if we don’t behave better.