The Thin Veneer
We like to believe America is immune—that we’re somehow different from every civilization that came before us. History laughs at that kind of arrogance.
Yugoslavia wasn’t supposed to collapse. Rwanda wasn’t supposed to collapse. Their citizens woke up one morning convinced civilization was permanent, until they discovered it wasn’t. The most dangerous moment for any nation isn’t when people disagree. It’s when they stop believing the rules matter and begin believing only their side is legitimate.
The Constitution isn’t self-executing. Freedom isn’t self-sustaining. Civilization isn’t guaranteed.
It’s a veneer—thinner than most of us would ever dare admit.