All too true, sadly. But this is not just the story of America; it is the story of the world, ever since the Agricultural Revolution created a feedback loop which launched the Age of Empire: More grain, more people, more land needed for yet more grain, people, and more conquest of land. The industrial revolution — which coincided with the conquest of the Americas, simply turbocharged this violent feeding frenzy on land and resources, first in America and Europe, then everywhere else. But every feeding frenzy ends in collapse and die-off when the resources run out — or when they render the world uninhabitable — whichever comes first. Welcome to the future!