American Downfall – Past empires. Present America. Same warning signs.

The Tax Man Cometh: How a 2,000-Year-Old Tax Revolt Foretold the IRS’s Secret War on American Privacy

A special report from Shamus Gerry III This week, a federal judge delivered a verdict that should send a chill down the spine of every American who files their taxes. The Internal Revenue Service, the most feared financial institution in the country, broke the law approximately 42,695 times by illegally sharing confidential...

The Emperor’s New Law: How a 1,000-Year-Old Chinese Power Grab Foretold Trump’s Showdown with the Supreme Court

A special report from Shamus Gerry III This week, the United States took a breathtaking step toward a constitutional crisis. The Supreme Court ruled President Trump's sweeping tariff regime illegal. The President's response was not to bow to the court, but to publicly mock the justices as "unpatriotic" and "not smart...

The Empire That Starved Itself: How a 1,000-Year-Old Agricultural Collapse Foretold America’s Own Farm Crisis

A special report from Shamus Gerry III An empire does not die by the sword alone. It dies when it can no longer feed itself. It dies when it devours the very people who work the land, sacrificing its foundation for the short-term greed of a powerful few. This is not ancient...

Split screen: Ancient ruins of Great Zimbabwe and modern American city skyline, symbolizing parallel collapse

The City of Stone and Silence: How the Mysterious Collapse of a 900-Year-Old African Supercity Foretold America’s Own Unraveling

A special report from Shamus Gerry III Another week, another wave of grim headlines. The national debt spirals past any recognizable limit, political factions dig in for a war of attrition, and the very systems that keep the country running feel like they're grinding to a halt. It feels unprecedented. It feels...

The Empire of Endless War: How a 1,200-Year-Old Jungle Collapse Foretold America’s Shutdown Crisis

A special report from Shamus Gerry III Another week, another shutdown crisis. The gears of the world’s most powerful government are grinding to a halt over petty squabbles and dug-in positions. The Department of Homeland Security is furloughing staff. Global Entry is suspended. The machinery of state is sputtering—not from a foreign...

The Empire That Ran Out of Gold: How a 1,300-Year-Old Tax Revolt Foretold America’s Debt Spiral

A special report from Shamus Gerry III A government, at its core, is a protection racket. It takes your money in exchange for services and security. But what happens when the racket goes broke? What happens when the enforcers can no longer be paid, and the people being shaken down refuse to...

The King Who Was Told ‘No’: How a 140-Year-Old Island Coup Foretold America’s Constitutional Crisis

A special report from Shamus Gerry III A constitutional order is not a piece of paper. It is a gentleman's agreement. It survives only as long as all parties, especially the most powerful, agree to abide by the rules, even when they lose. When a leader decides the rules no longer...

The Ghost Fleet: How a 180-Year-Old Drug War Foretold America’s Terrifying Iran Gamble

A special report from Shamus Gerry III It is happening with breathtaking speed. In the last 48 hours, the United States has amassed the largest concentration of military power in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq. More than 120 advanced fighter jets have been deployed. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier...

The Silver Curse: How a 500-Year-Old Inflationary Collapse Foretold America’s Supply Chain Nightmare

A special report from Shamus Gerry III It’s a quiet anxiety that gnaws at every American. You see it at the grocery store, where the price of eggs seems to mock your budget. You feel it at the gas pump, watching the numbers climb with a sickening speed. You hear it in...

The Men With the Swords: How a 1,200-Year-Old Palace Coup Foretold America’s State vs. Federal Nightmare

The Men With the Swords: How a 1,200-Year-Old Palace Coup Foretold America’s State vs. Federal Nightmare A special report from Shamus Gerry III The illusion of control is the most dangerous drug in politics. Leaders, surrounded by the architecture of power—flags, seals, and armed guards—come to believe they are the masters of...