Civilization cycle?

[Black_Rose]

Recently, this was someone’s signature on CAF:

http://forums.catholic-questions.org/image.php?u=110548&type=sigpic&dateline=1279323504

My question concerns if there is ANY civilization that falls under this pattern? Does it convey a general historical pattern and truth, or it is just rhetoric? However, my knowledge of history fails to recall a single conforming example. For example, the Qing Dynasty feel under the pressure of Western Imperialism and internal troubles, The Holy Roman Empire fell during the aftermath of the Thirty Years’ War because of the fractious condition of the continent possessing imperial Catholic control (including “Catholic” France under the influence of Cardinal Richelieu), the Roman Empire feel due to barbarian incursion (the Visigoths took the revenue producing provinces of Southern France) and the Vandals and Alans under Geiseric took the breadbasket of the Empire in North Africa.

 

[Aristotle_1]

Perhaps this speaks not of a civilization but of a man

 

[1sicht]

The Romans were hugely decadent (as were the Greeks), and of course you can see the cycle here in the U.S. (not to mention O.T. Israel). There seems to be no way for man to escape the Curse. Only when The True Kingdom is finally established, then (which is why any and all forms of Utopianism/Welfare States are toxic).