“Virtue gives birth to tranquility, tranquility to leisure, leisure to disorder, disorder to ruin… and similarly from ruin, order is born, from order virtue, from virtue, glory and good fortune.”

• Nicolo Machiavelli

The bottom line is that societies arise from poverty through moral strength—and that brings them prosperity. But that prosperity brings on arrogance, and the arrogance brings on laziness, which brings on weakness and moral decline. Then they’re reduced to a condition of slavery and poverty again. Change is the only constant—except in human nature.”

• Doug Casey

History is not cyclical but Providential. Ultimately, God brings decline and ascendency. Psalm 75:7 reminds us, “But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another.” This is true of nations and men. Corrupted human nature can be amended by the Creator of humans. Depraved men can be dramatically converted when they repent of their ongoing, amoral lawlessness and humbly ask the sinless Christ, the supernatural source of all moral strength, to abide with them and make all things new.

• Geoffrey Botkin

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

• Paul the Apostle