this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2026
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I see this meme all the time, which is an oversimplification. The 250 year time frame that people ascribe to is usually assigned to a country's lifetime, but really, the time frame is the average length of a golden era of a country, not its existence. Rome lasted for 2,000 years and China today still exists. When the Chinese talk about this "250 year" thing, they would refer back to how long certain dynasties ruled, not China's existence. Same with Rome having had its peak come and go while it existed until 1453. France also has had several golden ages as the bigger power in Europe from middle ages to Napoleonic era.
America won't cease to exist, but it will not be the power it once was, and that's okay (except for the ultranationalists). It's okay to be humble.
My first thought was Egypt was old enough that there were ancient Egyptian scholars studying ancient-er Egypt. I could see it as a particular form of gov generally lasted that long and new dynasties etc would reset the counter. Your explaination makes much more sense.