Empires rise and fall. Civilizations form and die. Great cities turn to ruin and then dust. And people die. From Eden to Armageddon, the Bible tells story after story of societal collapse — warning that the stability of world systems is an illusion. The Bronze Age collapse in the 12th century BC occurred across the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. It took place in less than 50 years. It involved many minor nations, along with major powers such as Greece, Egypt, and the Hittite Empire. Thriving cities were abandoned or destroyed. Scholars still don’t know exactly what happened. Ancient writings point to invasions by mysterious Sea Peoples. There were also economic breakdowns, perhaps brought on by changes in weather or the outbreak of plagues. The collapse marked the end of the Bronze Age and ushered in a dark age, before the slow emergence of new societies in the Iron Age.
A few months ago, the Trump Administration released its “National Security Strategy.” It struck a nerve — not so much in the United States, but in Europe.
The future rarely arrives with a warning. More often, it slips quietly into daily life--wrapped in convenience, marketed as progress, and embraced long before its full implications are understood. The rapid rise of biometric payments, particularly palm-based systems, is beginning to feel like one of those moments.