[Errigal]

There is no question Europe went through a difficult period after the Roman Empire’s collapse in the west, but it is wrong to call it the Dark Ages. The Middle Ages were in fact a vibrant and healthy period. Not counting the Back Plague, of course!

As for our current era, when I see a great old building with a crappy new addition being put on it I am reminded of the tours of historic sites I had when I was in school. The guide would show us how the quality of brickwork or stone-carving dropped after the retreat of the Roman Empire. The cheap glass and steel junk added to beautiful old buildings nowadays give the same impression of lost skills and a decline in culture.