{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Snarky Faith","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/snarkyfaith","author_name":"Stuart Delony","author_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/snarkyfaith\/author\/sdelony\/","title":"When Empires Burn Themselves Down","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"vvRuGyC4WS\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/snarkyfaith\/2025\/11\/when-empires-burn-themselves-down\/\">When Empires Burn Themselves Down<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/snarkyfaith\/2025\/11\/when-empires-burn-themselves-down\/embed\/#?secret=vvRuGyC4WS\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;When Empires Burn Themselves Down&#8221; &#8212; Snarky Faith\" data-secret=\"vvRuGyC4WS\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1907\/2025\/11\/Idolz.jpg","thumbnail_width":780,"thumbnail_height":585,"description":"Empires never collapse because of enemies at the gates but because of small men at the top. From Nero\u2019s Rome to Trump\u2019s America, history shows us what happens when delusion becomes divine and power becomes a god."}