Failure is American Bred

The rise and fall of nations is dependent upon the character of its people and the ability to defend itself from outside aggressors. Especially with large nations, the two are often interrelated. There are some indicators that the U.S. has begun the downward slide.

Change is expected and often good. The U.S. political systems have been moving left such that the Republican Party of today looks very much like the Democratic Party of JFK. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party of today has embraced the type of socialism that is failing miserably in Europe. So on one hand we have beneficial progress, and on the other hand we have a let’s shoot ourselves in the foot progress.

There are a myriad of warning signals that the U.S. is on the wrong track. They range from: the abysmal non-producers revealed by the New Orleans Katrina flood; to the overflowing prison systems; and the disgraceful abandonment of the Vietnam mission. There are so many problems in the U.S. that is overwhelming to attempt to consider meaningful policy to alleviate the conditions.

There are two essential root problems: an over sense of entitlement; and a large proportion of the populous which is uneducated, or lacks intellectual curiosity and/or is brainwashed by the predominantly liberal educational and media systems.

LA Times columnist Al Martinez noted:

And the new historians prepare to write it all down for people who don't read, don't understand what they do read or don't much care about it anyhow.

When so many can tell you the latest happenings on a “reality” show, or what the last thing Oprah Winfrey said, or the life history on a basketball player, and then not have a clue as to world conditions, you begin to get a feel for the problem.

It is quite remarkable and a testament to the vitality of the American system that this country continues to stand center on the stage of world affairs. It also makes us a target and our weaknesses are beginning to show.

And what is that weakness? It’s a lack of backbone on the part of the American citizens when things get a little tough.

Author Michael Yon had this to say about the Iraq war:

But what I saw (and see) as the biggest threat to the outcome was not the increase in sectarian violence among Iraqis. The biggest threat to this mission, and by extension to the future stability of this region and the long term security of the United States and our allies, is and always has been the inability to see, hear and communicate the truth to the American people and our allies. In the final analysis, it is not going to matter if the French support our mission in Iraq, but once Americans turn away from their soldiers in the field, we’ve lost.

It’s Vietnam debacle on the horizon all over again. And, if it happens I will be convinced that a permanent mutation has occurred in the collective DNA of the nation altering the basic character of the American people. In that case we will no longer deserve to consider ourselves to be the best nation in the world. I would call that a failure. I know that there are those among us who will raise a toast in celebration because they will consider it a victory. That’s only because they are already mutated.