It has come as a shock to many that America is poised to lose its place as the number one power in the world, that the age of America is winding down. But as depressing as this may be, it should come as no shock at all. What we are witnessing is the inevitable alignment of America's material condition with its spiritual one, which has degenerated for some time now. We discarded every noble principle in a vain attempt to maintain the balance sheet, forgetting that the latter was merely the fruit of the former. Now we will have the worst of both worlds, destitute in both body and soul.
Self-discipline, frugality, individual initiative, and the unshakable rule of law created our wealth. But as new generations were born into this world of plenty that their ancestors had cultivated, we came to perceive wealth as absolute birthright rather than fragile bequest. Like the prodigal son, we demanded the golden eggs with no care for the goose; when the goose went fallow, we began to flounder. (By the way, "prodigal" means wasteful rather than wandering, a misuse that annoys me to no end.)
Just look at the shameless mindset prevailing now. Those who play by the rules, pay their bills, and take their lumps in stride are coerced into subsidizing delinquents, either directly through taxation or indirectly through a dictatorial monetary policy that smothers the interest rate to encourage loose lending. Success and failure are detached from merit, now being linked to politics (where scum rather than cream rises to the top). Americans demand unconstitutional plunder such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security as a "right," even when the ship of state plummets beneath a sea of red ink. The "land of the free" is carpeted with so many rules and regulations that one can scarcely get out of bed without committing an infraction. There is no rule of law, as the government and its courts re-write the rules on a daily basis to suit themselves without paying any heed to the Constitution or its demanding amendment process. On a more basic level, the fundamental unit of society -- the family -- steadily erodes under the relentless tide of no-fault divorce and illegitimacy. And there is of course no education worthy of the name, rather training camps whose inmates receive enough instruction to eke out a daily existence but nowhere near enough to glance up from their cubicles and ask meaningful questions. And through it all, the worship of excess, immodesty, perversion, and celebrity continues to trample on the graves of moderation, humility, morality, and true accomplishment.
The bill is coming due, and no accounting trickery or political campaign can stop it. The task of the responsible remnant is to batten the hatches, weather the storm, and emerge to build something from the wreckage left behind by the most profligate people to inhabit the Earth since A.D. 476.
Self-discipline, frugality, individual initiative, and the unshakable rule of law created our wealth. But as new generations were born into this world of plenty that their ancestors had cultivated, we came to perceive wealth as absolute birthright rather than fragile bequest. Like the prodigal son, we demanded the golden eggs with no care for the goose; when the goose went fallow, we began to flounder. (By the way, "prodigal" means wasteful rather than wandering, a misuse that annoys me to no end.)
Just look at the shameless mindset prevailing now. Those who play by the rules, pay their bills, and take their lumps in stride are coerced into subsidizing delinquents, either directly through taxation or indirectly through a dictatorial monetary policy that smothers the interest rate to encourage loose lending. Success and failure are detached from merit, now being linked to politics (where scum rather than cream rises to the top). Americans demand unconstitutional plunder such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security as a "right," even when the ship of state plummets beneath a sea of red ink. The "land of the free" is carpeted with so many rules and regulations that one can scarcely get out of bed without committing an infraction. There is no rule of law, as the government and its courts re-write the rules on a daily basis to suit themselves without paying any heed to the Constitution or its demanding amendment process. On a more basic level, the fundamental unit of society -- the family -- steadily erodes under the relentless tide of no-fault divorce and illegitimacy. And there is of course no education worthy of the name, rather training camps whose inmates receive enough instruction to eke out a daily existence but nowhere near enough to glance up from their cubicles and ask meaningful questions. And through it all, the worship of excess, immodesty, perversion, and celebrity continues to trample on the graves of moderation, humility, morality, and true accomplishment.
The bill is coming due, and no accounting trickery or political campaign can stop it. The task of the responsible remnant is to batten the hatches, weather the storm, and emerge to build something from the wreckage left behind by the most profligate people to inhabit the Earth since A.D. 476.
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