R.I.P. The America I Knew

I used to assume that the majority of people in the United States were better than their government. Granted, it wasn’t saying much, but it explained how the country went on, so energetically, even when the government was so bad.

Today’s government is more than bad, worse than dysfunctional: It’s ruthlessly, unapologetically evil. The mask is off, even as they impose mask mandates on the citizenry for all time. Even Joe Biden, whom I always thought was too goofy to be evil — and more recently, too senile — has shown himself to be a thoroughly nasty, rotten-to-the-core human being whom we may yet live to see send citizens to concentration camps. He’s that bad, and they are ALL that bad in his party. And, quite frankly, many in the other party are just as bad.

I cannot fathom how they’re getting away with it all. I’m not necessarily expecting a violent revolution or a civil war — not when it hasn’t yet dawned on even most decent people how bad our present government and cultural establishment really are. In another election or two, or after another lockdown or two, it will be impossible to excuse anyone who doesn’t see it. And, let’s be real: we’re only one serious economic downturn away from an all-out civil war.

But just look at the things going on that don’t have to be tolerated. Big example: Millions of people are living at home off the government dole, because that promised dole pays a little bit more than an honest day’s work (at the market wages as of early 2020). Congress keeps extending the “COVID unemployment” and since they’ve made it clear that COVID isn’t ever going away, neither will the “COVID assistance.”

Taking money for doing absolutely nothing? It shows how widespread the lack of work ethic is. It also shows how willing millions of people are to “take what’s mine” by living off the government dole for doing absolutely nothing, for no reason whatsoever. These are not the actions or choices of decent, moral people. You could not tempt decent, moral people with all the stimulus packages in the world. And these are not the actions of self-interested people — not if you define self-interest as the kind of sustained prosperity, self-reliance and pride that can only come by standing on your own two feet.

Why aren’t more people enraged by the decision of Congress and the President to indefinitely and, by all appearances, purposely provide a “living wage” to all citizens above the market rate? Are they too stupid, airheaded and torpid to understand that the government would never do this without expecting a whole hell of a lot in return? Like all of your liberty? Worse still: Do they no longer care about their liberty?

And then there’s the mass, widespread compliance with “15 days to flatten the curve” that turned into 16 months — and counting, with the next set of extended mask mandates and lockdowns now upon us. OK, so there’s no American Revolution II over all this. But not even a whimper? Are these REALLY the descendants of the people who fought the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War II and the Cold War? If so, what did those people in earlier eras die for? For their own freedom, of course, which is entirely right and proper; but didn’t they also die for a sense of hope that all mankind would now enjoy the freedom they courageously helped to achieve way back when? What would they think of (most of) us now?

I’m just being honest, based on all the available evidence: I no longer assume most Americans are decent people. I realize it’s not very uplifting to say it aloud (or in print). But I cannot see a shred of evidence to tear holes in my new assumption, as much as I’d like to see some evidence.

There are still great people in America. There are in every civilization. But greatness is no longer the dominant cultural trend. It just isn’t. We would not and could not be stuck in this mess if most of us had greatness in us.

Many of us who are still decent and rational can at least take comfort that we saw, first-hand, how far mankind can go. Perhaps we saw the greatest civilization in human history at its peak — and then, at its fall. Greatness will always remain possible, even if it’s not the way people choose to act and think today. Human beings have free will. Sometimes they exercise it with nobility and purpose. Sometimes they’re like — well, like today.

 

 

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