Recent (20th Century) foundations for USA domestic demise circa 1965-2013.
Sourced: “The Romance of American Communism” by Vivian Gornick, Basic Books, New York, NY, 1977
I have substituted Socialism for Communism/Marxism in many places herein because today the ill-informed American Liberals refuse to accept flaws in the Communist/Marxist philosophy. This summary will explain why in some detail, and is the essence of this offering. Unfortunately when a current writer even mentions Communism the “socialist – egalitarian - communist “ element massively over reacts and declares the writer is a follower of McCarthy or Hitler. BUT the left radicals will never disparage the two biggest monsters of the 20th century – Stalin and Mao. Thus the writer or orator is discredited and the middle (masses USA) has no opportunity to examine the facts. The American public has accommodated a Communist dictatorship in China for many of the same flawed reasons. They overlook an ex-KGB general, Putin, just as easily.
For my Colorado folks, it is pleasant to note for the FIRST time UC-Boulder has accepted a full time conservative professor on campus (2013)…..perhaps the beginnings of open, civil discussion will begin there.
My approach here is to quote from Gornick’s excellent work and expound on the American experience 1965-2013.
“Thus, among the Socialists, men and women who gained the courage to plunge after freedom were in the end not free. Men and women who had great intelligence were in the end in no position to use that intelligence. Men and women who were eminently reasonable and clung to the beauty and decency of reason were in the end a caricature of reason. Men and women who sought to control the cruelties of social relations through justice of scientific analysis in the end used scientific analysis to impose new cruelties.
And surrounding the whole of things was the longing ; responsible for the whole of things was the longing , the longing aroused by the vision of loveliness that was Socialism and could not be let go of even when the vision became a trap, a prison, a shriveling of the soul rather than the exultant enlarging of the soul it had been at its beginnings.”
There are five manifestations of the outfall of the American evolving love affair with socialism, all easily seen if the reader looks:
Destruction of the American public education system via subversive egalitarian change. ALL students are not equal in intelligence, motivation and ability. PEOPLE are not equal in many ways and the more hardworking and intelligent will reap the benefits……unless the USA completes the metamorphous from a free society to a pseudo-police state. Thus the massive increase in home schooling and private schools…..and most degrees in the public universities are worthless in the 21st century.
The prevision of the First Amendment whereby restricting free speech via “politically correct speech harassment” . Ideas are chilled and civil discourse lessoned.
The self-destruction of the American manufacturing base by guaranteeing workers wages and benefits that was not commensurate with their skills and abilities. The US auto industry is a perfect example……workers were paid $250,000(an estimate) a year with all bloated benefits for putting grease on a bolt. That industry destroyed itself accordingly even though the taxpayers put them on the dole.
The creation of government employee entitlements and bloated salaries. The massive growth of the percentage of “workers” that are paid directly from taxes at all levels. Estimates are as high as 50%......workfare for sure. This portion of the citizenry vote and protect themselves because they have a vested interest----that interest being eating.
The creation of a police state. This is comprised of not just cops but cops, prosecutors, judges, and incarceration facilities. A massive industry by itself. The intentions seem positive (see Gornick’s quote above) but the results are exceptionally negative. The police force of NYC is larger than the entire armed forces in Canada and with 5% of the world’s population the USA has 25% of citizens in jail. Since 911 we see SWAT teams vectored to possibly misdemeanor crimes, police chiefs with four stars on their collars, armored cars, and coming soon drones to check up on American backyard bar-b-ques.
There is no conspiracy in my opinion. There is as was in Germany, Russia, and China a slow, inexorable deterioration of freedom until the door back out was barred and locked.
