We Americans like to think that we can survive anything — wars, weather catastrophes and financial disasters. Because we are so hopeful, we may not realize that the water is boiling economically, morally, internationally and politically.

Welfare and disability have replaced the workplace for generations. Many states now have more people on welfare than on the job. Many cities are bankrupt. We hide the number of homes in foreclosure and the number of unemployed is staggering. We see no grand solutions, no great minds at work.

We are in a moral quagmire. Major colleges and universities now support “sex weeks” while large contributions continue and government tuition support grows. Social media websites are places for youth sex. Marriage, a central, historical foundation of the nation, is in trouble, with out-of-wedlock births becoming the norm. The government attacks the rights of churches and moral leaders and supports abortion — anytime, for any reason — paid for in part by people who are morally opposed. Moral leaders are attacked. The Christian core of the nation is denied. One of the nation’s cornerstones is being demolished.

Internationally, it is hard to see how things could be worse. Russia is back. The Chinese are aggressive holders of our debt. Iran will go nuclear. The Arab Spring is a holocaust. North Korea is a starving nation with a huge army and nuclear weapons — for sale and for use. Terrorism grows and now thrives in places like Africa in spite of drones. We have few if any real allies. We see no grand strategies, no great initiatives and, most sadly, no great leaders.

Politically, we have a perfect storm. One side has mastered the strategy of buying votes by providing more and more largess, which is what Alexis de Tocqueville warned against. The president owns the press, golfs with Tiger Woods and parties with Beyonce, while the other side fails that being the strict parent, counseling economic maturity and moral responsibility. Is there any evidence that we will survive?

 

Mike Gordon

Albert Lea