One thing I’m seeing a lot more of these days is ‘Creeping Spenglerism’ — a sense that the US is on the edge of some sort decline, even death spiral.
Now even professional humorists are doing it,
The Portland Freelancer: When young people ask me for career advice – and that’s a little frightening right there – I always advise them to learn a skill they can perform to amuse the people around a campfire. Then if everyone laughs ask to share any food. I am only half kidding. America has been arrogant for too long, and it could be about to catch up with us.
This sort of talk makes me want to vote for John Edwards — as far as I know, he’s the only guy out there running a campaign of optimism.
Edwards is too mortal. Why not Barack Obama—–a man who can heal the sick, raise the dead and turn water into wine! If he were president, he could reduce the deficit by turning lead into gold. And the loaves and fishes thing could end hunger in America!
Dana Priest had an interesting dialog on her Live Online segment last week.
Our federal government’s tendency to bicker between themselves and sending the military out to solve problems was compared to the fall of the British and Roman empires last days.
But we’ve done this to ourselves. Breaking up families with overly aggressive marijuana laws, removing discipline from public schools, and allowing countries like China do anything they want because they hold billions in US debt. I see us at the top of the roller coaster hill and increasing inertia to a final plunge.
Large businesses are moving overseas not just to take advantage of lower labor costs but to minimize their losses as the dollar continues to drop against foreign currencies and our brain trust continues to disappear. We’re ranked 27th in education the last I hear. The foreigners that I knew that came to our shores are going back to start consulting companies.
With little more than a large military left, I wonder what the death throes of the last gasp will bring.
Some new, real, leadership could change the direction of our country. But have we seen anyone step up that could make this a reality? While I like John Edwards, I’m not sure he or Barack could get Congress and the executive to set a new direction.
So supporting John Edwards would probably be like the old saying about peeing in black pants. It may make you feel warmer, but probably no one will notice.
as a graduating law student, i think i can speak for my generation by thanking our parents’ generation for screwing us so badly. the world is abysmal condition. not only did you hippies turned boomers completely subvert all of your good intentions by turning into ruthless exploiters, you lie in bed with neocons, who have never had good intentions. And to make sure that we are helpless to address the problems of our future, you make sure that the quality of education keeps falling.
no matter what your political persuasion, dearest parents generation, go to your golden years with a heavy heart – YOU have failed. Wish us luck, pray for us, but get OUT OF THE WAY – you are a menace and most of you are frauds.
It doesn’t matter who wins the next election: democracy is broken and we need to fix it. sadly, you have done such a good job screwing up that you have rasing a generation that doesn’t care about anything… yes, we are going down.
All you folks wailing about how bad things are now make me sick! The year I graduated from high school the top song of the year was by The Captain and Tennille. The top 25 included Glenn Campbell, Tony Orlando and Dawn, and the Bee Gees. We lived through that; we can live through anything.
In the face of Bush administration incompetence and the squandering of the good will that America has long enjoyed overseas, the Democrats seem ill equipped to apply comprehensive remedies to prevent the roller coaster descent.
Edwards seems like a likable guy with great dental work. Obama a lot about myth making and personal mission (the post up top by Mitch was very funny). Hillary, burdened with baggage. None of the contenders stand out as the one with the action plan America needs writ large.
I agree with the posters up top that the indicators are worrisome. What has been added to the US debt? Two trillion I believe. A lot of this debt is held overseas. This is a recipe for a falling dollar and recession, depending on how things are handled.
Speaking from a Canadian perspective, I don’t believe for a second that the well spring of American positive energy has been depleted. What is needed most of all is an administration that makes the establishment of an entirely new international protocol its number one priority. This Bush debacle is not taken as the measure of America by observers who understand well that the heart and soul of the US, as incarnated in its constitution, is a phoenix that personifies the deepest needs and aspirations of its people. America has the blueprint. What is needed is the administration with the formula for renewal.
Interesting post this evening on Crooked Timber by John Quiggin on willpower and the Green Lantern theory of geopolitics. It tackles some of these concerns from a different perspective.