{Pascal the existential Russian blue cat is fond of quoting Saint Paul: "The time is short...the night is almost over; the day has drawn near." As the latest in a long line of rough beasts slouches his way back into the White House, it might help if we remember that the state of American democracy is best characterized as 'Always ill but never dies.' Or, to paraphrase Gloria Gaynor, 'We will survive.'}
As previously noted, books about American decline are a dime a dozen; an encyclopedic survey is impractical, if not impossible. Let’s begin, then, by referencing a mere handful of such books, the first of which I encountered at the tender age of sixteen, when I was a fledgling conservative and a subscriber to William F. Buckley’s National Review. I have appended to each title a brief publisher’s description, eschewing (for now) my usual glib comments.
- James Burnham, Suicide of the West (1964)
James Burnham’s 1964 classic, Suicide of the West, remains a startling account on the nature of the modern era. It offers a profound, in-depth analysis of what is happening in the world today by putting into focus the intangible, often vague doctrine of American liberalism. It parallels the loosely defined liberal ideology rampant in American government and institutions, with the flow, ebb, growth, climax and the eventual decline and death of both ancient and modern civilizations. Its author maintains that western suicidal tendencies lie not so much in the lack of resources or military power, but through an erosion of intellectual, moral, and spiritual factors abundant in modern western society and the mainstay of liberal psychology.
Devastating in its relentless dissection of the liberal syndrome, this book will lead many liberals to painful self-examination, buttress the thinking conservative’s viewpoint, and incite others, no doubt, to infuriation. None can ignore it.
- Naomi Wolf, The End of America (2007)
In a stunning indictment, best-selling author Naomi Wolf lays out her case for saving American democracy. In authoritative research and documentation Wolf explains how events parallel steps taken in the early years of the 20th century’s worst dictatorships such as Germany, Russia, China, and Chile. The book cuts across political parties and ideologies and speaks directly to those among us who are concerned about the ever-tightening noose being placed around our liberties.
In this timely call to arms, Naomi Wolf compels us to face the way our free America is under assault. She warns us–with the straight-to-fellow-citizens urgency of one of Thomas Paine’s revolutionary pamphlets–that we have little time to lose if our children are to live in real freedom. The End of America will shock, enrage, and motivate–spurring us to act, as the Founders would have counted on us to do in a time such as this, as rebels and patriots–to save our liberty and defend our nation.
- Bruce Ackerman, The Decline and Fall of the American Republic (2011)
Bruce Ackerman shows how the institutional dynamics of the last half-century have transformed the American presidency into a potential platform for political extremism and lawlessness. Watergate, Iran-Contra, and the War on Terror are only symptoms of deeper pathologies. Ackerman points to a series of developments that have previously been treated independently of one another: from the rise of presidential primaries, to the role of pollsters and media gurus, to the centralization of power in White House czars, to the politicization of the military, to the manipulation of constitutional doctrine to justify presidential power-grabs. He shows how these different transformations can interact to generate profound constitutional crises in the twenty-first century, and he then proposes a series of reforms that will minimize, if not eliminate, the risks going forward.
- Dennis Malpass, America in Decline (2013)
The United States of America is dying. More than a century ago, progressives began an insidious assault on America. The damage was inflicted piecemeal, and citizens barely noticed. The harm continues to this day and is being perpetuated by President Barack Obama. America is becoming a gargantuan European-style Nanny State. Underpinning America's decline into socialism are concepts rooted in misguided leftist policies, rampant political correctness, virulent anti-Americanism, and ideological environmentalism. Starting with Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, left-leaning presidents have added layer upon layer of bureaucracy, resulting in an out-of-control government. It has become not only hugely expensive, but poorly responsive to the citizenry. Several of these presidents have skirted the Constitution, ignored Congress and stacked the judiciary with like-minded jurists. What these leftist presidents couldn't achieve legislatively, their judicial appointees were often able to accomplish from the bench. Though the split was nearly equal between Republican and Democrat presidents over the past century, leftist policies were responsible for most of the harm. Unfortunately, even some nominally "conservative" presidents such as Richard Nixon have also contributed to the growth of government. The result has been the steady decline of America, most recently manifested by the re-election of Barack Obama.
- David Schein, The Decline of America (2018)
"The Decline of America" offers a carefully documented analysis of the last seventeen U.S. presidents. These men, eight Democrats and nine Republicans, have shaped the last 100 years, not only for America, but for the world. Each president is profiled with unsparing scrutiny so we can see where it’s all gone wrong. David Schein follows these critiques by proposing ways to improve America’s outlook for the next 100 years—before it’s too late.
In fact, it has been “too late” for America for some time now, perhaps even since its inception. America, as a nation, was a creation of the Enlightenment; as such, it was built (according to some) on intellectual sand. The wonder is that the nation has lasted this long, what with its specious claim that "all men are created equal" and its unwarranted faith in democracy. Is it time now, at long last, for America's chickens to come home to roost?
Let's hope not.
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