Stopping America’s Slide Into Decadence And Decline

[mystery-ak]

 Stopping America’s Slide Into Decadence And Decline
New York Times columnist Ross Douthat's latest book, 'The Decadent Society,' argues that America's decadence has resulted in failing institutions and a culture that's out of ideas—and these problems could define us for a long time to come.
John Thomas
By John Thomas
March 13, 2020

The July 20th, 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, led by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, is perhaps the defining technological moment of the 20th century and the quintessence of American ingenuity and exceptionalism. No other country has successfully landed people on the moon and only the Red, White, and Blue flies there.

And yet it is worth noting that this celebrated accomplishment occurred over 50 years ago. While the youngsters watching Armstrong take his giant leap for mankind might have dreamt of a lunar or even martian colony by this time, the reality has been, in a word, unfulfilling.

As New York Times’ Op-Ed columnist Ross Douthat explains in his new book, The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success, the moon landing was “the most extraordinary endeavor of the American age in modern history.”  However, since the days of Apollo 11, “we have entered into decadence.”

more
https://thefederalist.com/2020/03/13/stopping-americas-slide-into-decadence-and-decline/

[Fishrrman]

From my viewpoint (which is admittedly that of one peeking up from out of the mud), Western Civilization reached its apogee with the moon landing in 1969, and then "rode on a plateau" until the collapse of the Soviet Union and the freeing of Eastern Europe in 1990-91.

Then it began a very slight decline, until the shock of the World Trade Center attack of September 2001 (islam's "clarion call" to the world of its intent for The West).

Since then, the future ain't lookin' so good. This is a problem with declining social and cultural mores in The West, but as much or moreso, it represents the spiritual failure of Western Civilization (and the race that created it) to be proud of its accomplishments and willing to defend them in the face of increasingly relentless attacks.

Mr. Trump has provided a respite, an "American Renaissance" that for now has halted that slide, but his tenure can't last beyond a second term and there will be no one who follows any time soon who can stand in his shoes (a la Ronald Reagan in the 1980's).

What will that future bring?
As I've said before:
"After Trump... the deluge"...