The Real-Time Collapse of American Society
Little things, like the abolishment of formal office attire, hint at deep cracks in the foundation of American society.
E. Jeffrey Ludwig | April 29, 2026
During the past 50-plus years, there has been a decline in the formality of workplace office attire, an increase in little children calling adult neighbors and relatives by their first names, and an increase of “sloppy Joe” or “sloppy Jane” clothing on our college campuses. In our largest city — New York — fare evasions on buses and subways are at an all-time high. The misbehavior in our public schools has reached intolerable levels. All sectors of everyday life are in decline.
Bus drivers in NYC are not as likely as in past years to insist that passengers pay their fares in order to ride the bus. And in the NYC subways, as in the years before Rudy Giuliani became mayor, more and more riders are jumping turnstiles and, after jumping the turnstile, opening one of the locked gates for a minute to allow friends or strangers to enter without paying.
Office attire is more “casual” than ever. Now, in midtown Manhattan where there are thousands of business offices, we find fewer and fewer men wearing ties and jackets. The women are also casually dressed. There is an assault on what is now being called “formal attire.” This reflects a deep-seated sense that hierarchies of competence are deemed less important. Even years after COVID, many are still working from home in their pajamas or torn jeans, and this is perceived by many as an improvement over forced compliance to “office subcultures.”
In addition to the above-noted “informality,” we are seeing the fruit of 50 years of feminism. Gloria Steinem came into the limelight in the 1970s. Since then, marriages are down, births are down, and depression medications are being prescribed at high levels.
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https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/04/the_real_time_collapse_of_american_society.html
