Jimmy Smith shared a post.
(This is rather long, and I honestly expect it to be fully read by no more than maybe 15 or 20 people, and that’s okay. I’ve said before that I look at FB as a small town newspaper that publishes my opinion pieces. Most of my FB friends, I believe, lean to the Right although I don’t know, or actually care, how far they lean one way or the other. Freedom of expression without the need to attack those with whom one disagrees appears to have become an anachronism. Arguments about America’s grand experiment were the stuff of the Federalist Papers. It was their eloquence and brilliance that were fundamental to our government structure and its responsibilities/authorities. As we approach what may be the most contentious election in modern day history, I am drawn to reflect on certain things. The following is my reflection on America today and it’s “big picture” future.)
Failure And Irony
The failure of America
during my lifetime is the desegregation of our public schools. Brown vs the Board of Education was decided in 1956, but it wasn’t until the Civil Rights Act of 1968 that desegregation became hard and fast law. As a HS senior in 1968, I was a fly in the wall in my HS guidance counselor’s office. In preparation for integration, both the white HS and the Black HS took the
same achievement test. The results were jaw dropping. The white school was comfortably above the national norm; the black school’s scores were abysmal. White eighth graders were easily ready for HS; the black eighth graders were at the fifth grade level in verbal scores and at the fourth grade level in math. The disparity was too great to overcome immediately, but instead of leadership at the federal and state level coming to grips with what I believe was a nationwide problem, the inertia of such a huge undertaking resulted in taking the path of least resistance and and that meant rounding down. Seeing this decline as inevitable, the economically comfortable white middle class began to establish local private schools as a counter response. This essentially re-separated many American school districts back into “separate but equal” systems. This failure marks the beginning of America’s inevitable decline on the world stage.
during my lifetime is the desegregation of our public schools. Brown vs the Board of Education was decided in 1956, but it wasn’t until the Civil Rights Act of 1968 that desegregation became hard and fast law. As a HS senior in 1968, I was a fly in the wall in my HS guidance counselor’s office. In preparation for integration, both the white HS and the Black HS took the
same achievement test. The results were jaw dropping. The white school was comfortably above the national norm; the black school’s scores were abysmal. White eighth graders were easily ready for HS; the black eighth graders were at the fifth grade level in verbal scores and at the fourth grade level in math. The disparity was too great to overcome immediately, but instead of leadership at the federal and state level coming to grips with what I believe was a nationwide problem, the inertia of such a huge undertaking resulted in taking the path of least resistance and and that meant rounding down. Seeing this decline as inevitable, the economically comfortable white middle class began to establish local private schools as a counter response. This essentially re-separated many American school districts back into “separate but equal” systems. This failure marks the beginning of America’s inevitable decline on the world stage.
The irony of America in my lifetime has been the Fourth Estate and its fall from grace. As a student of the Soviet Union and its propaganda machine in the early 80’s, I was justifiably proud of our free press. The evening news and the morning paper were held in enviably high esteem by the American public, regardless of political leanings. I watched that freedom sullied and contaminated with self righteous journalists intending to influence through their “reporting. “ And I drew the obvious observation that this influence was increasingly Left leaning. The media’s increasing lack of candor led to finger pointing and allegations regarding objectivity. (William F. Buckley, Jr was a brilliant wit who was among the first to make astute observations of journalism’s decline.). Today’s MSM is viewed with a healthy skepticism from the Left and Right. Throw in the internet, and journalism has become a Spaghetti Western.
Our modern day adversaries, the Soviets/Russians and the Chinese, have long taken advantage of both declines.
The Russians have taken the tack of fomenting distrust of the media. As a student of Soviet propaganda back in graduate school, I was always proud that America had a free and open press. I have watched as the media’s freedom has devolved into defiance and dishonesty. Nowadays, we don’t quarrel; we argue heatedly and actually dislike those whose opinions differ.
The Chinese have taken the tack of economic influence. They have invested in America through loans and acquisitions of American companies. Because the Chinese exercise great control over their population, they have created the world’s most vast manufacturing structure. Not only do the Chinese make just about anything, they have slowly made themselves the sole source of too many manufactured goods. They have also successfully demanded access to our intellectual property and have inundated our colleges and universities with “students” sent to America to learn and to steal. And because they pay full tuition costs, we actually compete for those student thieves.
And “now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.”
Are we at a point in American history where we no longer have the wherewithal to overcome our disadvantages and disagreements? Can we elect a government of, by, and for our people ever again? Can we trust the fourth estate to inform us? Can we move our manufacturing capabilities back to American soil?
The Right says we must try.
The Left says we must instead embrace globalism as the means by which to establish a world order dedicated to making all humans equal. With equal education, equal healthcare, equal income, and equal civil rights.
The former faces the reality of human foibles and the competitive nature of human behavior. The latter is steeped in idealism and the hope that all humans are willing to sacrifice for the greater good.
It all boils down to the mantra of Marxism-Leninism, postulated by Marx and put into effect by Lenin:
From each according to his ability; to each according to his need.
It doesn’t work and nothing under our sun will make it work until humans lose their competitive nature. We ain’t there yet. If you disagree, then you are marching to the wrong drummer.
The failure and irony I described at the beginning are my opinion and nothing more or less. I’ve put a lifetime of thought into the two, and they are my conclusion to draw.
The hard way out is to roll up our sleeves to make America great again. The easy way out is to ignore our history and pretend we can make it go away by giving money to everyone who wants some and erasing our past with paint and explosives.
The hard way out is to roll up our sleeves to make America great again. The easy way out is to ignore our history and pretend we can make it go away by giving money to everyone who wants some and erasing our past with paint and explosives.
This opinion piece is full of things that I didn’t discuss. It is hugely incomplete, but I went to the trouble to explain myself vis-à-vis the threat posed by our biggest adversaries exploiting our fractured society.
I encourage all to do the same.
If nothing else, vote, vote, vote. (Only once and in person)
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