Can we do something, as conservatives and libertarians - as patriots - to stop America’s self destruction?
No, we can’t. We are too small, too few, and America is too big, to complacent, and too stupid. We can probably best invest our energy in “selfishly” attempting to prepare and provide for our own family and friends and set a common-sense example for others.
But stop America’s self destruction? Can’t be done. Like Bolivar said, might as well try to plow the sea.
In a speech entitled “Industrial Management in a Republic,” delivered in the grand ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria at New York during the 250th meeting of the National Conference Board on March 18, 1943, Henning Webb Prentis, Jr., President of the Armstrong Cork Company, had this to say:
“Paradoxically enough, the release of initiative and enterprise made possible by popular self-government ultimately generates disintegrating forces from within. Again and again after freedom has brought opportunity and some degree of plenty, the competent become selfish, luxury-loving and complacent, the incompetent and the unfortunate grow envious and covetous, and all three groups turn aside from the hard road of freedom to worship the Golden Calf of economic security. The historical cycle seems to be: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to apathy; from apathy to dependency; and from dependency back to bondage once more.”
You get it. Good post.
Henning Webb Prentis wasn’t the first but his words are clear as a bell. Some Scot statesman back in the 1700’s said this same sort of circle of governing progress in his own vernacular related to government type -democracy to oligarchy to dictatorship to monarchy to democracy, with a democracy not lasting more than 200 years. I recall learning almost 50 years ago this was part of the reason the USA was set up as a democratic republic by our founding fathers - to extend beyond the 200 years.