I am not sure I would say that. I would say we got off track (IMHO in the 1930s). I have no doubt we can recover if we are willing to try. Plenty of our fellow citizens still are stuck in the 60s - too bad for them. I just remember the founding fathers had their trials too.
Just as an aside, when was the last time you heard of children in terms of decimal places?
[e.g. "1.3 children per..."]
Not in my America, thank God. At least not in about 20 years. Get in the sack, fellow citizens! We rule the world and so will generations of our descendants!