Posted on 04/01/2023 11:32:54 AM PDT by george76
Historian Arnold Toynbee observed "an autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide."
It's hard not to think about this reading the results of the latest Wall Street Journal-NORC poll, appearing under the headline "America Pulls Back From Values That Once Defined It."
Only 38% of Americans now say patriotism is "very important," compared to 70% in 1998. Thirty-nine percent say religion is "very important," compared to 62% in 1998. And 30% say having children is "very important" compared to 59% in 1998.
The results that follow from these attitudes are not surprising.
Marriage rates are way down. Birthrates are way down.
In 1990, 67% of American adults between the ages of 25-54 were married. This was down to 51% in 2021.
In 2020, there were 56 births in the U.S. for every 1,000 women ages 15-44. In 1990, there were 70.9.
And, among the births we do have, in 2021, 40% of our babies were born to unmarried mothers.
Not surprisingly, our population is hardly growing. In 2022, the U.S. population increased 0.4%, a modest increase from the 0.1% increase in 2021, the lowest annual population growth since the founding of the nation.
Looking at the same polling data results among the youngest sector of our population, the picture looks even more dismal.
Among those under 30, just 23% say patriotism is "very important" to them, 31% say religion is "very important," and 23% say having children is "very important."
What is important to Americans today?
Although 70% say marriage is either "very important" or "somewhat important," 65% say belief in God is "very important" or "somewhat important," 73% say patriotism is "very important" or "somewhat important," 91% say self-fulfillment is "very important" or "somewhat important," and 90% say money is "very important" or "somewhat important."
...
The devaluing of marriage, children and patriotism, and the focus on "self-fulfillment" and money are, of course, signs of a culture sunk into egotism and materialism, with a loss of a sense of being part of something larger than oneself.
It is not an encouraging picture for a country that hopes to have a future.
Our health care and retirement systems depend on a growing population. Stagnant population growth means more and more retirees per each individual in the workforce. It's why our Social Security system is bankrupt.
Zero population growth means an aging population and increasing health care costs. In 2019, 56% of all health care costs were in age groups 55 and above. The overall burden of health care costs will continue to increase as the percentage of the population over 55 increases.
There are also implications on national security of attitudes that devalue patriotism and national service.
We now have a volunteer military. This can't work with a population of young people who feel no sense of identity and obligation to their nation.
Again, the results are predictable. In 2022, the Army fell 15,000 short of its recruiting goal.
National defense spending is 3% of GDP, very low by historical standards.
The Wall Street Journal reports our Navy's fleet of ships will shrink to 291 by 2028 from 297 today. And the number of aircrafts in the Air Force is diminishing.
Only 21% of those surveyed say that our country "stands above all countries in the world."
But our country is only the product of its citizenry. A free nation under God becomes less free, and less great, as the Creator is traded in for materialism and egotism.
We have elections coming in 2024. President Joe Biden, assuming he runs, will run on more of what is destroying our nation. It is up to Republicans to run on principles and ideals, in hope that we can mend our rapidly sinking ship of state.
bttt
Article says it all!!
BUT the Bible says it even better.
We are now in such a moral decline, God will need to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah if HE doesn’t punish America!!
If you want to avoid the judgement of God Almighty, you have to trust in Jesus Christ as your lord and savior! He alone is the way, the light and the truth, nobody comes to the Father except through Him!
This can all be turned around but sadly probably won’t until after the next big war.
Why would we expect a nation of foreigners to be patriotic?
We ask nothing of them and tell them it’s a terrible country.
I think Obama should rot in hell for ushering in Marxism and degeneracy.
Bookmark
THE LEGACY OF ALL THOSE PARTICIPATION TROPHIES
I don’t get the fixation on foreigners. The most destructive people in America today are affluent white dingbats.
Yep.
Standard progressive-left garbage. Even "conservatives" have swallowed this nonsense. Must protect the nanny-state at all costs!
We have a completely fiat, printed, manipulated monetary system - which gives all power to money creators and government to create massive debt.
Why must we have ever-more people? To support ever-more government debt.
And ironically, we have reached a point where that bloated government and bloated debt is literally making the next generation impossible. People have given up on the future of the nation by not reproducing Its not just happening here. Just look at Japan - or even China
No, marxist communists are murdering it.
When the democrats declare one party rule it’s done
Yup.
Friday ping.
“America Pulls Back From Values That Once Defined It.”
It’s not suicide it’s murder by the Marxists democrat party and the MSM finger prints noted.
It takes unity form it’s citizens to prevent it.
Know what you vote for
Star Parker needs to run for something!
It’s because in order to keep the growth happening to pay for social programs the article mentions it requires an ever increasing population. Politicians recognize that so the #1 priority of our ruling class is to import foreign workers to keep the growth happening. They’re insulated from the results but in middle America we’re watching our country turn into Estados Unidos. I look around and see fewer and fewer Americans but tons of people physically located in America who have no interest in being American. In 100 years the land mass might still be called the United States but it won’t be America because there won’t be any Americans here.
I witnessed the rise of modern feminism (then called women’s liberation).
Men were hissed at on screen in theaters for displaying masculinity or pride. I heard this even at an Errol Flynn movie at a university campus. They were booed on shows like Dick Cavett.
I later on heard women say “I would have gone to the class reunion but I stayed at home to raise our kids and they all had careers and jobs so I felt embarrassed.” So
worthless, being a loving and caring mother and wife.
One key line I remembered from my ongoing reading of women’s viewpoint magazines in the 1970s (Ms, et al) a woman complaining “So I said to myself what am I doing here changing my baby’s diapers when I should be devoting myself to my career?”
And
“A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.”
Decades later people wonder why there is a population decline of native born citizens. And women who bemoan “Maybe I should have given some of those guys a break. They weren’t so bad. Now I’m never married and nearing 50.”
ping
Too much illegal and legal immigration. Too much literal worship of the 13% millstone around our necks. Our cities are ruined. Our suburbs are ruined. Our values are ruined. The nation is its people, and the people got worse and dumber and more secular. From fat, dumb and happy to obese, retarded and miserable.
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