America’s current status lies on the butcher’s table, experiencing the preparatory phases before the specific cuts of meat are to be cut and prepared accordingly. However, despite the state of affairs encountered today, the position of the country has been on said table for quite some time. With the presence of coronavirus and racial tensions sucking most of the oxygen out of the social and political rooms, many other concerns of massive import are being ignored, only to the peril of the American electorate.
On economic front, the U.S. was just beginning to recover from the 2008-2009 recession. While the GDP and stock market numbers had recovered years before President Trump’s administration came into being, the wages of American workers were growing at a snail’s pace, particularly in the middle and lower economic classes. The ‘Trump Bump’ was finally taking hold in 2018-2019, but this was merely making up ground from the prior years (many would say decades), putting many Americans finally into a semi-comfortable position once more. Combined with tax cuts for most workers and businesses, not to mention deregulation and trade negotiations, 2020 was looking like a great year for work, saving and investing.
With the coronavirus, these gains were almost entirely wiped out, and only massive government and monetary intervention prevented even further economic destruction. The already enormous deficits of both the Obama and Trump years were taken from already nearly unseen heights, to deficits not seen since World War II. The projected yearly deficit is approaching FOUR trillion dollars, and the national debt is now well over $25 trillion. With low interest rates, the interest payments haven’t completely overwhelmed and overtaken entitlements or defense spending… yet. This isn’t building roads, providing tax cuts to small business and middle-class workers, it is precious resources being squandered on essentially nothing.
One very small gleam of hope comes from this gargantuan deficit. After the retreat of American military power during much of the Obama years, also came the partial divestment of military funding, so as to reduce the deficit and pay for social programs (e.g. Obamacare, food stamp expansion, etc.). Fortunately, the efforts of President Trump and Defense Secretary Mattis put an end to this madness, and the additional defense spending so desperately needed to maintain American capabilities, was restored to semi-sustainable levels. However, as previously mentioned, this only has increased American deficits.
The foreign policy situation is not rosy either, as Russia is continuing to play games in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and other places of American interest. Iran is continuing to meddle in the Middle East, putting American and allied interests at risk. Saudi Arabia is engaged in an oil war with Russia, harming American energy markets, which have been crucial to much of America’s economic recovery for the past decade. Europe is continuing to poke America, from not taking their own defense responsibilities seriously, to placing trade barriers on American imports, to providing cover or even support to American adversaries in the U.N. This is a double damn, due to the perceived conception of supposed European unwavering support to their transatlantic benefactor. Mexico and Latin America continues to aid illegal immigrants crossing the Rio Grande (albeit much less with the current health crisis), undermining American security and economic stability.
China deserves the most attention and accompanying consternation on the front abroad, and not just for lying and intentionally spreading the virus (by continuing travel abroad after it was obvious the virus was spreadable from human to human). The stealing of intellectual property, even greater trade blocks placed than by the Europeans, the continual general militarization of the People’s Liberation Army, not to mention the buildup in the South China Sea, the repression of Hong Kong, the use of thousands upon thousands of spies and agents in America’s scientific and academic institutions, the list of condemnable acts could go on ad nauseum. Yet, the media reports the false numbers of cases and deaths in the communist nation, actively promoting Chinese propaganda, while playing up American numbers to undermine American international strength.
On the cultural and social front, Americans are divided seemingly beyond reconciliation, with a sizable portion of the population confused and/or extremely nervous about the unraveling of societal calm. Black Lives Matter is now more popular than ever, even more so than either the Democrats or the Republicans, despite the actual organization(s) being virulently anti-Western and calling for the overthrow of the current American government. Antifa is either ignored, called some version of an urban myth, or is falsely called a noble group fighting against ‘fascists’ (all while employing fascist tactics against innocent Americans). Looting has only very recently been reduced, and arson has switched from buildings to monuments. Monuments, regardless of the historical figure, are being smashed and taken down, vaguely reminiscent of the cultural purges of Nazi Germany or Mao’s Communist China. Other than President Trump, a few Republican Senators and Representatives, almost no one at the federal level is attempting to stand up to, or in the case of the political class of instigators, pullback the forces of mayhem and mindless destruction.
Where does this leave America? In short, in a very weakened position, one that will no doubt harm not only her present standing, but her future as well. When a society as noble as the American one has flatly given up on what made her great, when this society gives up on security and demonizes economic productivity and success, the future is rather bleak, with nothing sturdy to support the foundation of the society. Negatively introspective societies, or societies dominated by apathy cannot survive, both at home and abroad. Focus on completely dominating viruses, which are mutable and unseen, or fighting racial division which is largely ginned up by small bands of racists and an ever-salivating media and political establishment which hopes to take advantage of the current strife and health crisis, and hopefully pick up the pieces for future play in their continued hijinks, these are near-ultimate signs of moral, cultural and spiritual exhaustion. Fighting largely invisible and ever-changing enemies, combined with self-appointed moral arbiters moving the proverbial goalposts to unconquerable heights, reveals a society which prefers to engage in false battle and surrender to unreason.
This obviously isn’t a solutions list, rather a short, but stark list of ills that plague the American nation and her people. Should many of these pressing shortfalls not be addressed, and done so with fervor and dispatch, America could very well fall into something akin to an exhausted post World War Two British Empire at best, or a decadent and teetering pre Dark Age Rome at worst. Today, conditions in America are not optimal for revival, whether it be culturally, economically, on any front. However, not all is lost.
1800. 1831. 1860. 1929. 1941. 1957. 1968. All of these years have one thing in common. They were years in which America was on the brink of some sort of collapse, whether it be physical, spiritual, moral, or world standing. In addition, all of these years saw America bounce back from great adversity and become even greater each time. The one aspect that allowed for these recoveries? Virtue was the difference, and virtue of the American people shone forth each time, rather than shrinking from the task. The greatest of the virtues that makes all the others possible, courage, is what is needed now. In these uncertain times, specific solutions will appear so long as courage doesn’t give way to fear.
As we ponder the future, maintaining some form of public and civic virtue will overcome disaster and keep hope alive. Emulating all those who came before us, let us remember these lesson and examples, and the overwhelming facts of gloom cannot defeat America, no matter how desperate the conditions on the ground seemingly are.
Sincerely, your humble servant,
Winston Publius
The Classical (Trumpian) Liberal 