AMERICA'S CONDITION -- Democrats control politics and culture, financial industry the economy

THE AMERICAN CONDITION (CARMA forum January 16, 2014)

How did America get into the condition she is in today?

PRELIMINARY COMMENTS FOR THE CARMA FORUM

If you've ever eaten an elephant, you know it's difficult to decide where to take the first bite. Well, so it is trying to discuss a topic as broad and complex as “The American Condition.”

But, let's try. Get a start for a further forums and for written articles. Let's take a broad brush look at a brief summary of how we've evolved, or devolved, POLITICALLY, CULTURALLY AND ECONOMICALLY since we became a free nation.

My intentions are to offer some thoughts, not necessarily in any order, then conclude with analysis and commentary regarding our CURRENT “CONDITION” and how we arrived to it. Please interject when you wish. I intend to leave adequate time for group discussion at the end. Let's ask, “Who were we?” and “Who are we now?” The essence can be found in looking at our first and last president – the CEO of the country.

IN THE BEGINNING, AMERICANS ELECTED THE BEST AMONG US – PROVEN LEADERS, MEN OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATION. QUALIFIED! DEDICATED!NO LONGER IS THIS TRUE!

“THE BEST AMONG US DON'T PRESENT FOR ELECTED OFFICE NOW AND VOTERS WILLFULLY ELECT THE WORST WHO DO RUN.” I've been writing and speaking this for quite some time. It cannot be denied without compromising intellectual integrity. Of course, many are willing to do just that and argue the contrary out of bias and prejudice. That, too, is a part of the declining American Condition -- lack of integrity.

OUR CULTURE, OUR ECONOMY AND OUR GENERAL WELL-BEING SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR ELECTING THE

                                                                         2.

WORST, NOT THE BEST. Let's compare our first and last president.

FIRST PRESIDENT:

GEORGE WASHINGTON (1789-1797) WAS UTTERLY QUALIFIED. EXPRIENCED! A LEADER! WHEN URGED BY CITIZENS TO BE PRESIDENT, HE ASKED, “HAVE I NOT DONE ENOUGH FOR MY COUNTRY?” Of course he had. Led our delivery from tyranny. How's that for contributions to the nation? Yet, he relented and signed on for more service. Led early development of the greatest nation on earth. Could have been king. Wisely refused.

THE CURRENT PRESIDENT:

BARACK OBAMA(2008-??) WAS, AND IS, UTTERLY UNQUALIFIED – NOT A LEADER, NO CONTRIBUTIONS, QUESTIONABLE BACKGROUND WITH MUCH OF IT UNKNOWN. Elected with no accountable accomplishments or applicable experience...not once but twice. No measurable contributions. Results are chaos, inept governance, a stagnant economy, confused foreign relations (in spite of spin from the administration and media). It's probable that he has destroyed our vaunted healthcare system.

In getting elected he declared to his supporters, “We are the people we've been waiting for.” We'll change America and then change the world.” A narcissist! His goal? Seems to be to transform a great America into parity with lesser nations. By his Imperial actions, he shows he wants to be KING OR EMPEROR.....THE OPPOSITE OF WASHINGTON.

HOW DID WE GET TO THIS STATE WHERE EARLY

AMERICANS CHOSE A LEADER WITH GEORGE WASHINGTON'S CHARACTER TO ACCEPTING A BARACK OBAMA WHOSE EVERY CHARACTERISTIC IS ANTITHETICAL TO WASHINGTON'S?

                                                                 3.

In my opinion much of the answer lies in how we evolved from an

AGRARIAN nation, to an INDUSTRIAL ONE and now to one whose

ECONOMY is controlled by the FINANCIAL INDUSTRY. With these

changes, came political and culture change. Let's take a look.

THE AGRARIAN ERA was defined by sense of family and community, individual responsibility, appreciation of freedom and liberty and how they were gained. Strong personal initiatives, without government dependence, largely led to the next era of immense economic and industrial growth, primacy in many developments and preeminence in many ways in international relationships.

In the INDUSTRIAL age the middle class grew rapidly and thrived as manufacturing dominated the economy. With the growth in manufacturing came “worker rights” issues – some perceived some real. UNIONS were formed to help enforce worker rights. For a time, this was positive. However, unions morphed from problem solvers to being problems themselves. Many object to this characterization of unions and can even become violent in defending their positions, but one has to suspend intellectual integrity to deny the transforming of unions from positively working for workers' rights to political activism. In fact, they've become major operatives of the DEMOCRATIC PARTY, which itself has changed dramatically. Liberal Democrats, focused on liberty and freedom, began to die in the 1950's, with focus more on individual permissiveness rather than liberty for all. This change is very much a part of the American Condition today. The change is complete. Death of classical Liberalism. But, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.

Union voting power helps keep Democrats in control. Their major focus now is using workers' dues to finance DEMOCRATS, who are not traditional Democrats at all, to repeat, rather are far more WILSONIAN PROGRESSIVES. Their major policy issues are social change and creation of controlling administrative bureaucracies. My contention is that the Democrats have even radicalized Wilsonian Progressive

                                                                        4.

ideology. Social change, a major Progressive initiative, was epitomized by legalizing abortion on demand. This event has done more to change the American Condition, the culture, than any other social change. However, that's a subject for another day, another article for publication.

So, who and what are the major determinants of the American Political and Economic Conditions today. DEMOCRATS/PROGRESSIVES CONTROL THE AMERICAN POLITICAL CONDITION. And, to a great extent, the CULTURE.

The FINANCIAL INDUSTRY now controls the ECONOMY. While it may not be commonly known, the major money centers that control the economy are headed mostly by Democrats. Typically, 80% of their political contributions go to Democrats. There is some indication that the whole of the financial industry is shifting more funding to Republicans. However, their top management will continue to control the political funding. And, the leaders are largely Democrats. Honesty is often

not a hallmark of the financial industry. Fraud is all to prevalent.

Fraud, previously spotty and localized, has become more systemic. The nature of the financial industry makes fraud and malfeasance far easier than in previous eras – more serious in single instances and far more pervasive. Financial fraud is virtually endemic today.

So, my contention is that the economy-controlling financial industry is complicit in the nation's cultural decline and is a partner with the political condition in doing so.

With this backdrop, we will discuss the evolution of control of our nation by Democrats as radical Progressives gained control of the Democratic Party. To be sure, Democrats are not totally responsible for our critical, declining condition today (decadence), but they are now firmly in control after 5-6 decades of work, some insidious, to change the social, political and economic fabric of America. All of this I refer to as our culture. 
 

We will discuss this condition. An article defining how Democrat/Progressive control came about over several decades will be posted.