Opinion> Bill Oreilly> America In Decline

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America in Decline

According to a new poll by The Hill newspaper, 69 percent of Americans now believe the USA is in "decline." In addition, a whopping 83 percent indicate they are worried about America's future.

Very sobering. So what's going on?

If you study history, you know that America was built on self-reliance and personal achievement. In the early years of the Republic, the federal and state governments pretty much stayed out of the way as folks built businesses and communities. There were absolutely no public safety nets. If you failed, it was up to you to survive.

Because of that circumstance, the citizens of America became strong. The motto "Don't Tread On Me" was absolutely appropriate. Hardship was accepted as a part of life. Self-sacrifice for the good of others was the order of the day. Cowardice and narcissism were condemned everywhere.

And so the world's greatest and strongest country was built. Not by pinheaded bureaucrats, but by the blood and sacrifice of hardworking folks. Each generation had strong role models to follow. There were rules of conduct, and there was a dominant Judeo-Christian signpost. As Superman well knew, it was "truth, justice and the American way."

But things have changed.

The collapse of tradition began in the late 1960s when the Vietnam War raged. For the first time, Americans could see the horrors of combat in their living rooms. And that war was largely undefined, especially for younger people. What the heck was the USA doing in Southeast Asia? Why were young men being drafted into a conflict few understood? In order to win any war, you need dynamic leadership.

President Lyndon Johnson failed to provide it.

Out went the baby with the bath water. In came drugs, free love and a suspicion of authority. No longer was the United States a noble nation in the eyes of many of its own citizens who began to see their country as an oppressor.

America became a divided nation. Traditions eroded quickly, as many people began doing their "own thing." No longer was there a widely accepted code of conduct.

Self-reliance remained the key to success in our capitalistic system, but for those who declined to compete, the federal government stepped in to lend support. As the family structure collapsed, entitlements became more common, as children and single mothers had to be supported. The vexing issues of racial inequality and persistent poverty brought about ultra-expensive social engineering. Liberal Americans looked to the Western European model of cradle-to-grave support as a panacea for "income inequality." The view that Washington has a moral obligation to provide a decent lifestyle for everyone took root.

That philosophy, currently embraced by President Obama, has led to massive debt, which, in turn, has created chaos in the private marketplace. In this world, a strong economic base is the foundation of power. America has lost that base.

And so, once again, the folks are right. The United States is in decline. And only we the people can reverse that. We have to depend on ourselves.

Veteran TV news anchor Bill O'Reilly is host of the Fox News show "The O'Reilly Factor" and author of the book "Pinheads and Patriots: Where You Stand in the Age of Obama." To find out more about Bill O'Reilly, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. This column originates on the website www.billoreilly.com.

DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM

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Funny, no mention of how the corporations have taken control of the government; of how they are destroying the middle class by exporting all of the jobs to China. Funny, no mention of how the corporations have destroyed the unions and are now using their control of government to go after the last of the unions. (That great, pre-1968, America was a union America.)
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Funny, no mention of the GOP deregulation of the banking industry and their plan of privatized profits combined with socialized risk in the creation of the economic collapse and associated massive debt from bailing out their sorry you-know-whats.
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Yes, Obama has not stood against the corporate destruction of America to the degree his supporters had hoped, but if you think that any of the current crop of GOP candidates will stand for American values instead of corporate values, you are living in fantasy land.

Comment: #1
Posted by: Mark
Sat Oct 29, 2011 10:15 AM

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This would be utterly laughable if it weren't such an ugly example of the unaccountable, fantasy commentary that is poisoning the right wing.

The fun begins with the "collapse of tradition" in the 60's and just ramps up from there. Let's see, the tradition of that period coming to an end that stands out in my mind is racial segregation. The 60's marked the end of official apartheid in the U.S., and glad to get that behind us.

My favorite statement, though, is that "America became a divided nation." That's deep. I guess O'Reilly never heard of the Civil War.

One is tempted to call him just plain idiotic, but then one has to remember how rich he has gotten off of this venom. In the end though, even he loses, because after all, it's all the same planet, and life as we know it here is headed for extinction if we have folks like him defining our future. Talk about loss of tradition.

Comment: #2
Posted by: Masako
Sat Oct 29, 2011 4:42 PM

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