(Note: This is part one of a mini-series.)
PAT Buchanan is a well known political commentator, author, and former presidential candidate candidate. He has a repeated tendency to write one book. That is he (re)writes the same book, gives it a different name, and then makes more money from re-selling it to the same gullible audience. They apparently do not notice that the most recent edition is the same as the other dozen. They also do not care that he is only saying one thing. This is that the “West” (USA, Europe, Japan, and a part of Canada---namely the currently populated part, north of Toronto) is committing suicide. This is done by widespread abortion, contraception, and, ironically, a massive lack of birth control. The reason for the lack is that “birth control” is what medical personnel do in a delivery room. Pat argues that not enough white women are giving live birth. He is right. By the way what is normally called "birth control" are contractive and abortion devices. I give a bit of general advice: when one side refuses to name its position it is because they know that they are wrong.
However, Pat is correct of course. The primary cause of death is materialism. The greed for money, comfort, possessions, status, etc, have inevitably forced values such as human life in se and willing sacrifices for family into (at the very best!) secondary categories. Pat’s style in his books is to quote others who agree with him, as if finding some agreeable adjunct professor in a mid-western online university gives him extra credibility. He does not need any. He is right, and anyone with any intelligence knows this. On such matters even the Mass Media get the facts right.
Pat was recently on a TV interview show. He pointed out that the core of the USA (i.e. Whites of European descent) is soon going to be only one “minority” among many others. Good American national values are European, derived from Catholicism, as filtered, but not totally destroyed, through various strains of Protestantism. These values will no longer have an automatic assumption as primary ethical rules. National values will become open to endless variation and become, both literally and metaphorically, revolutionary. Pat asked, rhetorically, when this happens what will keep the nation together? I believe that he (and others) has felt that this means that the USA will actually dissolve, like the Roman Empire and the USSR did. Parts will break off, and become independent. I think that he is totally wrong. I think that he is one half a fool. He recognizes the symptoms, but failed to diagnose the results of the disease. Although not fatal, it is serious.
The current USA is doomed, unless things change, radically and relatively soon. I once wrote in a lengthy essay that it would hold together for another 500 years. And I did not write that 500 years ago. Thus it will. But it will not be the same nation that it was, at least approximately, for the first 200 years. That is, the fundamental ideas will not be the same. Concepts such as reward for successes, individualism, private property and liberty are often vague concepts. But they are real in that they can be usefully employed. Regardless of what other “experts” may declare, they are NOT of such a nature so as to be used as end goals or destinations. However, they may serve as cardinal directions. They give a type of litmus test to policies. For example, is a particular law more, or less, conducive of liberty?
I remind you that the USA currently exists in its third official avatar (to use the currently fashionable term). It first existed under the Continental Congress, and then under the Articles of Confederation, and then under the current Constitution. The movements were from states rights federalism to a stronger central government. This movement was also from more liberty to less.
Right now, if the Mass Media is to be trusted, California (and probably other states) has authorized the limited but legal sale of Marijuana, in open violation of federal law. Some cities openly refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement agents, usually on immigration matters. The laws of the federal government are no longer automatically enforced. This is what happened before the Revolution against England, and what was threatened before the War Among the States. Pat would probably see this as indications that the nation is getting closer to falling apart.
I hold that Pat is very wrong on this. This installment was intended to provide a proper background to my subsequent analysis. Please come back and let me try to persuade you. Regarding an actual dissolution of the Untied States. I shall let you decide if this would be good or bad.
On a different subject, you may wish to visit the blog site listed below. It contains comments from Oscar Wilde and Mark Twain on various subjects. The most recent installments include: the difference between optimists and pessimists; the differences between Conservatives and Liberals; heroes; good manners; experience and the true worth of things. Thank you.
http://wildeandtwain.blogspot.com/
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