Friday, June 15, 2012

Is America Finished? - Part 2

Seems like everybody is talking about the decline of America, especially if you are watching the news networks. Every night, there is a parade of gloom and doom—out of control deficits, trade imbalance, wars, talk of wars, financial collapse, and oil prices. And those are just a few of the ongoing topics. So is America Finished? Are the glory days gone?

I go into great detail about these issues in my book, The Red Pill: The Cure for Today’s Mass Media Culture, so I am only going to cover a few key points. Television has re-engineered the way we think and view the world. We desire to have the things we see in television programs and commercials at all costs. I believe this has transformed our society. We work longer hours, weekends, and sometimes even during our vacation time. Pursuing this unending appetite of consumerism has required both parents to work.

Of course, I know the argument is that we only want to provide the best for our families. But what does that mean, and how do we define what the best is all about? There is a price to pay—a bill that’s coming due now. For the past few decades, all over America generations have received an abundance of material goods, but they haven’t received the spiritual goods. I’m not sure we can do both. Time at the office has its consequences. The question is: Who’s raising our kids, really? Could it be today’s mass media culture? Have we created a society that is self-absorbed, unwilling to sacrifice, and is always looking for “what’s in it for me”? Is that the America that Colonel Andrei Denisov described in Amerika? We could be well on our way.

Practically every study conducted has indicated a sharp decline in morals and values in our society today. Each generation preceding from World War II has been less likely to embrace a Biblical worldview. Our media culture has taught us that it’s all about me and what I want. Burger King says, “Have it your way.” Right?

If America fails, it will be from within. And it most likely will be a spiritual decline, not a military or financial collapse. My formula for success is to forget about the second or third car, and spend more time at home and less time at work. Model Christianly and the attributes of Christ as an example for your family. Live the life that Jesus talked about in the Gospels. Become real and transparent to yourself and your community. Put others first, reach out to your neighbors in need, and do the right thing. Make sacrifices. You are not the center of your own universe. It’s a lonely place there.

Let’s stop fighting among ourselves and start learning to cooperate. These are the steps that lead to a re-emergence of the American Dream.

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