We became the greatest country on earth because we had ideals that a great many people shared, not only in our country, but all over the world. These were seemingly universal ideals, judging by the enormous numbers of immigrants flocking to our shores.
I do not want to start laying blame on anyone - I sincerely want to discover whether or not we can survive as a nation while such deep divisions exist. It may be that we have outgrown our ideals, are too vast to be effective anymore, and would be better off segmenting the country into several individual independent states. Are we too big to continue? Should we divide the country into two or more parts? Is governing such a large expanse unmanageable today? There are consequences inherent with freedom, once responsibility and accountability have been removed from the equation, we are approaching anarchy. My concern is that we can no longer reach consensus or compromise on anything, that maybe the grand experiment that was the United States has been undone, whether by design or by accident and neglect of the values and principles that got us to prominence on the world stage.
The idea that there can be "one world order" is surely doomed -we cannot even manage one large country anymore. Economically, there is no longer a safe employment base in the United States - outmoded thinking and greed drove the menial labor supporting industries off our shores, and we, collectively, did nothing to realize the consequences of such a massive shift in paradigm, or the effect upon those whose livelihood had been "outsourced". We simply refused to take any of that into consideration - the employers who sought cheaper labor elsewhere were far too shortsighted to recognize the repercussions, or, (and I find this reprehensible) simply knew and did not care, as long as they continued to "get theirs."
Progressive thought was equally as shortsighted - the Constitution embodied ideals that are timeless, yet the rights endowed by our Creator have been usurped by an overreaching government, fostered by notions of equal outcomes instead of equal opportunity, unfettered personal freedom with regard to morality has fomented dissent and conflict with faith, the abandoning of faith leaves a vacuum which some fill with excesses and avoidance of thoughts and feelings that are necessary to sustain a sense of community and a bond between members of a society.
Instead of "we the People" we have become a loose association of "I, of and for me" and the hell with what you think or believe - your laws, morals, ideas of family and community no longer have any relevance - I do not need anyone, do not care about anyone, and will do just fine on my own. Only MY definition of family and morality have any bearing, only MY existence and survival are important, and don't try to concern me with what is good for you - I just don't care, it is all about ME, and only what I want matters, there is no "greater good" there is no sense of nationhood or national pride, how can you possibly think I care what happens to my "neighbor" what do they do for me?
The opposite view is just as simple – I was born in the wealthiest country on earth, and, simply through the act of being born, I am entitled to receive my share, I care not that others worked and earned their right to their share of the American dream - I am entitled to mine, I need not do anything for it, it is my birthright. Others are walking around with my share of the wealth squirreled away, I will find it and help myself, oh, and I will use my “mother government” to help me get mine. I will invent seemingly altruistic motives to punish achievement, blaming everything on the concept of greed, thereby allocating shares of wealth more evenly, again, equal outcomes without equal effort. I will crusade for absentee responsibility –let someone else be “responsible” I don’t need to care. I was born, therefore I have a right to own a home; I was born, therefore I have a right to health care; I was born, therefore I have a right to a permanent job, I was born, therefore I have no need to prove my worth through good performance, or through good citizenship, or through adherence to your unfair laws, it is only about me, after all, I was BORN, therefore I am entitled! If I can’t take care of myself, then you take care of me. If I choose not to work, then you work, and share with me the fruits of your effort and labor. If I wish to procreate, then you pay for the ongoing care, protection, education of my progeny, but I will tell you what they should learn, I will tell you what the history should recount, I will tell you what lifestyle is best for me and mine, and I will tell you how much currency I need to be comfortable in my entitlement. If that proves to be a hardship for you, then you can join me in entitlement, and forgo achievement, just let someone else be responsible, let them pay the freight.