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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFall of the American Empire
Trump turns his back on EVERYTHING that made America great - and then he DESTROYS those things. The Fall of The American Empire is exactly what Putin dreams of. Trump is doing his bidding . . . .https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/18/opinion/immigration-trump-children-american-empire.html
The U.S. government is, as a matter of policy, literally ripping children from the arms of their parents and putting them in fenced enclosures (which officials insist arent cages, oh no). The U.S. president is demanding that law enforcement stop investigating his associates and go after his political enemies instead. He has been insulting democratic allies while praising murderous dictators. And a global trade war seems increasingly likely.
What do these stories have in common? Obviously theyre all tied to the character of the man occupying the White House, surely the worst human being ever to hold his position. But theres also a larger context, and its not just about Donald Trump. What were witnessing is a systematic rejection of longstanding American values the values that actually made America great.
America has long been a powerful nation. In particular, we emerged from World War II with a level of both economic and military dominance not seen since the heyday of ancient Rome. But our role in the world was always about more than money and guns. It was also about ideals: America stood for something larger than itself for freedom, human rights and the rule of law as universal principles.
Of course, we often fell short of those ideals. But the ideals were real, and mattered. Many nations have pursued racist policies; but when the Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal wrote his 1944 book about our Negro problem, he called it An American Dilemma, because he viewed us as a nation whose civilization had a flavor of enlightenment and whose citizens were aware at some level that our treatment of blacks was at odds with our principles.
What do these stories have in common? Obviously theyre all tied to the character of the man occupying the White House, surely the worst human being ever to hold his position. But theres also a larger context, and its not just about Donald Trump. What were witnessing is a systematic rejection of longstanding American values the values that actually made America great.
America has long been a powerful nation. In particular, we emerged from World War II with a level of both economic and military dominance not seen since the heyday of ancient Rome. But our role in the world was always about more than money and guns. It was also about ideals: America stood for something larger than itself for freedom, human rights and the rule of law as universal principles.
Of course, we often fell short of those ideals. But the ideals were real, and mattered. Many nations have pursued racist policies; but when the Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal wrote his 1944 book about our Negro problem, he called it An American Dilemma, because he viewed us as a nation whose civilization had a flavor of enlightenment and whose citizens were aware at some level that our treatment of blacks was at odds with our principles.
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Fall of the American Empire (Original Post)
CousinIT
Jun 2018
OP
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)1. Not only Trump, but the GOP congress too. n/t
bdamomma
(63,931 posts)2. Congress has lost their way
and this filthy regime we have don't understand democracy or even the oath they took, they are doing everything in their power to kill it, and our value system.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)3. K&R