Historian Arnold Toynbee observed “an autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.”
It’s hard not to think about this reading the results of the latest Wall Street Journal-NORC poll, appearing under the headline “America Pulls Back From Values That Once Defined It.”
Only 38% of Americans now say patriotism is “very important,” compared to 70% in 1998. Thirty-nine percent say religion is “very important,” compared to 62% in 1998. And 30% say having children is “very important” compared to 59% in 1998.
The results that follow from these attitudes are not surprising.
Marriage rates are way down. Birthrates are way down.
In 1990, 67% of American adults between the ages of 25-54 were married. This was down to 51% in 2021.
In 2020, there were 56 births in the U.S. for every 1,000 women ages 15-44. In 1990, there were 70.9.
And, among the births we do have, in 2021, 40% of our babies were born to unmarried mothers.
Not surprisingly, our population is hardly growing. In 2022, the U.S. population increased 0.4%, a modest increase from the 0.1% increase in 2021, the lowest annual population growth since the founding of the nation.
Looking at the same polling data results among the youngest sector of our population, the picture looks even more dismal.
Among those under 30, just 23% say patriotism is “very important” to them, 31% say religion is “very important,” and 23% say having children is “very important.”
What is important to Americans today?
Although 70% say marriage is either “very important” or “somewhat important,” 65% say belief in God is “very important” or “somewhat important,” 73% say patriotism is “very important” or “somewhat important,” 91% say self-fulfillment is “very important” or “somewhat important,” and 90% say money is “very important” or “somewhat important.”
The devaluing of marriage, children and patriotism, and the focus on “self-fulfillment” and money are, of course, signs of a culture sunk into egotism and materialism, with a loss of a sense of being part of something larger than oneself.
It is not an encouraging picture for a country that hopes to have a future.
Our health care and retirement systems depend on a growing population. Stagnant population growth means more and more retirees per each individual in the workforce. It’s why our Social Security system is bankrupt.
Zero population growth means an aging population and increasing health care costs. In 2019, 56% of all health care costs were in age groups 55 and above. The overall burden of health care costs will continue to increase as the percentage of the population over 55 increases.
There are also implications on national security of attitudes that devalue patriotism and national service.
We now have a volunteer military. This can’t work with a population of young people who feel no sense of identity and obligation to their nation.
Again, the results are predictable. In 2022, the Army fell 15,000 short of its recruiting goal.
National defense spending is 3% of GDP, very low by historical standards.
The Wall Street Journal reports our Navy’s fleet of ships will shrink to 291 by 2028 from 297 today. And the number of aircrafts in the Air Force is diminishing.
Only 21% of those surveyed say that our country “stands above all countries in the world.”
But our country is only the product of its citizenry. A free nation under God becomes less free, and less great, as the Creator is traded in for materialism and egotism.
We have elections coming in 2024. President Joe Biden, assuming he runs, will run on more of what is destroying our nation. It is up to Republicans to run on principles and ideals, in hope that we can mend our rapidly sinking ship of state.
Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.”
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The end of civilization might come from low birth rates instead of climate.
Patrick Buchanan wrote a book called “Death of the West” back in 2002. A brief synopsis of this brilliant book:
Lowered birth rates began with the “Baby Boomers” when they popularized the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”:
1. Birth Control
2. Abortion
3. Feminism
4. Materialism
The first two are self explanatory. Note that 3 out of 4 came from liberals.
Feminism in the short term was an economic boom with more women working. Long term consequence however, is still fewer births as they wait until their late thirties to bear children.
Materialism: If you want expensive houses and toys, most likely both partners will have to work, which results in, you guessed it, fewer babies.
Net result: Aging population and a shrinking work force. You could easily teach this to fifth graders. God said “Increase and Multiply” didn’t He?
The solution according to Buchanan is dismal:
Cut consumption (High taxes or cut entitlements) and/or import third world labor.
Most, if not all developed countries have this problem. In fact most of Europe has quietly and desperately tried to rectify it. China is also in trouble.
No surprise with all the brainwashing INDOCTRINATION in schools for past 4 decades.
Compliments of the Dept. of DUHMACATION.
I saw this story yesterday with a series of charts and I have to say the poll broken down by both age and political affiliation is quite accurate. The poll results reflect the success over the last 50 years of the left in academia and the MSM undermining not only the basic American principles of what made this country great, but also in destroying basic human hope for the future of mankind.
With most of Millennials, Generation X and Generation Z truly believing the planet will become uninhabitable within a 10 to 25 year period due to “climate change”, that the only way to make it through life is to be on some sort of government provided dole, and that they are all “victims” that can only be saved by some sort of global, socialist government running everything, it is NOT surprising that you see these sort of poll results. What we’ve cranked out over the last half century are essentially mass-produced useful idiots.
Our country became as great as it was by fostering a sense of the future always being better than the present or past. We taught our youth the importance of learning, questioning, improving, innovating and inventing to make things better in all aspects of their lives. We were a “can do” country, that looked at adversity as a challenge to be overcome, not a reason to seek out “safe spaces” and wait for “somebody else” to take care of our problems for us.
Now after half a decade of systemically dumbing-down the population of our country, what you have are people who buy into ludicrous and easily debunkable financial schemes dressed up as a “climate crisis”. Where the most important thing to focus on is personal pronouns, which identity politics bucket you align with and living in the moment doing the least amount of productive activity. All because a growing percentage of our country really does believe that the planet is going to die in a few years unless we dismantle the entire industrialized world and return to a living in modern day feudal kingdoms run by WEF types flying around the world. You can’t make this sh*t up.
In the meantime, over in China the CCP is building a nation of well-educated, focused people who, while NOT what I would describe as patriotic due to the fact they all live in constant fear of being “disappeared”, they none the less will end up running rings around the “woke” generations we have cranked out here. Our forced march towards “green” everything will make our nation almost completely dependent on China for everything within a decade at the rate the Democrats are undermining our economy and punishing innovation here. It is what it is unless this country does a hard 180 from the path the Democrats have put us on. Given the general apathy that seems to have consumed so many Americans, which is also what this poll reflects, I not holding my breath. Better than half the country doesn’t even see a reason to try and alter things.
“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.” – Alexis de Tocqueville
it cost 227.000 for a heart transplant in America.
yeah I’m not going to miss this red white and blue hole as it declines.
With the current administration in charge, who would want to bring a child into the world? Who can afford it? Hopefully people are just waiting to see the outcome of the next presidential election.
Suicide by:
College Indoc
Media
TransGender
Violence
Division by Dems
Woke
The incompetents in the white house are a big part of the problem.
Ageing population has not effected population stats in the U.S.., The legal number of immigrants quota is one million per year and additionally there are several other legal excuses allowed to come here. Those people are in addition to the millions having illegally immigrated to the U.S. ( most likely as many as 40 – 45 million in the last 15 years ). I’ve forgotten the exact number, but somewhere around one out of five people residing in the U.S. today are not a citizen of this country.
As long as we have open borders, the native American birth rate has no real meaning. The country will continue to add population, if not citizens. That is the Democrat position, and it is working.
Most Americans are illiterate sheep.
They choose to deny and or be involved.
Stupid is as stupid dies!
Who, how, where, and when will any Justice come to America? The Republican House was going to impeach those members of the Biden Administration that are betraying their oaths. What has happened to those promises? We keep hearing of War Crimes and the need for charges against our enemies, yet, the real traitors in the Biden Administration are allowed to continue the destruction of America.
It is very disturbing that only 38% of the poll think patriotism is very important today. One of the best things about living in USA were that generations in the past wanted to leave the next generation with an even better way of life . Past generations worked hard to earn a living & be productive. I hope that the 38% will stop & realize what a great country this is before it is too late.
marxism is moving closer and closer to suicide. Let not your hearts be troubled!
We cast God out of our public schools, we flip Him the collective bird, and we wonder why our society has gone to hell. Unless our people, in great numbers, humble ourselves before the Almighty and repent, we will suffer judgment. The failure of Medicare and Social Security will be but the beginning of troubles.