I don’t know if I was just young and naive, but I always thought that America was founded on honor, integrity, and trust. I believed that they were sacred pillars upon which we should build our lives, our families, our culture, and our nation. One of the most dishonorable things you could do was to lie. And the worst kind of lies were those that were selfishly designed to give you or your group an undeserved advantage over someone else and harm their welfare while enhancing yours.
I thought that honesty, truth, and fair play were somehow molded into the foundational moral structure of America and that this ethical foundation was essential for creating the sense of trust necessary to lubricate the dynamics of a free society.
Today I am very worried that honesty and integrity are being replaced by the belief you should do anything necessary for your side to win. Everywhere I look, I feel that truth is being replaced by propaganda, and honest debates and free speech are being replaced by anger, intimidation, censorship, and lies.
I feel that integrity and trust are dying in America. Worse than that, I believe that they are being intentionally murdered.
The Ends Justify the Means
A group of idealistic utopians have decided that socialism is a more equitable economic system than capitalism and have managed to gain control of one of our major political parties and to empower a charismatic leader intent upon “fundamentally changing America”. They have every right to believe in any economic system they can imagine, however, they have adopted a set of very deceitful tactics based upon their belief that the “ends justify the means”. These tactics are intentionally creating havoc within our society and destroying the America I thought was indestructible.
If the ends justify the means, things like honesty, fair play, and even legal scruples all take a back seat to their single-minded devotion to their cause. They have become an army of idealistic zealots driven by a hazy utopian vision. They are smart enough to realize that they could never win in a fair fight pitting the current American economy and free society against their all-powerful Big Government, socialist dream.
Consequently, they have decided that they must undermine and destroy the support for the current America if they are ever going to be able to replace it with their utopia. So, they have rather insidiously implemented a multi-pronged attack that includes; creating and inflaming multiple “victim” groups, attacking our history, our morals, our education system, our borders, the nuclear family, religion, our economy, the integrity of our elections, and weaponizing our media and our legal system.
Their objective is to break down our confidence in our society, what we believe, the way we live, and our own self-image. They attack and demonize any who oppose them and have implemented a cancel culture to thoroughly intimidate their opposition. They have perverted the legal system to sue or imprison those who dare to speak against them, including many in leadership positions in the opposing party. They have weaponized intimidation.
Deceitful Tactics
They have been Incredibly successful at creating one victim group after another and preaching hatred for an oppressive America and those deplorable old white men that created this terrible system. They claim to capture the moral high ground by inflaming all these victim groups against this “evil America”. Unfortunately, this tactic successfully plays on the compassionate dispositions of many that unwittingly join their army, totally unaware that they are but pawns in a monumental battle.
And then as if their cancel culture and legal warfare were not enough, they roll out existential threats to not only America, but all of humanity. They use these to generate enough fear in the populous to effectively break their will and their ability to resist radical changes that they, the governing party, want to impose upon America. Pandemics and environmental problems are blown way out of proportion to create fear and force the people to submit to their will. We become a herd of frightened, leaderless sheep they can freely drive in any direction they choose. Even their opposition becomes an “existential threat to democracy” so that they can justify doing anything they can to destroy them.
This is all straight out of the Marxist playbook to create hatred, division, and chaos and to demoralize, isolate, and intimidate all individuals. Their goal is to make everyone feel totally helpless so they will become dependent upon the state not only for their livelihood but also for their “existential safety”.
I have to give them credit, they have a long-term plan and a host of well-concealed and devious tactics in place to effectively deceive large groups of voters into abandoning the principles that built this great country.
Journalism or Propaganda
I am amazed, confused, and really disheartened about how they have been able to capture our mainstream media. There is no longer any discussion of ideas, there is only the party line. Well over 90 % of newspapers and TV outlets are effectively propaganda machines for the party.
J. P. Sears has a comedy podcast he calls “The We Lie to You News” that is painfully hilarious as it focuses a spotlight upon the total lack of integrity that pervades our media. Tucker Carlson used to show how multiple media outlets would use exactly the same words to get out the “message of the day”, making it very obvious that they all were being tightly controlled to constantly sing from the party’s songbook. Tucker was fired along with Lou Dobbs, Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, and many more who dared to speak against the party. In America today, you can lose a CEO job for believing marriage is between a man and a woman, or you can go to prison for reading a Bible outside of an abortion clinic. It is all about intimidation and silencing and destroying any opposition.
Our once proud and diverse newspaper industry has been destroyed. They consistently print false and misleading stories and headlines; (again in complete lockstep with the party’s “message of the day”). They bemoan their plummeting sales and blame the internet, but I believe they have destroyed themselves. I would gladly re-subscribe if just for the local news, sports, and the sudoku, crossword, and bridge puzzles, however, a daily dose of their biased propaganda is more than I can stand.
Education or Indoctrination
Tragically, their biggest victory has come in our schools. Academia has historically leaned severely to the left. These brilliant, tenured, privileged, isolated people think socialism is just wonderful and we should all just submit to Big Government control of all aspects of our life, never mind that it has been an unmitigated disaster everywhere it has been tried. Well, unfortunately, we were asleep at the switch over the last sixty years and our universities are now hotbeds of socialism. It is a cancer that they designed to destroy us from the inside, as it thoroughly indoctrinates the next generations with a love of socialism and a hatred of America.
And it is not just the universities, the teachers’ unions are actively pushing the party line down into elementary schools. My sixth-grade grandchildren were forced to listen to 15 minutes of CNN news/propaganda every day as a “cultural enrichment” program. There are numerous stories of high school and college students being intimidated to tow the party line. In many of our once prestigious universities only speakers supporting the party line are allowed on campus and professors who oppose the party line are virtually non-existent in most non-technical departments. Our education system is deeply committed to diversity if diversity is composed of; white socialists, brown socialists, black socialists, gay socialists, trans socialists, female socialists, disabled socialists, and Muslim socialists.
Import and Buy Voters
Just in case none of this is enough to destroy America they have opened the borders and are flooding the country with millions of illegal immigrants to drastically swing the voting base in their favor. They claim this is all done out of compassion for the poor asylum seekers, which is of course a lie to disguise their true objectives.
Integrity and Trust – R.I.P.
We could very easily lose this war for America. We have already lost things critical to our society, perhaps the two most important being integrity and trust. The party’s tactics discussed above hide their real purpose behind some false claim of a higher moral ground. Yet, they were purposefully designed to create division, chaos, and hatred to intimidate, harm, and even destroy people who did not agree with the party line.
There is no integrity in lying and cheating to win and they have taken it to the extreme of weaponizing the law to destroy their opponents. They have taken a 10-year-old misdemeanor at best and convicted their chief opponent of 35 felonies and now have reportedly launched a 50-million-dollar campaign trumpeting that he is a convicted felon. If this is the new “fundamentally changed” America, I grieve for what we have lost.
On election night in 2020 critical swing states mysteriously stopped counting votes at about ten o’clock with Trump winning in each. The next morning about ten they all announced that Biden had won by a similar margin in each. That morning, trust died in the hearts of millions of Americans. They simply do not believe that the COVID-based write-in ballot system was honest.
The ongoing spectacle of the persecution of Trump, his allies, and his supporters is an embarrassment for America and certainly does not inspire any trust in the integrity or fair-mindedness of our ruling party. The parade of high-ranking party officials through congressional hearings where they refuse to directly answer critical questions looks like an Orwellian skit in evasiveness, doublespeak, and cover-your-behind lying. Nothing the ruling party is doing is what is needed to regenerate any trust in our current government.
Summary
None of this is the result of some innocent, well-intentioned social evolution. It is all the result of a well thought out strategic attack on America. Sadly, you can read a variety of Marxist strategists who have been preaching these exact tactics being the path to defeating/destroying America for the last 60 years. We were not paying enough attention.
No one can predict how this will end. However, it would be naïve to believe that some John Wayne will ride in and save us because the good guys always win. The other side is well-organized and winning. They have infiltrated most of our key institutions and are more than willing to lie, cheat, sue, prosecute, and imprison. “Our side” is divided and disorganized and just now waking up to the magnitude of the battle.
Integrity and trust have been intentionally murdered as a means to dishearten and defeat the party’s opposition. America has already lost the moral high ground we stood on, as the entire world is watching us flounder in a sea of internal chaos and lies. Unless we can change the tide of this battle, we could easily lose to those who want to fundamentally change America into an Orwellian, Big Government, oppressive, inefficient socialist state. That would be a devastating blow to individual freedom and the future of humanity.
Ken Pedersen retired as a Vice President of Raytheon managing Advanced Systems a research and development organization. He has a doctorate in electrical engineering with a background in system engineering, information processing, mathematics, and physics. He is the author of two books, Jenny’s Universe, (O, Books 2002) was published in English, German, and Polish and Modern Science Proves Intelligent Design, (Archway Press, 2019). Both discussed what science has discovered about the design of the universe and life. He has published numerous technical and inspirational articles. Ken lives with his wife, Anne, at Canyon Lake in the Texas Hill Country.
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
Excellent article on the importance of continuous self-education to understand the world around you and to formulate viable alternatives to counter-act the growing threat. Figures it would have to come from business world, as both the political and academic world are either hopelessly out of touch or part of the problem the author discusses. In business, you have to deal with reality. Not with what you would prefer reality to be. As such, you either address issues head-on in a realistic and direct manner or you lose and eventually cease to exist as an ongoing business enterprise.
Most of us former and current businesspeople share many, if not all, the same concerns as expressed by the author. We have seen the systematic and intentional rot being force fed into American society for decades and continuously tried to get the general public to pay attention and rise out of their apathetic stupor. While some have, many more have simply chosen to shrug their collective shoulders and continue to bury their heads in the sand. Hoping “someone else” (anyone but them) will do the heavy lifting for them and hand them back their country before it is too late. Well with time now running quite short for what is left of our republic, that option is of course neither viable nor realistic. Again, an excellent article if people take it to heart.
“Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy”
“The inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” –Winston Churchill
“Our enemies are waging war on freedom and faith, on science and religion, on history and tradition, on law and democracy, on the family, on children, on America it self.” — Donald Trump, June 2023
“While it’s true that we can’t save the country with a single election, the reality is: WE COULD VERY WELL LOSE IT.”
“We are facing an enemy who wishes to destroy us, not with rockets, bombs or ballistics of any kind, BUT FROM WITHIN.”
REMEMBER TO VOTE, IT COULD BE THE LAST TIME FOR FREEDOM!
Among many others thank Marx, Wilson, Dewey, and Sanger for current situation.
Nihilism is the final endpoint of progressivism.
Please JESUS help me and all of us to find You and obey Your Teachings to better deserve Your Grace for all of us. ????????????????????????????????
I will continue to live life MY way. I have a strong Christian upbringing, I have the Ten Commandments to use as a barometer, I have a conscience and I have the ability to think for myself. That being said, I will continue to live my life the way I have always lived it and will not concede to these fools without a fight. Stay the hell away from me and my home!!!
First off, I have to jump on AMAC for their disclaimer at the end of Ken Pederson’s spot on article about the current status of this once blest country. Being 86 years young I have to admit to being way too complacent to subtle underlying changes in the Federal Government’s attitude towards more and more control over the lives of it’s electorate. They truly have indoctrinated rather than educate all generations from the early sixties forward. Hard work, dedication, and perseverance are no longer a requirement for a successful and satisfying life. The theme has been an ever increasing Federal Government influence in our lives. We spend more on education for our children and they come out less informed and less self sufficient with each generation. Earning your own education is virtually unheard of. Let the government pay for everything. These poor WOKE people think that the government actually has money, when in reality they have only what they have take from those who pay taxes! Which, by the way is dominantly America’s dynamic middle class. Yes we are the engine which drives our economy. Our government is not contributing one dollar to the finances of our country. They represent 26% or the GDP but do nothing but regulate, allocate, an spend our hard earned dollars. And yes, the current Democratic administration is and has been actively pursuing policies of buying votes through entitlement programs with money paid in through Social Security, Something for nothing from someone else’s pocket. So here we are today teetering on the brink of collapse in an historical election which will ultimately decide whether you and I continue to live in a free society as determined by our founding fathers and our Constitution, and laws which are under constant attack by the left. Ideas are are no longer the determining factor in our elections, only who spends the most money on media adds and propaganda! Wake up America! Where will you run to if we cease to exist? Everyone wants to come here! How many people are runing to our borders to leave this country? Does that tell you anything. I am afraid for all of us. Ole Buzz
Truth and integrity disappeared a while ago , replaced by equality and fairness and the rest of the garbage .Idealistic Utopians might have existed in the 6oties, today they are all hard core demagogues well into their senior years still selling the rot to the young ones who are lapping it up not realizing they are being manipulated and used. to cut the very branch they are sitting on.
The push to socialism was simmering quietly until God was removed from all things “public” (started by removing prayer to begin each day of school in public education k-12). Then the push toward socialism increased from college level on down, since teachers for k-12 are college degreed. Now at 60 years later we see what it has done and is still doing to our beloved nation — nothing good.
Democrats are despicable and people voting Democrat are fools.
As mentioned in the first sentence of this thoughtful article America was founded on Honor, Integrity and Trust. And those principles need to be maintained . The most likely people to do the maintaining will be those who understand that it not technology , such as the internet and all of the systems of systems of electronic this and digital that. It will require an understanding of history, and ethics and a sense of purpose , and appreciation of what the National Character is all about. . Technology has it’s place for sure I have made tools since the 1970’s and. worked on navigation and weather instruments and microscope systems. . Mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry should be appreciated more by more Americans. Freedom needs the spirit that is developed by people who value good character, who value the qualities of Honor, Honesty, Integrity, Courage and Loyalty. The Declaration of Independence is the foundation for the spirit needed to keep this Constitutional Republic, the United States of America going.
I think this guy has it figured out just about right. You people who love our country better get out and vote TRUMP.
Long, long gone. Time for God’s intervention!
AT LAST! Someone has laid it all out in front of us in its full disgusting evil! The Attempt to overthrow our Government is very real and, as stated has been going on right under our peace loving, trusting noses! I hope & pray to God above that this Overthrow of our Government does not Succeed! This time it seems It is up to US! We must not allow this to happen. WAKE UP AMERICA AND SAVE YOURSELF!
Well written article. This my feeling exactly and what is wrong with America. We can either stand by and let them destroy our America or we can choose to fight back. It’s time to pick a side. Are you for America or are you against America?
Great article but I strongly disagree with the statement “We could very easily lose this war for America” as we have already lost. Why do you think there are now 11 million more illegals than there was 4 years ago? They won after counting all these illegal votes, overnight, the last time and now they have millions more. The fix is in and has been for a while. The illegals and clapping seals don’t care one bit about Kameltoes policies. They only care that she is not Trump and will let all the illegals’ families come here illegally as well.
I remember an interview with Nevada senator Harry Reid (D), who was asked during a televised interview, about the blatant lies he told about his opponent during the election, back when we had a somewhat honest media. I remember him smugly looking at the camera and saying “The ends justify the means” with a snarky smile on his face.
So yes, for the Democrats, the ends justify any means.
The fastest way to destroy the American culture that made the United States such a great, free and strong nation, is to destroy our middle class… which, evidently, is the plan being pursued by Harris/Walz, and other complicit “Democrats”.
Their goal is for high-ranking members of their “governmental invention” to be graced with opportunity to amass obscene amounts of wealth, while the remaining population will have greatly diminished prospects.
This Democrat “Control-Goal” has been in place since the 1950s… and we will see it come to fruition in the near future, if insufficient action is not taken to stop it.
“We” have long ago lost the war for America. It’s over, finito. Whoever actually orchestrated the actions on 9/11 succeeded and brought down America using its government against its people. As a final nail in that coffin we had the clown show overreaction to what became known as Covid. In the latter we had our rights stripped while never asking, “what happened to flu cases all this time?”
The collective “we” are done as in stick a fork in us and whats left will not cling to said fork. All the people can do is to keep their closest, close and then wait until one of your closest stabs you in the back. That is todays America.
When they disparage the Constitution to the point of totally ignoring it, they will start on the Declaration of Independence to destroy the second paragraph, where the founders explain what to do about a despotic government. And since the Democrits don’t believe in a higher power, they can deny the line that reads, ” to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them.” Then, they can complete the nullification of the Second Amendment.
Ken did not mention what his formative years were like or where he spent them, or his age, all for some context. Clearly academically and professionally he found success here in America, and was exposed to what I conclude are the fundamental principles of traditional American values, ethics, mores, and beliefs, it seems by his family and the educational system(s) he attended.
I share his desire to rekindle (in my take of his outline) Americana and its fundamentals, as I’d say many of us comprehend and/or experienced, practiced, and for some of us, still practice, no matter the slings and arrows that may come with that philosophy, and manner of leading one’s life.
I’m reminded of what I learned early in life, sometimes said or inferred by family, growing up, but via the public school system I attended and religious faith, practice and participation, I attended or was involved with. There was an ordination, some ceremonial, some by manifestation, but it was there. Possibly others had this as well.
I’m reminded of much more; thanks Ken.
Suffice it to say this life nurturing direction wasn’t obtuse in American culture, all that long ago, but I’d say it is now.
I think it’s important to note that with being on the precipice of fully operational AI, robotics, and many other and future technologies not yet on scene, humans have incalculable challenges.
Will the earth be inhabited by a few powerful humans, with most earthlings being disposed of, or shipped off to Mars or similar planets in our solar system, or does man charge ahead, using technology for his own good and not the bad guys, and recapture virtue of man’s best attributes?
The Rats have been working at that since the 1860’s.
why does response not handle emojis?