Victor Davis Hanson
Fox News
The last two years seem to have been one continual crisis—well aside from the coronavirus pandemic.
The spiraling prices of cars, gas, appliances, lumber, homes, and food are revisiting the miseries of the 1970s.
Anarchy defines the border.
A new divisive tribalism centers on “critical race theory.”
Unelected Washington grandees in the CIA, FBI, IRS, NSA, and Pentagon—like John Brennan, James Comey, Lois Lerner, Gen. Mark Milley, and Robert Mueller—feign ignorance or mislead under oath—or even break or ignore laws without consequences.
Ancient customs and laws are under assault from the Electoral College to the century-and-a-half make-up of the Supreme Court.
The current administration looks to the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the Paris Climate Accord for answers to America’s problems.
What is going on?
All of these daily melodramas are the natural dividends of the diminishing power of the independent American citizen—politically, economically, socially, and culturally. Citizens are becoming inert, as radical ideas take root that our Founders never envisioned.
Again, what once distinguished Western democracies in general and the American republic in particular was robust citizenship.
A chauvinistic and broad middle class checked the privilege and leverage of the rich. Yet it lacked the dependencies—and often the envy—of the poor. The middle class was economically autonomous. Its ensuing empowerment ruled the electorate.
Americans once saw the physical space of the United States as both sacred and as their own laboratory of democracy. Immigrants arrived in diverse and legal fashion. As guests, all newcomers expected to be integrated and assimilated into the American civic identity.
America was one of the few successful multiracial and multiethnic democracies in history. And Americans came to accept, through civic education and constant self-criticism, that the ancient and global plague of tribalism led only to national oblivion.
So, they took up the hard work of achieving the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. that our characters, not our race, is what matters.
There were other challenges to citizenship as the country grew powerful and rich. A huge government bureaucracy insidiously has appropriated power from elected officials to “improve”—but as often to damage—the lives of Americans.
VDH. as one crying in the wilderness … and fellow alum.
I was Technical Project Director for a massive FBI program to lure Atomic Bombs thru OPEN tunnels on our US-Mexico border.
This is a joint FBI and US Army program which has been massively funded since, at least, the Bush administration. Altho other Federal agencies are involved and aware.
The funding for this massive FBI project was hidden in a US Army Corps of Engineers Budget. The Corps Engineers with whom I spoke were outraged that their agency was being abused for secret auditing purposes.
I have never held any type of security clearance so national security laws may have been violated by disclosing the technical details of these PRESENTLY OPEN TUNNELS, most having railways.
The FBI told us that the target for the FIRST Bombs was Fort Bliss, TX. Many A Bombs were to be emplacef near major cities BEFORE the first is detonated. The other hidden Bombs will be used to coerce the USA.
I understand that several members of the HOUSE Intel Committee have already been briefed on this massive FBI program. Yet I am convinced that the FBI has hidden or misled the Intel Committee on the TRUE and dire nature of these nuclear threats to our Homeland.
This old and well funded program has been hidden under both GOP and DEM administrations. I have personally contacted scores of Congressmen and Senators but this potato is too hot for them to admit.
The Congresswoman and Sheriff of El Paso County shun this dire warning also.
Dear Mr. Hanson, You are one of the voices of intellect and enlightenment remaining in this country. A diminishing breed of reasoned conversation. Thank you Sir.
I still remember from my 40’s/early 50’s elementary school years how my Mother would rail against John Dewey’s influence on education. She was overjoyed as year after year my teachers were in their 50’s & 60’s and, as such, immune to Dewey’s indoctrination. Thus my theory every problem we face today can be laid directly at the feet of the educational establishment, the corruption of which began in the 30’s.