The West in Crisis: Are We Approaching an Unavoidable Tipping Point?
The past weekend, there was an event in Washington, D.C., called Rescue The Republic Event. It brought forth several disparate figures joining in unity because they were concerned with the state of America and the Western World. People such as Dr Brett Weinstein, Tulsi Gabbard, Matt Taibbi, and RFK Jr were there to speak out about what their country should stand for. Many of these people came from the Democrat Party. They were on the left side of politics but have now joined conservative voices because of the realization that the Democrat Party is not a radical entity at odds with traditional Western values.
Brett Weinstein said, "We are literally looking at an epic battle not just to save Western Civilization but the human race." That seems rather dire. Is it just hyperbole? When a level-headed, knowledgeable, and educated person such as Weinstein makes such a statement, we must listen. I had previously written about the civilization crisis at work in the West. It's manifesting itself in many forms including what appears to be institutionalized antisemitism.
So, the Rescue the Republic Event was a show of force to save what is left of our way of life because we have been on a destructive trajectory–regression, not progression.
The group putting on the event were adherents to eight philosophical constructs of our way of life:
Enacting a rational border policy
Truth-seeking and open dialogue
Restoring the sovereignty of the family
Eliminating censorship, media control, surveillance and propaganda
Codify informed consent
Securing monetary freedom
Ending lawfare and abuse of the justice system
Using war as a last resort
Several of these points came forth with the abuse suffered by so many of the citizenry during the Covid-19 years. Unfortunately, there have been few course corrections. No one should be under the illusion that the task is arduous and of immense proportions. However, the alternative leads us down a dark path.
While the issues described surround the U.S. experience, many other countries in the West, including Australia, are suffering from some of the same tyrannical policies. Australia has been as bad as any, going down the path of censorship, media control surveillance, restriction of freedoms, and the erosion of human dignity. There appears to be little resolve to address these issues because the powers have it in their interest to continue their assault on rationality.
Long-time American radio host and podcaster Michael Savage has long argued that borders, language, and culture are essential to the health of a nation-state. However, this triad of national stability has been breaking down for some time.
Borders
The open borders in America and some European nations are analogous to the Barbarian invasion of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was already severely extended in the 400s. The various tribes, such as the Goths, Visigoths, Franks, and the Huns, gradually tore away at the empire, eventually breaking up one of the largest empires in human history.
Today, the U.S. border is essentially open, and the current administration cynically pretends that it is enforcing border law. Americans are suffering from the effects of the illegal invasion.
A few days ago, the Deputy Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sent a letter to Representative Tony Gonzales. He indicated that there were 13,099 non-detained non-citizens in the U.S. with murder convictions, 15,811 with sexual offense convictions, and a total of 425,431 convicted criminals. I'm sure the American public is reassured to hear such figures.
There has been a breakdown of the electoral process, with non-citizens voting in some places.
Not only do non-citizens vote, but they are also being issued driver's licenses with ease. Firstly, since they are illegally in the country, they should never be issued with driving permits. Secondly, they are driving with poor driving skills. Hence, there have been innocent victims caught up in traffic accidents, resulting in injuries and deaths. Those wouldn't have happened had they not been in the country.
The crime gangs and the importation of drugs such as fentanyl are killing Americans in great numbers. The government seems to have little concern for this chemical disaster waged on Americans.
Language
Many in the country can't speak English. When I travel to the U.S., often the hotel staff are Hispanic, usually illegal, especially in the South, and some cannot communicate in English. Some years ago, we traveled through Modesto, California, and needed to stop at a Walmart to pick up supplies. None of the staff members spoke English. I thought I was in Mexico.
There has been a deterioration in American students' language skills. Even those students who speak English have very poor proficiency in the language. According to the National Educational Assessment , reading proficiency was only 37% for fourth graders in 2022 and 30% for eighth graders.
How can you hope to have a prosperous country when basic reading skills are poor? The answer is you can't. America, once the vanguard of higher education, has fallen dramatically, and even many college students lack reading and writing skills.
Culture
What happened to the culture that revered free speech and was based on Judeo-Christian values? Now, Jews and Christians are attacked as colonizers and racists. This has correlated with a drop in attendance at religious places of worship and a deterioration of the family unit. The new parents are the iPhone, iPad, and social media sites like Instagram and Tic Toc.
Civility is long gone. We have the ignominious situation where protesters openly chant for the death of Jews in Western countries such as America and Australia. The politicians are guilty of stoking the flames of incivility by openly supporting terror groups as freedom fighters.
The West appears to be descending into the abyss of totalitarianism. People who speak out against the prevailing narratives are persecuted with raids and imprisoned for speaking the truth. The policies resemble those of the ex-Soviet Union and are geared to destroying Western civilization as we know it. Just as what happened in the Soviet Union, the technocrats will live in the lap of luxury in their 'dachas' while the rest will struggle to keep their heads above water while keeping their mouths shut.
Of course, the enemies of the West see this happening. It is not an accident that under the current U.S. administration and that of Obama, other actors like Russia and Iran are taking advantage of American weakness. If you don't empower yourself, others take power over you.
There is a way out and a slight chance to reverse the trend. If Trump is elected, America can reverse course. That will only be a beginning. However, it will take a sustained 12 years of conservative administrations to overturn the debacle that has taken place in America. If not America, then who?