Is The United States Of America In Decline? The Evidence Sure PointsThat Way.
January 15, 2024
America in Decline? World Thinks Again.
I first became interested in politics during the early 1970’s. Since that time I have seen a US President resign from office, several wars, political unrest, and out of control deficit spending by both political parties. It is this issue of out of control deficit spending and its effect on the level of our national debt that I believe will have the most significant impact on America’s future. It is for this reason and others as well that it is my belief that America has peaked and is now in decline.
In 1980 the federal budget deficit was $59B and our national debt was comparatively miniscule at $914B. Our budget deficit for FY 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, stands at $1.7T and our national debt is currently $34T. This level of deficit spending is unsustainable. Everyone, including our elected officials know this and still they continue to spend trillions of dollars that we don’t have. Eventually the amount of interest expense that our government pays annually will become prohibitive. It is at this point that “ the shining city on the hill “ that we call America will end as we know it. As I have written previously, “ Bankrupt countries cannot defend themselves. “ This is the fate that awaits this country unless we change our ways. I feel sorry for my grandchildren who will not be able to enjoy the life that my generation and those that came before us were able to live.
Another factor that is contributing to our decline is the excessive level of crime that is taking place in our major cities. There is hardly a night that goes by that the broadcast media has failed to highlight this ongoing crisis.There is growing concern about the rising crime rate, among the inhabitants of these cities. This is especially true when discussing the elderly. It has now become commonplace that these people are being accosted on the street by armed thugs in broad daylight. This is not how life in America is supposed to be.
As if the number of violent crimes wasn’t already a matter of serious concern, the issue is being exacerbated by the liberal minded DA’s and judges in these cities. Many of the criminals who are responsible for committing these criminal acts are arrested by local law enforcement only to be released by these liberal minded DA’s and judges with little or no bail. In many cases these criminals are back on the street the very same day they were arrested. It would appear that those who are responsible for holding these criminals accountable for their crimes have more sympathy for these gun toting law breakers than they have for the victims of the crimes that they commit.
These large cities across the country collect billions in tax revenue annually. For example, the tax revenue collected by the City of New York for FY 2023 was just under $75B. This was an increase of $3B over the previous year. You would think that with that amount of revenue New York City would be able to keep its streets reasonably safe for its citizens. This is proving to be “a bridge too far” for Mayor Eric Adams and his administration.This situation is not unique to New York City. Many of the other large cities across the US are experiencing the same epidemic of lawlessness. When you consider the fact that Mayor Adams is a former NYC Police Captain, his failure to solve this problem becomes even more egregious.
It gets worse. It has been reported that some of these low lifes have been arrested as many as 5 or 6 times and are repeatedly still being released with little or no bail. This is a prime example of the definition of stupid which is, “ to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome.” Some people also call it dereliction of duty.
What happened to the days when it was safe to walk the streets? What happened to the days when children could play on the streets and not have to worry about being beat up or threatened by bullies? What happened to the days when store owners did not need to be armed in their place of business?
Those days are gone and it’s because the people of these cities keep electing “bleeding heart, soft on crime “ liberals to run their governments. If this is how the citizens of these cities want to live then so be it. If however, the voters of these cities decide that they want their children to grow up in safe neighborhoods with safe schools where they are actually able to learn, then it falls to them to elect people who will enforce the law and clean up the streets.
It’s not only the property crime that is responsible for this decline but the violent crime as well. According to FBI statistics, murders committed with a firearm are up 26%. Other categories of violent crime such as assaults, rape, armed robberies, and manslaughter are also up. Just to be fair, violent crime is actually down over the past year but it is up over the last several years.
Another issue that is contributing to our decline is the mass of illegal humanity that is streaming across both our southern border and our northern border almost completely unimpeded. So in addition to costing the American taxpayer $451B per year for their support, these illegals are adding to the number of violent crimes committed in our country. These unwelcome, uninvited guests have murdered American citizens, broken into people's homes and have robbed and assaulted the occupants. They have also smuggled tons of deadly drugs such as fentanyl and heroin into the US. This poison has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of American citizens every year.
So not only are we as American citizens expected to tolerate these uninvited border crashers and support them financially with our tax dollars, we are also expected to become their prey. America has enough criminals of its own. We do not need to import more. It has gotten to the point where it has become necessary for Americans to arm themselves.
Highest single day record of migrants crossing border
The responsibility for this crisis belongs at the feet of the Democrat politicians in Washington DC, including President Joe Biden. It is he after all, who is in command of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Border Patrol. If the President says to open the border and let millions of unvetted migrants into our country they will do it, no questions asked.
The buck stops with our feeble, do nothing president. It is he and he alone who bears the responsibility for the additional crime committed by these illegal immigrants and it is he and he alone who should be held accountable. It is also he who will be remembered as the president who presided over the invasion of these illegal migrants into our country. Also, it is this violation of our sovereignty that will define his presidency in the history books. It is what his time in office will be remembered for. I hope you’re happy with your legacy Mr. President.
I used the word “ millions “ when discussing the number of illegals that are crossing over our southern border. I did not choose to use this word just for the effect. According to the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as of 12/31/23 there have been over 5.7million encounters with illegal immigrants. When you add to that the 1.8 million “ got aways, “ that increases the total to 7.5 million since Joe Biden took office. Just to be clear there are other credible sources that put the number in excess of 9 million or more.
This entire scenario at our southern border is a complete dereliction of duty on the part of the President. This entire debacle is a slap in the face to every hard working, tax paying citizen of this country. It has almost gotten to the point where US law applies to US citizens but not to illegal immigrants.They are being treated as exempt. Do you remember when being a US citizen meant something? It would appear that those days are gone.
This last point is especially true when it comes to state and federal income tax. Unfortunately I was unable to come up with an actual number or other evidence that would have given me an idea of just how many illegal immigrants are not paying their “ fair share “ of federal and state income tax. The fact is that I really don’t need to know the number of these people who have entered this country illegally and are living off the public dole. They are here living off the American taxpayer like leeches. To add insult to injury some of these people are also working “ under the table “ and paying no taxes. These people are therefore living at the expense of the American taxpayer and if they are working “ under the table “ are not contributing anything to this country in return. They are no better than leeches.
It is just common sense, that if an illegal immigrant and his family are living in the US and are receiving rent subsidies, food stamps and free healthcare because “ they have no income, “ it only makes sense that if they are working they are being paid “ under the table.” If they were to work “ on the books “ their government benefits would either be reduced or eliminated.
This being the case it means that not only are these illegals ripping off the federal, state, and local governments, but their employers are stealing from the government as well by not declaring the income paid to these illegal immigrants.
By not declaring the wages paid to these illegals there are no taxes being deducted from their pay. Those unpaid taxes are then not paid into the federal or state government. These taxes would include both sides of the FICA tax, federal and state withholding taxes, and federal and state unemployment taxes. These taxes are all calculated on the basis of wages paid. If the wages that are paid to illegals are not declared no taxes are deducted from their pay and therefore no taxes are paid into the government.
Inflation has and is playing a significant role in America’s decline. In Fy 2021 the inflation rate was 7.0%. In 2022 it was 6.5% and in 2023 the inflation was 3.4%. When added together overall consumer prices rose by a whopping 16.9% since Joe Biden took office. This increase in across the board consumer prices is like an added weight around the necks of the American consumer. Obviously, the effects of inflation play a larger role on the lives of lower income families than they do on the lives of middle and upper income families.
Let me take a couple of paragraphs to explain exactly what inflation is. It is the devaluation of the US dollar. It could also be described as an increase in the price of goods and services with no increase in the intrinsic value of those goods and services. In other words you are purchasing the very same product but are paying more dollars for that product. If it takes more dollars to purchase the very same product it means that the US dollar now has less value.
Here is an example of what I’m talking about. In the early 1960’s when I was young and foolish I smoked Lucky Strikes. At that time the price of a pack of Luckys was about $.25 per pack. Today, that very same pack of Lucky Strikes sells for roughly $10.00. This is inflation. Put another way, it now takes more US dollars to buy that exact same product. This could also be explained by saying that the value of the US dollar has decreased so it now takes more dollars to buy that same product. This decrease in the buying power of the dollar when purchasing just about all goods and services sold in today’s market is another way to define inflation.
In addition to the prices of goods and services increasing, there is the additional problem of wages not increasing at the same rate. This results in consumers buying fewer goods and services. When the demand for goods and services declines, producers of these items will produce less. Lower production could result in layoffs. The number of layoffs would depend on the number of businesses or industries that are affected by decreases in production. Depending on how widespread these layoffs are will determine whether or not the overall economy will contract.
Ever since I was a young boy I was told that the US military was the best trained and the best equipped military in the world. As of right now this is most likely still true. However there are warning signs on the horizon.
The main area of concern that I see is that with the exception of the US Marines and the Space Force, all other branches of the military are not meeting their recruitment goals. According to USA facts the US Coast Guard has missed its recruitment goals for the last 4 years. This has resulted in a shortage of roughly 5000 Coast Guard personnel.
The US Army is also experiencing a shortfall in recruitment. Over the last 2 fiscal years, 2022 and 2023, the Army has failed to meet its recruitment goals. This has resulted in a shortage of roughly 33,000 active duty personnel as of 10/31/23. The other 2 branches of the military, the Air Force and the Navy were also unable to meet their recruitment goals in 2023 by roughly 10,000 and 6,000 personnel respectively. We will have to wait until the end of FY 2024 to see if this becomes a trend in these branches of the military as well.
With Few Able and Fewer Willing, U.S. Military Can’t Find Recruits
A study conducted by the Department of Defense (DOD) found that 90% of young Americans, aged 16 to 24 will either definitely not or probably not pursue a career in the military. This is not surprising when you consider that 77% of these young people are ineligible for military service. Reasons for ineligibility, according to the DOD are drug use, obesity, and mental and physical health issues. THAT WAS 77%.
What does this say about the youth of America? In my opinion it is not exactly a glowing endorsement of the younger generations of this country. It is from the remaining 23% of this age group that the military will get 90% of its new recruits. The smaller the pool of available people, the smaller the number of recruits.
Another major reason why our military is struggling to meet its recruitment goals is because of the demand for workers in the US job market. Demand is, and will continue to be strong. That being the case, why would anyone consider enlisting in the military when they could work here at home and also make more money?
The poor attitude of today’s youth is another reason why America is in decline. Many of today’s young people have the misguided belief that the quality of life that we enjoy here in the US is a given and will go on as is indefinitely with no further action required on their part. It is also their belief that we as Americans are entitled to live the way we do just because we are Americans.
‘Entitled’ Gen Z is the most difficult generation in the workplace
This attitude of entitlement began with the millennials and has become progressively worse with each succeeding generation. It is my belief that the origins of this attitude began because of the way the baby boomers raised their children. I think these baby boomers were far more lenient with their children than their parents were with them. This attitude of entitlement has gotten progressively worse with each passing generation.
It is this attitude that has spawned the idea that it is acceptable to shirk one’s responsibility of serving their country. Their attitude is, “ Let someone else do it. “ What makes this decision to shirk one’s responsibility to serve so egregious is that in many cases the parents of these young people are not only OK with this decision, they vigorously support it.
I am now looking into my crystal ball and what I see is that someday our country may be forced to defend itself. This military confrontation may even take place here on American soil. If and when that happens these same shirkers and their parents who said, “ Let someone else do it.” will be among those who cry and whine the loudest. They will lament, “ Why is this happening? ” They will also say, “ Why isn’t the military dealing with this? “ This next one is my favorite. “ Why is my life being ruined by this war? “
They may also say.“ I paid my taxes. It’s the government’s job to deal with this.” The answer to all the above questions and statements is simply that someday there may not be enough people in the military to defend this country against an aggressor. At that point the best alternative for America to put its head between its legs and kiss its a-s goodbye.
If this were ever to happen it would be an insult to the memories of all those who served and fought for this country. This would be especially true for all those who sacrificed their lives for this country.
This actually goes back to the attitude of those young people who think that we are entitled to live the way we do in this country. These people have given absolutely no thought to the cost that has been paid and continues to be paid whenever the US becomes involved in an armed conflict. The price has been, and continues to be, the millions of Amricans who have fought and died to keep this country free.
To summarize: The facts speak for themselves. The US is in decline. It’s time for the people of this country to wake up.
The US is already $34T in debt and it is increasing. Our yearly deficits are running well in excess of $1T per year and interest expense on that debt will increase to $1T per year before the end of this decade. Are the elected officials who are running this country really this stupid?
Violent crime and property theft are out of control in our major cities. Local law enforcement in these major cities are making arrests everyday but local DA’s and judges keep releasing those responsible with little or no bail. This strategy by the local DA’s and judges is not working. These criminals need to be taken off the streets. It shouldn’t take a law degree to figure that out.
Millions of illegals are flooding across our southern border in search of “ a better life. “ I really don’t have a problem with immigration as long as it is controlled and done legally. I also don’t have a problem with migrants wanting “ a better life “ as long as the American taxpayer doesn’t have to pay for it.
Also, in addition to being a really dumb idea, having an open border is extremely dangerous to the citizens of this country. Some of these illegal immigrants are actually terrorists, posing as asylum seekers. They have been sent here to do us harm and they are being let into the US almost completely unvetted just like the millions of illegal asylum seekers. Are those in charge of securing our border really this stupid? We will know the answer to that question when people from within this country unleash a terrorist attack on the US.
Included in this human wave of asylum seekers are thousands of Chinese nationals. These are mostly young, single, military aged men who are also seeking “a better life.” These Chinese immigrants are also being let into our country with little or no vetting. If you believe that all of these Chinese nationals are here seeking a better life, I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I would like to sell you. I would be willing to bet real money that a significant number of these young, military aged Chinese men are operatives sent here to hide in plain sight until they are called upon by their superiors to attack the United States from within.
As economy falters, more Chinese migrants take a perilous journey to the US border to seek asylum
Since Joe Biden took office, just over 3 years ago, inflation is up roughly 16.9% by some estimates and slightly more by others. Consumer prices are up across the board. Groceries are up, Gasoline and energy prices in general are also up. Electricity, heating oil, and natural gas have all spiked since Joe Biden became President. Adding to this problem is that overall wages are not rising at the same rate.
For the 3 years since Joe Biden has been President inflation has risen 7.0% in 2021, 6.5% in 2022, and 3.4% in 2023 for a total of 16.9% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In contrast, during the 4 years when Donald Trump was President the total rise in inflation was just 7.6%. The source for these numbers is The Bureau Of Labor Statistics. In addition, while Trump was in office the poverty rate was very low and economic growth was very high. Sounds like a win,win to me.
I’m going to add more context to this issue by stating that the annual target rate of the Federal Reserve for inflation is 2% per year. The annual rate of inflation during the Trump years was under that target rate which was a plus for Americans. The annual inflation rate thus far during the Biden Administration was in excess of 5.6%. It would appear that the American consumer fared much better under the Trump Administration than under Joe Biden.
For as long as I can remember I have been told that the US military was the best in the business. There are signs that our military is beginning to degrade. The Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Coast Guard are all failing to meet their recruitment goals. Thus far the combined troop strength for all branches of our military is down about 50,000 active duty personnel. If this becomes a trend and the number of active duty personnel continues to decline, the US will be put at risk. This issue needs to be addressed and addressed quickly before it becomes a crisis.
The baby boomers are fading into the sunset. That is a good thing. We have been a disaster for this country. For example, in 1980 our National Debt was a mere $914B. Since then our debt has mushroomed to over $34T with annual deficits now running well in excess of $1T per year. What a mess we have made of this country.
It will be up to the generations that succeed us to find solutions to the problems we are now facing and right the ship. Generation X, Generation Z, and the Millenials (birth years 1965 to 2012) will have their work cut out for them. It will not be easy. In fact it will be next to impossible. I do not envy them the position that we have left them in. America has gotten used to its government spending money and our elected officials seem to be more than happy to oblige.
Spending money buys votes which means that the same free spending morons keep getting elected. Eventually it will all come to a screeching halt. This will occur when the US is no longer able to borrow the money it needs to keep the government running or when the US dollar becomes worthless.
Here is an example of just how dumb our elected officials have become. In FY 2022 our federal budget deficit was $1,3T. In FY 2023 the deficit increased to $1.7T. That was an increase of roughly 33% or $400B. We the people elected these idiots and it’s up to us to unelect them. The alternative will eventually result in the end of America as we know it.
America needs to balance its budget and begin living within its means. Choices will have to be made. If we continue down the same path of out of control deficit spending we will eventually reach a point of no return. The American public will be shocked. After living beyond its means for so many years the US government will be forced to tighten its belt and survive without borrowing. This will be a tough pill to swallow. Whether or not this country will be able to survive in that financial reality is a question that I am unable to answer at this time.
Is the American Dream Dead?
Finally there is some speculation among political pundits that the reason Democrats are in favor of letting these millions of untrained, uneducated people into our country is that if and when they get the vote here in the US, they will vote Democrat. It is also the belief of these Democrat politicians that when this happens Democrats will be in perpetual control of the US government. Bankruptcy and destroying this country is a hell of a price to pay just to win elections
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I’m going to close with this question. What will happen to all of the illegal immigrants when the US is no longer able to borrow money to pay for their support? The only answer that I am able to come up with is that most of them will pack up and return to their country of origin. I say, “ Good riddance.”