By Laurence F. Sanford

The decline of American culture is leading to the decline of American civilization.

Culture refers to the beliefs and moral codes that define a people’s way of life. It is how individuals think, feel, and behave. Culture shapes the character of civilization.

Civilization refers to the organized aspects of culture, encompassing governmental norms, laws, education, and science.

American civilization is being corrupted by a culture that no longer values the principles of our founding in 1776. The Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

• Life is the right to exist with dignity, with the government having the duty to ensure safety.
• Liberty is the right to live freely with freedom of speech, religion, and self-government.
• Pursuit of happiness is leading a moral, virtuous, and meaningful life. It means choosing to do what is right, just, and honorable.

American civilization flourished on these principles despite the now-eliminated stains and sins of slavery and discrimination. Now these Judeo-Christian principles are under assault:

• Life — The value of the human individual is eroding. It is now acceptable to kill the unborn and terminate the infirm. An estimated 10 million unborn humans have been killed in abortions.

  • U.S. government leaders advocate for abortion on demand, including after birth. Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars flow to abortion clinics.
    
  • Physician-assisted suicides are allowed in some states.
    
  • The government is not protecting or ensuring the safety of citizens. Riots in cities and on campuses are condoned. Crime is rampant.
    
  • Mutilation of children in the name of transgenderism is allowed.

• Liberty — The freedom to speak and assemble is under assault. Progressive states and cities do little, if anything, to control the lawlessness.

  • Charlie Kirk was assassinated for speaking out against cancel culture and transgenderism and for promoting Christian values. His assassin, Tyler Robinson, was living with a man transitioning into a woman. President Trump has had two (known) assassination attempts against him.
  • Islamic organizations lead protests and demonstrations against Jewish citizens and American civilization in schools and on the streets. They celebrate the murder, mutilation, and rape of 1,200 Israelis.
  • Marxist Antifa and other terror groups lead riots and initiate violence against U.S. government agencies and citizens who are simply exerting their right to assemble.
  • University administrators allow campus censorship, often accompanied by violence and physical intimidation.

• Pursuit of Happiness — Instead of fostering virtue, our society promotes Marxist oppressed vs. oppressor ideology of racial, economic, and religious grievances.

  • Drugs have killed millions of Americans. Yet local governments allow open markets where drugs are used and distributed.
  • Marijuana is legal. Billions of drug dollars flow to cartels in Latin America and Chinese crime syndicates. The dirty money is used to corrupt government officials, buy media outlets, and influence academia.
  • Hollywood and social media encourage deviant behavior and promote anti-American attitudes while extolling totalitarian communist China. Smoking is extolled in movies.
  • Marxist and Muslim professors in universities lead cancel culture attacks against conservatives and Jews. Weak administrators fail to stop the anarchy.
    
  • Education in America is influenced by progressive Marxists who hate America. Anti-semitic professors aid and abet protests.
    • Test scores in public schools, particularly in inner-city schools, are a national disgrace and a threat to societal harmony.

Summary

Patriotism in America is declining. Progressive Marxists lead the decline of the education system. A People’s History of the United States, by the historian Howard Zinn, a communist, is the most widely taught history book in the United States. The book portrays the U.S. through the lens of Marxist ideology, framing it as “the oppressed versus the oppressor.” Zinn did not write much about the benefits of free market capitalism and the rule of law, or of the “land of the free and home of the brave.”

Just 56% of Americans say they are very proud to be American. Democrats and younger generations are the least patriotic, while Republicans continue to express belief in America. This represents a marked decline from 2001, when 90% of respondents expressed pride in being American.

The Red/Green alliance of Marxist and Islamist totalitarian ideologies is poisoning American culture.

1. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is poisoning America through fentanyl, TikTok, and honeypot/moneypot subversion of political, business, and media leaders.

2. Islam is corrupting universities to spin a favorable view of Islam and a negative view of Judeo-Christian Western civilization. Billions of dollars have been donated to universities; Georgetown University in Washington, DC, has received over $1 billion from Qatar.

Christian religious leaders care more about illegal immigrants and social issues than about caring for the souls and morality of American citizens.

Civilization is downstream from culture. If culture is poisoned, then civilization is poisoned. American civilization is facing threats to its very existence as its cultural foundations are crumbling. Unless there is a rejuvenation of American culture, the weakened house will tumble from the onslaught of Marxism and Islamism.

Action

1.) Reform education — no federal money to educational institutions that allow anti-Semitism and Marxist ideologies to flourish.

• Privatize student loans and require schools to share in loan guarantees.
  
• Incentivize private and home schools to break the hold of progressive teacher unions on government schools.
  

2.) Teach patriotism, civics, and American history.

3.) Reduce immigration and deport immigrants who break the law. Screen to ensure no jihadists enter the U.S.

Peace Through Strength!

Laurence F. Sanford is a senior analyst at the American Security Council Foundation.