After reading your personal page, I thought I’d share with you what I really think.
I think America’s future was sold and lost in the 1960s/1970s due to the action of powerful conservatives and liberals.
I think the conservative elite (Harvard/Yale/etc.) “powers that be” decided to shift from an “American based”/“American led” engineering/science/medical research/labor global marketplace to an “American managed” global marketplace. With this, the most brilliant minds (and/or kids from well-connected families) shifted from studying in the difficult engineering/science/medical research programs to studying the easier MBA/Lawyer programs. Brilliant minds, primarily from India/China/Iraq/Iran and Nigeria, studied in the difficult engineering/science and medical research programs. Meanwhile, starting in the 1980s, a political identity of strict “religious conservatism” was created to maintain loyalty among the American conservative electorate.
At the same time, the liberal elite created a “slavery/welfare/socialist” illusion in the minds of black America to keep it loyal to Democrats. While this lowered the bar for black Americans, it also indirectly lowered the bar for liberal white Americans as well. So now both are non-competitive compared to the non-educated Mexican workforce. Sadly, the non-educated Mexican workforce cannot compare to the Eastern European, Chinese, Indian, African and South-East Asian workforce.
So as the 21st century started, the American workforce was far less competitive with China/India with technology and engineering, far less competitive with Canada/Europe for medical research (primarily due to lawyers) and not competitive in the non-educated workforce market (compared to the rest of the world). The only advantage was oil/energy and warfare……….which is being lost in Iraq.
The bottom line is elite Americans became, like their 18th Century Europeans ancestors, powerful, lazy, arrogant and indifferent to the people.
That's what Mark Steyn hinted at about the Senate for a few days now. Disgraceful behavior by the Senate. The ass grabbing and back slapping period is over. Everybody is keeping a close eye on them. It takes collapsing the Capitol phone system to get their attention? Stupid crap will no longer be tolerated. A good thing happened yesterday.
What, precisely, do you point to as the "creation" of religious conservatism? Perhaps you don't recall, but, in the 70's, there was a wave of religious interest which swept over the youth...this is, imho, possibly because of a reaction against the 60's being "free from religion" and "free love" etc. It was during the 70's that pop religious music began....by Christians, many having their start first with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa (which I attended at the time), a church started by Pastor Chuck Smith (a wonderful man, btw). I'm only asking because I know these religious singers/groups, such as Keith Green, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Daniel Amos, etc., were in no way political. I think this "Jesus movement" (as I believe it was then called), swept across the country. Of course, it is likely true that conservative politicos used it for their own advantage at the time.....
Out of curiosity, you said in the 1980's that the liberal elitists "created a “slavery/welfare/socialist” illusion in the minds of black America to keep it loyal to Democrat." I cannot personally speak to this because I am not an elitist nor black. I proffer my perceptions (looking in hindsight). Had not the black community, in general, voted Democrat well before the 1980's? Is it not true that the black community, itself, ridiculed its "members" if same didn't stay within the "in general" category? At the moment, I'm thinking of people like Justice Thomas, though there are many other examples. I remember, at the time, reading & hearing some of the worst attacks came from the black community. I find that behavior reprehensible. Instead of being proud of his accomplishments and achievements, he was castigated for thinking independently and accused of "working on the plantation for the man," etc. As I stated earlier, that is just one example. There were likely many others, publicized and not, that replicated that kind of "keeping in line" attitude. Don't you think that what we "witnessed" happening to Justice Thomas is what had been happening all along, for many, many years by that time? (It is my personal opinion it had been, but that is only based, as I said, on personal impressions/hindsight, which, of course, may well be incorrect.) Now...as was the case with the religious movement, I think you may well have another point here.....the liberal elite took hold of the feelings/beliefs/opinions of the black community and used that to their advantage, as well.
The bottom line is elite Americans became, like their 18th Century Europeans ancestors, powerful, lazy, arrogant and indifferent to the people.
I agree with the above; however, you have provoked me to speculate and wonder even more so than previously about the elitist plans.....imo, the elitists, liberal or conservative, truly are no different. They have a similar agenda and goals: amass wealth and power and lord over the serfs, religious, minorities, the poor, and everyone in between. What better way to enhance their wealth and power than to get in bed with corporate greedholders, and cause divisions among "the people" so that their plans are more easily carried out. Rockefeller spoke of this many many years ago. (If you're interested, I'll try to find the quote to which I refer...it won't be too hard, will just a bit of time.) The NAU is the goal they've been working toward....and I knew it had to be well-crafted, but your commentary makes it even more clear to me just how well-crafted and designed it likely is.... Thank you again for your thoughts.