“The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.”
— Daniel Patrick Moynihan
The Neal Boortz libertarians are crowing about the importance of focusing solely on economics and the dangers of raising social issues in the upcoming election year. It’s not hard to see why. Even among self-styled conservatives, the social issues hit way too close to home. Just bring up the topic of pornography on this site, and the roaches come out of the woodwork to defend their cherished freedom to masturbate to whatever turns them on. But Steyn is precisely right: a culture in decline will keep on declining, no matter how sensible the economic policies its leaders manage to put down on paper.
Why does it take foreigners like Tocqueville and Steyn to remind us what America is all about? It’s very discouraging when you see Canadians across the border in some ways becoming more conservative and America wanting to become more to like Europe.
Heck, even Cuba started cutting government spending.
Truth! and good thoughts.
Well done, Mr. Steyn.
Just prepare now for the violence and shortages on the horizon.
Twenty years ago people were complaining about kids killing for a pair of 'cool' tennis shoes or an athletic jacket...think about what these same people will do when they're hungry and there are no Big Macs to be had.
I believe Lincoln said something like "You are born with the face that God gave you, at 45 you have the face that you deserve."
We could paraphrase that to "You start with the society that your ancestors gave you. You end up with the society that you deserve."
Steyn pyng.
It is the sinking realization that no democracy has lasted very long. Even well run Republics go into decline, and eventually are replaced. So far, we haven't yet lasted as long as the Venetian Republic!
So, the real questions are, "What's next?" Perhaps more important, "When and how?"
The Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire, the UK and now the USA - all brought about by moral decline within. We can argue about how long the Romans took, but the UK decline was caused by the British Labour Party on the left over 13 years, and the boy king barry has almost accomplished it for the USA in two and a half years. Isn't progress wonderful?
Never heard that term before - will use it from here out. As others have mentioned, just look at what's on display in the malls.
We went to a high school football game last night. Haven't been to one in many years.
What a bunch of kids. Girls walking hand in hand, rump rangers, girls that had to be no older than 13-15 dressed in the minimum shorts.
Quite an education.
Yet....Ingraham hangs up on anyone calling in about Obama’s non-natural born status, and Steyn calls Article II, Section I, of the **Constitution**, a “technicality” . (We can't have rioting over a mere “technicality, you see.)
Culture?, morality?, truth? forgery? identity theft? social security fraud? I guess that doesn't count as “culture” ....When it really mattered Steyn and Ingraham were DOA ( Dead on Arrival)