(This started as a response to a Letter to the Editor of my local paper, which indeed asked the title question. They allow 500 words; being me, I just couldn't stop. So, here you are.---RW)
Allow me to answer that:
The 1960s happened.
A generation came of age, then, in prosperity unmatched in human history. Resulting from their parents’ experiences--economic depression and savage world war—Baby-boomers were often coddled, sheltered from many harsh realities of life. This often left them with an unrealistic, even naive view of the World at Large.
As they matured, they felt guilt, and even self-loathing at their affluence, rather than appreciation, of their parent’s sacrifices and patriotism and a desire to continue on in their stead.
Many ‘boomers, rather, viewed these ideals with doubt, and frequently, even openly scorned them.
In the 1960s, however, and into the 70s, there came a great loosening; a freeing of societal standards and conduct. The result, the “counter-culture”, was the anti-establishment ideal which came out of that era.
Codes of morality and decency were questioned, ignored, or cast away altogether; and things, which had been taboo, were suddenly accepted. This was hailed as a great thing for American, indeed Western, culture; a movement of great social significance.
With pompous arrogance drawn from their vast numbers, and false wisdom, from their artificially-inflated certainty of their worldview, the Hippie ‘boomers judged their country and culture, and drew, mostly, the exact wrong conclusions.
Rebelling against the “repression” of Eisenhower’s conservative 1950s, they questioned things previous generations---generations which had built a successful nation and culture---took for granted; things like morality, authority, family, country…even God.
For comfort in their social-political agony, too many of them looked East: to Socialist, and even to Communist, nations; perceiving in these a system that pledged equality, justice and fairness to all---and studiously ignoring less-impressive things: things like unending shortages of even basic commodities, political and social oppression, and even culturally-and-politically-motivated genocide---they liked what they saw.
They would build a Socialist Utopia! They would change the world! So, they rioted in the streets, calling for change, and for their “rights”. Government generosity should make people rich!
This clearly absurd concept has perverted even such noble endeavors as the Civil Rights and Labor movements, slowly devolving them into an ever-expanding web of socialistic entitlements. Since 1965, for example, we’ve dumped $7 trillion into LBJ’s Great Society and similar-type programs; somehow, poverty remains a problem. Of course, poverty in America, where the level hovers at just around $25,000/year, differs slightly than in, say, Africa, where standards tend somewhat lower.
This is also one reason liberals hated Ronald Reagan; ideally, he wanted to get people off the government dole and into fending for themselves, into determining their own lives. Liberals, especially liberal politicians, like people on the dole; it makes them easier to manipulate, and to extort votes from them.
(Also, just as an aside, liberals claim to love democracy, but only as long as the vote goes their way. Then they have to have an activist court, to impose their ideals on those of us who disagree with them. But hey, I digress…..)
Also, the idea of governmental responsibility to personal welfare has managed to indenture certain segments of America’s population into nearly always voting Democrat (the party normally favoring entitlements), despite the fact that that party’s actually done precious little positive for them, over the years. Blacks and unions are two which leap to right mind. Although, if “card check” goes through, unionist thuggery will enable them to force unionism down the throats of virtually anyone, anywhere, without opposition.
Aiding what many Hippie ‘boomers viewed as Communist allies, they purposely undermined America’s efforts in Vietnam, ultimately condemning 40 million to Communist tyranny, and killing millions more. Again: ignore those pesky repercussions.
That generation (and their ideological descendants) always excelled at ignoring negative, long-term consequences, especially when short-term motives included well-intentioned do-gooding. They and those pesky ideological children continue to undermine pro-Americanism to this very day.
As they aged into the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, taking their place in society, many moved into media, law and government.
Never learning from experience, and now possessing not only the means to propagandize their ideals, but also--however incrementally—to implement them, they sought, and still seek, to achieve their Utopia.
All this, together, has weakened the fabric of American society; over time, we’ve lost a good measure of respect for each other, our nation, and ourselves. It’s been said, truthfully, I believe, that our national motto, “From Many, One” has become “Where’s Mine?”
Consequently, our culture has grown coarser, and more inconsiderate of others. Families, especially black families, too often as a result of well-intentioned entitlement programs, have crumbled.
Also, there used to be certain standards of social behavior; things that could and/or could not be said, or done. People knew what those were; knew it instinctively. They knew that there was right and wrong; there was no debate, no issue to be discussed. People just knew all these things, without being told. And, when they got out of line, society could punish them, even to the point of death.
People respected each other; or, if they didn’t, they at least were civil enough to pretend so. People respected each other’s property, and criminals were punished.
However, when such convulsive things as the 1960s Counter-Cultural Revolution happen, they rarely happen inconsequentially. Over time, that loosening of moral standards became almost complete erosion; and it’s diminished us as a people.
Today, for example, we do live in a much cruder society; profanity is everywhere, not just in the factory and in the blue-collar bar on the corner; it’s in our entertainment, and as result, it’s in the office, and it saturates our schools. Schools, by the way, where our children are indoctrinated in political correctness (which has, in the last 25 years, somehow mutated to become a new style of restrictive social standard) and socialist rhetoric, often at the expense of real, proven, traditionalist three-R’s education; many 60s-era ‘boomers went into education, you see.
As a result, American students regularly lag behind other, even lesser, nations on standardized tests. This, despite the ever-growing truckloads of money we throw, annually, at the educational system. But hey, at least their rights are upheld, even if they ARE too stupid to understand, much less invoke, them.
Pornography is mainstreamed; accepted, almost as a joke, in TV and films. Children regularly access it on the Internet.
Criminal behavior is much more tolerated now than in years past; after all, we must consider their “rights”. Organizations now fight for the rights of pedophiles, child pornographers and other degenerates to commit their acts without punishment; or, ideally, even without social stigma. They’re working on that, too.
And, if a homosexual or minority group member commits a crime, then, on top of worrying over their “rights”, society must also wring its collective hands, fretting over how we failed them; what could have gone wrong? This, instead of simply punishing the guilty, as deserved. The way it used to be, back when we respected each other, and ourselves.
The 60s generation badly skewed the way we view country and culture, pushing the limits of what’s acceptable. Liberal ideals saturate our media, from news to music to films; does anyone really benefit, for example, from foul language, and increasingly violent or sexual images, on TV? No, of course not, but we have our “right” to them! And we’ll complain if our kids see or use them!
Honest, decent patriotic sentiment has become anachronistic, even an embarrassment.
Besides patriotism, another innocent victim of this Great Loosening seemed to have been civic pride. I’ve often heard senior citizens talk about how much cleaner neighborhoods and cities were in their youths. When did this begin to change? Often, it seems, in the 1970s--after we started losing that sense of pride, I guess.
Nowadays, however, litter is everywhere, and no one really seems to care. This, despite all the left-wing/environmentalist, global-warming rhetoric we hear.
Instead, for example, cities have spent 30-odd years begging people to use provided wastebaskets.
We must reclaim that remarkable sense of pride we once had; a pride that enabled our ancestors to build a great nation, and to defend it, and others, from attack.
The great liberal revolution of the 1960s has not reinforced our society; rather, it’s deconstructed it, perhaps even as it was always, actually and truly, intended.
This revolt, affecting the Mind and Spirit, instead of fomenting understanding and tolerance, has rather, somehow, left us cynical, pessimistic and suspicious of others.
Will we ever recover from this sad diluting of our intellect and culture? Probably not, at least until that generation dies out; and even then, thanks to their huge numbers, their cultural and educational influence and impact, the damage may well be irreparable. Besides, we’re used to it, now, right?
The 60s generation has effectively chipped away at the cornerstones of our society, and has left it at the edge of collapse. I fear what the next four years will bring.
And, in my humble opinion, that’s what happened to the Good, Old America.