I think it is important to recognize that there was a “before times” and that it was different. Not the way getting older gives you a different view of the past, but measurable changes that have and are occurring that are unprecedented.
The United States bowing to authoritarians for personal gain and the involvement in foreign nationals in the running of government is unprecedented. I’m as much a fan of we’re one people worldwide as the next person, however the United States was always the backstop against Russia and China. Intentionally, the U.S.A. was the worldwide hegemony and military super power. This kept China and Russia in check and allowed the U.S.A. to go about the business of worldwide policing for better or worse. The police are now run by oligarch criminals.
We also used to work different, the days of pensions and long term investment in companies were the guiding star of “the greatest generation” (1901 – 1927) in a time when the Supreme Court declared Income Tax unconstitutional until the 16th Amendment in 1913 – even then it was, by modern definitions, an absurdly low amount under 10%. This was possible because corporations paid their fair share, the War Bonds were patriotic, fascism and authoritarianism was seen as bad, and oligarchs were kept in check.
There’s a stark break between the America we remember and the America we inhabit today—not the soft glow of nostalgia, but clear, hard facts that show how drastically our country has shifted. If must recognize these facts and understand it’s impact.
Once, America wore the mantle of democracy’s fiercest champion. We stood firm against tyrants—from Stalin’s gulags to Mao’s famine—and we kept our alliances strong so freedom could thrive around the globe. Now, our highest offices are tainted by foreign interests, with leaders more eager to line their pockets than defend our values. That betrayal of public trust isn’t an accident; it’s a choice—and one we can reverse.
Look at our economy. The “Greatest Generation” didn’t beg for bailouts or chase quarterly profits above all else—they struck long-term deals: companies paid pensions and workers stayed loyal for decades. Taxes stayed under 10% because corporations shouldered their share, and everyday Americans bought War Bonds out of patriotism, not opportunity. We built that social contract and it kept us together.
None of this decline was preordained. We handed away our power piece by piece—privatizing public goods, letting vast fortunes dodge accountability, and electing officials who serve themselves first. But choices can be undone. It starts with citizens who refuse to look the other way, who vote, who organize, who demand leaders who put America above all else.
Look around: corporate interests dictate policy, elections bend under offshore cash, and social bonds have been replaced by digital echo chambers. What was solid has turned to sand. The lines that once held us together have been erased.
This is where we stand: a nation stripped of its guardrails, handed over to the highest bidder, bound to a future that feels foreign. No spin. No sugarcoating. Just the ledger of our time, laid bare for anyone willing to read it.