American Society American Decline: An

American Society American Decline: An Internal Crumbling A debate has waged regarding American society and the state of the government that heads and in many ways typifies it pretty much since this society was first established, and even during the Colonial period.

The debate now is no longer over whether or not a democratic nation will be able to fare well in the world, but whether this particular democratic nation has taken the extremes of self-reliance, self-determination, and pure capitalism too far and is about to suffer dire consequences for it.

Some argue that the lack of educational standards and an increasing complacency coupled with a desire for reduced government guidance has left America morally and financially bankrupt, and that the country is headed for ruin if it is not already largely there. Others dismiss these suggestions as fanatical folly, noting the extreme size of the American economy, growing American productivity, and continuing American ingenuity. These things appear to be the remnants of sheer momentum, however, and are not accurate predictors of future motions and forces.

Growth and Success in America There is no doubt that the United States is currently one of the major luminary powers not just in the world today but in all of the progress of the world's civilizations. As Dowd (2007) points out, the United States' economy is poised to be twice the size of all of Europe's in another decade, and despite China's rapid growth there is still a massive disparity in the per capita income of the two nations that gives the United States a much broader base of strength.

These issues, however, are the result of past successes such as the rapid growth and major investment in science and technology growth and innovation that took place in previous decades of the country's existence (Lemonick 2006). There is not an abundance of future innovation promised by current regulations and funding crises, and the research community is overwhelmingly moving to Europe and Asia rather than remaining in the United States as it has for the past sixty years (Lemoncik 2006).

While it is true that the United States' current economic standing leaves it a very wealthy and politically potent country, it is less certain that this potency will continue in the future without continuing investment in the country's growth and innovations. The idea that our past success and current wealth will continue to drive our future growth and dominance is beyond merely complacent; it is also incredibly naive and hugely detrimental to the country's interests, as well.

Where Problems Begin The emphasis on funding and innovation that drove the advance of the American economy throughout much of the twentieth century was without a doubt a major part of the nation's success (Lemoncik 2006). This is not where today's issues of the internal crumbling of American society has its origins, however, and in fact the facade of great wealth, opportunity, and success that the United States still puts forward as the "American Dream" is a direct lie in many areas.

In order to find the roots of the problem, one must look to earlier developments and trends in society and in the manner in which the government codifies this society. It is the failure of the educational system and a lack of support for the middle and lower classes in terms of social justice and ensuring equal access to the power structures and opportunities in the nation that is truly responsible for the degradation of American society.

There are numerous indicators that such things as equality, liberty, and true opportunities for self-direction are no longer of great importance to the political regime in this country or even to society at large, and that rather a power structure that quite explicitly and directly serves the interests of the.