How Great Societies Fail

Even though I'm involved with an organization that has the mission to preserve history, that mandate gets kind of blurry when politics are involved. What I mean is, that history seems to reflect the attitudes that are force-fed to the population through the media. This “free media” being the same one that was forced to shutdown a breaking story 14 years ago when I worked for the county and an individual placed into a position to help vulnerable people was arrested and the (political) policies were shown extremely poorly as a result.

History, is often a partial truth. Our “politically correct” society has no stomach for the entirety of truth—as it does not fulfill the “popular” misconceptions that we are all supposed to believe. Yet, most people are fine perpetuating these partial truths for the sake of looking good.

One other historical fact that is conveniently forgotten as “we” show how accepting we are of all of the lifestyles and hybridized family units, is that most “great societies” throughout history, begin to fall apart from the inside rather than from outside forces.

As “thug culture” becomes mainstream, and when “we” are asked… no TOLD that we must be accepting of other factions of society, or we are racist, homophobic or a litany of other social horrors, the blindness of what this does to society becomes more complete and the infighting and disintegration becomes more real.

While I do not believe in barring any individual from entering a business based on race, sex or like reasons, it seems that someone whose butt is showing because they are wearing pants more suitable to a prison environment may be legitimately asked to leave. But the liberal opponents will not agree with this. In the process, they will use any reasoning to push their agenda; whether truthful or not.

Once while two individuals were discussing the need to accept homosexual marriage in society, playing the “devils advocate” I asked if maybe it should also include “a person marrying a cow” in order to be completely inclusive. Though both were assumably “straight men,” they were immediately incensed by this idea—which served to prove my point—that there is always a “line drawn” for every issue; and each of us has to decide how far is right and how far is wrong. There are always people who want to push that line one way or the other and society must come to a consensus as to what is acceptable and what is not. Someone may say that their religion condones dog fighting. Some religions won't allow medical intervention for their children who may die without it. Throughout history, the consensus surrounding various issues has and is changing. What constitutes freedom and what is abuse?

Pushed too far to the right or to the left, this can leave disastrous consequences. But historically, all the great societies tumble from within as they try to include “everyone,” no matter what they represent. Of course, there are also unacceptable issues that “explode” when they are finally brought out in the open—such as the harassment claims now piling up against Hollywood actors and politicians. Eventually, the hysteria creates a “guilty until proven innocent” reaction and it becomes impossible to know who to believe anymore.

But most people are ready to “attack” just the same—for fear that someone may decide to point the finger at them if they don’t “prove” how justice minded they are.

Meanwhile, the society that was once great and revered as the “Home of the Free,” is now touted as the home of racists and bigots and when the flag is brought out, the “hero” is the guy who “takes a knee” instead of the soldier in uniform who is saluting. And I find that unfortunate.

—KJC