The Decline of America

Such a shocking title is obviously quite easy to write, and members of the left and right are prone to smear each other as being the cause of this decline. So, it seems obvious that to throw around such words as decline probably does not register on the communal consciousness much. Yet, when a former US President describes the rot and decay that embody such a decline, I think it is wroth the time to prick up your ears and try to listen--strain to hear the words through the static that forms the background of this era in American history.
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This isn't the real America, By Jimmy Carter
[You will have to look for the article at LATimes.com]

JIMMY CARTER was the 39th president of the United States. His newest book is "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis," published this month by Simon & Schuster.

IN RECENT YEARS, I have become increasingly concerned by a host of radical government policies that now threaten many basic principles espoused by all previous administrations, Democratic and Republican.

These include the rudimentary American commitment to peace, economic and social justice, civil liberties, our environment and human rights.

Also endangered are our historic commitments to providing citizens with truthful information, treating dissenting voices and beliefs with respect, state and local autonomy and fiscal responsibility. ...