Been an American in America for 4 decades. From my perspective American decline is undeniable. It is simple fact.
Largely because we can't connect the dots and accept that we should be focusing on the class war, not the culture war, because that's the root of the problem. A lot of the hate and ignorance in America comes from desperation. We're desperate because we aren't losing, we've lost, a class war.
In my opinion the election that just happened was the nail in the coffin. We came together and the majority of us decided to let our oligarchs assume total control. It was a signal to them that they're good to be open about it now, too.
A fall from greatness is inevitable and I'm afraid that the fall of America, with all of her hubris, is going to be spectacularly bloody and unpleasant for everyone. :(
I love that Gladiator, the 2000 film, showed us Commodus a rich emperor who was insanely obsessed with getting everyone's attention and the US has Elon Musk showing everyone that he wants to be at least knows as the best digital gladiator of video games while we have Nero/Trump watching the city burn.
It is like we are working on The Decline of an Empire: Greatest Hits! double gate fold album for 2025.
It took centuries for the Roman Republic to fall. At some point in time, they were past the point of no return without themselves even realizing it.
I think we are in that position now. We have been on the decline for more than a decade now, and have had several opportunities to correct or reverse course, but the wrong decision is made at every opportunity because it's far easier for powerful influential people to increase their power, wealth and status at the expense of everyone else and suffer no consequences for doing so than it is for them to sacrifice their own power, wealth, and status for the benefit of the collective. Are we past the point of no return? I'd say an argument could be made for either yes or no, but we are undeniably closer to the precipice than we have ever been as a nation since the Civil War (which never truly ended).
Plus, they still have slavery! In the constitution it says slavery is not allowed, "except when incarcerated". There are states where incarcerated people, convicted by a corrupt justiciary system, are forced to work without pay.
Plus, they just elected an autocratic hate and fear spreading idiot who is a puppet of Putin and does everything in his power to make the US an even worse oligarchy.
The world isn't just watching, the world is watching in extreme horror and disgust.
The American people voted a traitor into power that actively works for a hostile foreign power to destroy their country. And yet they can themselves patriots. Pathetic.
Normally hate political memes in this kind of tone and format. The bland "Occupy Democrats" type ones, you know. Can't really find fault in this one though.