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thucythucy

(8,822 posts)
7. "The perception of decline" is what stands out for me in your post,
Mon Jan 27, 2025, 06:25 PM
Jan 27

along with terms such as "relative" and "potential."

A "relative decline" might be no decline at all. "Shrinking military advantages"--compared to what other nation? Russia? India? Those nations that are making the most significant new investments in military infrastructure, and are most rapidly growing in military capability happen mostly to be our allies. And it seems every day I read something on DU about China's now faltering economy, its demographic problems, its environmental issues that are only now being recognized. China in recent years has managed to alienate the other major nations of the Pacific rim--its neighbors--with its bellicose rhetoric and muscle flexing, to the point that Japan, the Philippines, Australia and others are now beefing up their own armed forces. If anything, China may now be at the peak of its relative power. In the past it had mainly to deal with the US military on the Pacific rim. Thanks to its sabre rattling-- and its support of North Korea--Japan is now making or about to make an enormous expansion of its own military. Even tiny Singapore is hastily arming.

I think the referenced "shift" in "moral, social and behavioral issues" is code for increased rights for LGBTQ peoples. Often when I hear of "America's decline" it is precisely in reference to the increased acceptance of gay people, especially by post Boomer generations. As you point out, "the rhetoric of American decline" is a long standing American tradition, most especially by the right. William F. Buckley wrote about the "decline" of American "civilization" caused by the impending passage of the Voting Rights Act. Right wing groups have long bemoaned our "decline" in morals--meaning their distaste for women's increasing opportunity to control their own sexual lives, the increased visibility of gay people, the rise in multi-racial families--all of these are to them evidence of "American decline."

All of this is tried and true right wing BS, and often echoed down the decades by those on the extreme left. Indeed, various Marxists have been touting American decline since the 1920s. In today's political climate this feeds into MAGA delusions. And when Trump tells us "only I can fix it," he's not talking about the disparity in wealth or declines in health outcomes. He means the relative loss of white male privilege and hegemony, which I for one don't at all see as a "decline of America."

That I think is the most significant factor in the rise of Trump and Trumpism. The existence of gender neutral bathrooms and the increased visibility of trans people were salient issues in this past election--thanks to clever targeting and messaging by the right. The fact that our candidate was a Black woman was also a major factor in how this past election played out.

Racism and sexism and homophobia are long standing American realities. They are major factors in explaining where we are today.

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