The Finish Line February Edition

We are often a nation of whiners. When we should be grateful for what we seem
determined to throw away, we get together with our friends and play “ain’t it awful.” But,
to give us our due, there’s no denying that this country is in a very serious and precarious
position. That said, our national reality can be viewed, indeed, as awful.
As Stanford fellow and historian Victor Davis Hanson pointed out in The Daily Signal, there
are 10 things that could destroy the US. These are happening now. They are done with
intention and impose a long-lasting impact on the country as a whole that may take years
(if not a generation or two) to reverse.
However, considering the overarching impact on the country as a whole is somewhat
disingenuous because it allows us to divorce ourselves from the urgency of the situation.
We can rely on venting our fears over the back fence, in the coffee shop, or in the
breakroom at work. (Again, “ain’t it awful?”) This venting removes the pressure and
slithering fear we might feel but it does not change reality – because big things like these
trickle down.
First, here’s Hanson’s list – 10 steps to destruction – in a nutshell (with my paraphrasing).
Step 1. Destroy America’s energy independence.
Step 2. Promote a manipulative monetary policy.
Step 3. Devalue America’s physical boundaries.
Step 4. Create balloting systems that are impossible to verify.
Step 5. Subvert the criminal justice system by refusing to prosecute.
Step 6. Create and support the proliferation of identity politics.
Step 7. Present an international image of weakness.
Step 8. Render the First Amendment impotent.
Step 9. Demonize your opponents in order to divide the country.
Step 10. Perpetuate the various lies and cover-ups related to the COVID virus.
To take this further, let’s consider some ways that these items in Hanson’s list influence
our lives.
Energy Independence (Dependence)
The rapid destruction of our energy independence cannot be over-vilified. This was
accomplished in record time by blocking or shutting off pipelines, cancelling production,
demonizing coal and nuclear power, and depleting our strategic reserves. We saw the
impact right away in 2021…gas prices were up 59%. This increase hits us at the pump,
raises the cost of all goods and services, and increases utility costs. Everything is connected
and we pay the freight.
Manipulative Monetary Policy
The government continued to send COVID-19 subsidies. It kept interest rates low while
prices were climbing, and publicly demonized the rich. The lowered interest rates means
little return on savings accounts and less money available for investment. The continued
flow of COVID subsidies helped to generate a reduced incentive to work. ‘Quiet Quitting,’ the
practice of doing just enough on the job to get by, has the impact of lowering productivity,
reducing revenues, and ultimately increasing layoffs. While demonizing the rich is a great
way to create and fuel class envy and division, it also creates a distrust of individual and
business success.
As a country we are built on the foundation of hard work and upward mobility. Everyone
has a chance to create their future. Do we want our children to shy away from being as
successful as they can because they fear the distrust of others? We have to encourage them