The Ideological Shift in America

[usfan]

This is an outline that chronicles the transition of American social ideology. The shift in values can be followed, in the public discourse and culture, from early to mid last century. I will identify the worldviews and the transition as being between Christianity and Progressivism. Each point may be expanded upon, supported with data, and demonstrated to be the vehicle of change in American society. The transition is nearly complete, as the Christian era draws to a close, and the Progressive era dominates the social climate.

Definitions
Christianity: the historical worldview that believes Jesus to be the Divine Savior of mankind; the bible as the authority of orthodoxy; absolute morality, natural law; a spiritual, inner focus of personal enlightenment with emphasis on positive interpersonal relationships; God is central, acknowledged, and engaged; human equality; individual freedom, responsibility, freedom of conscience; self control; collective self rule.

Progressivism: a worldview that blends Marxist collectivism & Darwinism: moral relativity and amorality; political activism; outward focus on others and society; materialist emphasis; control of social institutions; social justice; state power to control all aspects of society; opposition to capitalism, the American experiment, and Christianity; the State is central; atheistic/naturalistic basis, God is irrelevant, unengaged, ridiculed, denied, or ignored.

These 2 worldviews are polar opposites in almost every area of social and individual life. They are competing worldviews for the soul/defining character of America. Both are religious and/or philosophical constructs/beliefs.

1. Indoctrination.
All education consists of and includes philosophical and/or religious indoctrination.
A. Both Christianity and Progressivism have been indoctrinated/taught as the preferred worldview in their time.
B. The decline of church attendance & orthodox belief, with the growth of atheistic naturalism, collectivist beliefs, and nanny state controls, reflects this transition in worldviews.
C. The state and all social institutions are dominated/controlled by progressive ideology, and exclusively indoctrinate the progressive worldview.

2. Timeline
A. Progressivism.
The shift began early 20th century; was interrupted by world wars against totalitarian aggression; continued in the 60s; became the dominant religious belief by the 21st century and continues to this day.
1. Progressivism dominates all social institutions: academia, entertainment, the press/media, government.
2. Progressive ideals and beliefs have been mandated by legislation and judicial activism, not majority vote: Abortion, global warming, atheistic/naturalistic beliefs in origins, socialism.
3. Alternate views are censored, bullied, or shouted down. Legislation and courts are used to establish Progressivism as the exclusive belief system.
4. Legislation, the courts, academia, and all progressive institutions continue to strip any history of acknowledging God and Christianity as a social influence, in favor of a naturalistic/secular revision.

B. Christianity.
The worldview of the American founders. Emphasis on biblical themes of freedom, personal responsibility, self improvement, human equality, absolute morality.
1. It was the dominant worldview for the first 100-150 years in America.
2. Bibles were printed by the early congress for education of the citizens in social and moral interaction.
3. Religious tolerance was emphasized and codefied into law.

C. Transition
Christianity as social influence peaked in the 1950s. Progressivism has grown steadily from the 60s until now.

In the 1950s:
1. 'In God We Trust' was added to currency.
2. 'Under God' added to pledge of allegiance, and recited by school children.
3. Prayer was common and encouraged in school, govt, and other social gatherings.
4. 'Godless Commies!' were exposed, sought out, and prosecuted for unamerican activities and treason.

The transition to Progressivism in the 1960s:
5. Evolution was allowed to be taught, then grew through judicial activism until it became the exclusively taught belief about origins.
6. Abortion was legalized by judicial activism in 1972, opening the floodgates for amoral relativity.
7. Crime rates were historically low during the Christian era, but have steadily grown in the Progressive era.

I welcome any thoughts, comments, or rebuttals to this outline.

 

[exchemist]

This is an outline that chronicles the transition of American social ideology. The shift in values can be followed, in the public discourse and culture, from early to mid last century. I will identify the worldviews and the transition as being between Christianity and Progressivism. Each point may be expanded upon, supported with data, and demonstrated to be the vehicle of change in American society. The transition is nearly complete, as the Christian era draws to a close, and the Progressive era dominates the social climate.

Definitions
Christianity: the historical worldview that believes Jesus to be the Divine Savior of mankind; the bible as the authority of orthodoxy; absolute morality, natural law; a spiritual, inner focus of personal enlightenment with emphasis on positive interpersonal relationships; God is central, acknowledged, and engaged; human equality; individual freedom, responsibility, freedom of conscience; self control; collective self rule.

Progressivism: a worldview that blends Marxist collectivism & Darwinism: moral relativity and amorality; political activism; outward focus on others and society; materialist emphasis; control of social institutions; social justice; state power to control all aspects of society; opposition to capitalism, the American experiment, and Christianity; the State is central; atheistic/naturalistic basis, God is irrelevant, unengaged, ridiculed, denied, or ignored.

These 2 worldviews are polar opposites in almost every area of social and individual life. They are competing worldviews for the soul/defining character of America. Both are religious and/or philosophical constructs/beliefs.

1. Indoctrination.
All education consists of and includes philosophical and/or religious indoctrination.
A. Both Christianity and Progressivism have been indoctrinated/taught as the preferred worldview in their time.
B. The decline of church attendance & orthodox belief, with the growth of atheistic naturalism, collectivist beliefs, and nanny state controls, reflects this transition in worldviews.
C. The state and all social institutions are dominated/controlled by progressive ideology, and exclusively indoctrinate the progressive worldview.

2. Timeline
A. Progressivism.
The shift began early 20th century; was interrupted by world wars against totalitarian aggression; continued in the 60s; became the dominant religious belief by the 21st century and continues to this day.
1. Progressivism dominates all social institutions: academia, entertainment, the press/media, government.
2. Progressive ideals and beliefs have been mandated by legislation and judicial activism, not majority vote: Abortion, global warming, atheistic/naturalistic beliefs in origins, socialism.
3. Alternate views are censored, bullied, or shouted down. Legislation and courts are used to establish Progressivism as the exclusive belief system.
4. Legislation, the courts, academia, and all progressive institutions continue to strip any history of acknowledging God and Christianity as a social influence, in favor of a naturalistic/secular revision.

B. Christianity.
The worldview of the American founders. Emphasis on biblical themes of freedom, personal responsibility, self improvement, human equality, absolute morality.
1. It was the dominant worldview for the first 100-150 years in America.
2. Bibles were printed by the early congress for education of the citizens in social and moral interaction.
3. Religious tolerance was emphasized and codefied into law.

C. Transition
Christianity as social influence peaked in the 1950s. Progressivism has grown steadily from the 60s until now.

In the 1950s:
1. 'In God We Trust' was added to currency.
2. 'Under God' added to pledge of allegiance, and recited by school children.
3. Prayer was common and encouraged in school, govt, and other social gatherings.
4. 'Godless Commies!' were exposed, sought out, and prosecuted for unamerican activities and treason.

The transition to Progressivism in the 1960s:
5. Evolution was allowed to be taught, then grew through judicial activism until it became the exclusively taught belief about origins.
6. Abortion was legalized by judicial activism in 1972, opening the floodgates for amoral relativity.
7. Crime rates were historically low during the Christian era, but have steadily grown in the Progressive era.

I welcome any thoughts, comments, or rebuttals to this outline.

What a load of ahistorical codswallop.

To give just one example, Darwinism was hijacked (think "social" Darwinism and eugenics) by the political Right, not the Left. The philosophy of the Left was always that artificially introduced change could be made to stick, hence the dead end of Lysenkoism in Stalin's USSR. At its simplest, the Left has always argued "Nurture" while the Right has argued "Nature".

And anyone who actually thinks the McCarthy era was a good thing has his head very firmly up his arse.

 

[joe1776]

...
7. Crime rates were historically low during the Christian era, but have steadily grown in the Progressive era.

I welcome any thoughts, comments, or rebuttals to this outline.

You argue essentially that, as Christianity declined, so too has humanity's morals. But we humans treat each other better today than at anytime in the past.

Our moral direction is upward as the influence of Christianity on our lives declines. Some weeks ago, I made a brief argument on this point in a thread posted on RF.

Global Harmony is Inevitable

 

[Subduction Zone]

This is an outline that chronicles the transition of American social ideology. The shift in values can be followed, in the public discourse and culture, from early to mid last century. I will identify the worldviews and the transition as being between Christianity and Progressivism. Each point may be expanded upon, supported with data, and demonstrated to be the vehicle of change in American society. The transition is nearly complete, as the Christian era draws to a close, and the Progressive era dominates the social climate.

Definitions
Christianity: the historical worldview that believes Jesus to be the Divine Savior of mankind; the bible as the authority of orthodoxy; absolute morality, natural law; a spiritual, inner focus of personal enlightenment with emphasis on positive interpersonal relationships; God is central, acknowledged, and engaged; human equality; individual freedom, responsibility, freedom of conscience; self control; collective self rule.

Progressivism: a worldview that blends Marxist collectivism & Darwinism: moral relativity and amorality; political activism; outward focus on others and society; materialist emphasis; control of social institutions; social justice; state power to control all aspects of society; opposition to capitalism, the American experiment, and Christianity; the State is central; atheistic/naturalistic basis, God is irrelevant, unengaged, ridiculed, denied, or ignored.

These 2 worldviews are polar opposites in almost every area of social and individual life. They are competing worldviews for the soul/defining character of America. Both are religious and/or philosophical constructs/beliefs.

1. Indoctrination.
All education consists of and includes philosophical and/or religious indoctrination.
A. Both Christianity and Progressivism have been indoctrinated/taught as the preferred worldview in their time.
B. The decline of church attendance & orthodox belief, with the growth of atheistic naturalism, collectivist beliefs, and nanny state controls, reflects this transition in worldviews.
C. The state and all social institutions are dominated/controlled by progressive ideology, and exclusively indoctrinate the progressive worldview.

2. Timeline
A. Progressivism.
The shift began early 20th century; was interrupted by world wars against totalitarian aggression; continued in the 60s; became the dominant religious belief by the 21st century and continues to this day.
1. Progressivism dominates all social institutions: academia, entertainment, the press/media, government.
2. Progressive ideals and beliefs have been mandated by legislation and judicial activism, not majority vote: Abortion, global warming, atheistic/naturalistic beliefs in origins, socialism.
3. Alternate views are censored, bullied, or shouted down. Legislation and courts are used to establish Progressivism as the exclusive belief system.
4. Legislation, the courts, academia, and all progressive institutions continue to strip any history of acknowledging God and Christianity as a social influence, in favor of a naturalistic/secular revision.

B. Christianity.
The worldview of the American founders. Emphasis on biblical themes of freedom, personal responsibility, self improvement, human equality, absolute morality.
1. It was the dominant worldview for the first 100-150 years in America.
2. Bibles were printed by the early congress for education of the citizens in social and moral interaction.
3. Religious tolerance was emphasized and codefied into law.

C. Transition
Christianity as social influence peaked in the 1950s. Progressivism has grown steadily from the 60s until now.

In the 1950s:
1. 'In God We Trust' was added to currency.
2. 'Under God' added to pledge of allegiance, and recited by school children.
3. Prayer was common and encouraged in school, govt, and other social gatherings.
4. 'Godless Commies!' were exposed, sought out, and prosecuted for unamerican activities and treason.

The transition to Progressivism in the 1960s:
5. Evolution was allowed to be taught, then grew through judicial activism until it became the exclusively taught belief about origins.
6. Abortion was legalized by judicial activism in 1972, opening the floodgates for amoral relativity.
7. Crime rates were historically low during the Christian era, but have steadily grown in the Progressive era.

I welcome any thoughts, comments, or rebuttals to this outline.

Not even a good strawman.

 

[Sand Dancer]

This is an outline that chronicles the transition of American social ideology. The shift in values can be followed, in the public discourse and culture, from early to mid last century. I will identify the worldviews and the transition as being between Christianity and Progressivism. Each point may be expanded upon, supported with data, and demonstrated to be the vehicle of change in American society. The transition is nearly complete, as the Christian era draws to a close, and the Progressive era dominates the social climate.

Definitions
Christianity: the historical worldview that believes Jesus to be the Divine Savior of mankind; the bible as the authority of orthodoxy; absolute morality, natural law; a spiritual, inner focus of personal enlightenment with emphasis on positive interpersonal relationships; God is central, acknowledged, and engaged; human equality; individual freedom, responsibility, freedom of conscience; self control; collective self rule.

Progressivism: a worldview that blends Marxist collectivism & Darwinism: moral relativity and amorality; political activism; outward focus on others and society; materialist emphasis; control of social institutions; social justice; state power to control all aspects of society; opposition to capitalism, the American experiment, and Christianity; the State is central; atheistic/naturalistic basis, God is irrelevant, unengaged, ridiculed, denied, or ignored.

These 2 worldviews are polar opposites in almost every area of social and individual life. They are competing worldviews for the soul/defining character of America. Both are religious and/or philosophical constructs/beliefs.

1. Indoctrination.
All education consists of and includes philosophical and/or religious indoctrination.
A. Both Christianity and Progressivism have been indoctrinated/taught as the preferred worldview in their time.
B. The decline of church attendance & orthodox belief, with the growth of atheistic naturalism, collectivist beliefs, and nanny state controls, reflects this transition in worldviews.
C. The state and all social institutions are dominated/controlled by progressive ideology, and exclusively indoctrinate the progressive worldview.

2. Timeline
A. Progressivism.
The shift began early 20th century; was interrupted by world wars against totalitarian aggression; continued in the 60s; became the dominant religious belief by the 21st century and continues to this day.
1. Progressivism dominates all social institutions: academia, entertainment, the press/media, government.
2. Progressive ideals and beliefs have been mandated by legislation and judicial activism, not majority vote: Abortion, global warming, atheistic/naturalistic beliefs in origins, socialism.
3. Alternate views are censored, bullied, or shouted down. Legislation and courts are used to establish Progressivism as the exclusive belief system.
4. Legislation, the courts, academia, and all progressive institutions continue to strip any history of acknowledging God and Christianity as a social influence, in favor of a naturalistic/secular revision.

B. Christianity.
The worldview of the American founders. Emphasis on biblical themes of freedom, personal responsibility, self improvement, human equality, absolute morality.
1. It was the dominant worldview for the first 100-150 years in America.
2. Bibles were printed by the early congress for education of the citizens in social and moral interaction.
3. Religious tolerance was emphasized and codefied into law.

C. Transition
Christianity as social influence peaked in the 1950s. Progressivism has grown steadily from the 60s until now.

In the 1950s:
1. 'In God We Trust' was added to currency.
2. 'Under God' added to pledge of allegiance, and recited by school children.
3. Prayer was common and encouraged in school, govt, and other social gatherings.
4. 'Godless Commies!' were exposed, sought out, and prosecuted for unamerican activities and treason.

The transition to Progressivism in the 1960s:
5. Evolution was allowed to be taught, then grew through judicial activism until it became the exclusively taught belief about origins.
6. Abortion was legalized by judicial activism in 1972, opening the floodgates for amoral relativity.
7. Crime rates were historically low during the Christian era, but have steadily grown in the Progressive era.

I welcome any thoughts, comments, or rebuttals to this outline.

Well, this is baloney. Funny how the countries with low levels of religion are the safest, healthiest and happiest.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Its a fanciful reconstruction, usfan. The liberal and fundamental churches start to diverge after the civil war. The liberal churches become concerned about industrial oppression of children and other oppression, and the fundamentalists become concerned about purist biblical reconstructions of Christianity. Thus the two go at loggerheads, because they have different focuses. These differences result in church splits, with the fundamentalists doing the leaving for the sake of having pure 100% Bible only churches. Today we have new generations who don't know much about the past. The fundamentalists later become the evangelicals.

1. Indoctrination.
All education consists of and includes philosophical and/or religious indoctrination.
A. Both Christianity and Progressivism have been indoctrinated/taught as the preferred worldview in their time.
B. The decline of church attendance & orthodox belief, with the growth of atheistic naturalism, collectivist beliefs, and nanny state controls, reflects this transition in worldviews.
C. The state and all social institutions are dominated/controlled by progressive ideology, and exclusively indoctrinate the progressive worldview.

Pure Shaferism and CS Lewis-ism -- fear of change and fear of technology and fear above all of contamination. This is not a good philosophical basis. You can't build anything on it, because its an already rusty structure that is rusting away.

The 'Orthodox' belief? Laughable. The Jews are the only orthodoxy today. Christians are the progressives, the ones extending Judaism beyond its boundaries and accepting all kinds of people, bending the rules, opening doors. Our doctrines are flexible, historically speaking and philosophically; relative to God's. God's doctrines of course do not change, but all people are liars. You can deny you are a progressive, but it merely shows lack of historical knowledge. Go back to being Jewish if you like.

Definitions
Christianity: the historical worldview that believes Jesus to be the Divine Savior of mankind; the bible as the authority of orthodoxy; absolute morality, natural law; a spiritual, inner focus of personal enlightenment with emphasis on positive interpersonal relationships; God is central, acknowledged, and engaged; human equality; individual freedom, responsibility, freedom of conscience; self control; collective self rule.

All of which sounds like a form of godliness full rules and strictures, but these forms are powerless. Its your definition which you elevate to orthodoxy and imagine that anyone who disagrees (disbelieves) is an opposing force. Thus you have named all of your opponents as progressives and defined them as enemies, but this is merely semantics for saying that all who oppose you must be evil or must have disrespected you in some way.

 

[PureX]

The 'nut' you're trying to divide up and pit against itself is far too broad and complex for that purpose, I think. The delineations you've set seem very arbitrary, to me.

 

[Brickjectivity]

5. Evolution was allowed to be taught, then grew through judicial activism until it became the exclusively taught belief about origins.

Evolution burst through all barriers and was undeniable, hardly the work of progressives. It was never possible to contain it. Your statement is kicking the goads.

6. Abortion was legalized by judicial activism in 1972, opening the floodgates for amoral relativity.

Not really. Abortion is an evil that is part of nature, and the laws can scarcely manage it much less prevent it completely. Its built in. That you would deny it is and make it worse, harder to manage. In particular criminalizing women and doctors is profoundly unwise. Naming all your opponents as evil is just silly, because we didn't design things this way. Put the blame where it should be placed: on the designer, which brings us back to evolution doesn't it? You'd have the laws enshrine a miraculous and perfect creation of humanity, but that doesn't match the evidence, thus making problems worse instead of better. The womb is an obviously imperfect device.

7. Crime rates were historically low during the Christian era, but have steadily grown in the Progressive era.

It depends on how you measure, but you'd be hard put to say this was due to progressive Christians. Its simply ridiculous.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

Not even a good strawman.

Did you expect anything better?

Worst piece of historical revisionism I have seen in a while. Like someone is channeling David Barton.

Overall crime rates have been dropping. Progressivism is a political position that includes Christians. This country was not founded as a theocracy.

He should consider joining the Taliban. They hold the same views he does.

 

[MikeDwight]

What did the historical Christian do all day? Thump their Bible? Were they moral a higher percent of the time? That's what people think in their heads. No its not a more moral era. I'm not going to call this Progressive either. The destruction of knowledge could be 100% Church attendance. Totally corrupt institutions leading you away from your work independently.

Anybody is Progressive that wants things to change. I don't grant Progressives their own propaganda to be Called Progressives that some one else is just some corpse with rigor mortis and you can't pry some idle thing from them ,that they have to label themselves Progressive. Woodrow Wilson was progressive.

Thanks for the outline. That's amazing work.

Don't waste any time jumping to the outset of the French Revolution and the development of Laicite. Don't waste any time at all. The Government in your 3rd outline showed, there's a religion that can place any pressure upon your political process, we gutted it and filled it with sawdust. That's how the Presbyterians come up with the Pledge of Allegiance, 'In God We Trust" or any other of Eisenhower's 'collaborations'. The Kingdom of France was presided over with the Medieval three branch government system, that's King, Nobles, Catholic Church. If any overseas entity whatsoever now slows down our nationalist progress its going to be thrown out. We are currently headed toward Laicite where no force, governmental pwer, and no leverage could ever be implied by a Religion. Laicite enforces your eccentric quirk that is done in your private home that no one needs to see.

 

[Father Heathen]

The OP is nothing more than a pile of incoherent non sequiturs and nonsensical straw man fallacies.

 

[Twilight Hue]

You argue essentially that, as Christianity declined, so too has humanity's morals. But we humans treat each other better today than at anytime in the past.

Our moral direction is upward as the influence of Christianity on our lives declines. Some weeks ago, I made a brief argument on this point in a thread posted on RF.

Global Harmony is Inevitable

If anything Christianity has worsened on the global moral front and seems to be getting crazier and crazier.

 

[Father Heathen]

If anything Christianity has worsened on the global moral front and seems to be getting crazier and crazier.

But you do owe them thanks for making Trump as POTUS possible.

 

[joe1776]

If anything Christianity has worsened on the global moral front and seems to be getting crazier and crazier.

I draw a distinction between traditional Christians and progressive Christians. I see progressive Christianity keeping pace with humanity's conscience-driven moral progress -- like equality for women and homosexuals -- while traditional Christians can't let go of their arrogant belief that they are God's favorites and that Heaven is a country club reserved for them.

 

[usfan]

What a load of ahistorical codswallop.

Thanks for the reasoned rebuttal..

You argue essentially that, as Christianity declined, so too has humanity's morals. But we humans treat each other better today than at anytime in the past.

I don't think I'm arguing that, at all. I had a point about crime increasing, as relative morality replaced a sense of absolute, but that is not essential to the point of ideological shift. It merely illustrates the point.

..and i don't see 'humans', treating each other better than in the past, at all. Oppression, exploitation, and brutality is as rampant as ever. We just have better methods of killing each other.

Not even a good strawman.

Thanks for the evidenced rebuttal..

Well, this is baloney.

Not salami?

Thus you have named all of your opponents as progressives and defined them as enemies, but this is merely semantics for saying that all who oppose you must be evil or must have disrespected you in some way.

..whatever. i had points, with historical trends to illustrate. It is an analysis of history, not a pejorative toward enemies.. but some people see enemies everywhere!

The 'nut' you're trying to divide up and pit against itself is far too broad and complex for that purpose, I think. The delineations you've set seem very arbitrary, to me.

No problem. This is just an opinion piece, based on my observations and analysis of events over the last century or so..

Evolution burst through all barriers and was undeniable, hardly the work of progressives. It was never possible to contain it. Your statement is kicking the goads.

..so you believe and assert..

He should consider joining the Taliban. They hold the same views he does.

Ah! Good fallacious reply!

The OP is nothing more than a pile of incoherent non sequiturs and and nonsensical straw man fallacies.

Well, that destroyed my arguments!

 

[usfan]

Early Progressives, like Dewey & Wilson, were already promoting the naturalistic, marxist ideology, & gaining control of the institutions. IMO, it is not so much a conspiracy, but a common goal of all those indoctrinated/educated into the progressive left's agenda.

..how about a few quotes, from early progressives?

“Socialism is precisely the religion that must overwhelm Christianity … In the new order, Socialism will triumph by first capturing the culture via infiltration of schools, universities, churches and the media by transforming the consciousness of society …” ~Antonio Gramsci (1915)

“There is no God and no soul. Hence, there are no needs for props of traditional religion. With dogma and creed excluded, then immutable truth is also dead and buried. There is no room for fixed, natural law or permanent absolutes …. Teaching children to read is a great perversion and a high literacy rate breeds destructive individualism … the child does not go to school to develop individual talents but rather are prepared as “units” in an organic society …. The change in the moral school atmosphere … are not mere accidents, they are the necessities of the larger social evolution.” ~John Dewey

“Education is thus a most powerful ally of humanism, and every American public school is a school of humanism. What can the theistic Sunday schools, meeting for an hour once a week, teaching only a fraction of the children, do to stem the tide of a five-day program of humanistic teaching?” ~C.F. Potter: (1930)

“Corrupt the young, get them away from religion. Get them interested in sex. Make them superficial, destroy their ruggedness. Get control of all means of publicity and thereby: Get the peoples’ mind off their government by focusing their attention on athletics, sexy books and plays, and other trivialities. Divide the people into hostile groups by constantly harping on controversial matters of no importance. Destroy the people’s faith in their natural leaders by holding up the latter to ridicule, contempt and obloquy. Always preach true democracy but seize power as fast and as ruthlessly as possible. Encourage government extravagance, destroy its credit, produce fear with rising prices, inflation and general discontent. Foment unnecessary strikes in vital industries, encourage civil disorders and foster a soft and lenient attitude on the part of government towards such disorders. By specious argument cause the breakdown of the old moral virtues: honesty, sobriety, continence, faith in the pledged word, ruggedness. Cause the registration of all firearms on some pretext, with the view of confiscating them and leaving the population defenseless.” ~Vladimir Lenin 1921

Late 19th century to early 20th century was the hey day of progressive thought. They were giddy with excitement at the Russian revolution, where a real example of marxist socialism could take root. They were sympathetic to Hitler, who was inspired greatly by American Eugenicists. They cheered the Hitler Youth, and the other youth education systems from Stalin, & loyal devotees to this ideology still cheer Mao, Castro, Guevara, etc. They went into hiding for a couple of decades, when the visible fruit of progressivism was seen to be totalitarian despotism. That peaked in the 50's, when Americans put, 'under God', in the pledge of allegiance, routed out commies from influential places in govt, academia, & entertainment, and attempted to learn from history, & the evils of marxist ideology.

But the education system was in the tank for marxist darwinism, & the goal of a godless world 'democracy.'

IMO, as long as the Dewey inspired, marxist leaning education system is operating, there can be no reversal. A handful of old people, who remember a more balanced, open education, learned history, some science, & political ideology. They have the life experience to remember a time of cultural morality as a norm of society. But that is a fading memory, & the new generations are not taught history, but indoctrinated into a worldview. They are driven into a feeling based belief of one world unity, love, & brotherhood, where only reactionary racists, nationalists, & bigots oppose their dream of Pure Love. So they need a strong central govt, to compel this Pure Love on everyone, even if they have to kill them.

“[Statist schools in Soviet Russia are] the marvelous development of progressive educational ideas and practices under the fostering care of the Bolshevist government … the required collective and cooperative mentality. The great task of the school is to counteract and transform those domestic and neighborhood tendencies … the influence of home and Church.” ~John Dewey (Dec. 5, 1928)

 

[usfan]

..a few more quotes, to show the agenda of the early progressives (and their success!), in transforming the American culture..

These are the roots of the American Left, & other marxist/socialist ideals, that began in earnest in the mid 1800s. This was the beginning of the end of America.. the movement away from the enlightenment principles of freedom, equality, & Natural Law, & back to the dark ages views of elitism, mandates, & control.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Thanks for the reasoned rebuttal..

I don't think I'm arguing that, at all. I had a point about crime increasing, as relative morality replaced a sense of absolute, but that is not essential to the point of ideological shift. It merely illustrates the point.

..and i don't see 'humans', treating each other better than in the past, at all. Oppression, exploitation, and brutality is as rampant as ever. We just have better methods of killing each other.

Thanks for the evidenced rebuttal..

Not salami?

..whatever. i had points, with historical trends to illustrate. It is an analysis of history, not a pejorative toward enemies.. but some people see enemies everywhere!

No problem. This is just an opinion piece, based on my observations and analysis of events over the last century or so..

..so you believe and assert..

Ah! Good fallacious reply!

Well, that destroyed my arguments!

when you make such poor OP's that is all that it takes to refute it.

Try again and see if you can accurately represent the views of those that oppose you.

 

[usfan]

 

[Subduction Zone]

It appears that you do not like reality.