Op-ed views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

Even as we celebrate Independence Day, many business leaders in Palm Beach County and in Florida have become convinced that the American system of values, or “American Exceptionalism,” is under severe threat. How has this happened? What happens in societies to cause values to disintegrate? What causes whole civilizations to wither and die?

History buffs have studied what caused the Roman state to fail, and the Ottoman and British empires to disintegrate. The answer to why the value systems of civilizations collapse is complex and depends heavily on a wide variety of external and internal factors. These include disintegration of the rule of law, erosion of trust in institutions, political polarization, allowing forces to promote internal social and cultural decay and the undermining of cultural values, anarchy that causes lawlessness or disorder, and rivalries or wars with aggressive countries.

Here in the United States, recent history has seen concentrated efforts being made by enemies of traditional American values to undermine those systems and institutions that have made the U.S. a great success among nations. Ineffective and selfish leftist government politicians have contributed to the erosion of trust and the rule of law (including “lawfare”), as part of an insatiable thirst for political power. American exceptionalism frequently is scoffed at. The good is pushed under the bus by these people, to seize the power and control they want.

One reason for this societal cancer is that the educational establishment in this country, and educational academia, have created entire generations of children who have grown up with values imposed on them by “woke” educators. Children got used to participation trophies and, often, learned that miscreant behavior would be tolerated while they were “finding themselves.” Too many youths grew up playing violent, murderous online war games, perhaps rendering them emotionally calloused by hundreds of visual experiences where killing, blood, betrayal, and violence are commonplace. On top of that, the current Gen Z idea of values involves satisfying a need for instant gratification.

The way out of this abyss we are staring into is to reclaim and reinforce the values that created America’s historic and documented ability to outperform Europe and the rest of the world. What are these values that make us inherently different from other countries?

Perhaps the first historical strength is cultural: Americans have a history of self-reliance and individualism. There has existed a strong sense of national identity. Our economic system is based upon a free-market economy– capitalism– which provides opportunities for anyone to succeed by working hard, innovating, and seeking merit; success is rewarded. Recognizing that any political system carries flaws, our American system has been seen by most of the world as exceptional because we have adhered to our Constitution and Declaration of Independence and the rule of law (which says that the individual is sovereign). These long-term rules mean freedom and individual rights for citizens, and devotion to democratic institutions.

We are also exceptional in the collective eyes of most other countries because we promote human rights and democracy globally, we have a stable currency, and we are willing to enter conflicts to preserve our system of values. We have been a model for other countries because we have a mission to promote liberty and democracy.

But currently, we face a battle to preserve what is great and valuable about this country as the rule of law is becoming tattered and the political left is trying to obliterate the traditional values that made us what we are. The left wants to shut you up if you don’t agree. American values are dangerously slipping toward extinction.

How far will this craziness go? Will Americans end up renewing and re-embracing what made us great and exceptional? This will be hard to do because it will require re-training the children to teach them civic responsibility, right from wrong, and meritocracy. We are at the proverbial crossroads– America’s hard-won greatness is in jeopardy, and our values are being threatened by balkanized multiculturalism, DEI, and the ascendancy of power-hungry political socialists. Ethical relativism (the view that ethics is not absolute, that ethical truths can vary and there are no universal ethical principles) is a common denominator for the cause of many of America’s problems. The threat to American values needs to be tossed into the ditch, stamped out like a disease, and fast.

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John R. Smith

John R. Smith is chairman of BIZPAC, the Business Political Action Committee of Palm Beach County, and owner of a financial services company. He is a frequent columnist for BizPac Review.

Latest posts by John R. Smith (see all)

• American system of values in peril. How far will this craziness go? - July 5, 2024
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• Earth Day: A creature of global socialists - April 21, 2021

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