Public education might be one of the biggest ones. Public education and creativity are direct enemies to each other. While not the only reason, people choosing to allow the state to raise their kids and instill state values, versus taking on that responsibility themselves is pretty destructive to society.

A few generations of this happening to people can really shift things in a negative direction and even accelerate.

The US has mostly chosen a style of teaching called the Prussian style, known for turning people into compliant robots instead of thinkers and expressers.

Based on my knowledge, which may not be entirely accurate, the main reason for cultural decline, both in the past and present, is wars and conflicts between peoples.

https://images.fastcompany.net/image/upload/w_596,c_limit,q_auto:best,f_auto/fc/1673266-inline-750histomapwider2.jpg

Some people are not prepared for the answer to that question, and when they hear it, they often scoff. It sounds too simplistic and naive to them...

...But I'll answer it anyway. It's also best I not use my own words for it, since it was already more adequately expressed by Solzhenitsyn last century. I can't give a better response than his. 🤷‍♂️

"More than half a century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: “Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened.”

Since then I have spent well-nigh 50 years working on the history of our Revolution; in the process I have read hundreds of books, collected hundreds of personal testimonies, and have already contributed eight volumes of my own toward the effort of clearing away the rubble left by that upheaval. But if I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible the main cause of the ruinous Revolution that swallowed up some 60 million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to repeat: “Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened.”

The 'finish line' is when we admit we've hit rock bottom and check ourselves into rehab.

I'm interested in what this post will produce. Thanks for posting!

I'm particularly interested in seeing where and if we distinguish cultural decay with societal collapse.

Here is my contribution: Paul Harvey's "If I Were the Devil"

Here's the text, but I strongly recommend enjoying the dulcet sounds of Paul Harvey's voice above.

“If I were the devil … If I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I’d have a third of its real estate, and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — Thee. So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States. I’d subvert the churches first — I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.

To the young, I would whisper that ‘The Bible is a myth.’ I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good, and what’s good is ‘square.’ And the old, I would teach to pray, after me, ‘Our Father, which art in Washington…

And then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. I’d pedal narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

If I were the devil I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves; until each in its turn was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames. If I were the devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions — just let those run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting pornography — soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and deify science. I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls, and church money. If I were the devil I’d make the symbols of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.

If I were the devil I’d take from those who have, and give to those who want until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

And what do you bet I could get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich? I would caution against extremes and hard work in Patriotism, in moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on the TV is the way to be. And thus, I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure. In other words, if I were the devil I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.”

Paul Harvey, good day.

I think one could argue that technological change brings on cultural change.

So is culture decaying or just changing?

I guess it depends how you look at it.

It's simple - the demoralisation and collapse of society and cultural and family values has been purposefully planned and executed for hundreds of years by the powers that shouldn't be. It has been It's implemented by media, propaganda, entertainment, state education, psychological warfare and the like... Watch the helpful documentary the The Matrix which goes some way to explain (other very insightful documentaries are also available).

I remember well the summer of 87 when I worked at the regional hospital, and going back now it all the things I had intuitive hunches on makes a lot of sense...

Around that time there was so much that was shaping up that I'd like to write a book on it, but for now this will be about one aspect:** inviting weakness ** The summer was dry and hot, so the trails of blood leading up to the emergency intake accrued, after a few weeks they converged in a fountain- like pattern. Normally there would be a bloke from a workshop or building site walking calmly there with a mate to be sure it went well, or even alone, not a worry in the world puffing on a cigarette, just going back to getting stitched up once again.

Sometimes there would be an arm or leg chopped off of course, we got those in yellow or red boxes along with the same coloured plastic bags from the operation theater floor, chucked them down a hole into the incinerator, then hauled the ashes off into an ordinary container.

That required a certain technique, tip it, duck and rotate in order not to get covered in ashes haha!

No one complained about shit, things were real. Also very real in catastrophic ways of course, once I passed the emergency bay right when a local diver was declared dead, and then by his daughter outside right when she got the news... And that was after they had all struggled for an hour to free him, he got his arm stuck in a suction pipe down below...

But it was also the summer when the bug people of the government started discussing all of this BS of offering trauma psychology to anyone running into any problem, I remember that discussion well, anyone sane saw that as inviting weakness and dependence on something outside of oneself!

Of course there is real trauma, and I hope someone took care of that daughter of the diver, it is likely that that happened, but in a natural way.

This was around when many of us youngsters also saw one thing: feelings and emotions creeping into what should be the rational domains only, but it was harder to pinpoint and discuss this since it was quite vague.

I remember deciding against the whole trauma psych thing, but also that it was already not too easy to even talk openly about it, it was yet another thing that the Good State was about to offer to its citizens hahaha...

Doing a year in the army a while later was another chapter, although the goal of that collective venture was and is batshit insane then at least the day to day stuff was rational, sane and had no room for inviting weakness in!

I do think that giving power away and inviting weakness is more of a higher order thing, there are so many factors that is part of it, but this is what I felt like writing about for now :-)

Multiple languages

Look at the history of Austria Hungary

Look at Los Angeles and San Diego

Progressive policy is destroying America 🇺🇸 cities

Zero bail Failure to prosecute career criminals Homeless insanity

Voters choose to have dirty crime ridden cities.

Decline is a choice not fate

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2024/03/01/american_paralysis_and_decline_150584.html

Multi cultural Political correctness Censorship Diversity equity mandates

Experimenting with the bounty? Niiiiiiiiiiiice :)