Two Americas: Where to from here?

If you look at the history of the U.S it is a history of two Americas.

The first U.S., from 1776 until WW I in 1917. Until WW I the U.S. was pretty much a backwater nation.

The second began with the end of WW I and accelerated with WW II in 1941, What we lost during and after those two wars was our family connections. Up until then families generally hung together in the same households or at least the same communities. Most homes were multi-generational and the generation or generations in the middle provided for the care of the oldest and youngest generations.

World War I brought about a change and the second war propelled young men from the farms and cities to new places that they found interesting enough that many of them returned to their original homes only briefly and then left for other places they had seen. They married in locations distant from their parents and the family disconnect was in progress. The older generation no longer had the close support of their children and grand children.

Since the Second World War we have been a nation on the move. We have relied more and more on the government to provide the assistance that had been previously provided by close family ties. There were a host of additional factors like the availability of employment and corporations buying out family farms as examples which added to the family disconnect.

Now the U.S. is certainly in decline. I think we all agree on that point. We won't see the destruction of the U.S. as happened to Rome. It will simply become "just another nation" among many.

The return to our previous multi-generational families is not possible. Who then cares for your mother and father in their old age? You can say "My parents are well set in their retirement." or "My retirement is assured." but certainly all of us will not be well set for retirement.

If you divorce, who cares for your children? Many men are not providing the support that their children need and you can always take the tack of saying "Not me. I am a responsible father." This then implies that you are able to see into the future and predict your future circumstances. What happens to you and your family if, God forbid, you become unable to provide for your family for any of a number of reasons?

Bureaucracies are, by their nature, not the most efficient or effective organizations to deal with these problems but what other options are provided for us? I have seen other alternatives but what type is to be selected? Commercial for profit company? This necessitates a profit to investors. Non-profit? Those that I am familiar with have an outlay of 20% or more for requesting donations but this does not require such an outlay. Philanthropic organizations? They are apparently well run but how are decisions made to distribute the funds available to them?

All I have read is the ranting of fear for the loss of a dollar to help someone in whose shoes the ranters have never and can never walk.

I reiterate a previous statement that I made: It is the responsibility of every citizen to make sure that only those who deserve our support are getting it.