In Collapse, Jared Diamond explored the possible reasons civilizations chose the path leading to their own demise. There were societies that lived in plentiful and nature will provide them forever. Yet, without external interferences, such as natural disasters or foreign invasions, they vanished. Frequently, they chose a ruinous short-term project at the expense of long-term viability. Spare no expenses! Let’s build a glorious monument. Alas, those monuments depleted the very resources that made those society rich enough to have such monuments.
Americans are making very similar decisions. A decade or so ago, they borrowed from the future so that they could have a easier time. When the future came for redemption, in the form of sub-prime crisis. Americans chose to borrow more from the further future, in the form of stimulus bail-outs. Future, after all, is not our problem. The next president will deal with it.
The most horrible choice is cutting education. Every states, every school districts, is firing teachers and reducing education budgets. Next decade will see under-educated Americans competing in the world defined by knowledge. They have no chance to win.
To worsen future competitiveness, Americans took on a harsher stance against immigration. Immigrants are the young, the strong, the smart, the driven, the competitive, the survivors. Those are the ones who sailed across treacherous sea for a better life for the family. Those are the ones who braved the wilderness to pursue gold in the west. Those are the ones Americans are turning away. “We don’t want you,” said Americans. “Because we don’t want to share with you.” Americans forgot that most of the wealth they have today were created by first or second generation immigrants to begin with.
Let’s see. This is the society that stole from its future. It sabotages its children with less education. It closes the doors for new comers that will make them stronger. And it now worries that their children will live shorter and poorer lives than themselves.
Oh yes, it also thinks that whoever think differently must be wrong or stupid.