Taking Our Civilization for Granted

Ashley Thorne

At Pajamas Media, Steve Balch has a two-part series, "Is Our Civilization a Bubble?" In Part I he describes characteristics of well-known bubbles such as the tech bubble and the housing bubble, and he suggests that American society itself could be headed for a bubble. He notes that Americans feel so comfortable in the systems and freedoms we've inherited that we often assume these conditions are universal, not special, and we forget that these freedoms had to be won through war and sacrifice.

In Part II Steve points out another forgetfulness - we forget the founders' view of government as a necessary evil and reimagine it as an arm of compassion.

He calls on readers above all to remember the principles on which this country was founded, and the price at which its freedoms were secured. If we take them for granted too long, he warns, we are in danger of forfeiting them.

One remedy, he recommends, is to fortify our education system to prevent such forgetfulness and to honor the spirit of America's beginnings.

Read also: Instapundit's link to "Is Our Civilization a Bubble?"

  • Share

Most Commented

January 8, 2025

1.

NAS Condemns the AHA's “Scholasticide” Resolution

The National Association of Scholars condemns the “Resolution to Oppose Scholasticide in Gaza,” which the members of the American Historical Association passed by 428 t......

January 27, 2025

2.

Exclusive Documents: UC-Boulder Breaks Civil Rights Law to Advance Racial Preferences

New FOIA documents grant a window into how the University of Colorado-Boulder, in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, discriminates on the basis of protected class and upholds a co......

February 13, 2025

3.

The Grown Ups are Back: On Gender, Trump Replaces Confusion and Chaos with Clarity and Common Sense

With this administration, the grown ups are back: Trump is replacing confusion and chaos with clarity and common sense—not just for women’s sports but also for America....

Most Read

May 15, 2015

1.

Where Did We Get the Idea That Only White People Can Be Racist?

A look at the double standard that has arisen regarding racism, illustrated recently by the reaction to a black professor's biased comments on Twitter....

October 12, 2010

2.

Ask a Scholar: What is the True Definition of Latino?

What does it mean to be Latino? Are only Latin American people Latino, or does the term apply to anyone whose language derived from Latin?...

May 26, 2010

3.

10 Reasons Not to Go to College

A sampling of arguments for the idea that college may not be for everyone....