The New 3Rs for America. Remember the original three Rs: Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmetic. If you were born in the mid to late 40s, you would recall them.
When I was growing up in Philadelphia during the 1950s, I remember that my grade school focused on Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmetic. Those three Rs were a simple alliteration for ease of memory, but they made eminent sense at the time. Moreover, they were practical, commonsensical, and easily measurable. Now, those goals seem a distant memory, given what passes for education in our schools today. I believe America needs a new triad of Rs as a roadmap to our better future.
Perspective
I was much troubled by what I saw when I returned to the United States after working in Saudi Arabia for almost 25 years. The coarsening of American life, the lack of community, the divisiveness of American politics, and the loss of a guiding moral compass for our society, all dismayed me. As a result, I came to believe that America needed a cultural, social, and spiritual renaissance to restore a sense of normative behavior.
I recall a speech that Mr. Obama made in 2009, in which he stated: “that we were five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.” I unequivocally disagreed with his statement because it made no sense to me. America did not require a fundamental transformation, then or now.
Regrettably and irresponsibly, no one in the media or positions of power challenged Mr. Obama at the time. No one asked him two critical questions. What did he mean by “fundamentally transforming the United States” and why did he wish to do so. Therein lies the rub, as Shakespeare once wrote.
The First R: Retroculture*
I define retroculture as a return to the best traditions and values that were the foundation of American life throughout most of the 20th Century. As I have written in an earlier post, we cannot return to the 50s, for example. However, we can recapture traditions and social behaviors from previous decades that will serve us well today and in the future.
I want to start with individual actions that we can begin with now. Here is a list that I hope will be a catalyst for readers of this post: https://whitebeardwisdom.com/we-cant-go-back-to-the-1950s-but-we-sure-can-borrow-from-it/. Build on this list and share it with family and friends.
America is an extraordinary blend of individualism and community. We are responsible for our own lives and those of our family. Still, we join with others to form social and civic groups, which are the fabric that binds us together as a society, locally and nationally.
A Call to Action: My strategy to achieve retroculture is to start with action by individuals at the bottom and let civility, courtesy, and common sense seep upward.
Recommended Reading: “Choosing Civility” by P.M. Forni
The Second R: Radical Decentralization of Power
Centralized government at the Federal level is extraordinarily problematic, because it is grossly ineffective and excessively bureaucratic. It cannot be otherwise because that is the nature of centralized governments. The governmental response to the COVID-19 Pandemic amply demonstrates this bureaucratic ineptness. And, if it were not for President Trump and private sector companies, the Federal agencies responsible for disease control and related matters for the Pandemic would still be struggling to initiate practical actions.
The 50 sovereign states were not very quick off the mark either, especially New York. The State Governors looked to the Federal Government for financial help, medical resources, and personal protective equipment when the responsibility was clearly theirs.
America is a country with a governing and responsibility structure based on Federalism. The concept of Federalism has been key to America’s success. The centralized federal government has a limited role to play in these emergencies. The responsibility for action lies with the sovereign states. The Federal Government is the overall coordinator, but the responsibility for direct action must rest with the State Governors.
A Call To Action: We must begin to downsize government at all levels: Federal, State, and Local. I believe the Centralized State has become the enemy of the American people. Our elected representatives must not be allowed to expand the Federal and State governments continuously. If we do not change direction soon, America, as a free, constitutional republic, will no longer exist.
Recommended Reading: “Our Enemy, The State” written by Albert Jay Nock
The Third R: Renaissance (American Style)
I view today’s art, literature, movies, music, radio, and television programming, as running the gamut from the trite to the moronic to the openly obscene, depending on the art form we are discussing. Ugly art and movies about zombies and vampires have become way too commonplace in our country. Hollywood and broadcast television are dumbing down America, and we are letting it happen.
Our culture is the heart of America, and we must take it back. America has an extraordinary heritage of arts and literature. Let’s restore this heritage to a place of honor in our schools and our culture.
A Call To Action: The first step is just to boycott art exhibits, movies, and theater that glorify ugliness, pornography, and obscenity. The second step is to promote our classic American literature and arts in the home and in our schools.
Recommended Reading: “Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture” written by Anthony Esolen
The Way Forward
I can easily describe “The New 3Rs for America” in the above paragraphs. However, except for the Retroculture recommendations, my suggested strategies will require discipline, perseverance, and courage over two or more decades to achieve results. America is facing its greatest challenge, in my opinion. Are we up to it? I believe we are!
*Important Note: I wish to formally acknowledge Mr. William Lind as my source for the term, Retroculture. He wrote about retroculture in September 2017 issue of Chronicles Magazine in an article entitled, “The Poison and the Antidote.”
External Link: https://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/2017/September/41/9/magazine/article/10840724/
