Headlong Into Quicksand: The Tale of Today in America

About the Book

America´s 220 years of Democracy (of its 400 years) is longer than the Greek 100 (of 1000), the Roman 150 (of 1000), or the British 180 (of 1600.) These European democracies are the only large ones ever. Two collapsed as demoralized empires. Two moderns with one heritage of basicly Christian, Northwest European tradition, have been autocraticly led further away into decadent empires than people realized. That disappearing heritage was America´s constitutional basis and durable strength. America follows Greco-Roman decay steps toward collapsing empire die-offs after losing common moral understandings and family stability. Turning toward imperial quicksand began dictatorially in the 1801 court, built to Civil War, softened seemingly in the wild west, peaked untraditionally in the "liberal" socialist double-meanings of the 1930s depression, and led under continuous near-emperors into the post-war anti-traditional, anti-Christian, anti-moral, anti-family decadence of today. Democratic repairs may exist, if traditional people come together. This book links its origin, in HUMAN CREATURES - A BROADER VIEW, to its sequel, TAMING THE VIPERS IN THE SLOUGH, through four histories of democratic civilizations: Lost limits on political leaders/governments, demagogues. Failed family/religious values. Consequent imperial disasters.

About the Author

FRED E. HOWARD, JR. Forty years ago he started looking beneath the surface of America after reading Formation of the Union, Documents from 1774-90. This persisted through a career ranging from youthful farm work, commercial fishing, reporting, technical teaching, Navy, defense research & engineering, to meeting Rietta in UNC graduate school, marrying, & together raising five children. (Including grands, ten family have taught, grades to universities; most attend Protestant churches.) During that experience, Howard researched essentials of the four great democracies, the ancient Greek & Roman failures and the longer British & American endurances, for fundamentals to the US founding---what understandings & government arrangements were essential---why they were later betrayed into today's decay---how America was destructively led away from the traditional, basicly Christian, democratic colonial heritage which was the driving force behind its foundation and the true source of strength for its record 220 year duration---which repairs are critically needed.