VICTOR JOECKS: How to unleash societal decline

Anyone who thinks what’s happening in Haiti could never happen here needs a history lesson.

Haiti is a failed state. Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned Monday, although it’s not clear what a new leader will be governing. Gangs control 80 percent of Port-au-Prince, the capital. They rape, kidnap and murder in broad daylight.

That level of violence and societal dysfunction seems unimaginable. Yet, history is filled with empires that crumbled, leaving their residents subject to the whims of others.

Engage in this thought exercise with me. List 10 things you would do to turn the United States into Haiti.

1. Destroy society’s foundational institutions. The two most basic are a belief in God and the family. God provides the intellectual basis for a common morality. Secular science can’t tell you why it’s wrong to murder or steal. God can and does. Intact families civilize children. Government can’t replace fathers, and decades of evidence prove it.

2. Disconnect people from community. This paradox helped make America great. For centuries, ordinary Americans built churches and other nongovernmental civic institutions to help those around them. Philanthropy, which has a long and storied history in this country, is an example of this. Rip this social fabric by persuading people to view themselves as atomistic individuals, not members of a community with voluntary obligations to others. This will also increase isolation, loneliness and deaths of despair.

3. Promulgate a victim ideology. For centuries, people flocked to America for freedom and opportunity. They knew they wouldn’t be handed anything but eagerly wanted a chance to succeed on their merits. Rather than share that empowering history, teach students that they should be inconsolably angry about past injustices. That they are either helpless victims or evil villains based on factors that they can’t control, such as their skin color or sex. That they should be burning down the system, not taking steps to improve their own lives.

4. Corrupt the elites. The existence of elites in a society is inevitable. The people running government, companies and universities have outsized influence. Make sure these people adhere to a philosophy that makes them hate America and prioritize power over principles.

5. Unchecked illegal immigration. Cultures and societies aren’t all equal. Look at Haiti and Hamas. Allow millions of people who have no interest in assimilating to flood the country.

6. Weaponize law enforcement. Release criminals immediately or don’t even bother to arrest them. Instead, use police to silence and imprison opponents of this plan to destroy America.

7. Declare war on merit. The innovation powering America’s economy must be restrained. Force universities and companies to hire based on racial and sex quotas, not individual merit. Watch America’s technological advantage shrink.

8. Seize privately held guns. An unarmed citizenry can be subdued and bullied by those who have weapons. Force Americans to give up firearms. That will make them defenseless against the government and criminals who’ll remain armed.

9. Debt. Financial strain makes everything harder. Cripple America’s economic strength by printing money, triggering rampant inflation.

10. Time. The foundation of America was once robust, able to withstand repeated assaults. The decline of the Roman Empire lasted centuries. This plan needs time to work.

Anything on that list sound familiar? Gulp. Anything you would add?

The good news is America’s decline isn’t inevitable. No individual can fix everything, but you can do something. Let me suggest three. Pray, strengthen your family and find one other individual or organization to help.

If not reversed, America’s national decline will be gradual before an inglorious end.

Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X.