For the first two centuries of America’s existence, being American gave one tremendous advantage. Starting with a whole continent to explore, through a robust economy and great respect and even envy anywhere in the world, being an American was, in most cases, a shield against adversity and a passport to success. 

Not so today. As America fractures along racial, economic, and ideological fault lines, as the solid foundations of shared genes, history, and religion are being replaced with intersectional fracturing, and as global competition intensifies, being an American is no longer magical. Indeed, it may be a detriment as compared to other, more dynamic countries.  

Since the processes that drive America’s rapid decline are fundamental and irreversible, it falls on individual Americans to trust in their own self-worth instead of relying on their so-called “rights and privileges,” none of which are any longer real. Americans today, if they wish to remain free and prosperous, must invest in their skills and build independent wealth, and most importantly of all, they must entertain no illusions or fall prey to propagandists who make money by selling them on lies and frivolous promises of a brighter future.