Trump's rhetoric for the 2016 election was that we need to pull America out of a gradual decline — the same decline expedited by the coronavirus. Why, then, is America the great falling?

First, to answer this question, I identify the true decline of the American empire: not just when it weakens, but when it transforms entirely, contracting from its unique modern-day imperial role, as a democratic, multi-culture country commanded great pride as well as trust and respect from the international community. The first half of this decline consists of America's new nationalistic rather than globalist mindset that deems it unstable. The second half is American exceptionalism and a refusal to innovate and keep up with the world, in part due to the problems created by a winner-take-all economy. Trump's two slogans — 'America First' and 'Make America Great Again' — are perfect examples of these trends. 

This fall is expedited by the coronavirus, as America has crumbled rather than flourished in a time of crisis. And America's failure to invest in education, the future of the country, will not help to slow this decline. Another, more grim and questionable explanation is that the American experiment of rights and liberties was doomed to begin with.

For more detail, check out the full episode