“From each according to his ability – to each according to his need.” If the Soviets were still around they’d tell us how poor an economic system this is. Sadly the American public is too busy tweeting about the latest mind numbing “reality” TV show to care.

At the start of the 21st century 75% of Americans surveyed by the Pew Research Center said that hard work and determination were enough for most people to get ahead. By 2014 that number had fallen to 60%.

In the 1960s about 1 in 4 people said poverty was due primarily to circumstances beyond a person’s control. That number now hovers around 1 in 2.

The frightening trend? In 1939 just 35% of people favored redistributing wealth by heavily taxing the “rich.” By the end of the 1990s that figure had risen to 45%. Today it stands at 52% according to a recent Gallup poll.

Is it hyperbole to call this shift in attitude the death of America? Unlikely. Uncle Sam is more than willing to point a loaded gun at the “rich” and the American public is more than happy to belly up to the trough.

Politicians speak of the death of the middle class. Get the torches and pitchforks ready: A MIDDLE CLASS LIFESTYLE IS NOT AN ENTITLEMENT.

Politicians attribute this death of the middle class to theft, deception and general deviousness on the part of the “rich.” Why is there no discussion of changing circumstances?

After World War II America was the only economic superpower. The global growth of democracy and capitalism coupled with the increased mobility of labor and capital have brought unprecedented competition. Why do we ignore this when we discuss the declining middle class? Why do we instead take great pride in blaming the “rich” and “solving” our problems by increasing the already oversized burden paid by the “wealthy?”

If we view the modern American way of life through the lens of Tytler’s Cycle we would note the following:

– The period of “liberty” would begin in 1945 at the end of World War II.
– The period of “abundance” would last throughout the economic boom of the 1950s.
– The period of “selfishness” would be defined by the social, economic and political unrest of the 1960s.
– The periods of “complacency” and “apathy” would take us through the 1970s and early 1980s.

The last few decades have brought us to the point of “dependence.” Look no further than the massive expansion in programs such as food stamps and health care. And how do we pay for this dependence? By taxing the “rich” of course since, after all, “From each according to his ability – to each according to his need.”

The next step Tytler’s Cycle is “bondage.” Do you still consider “The Death of America” to be hyperbole?