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When a Nation Forgets Itself

There was a time when the United States set the standard for opportunity, innovation, and democratic strength. Today, many Americans feel something slipping away.

The decline did not happen overnight, and it did not begin with one man. But Donald Trump has become a symbol — even an accelerant — of a deeper erosion already underway. When dishonesty becomes routine, when cruelty is excused as strength, and when political opponents are treated as enemies rather than fellow citizens, democracy weakens.

Across the country, wealth has concentrated into insulated enclaves. Those at the top often live untouched by the struggles of working families, the poor, or anyone outside their political tribe. Economic inequality grows, while basic institutions — courts, schools, public trust — face constant pressure and politicization.

History shows that nations don’t collapse in a single dramatic moment. They erode slowly. Rights are narrowed. Norms are bent. Truth becomes optional. Expertise is mocked. Division becomes profitable.

Meanwhile, too many of us grow tired or cynical. We disengage. We assume someone else will fix it.

But democracy requires maintenance. It requires participation. It requires citizens who demand honesty, accountability, and equal justice — not just for themselves, but for everyone.

A culture built on “I got mine, the rest of you are on your own” cannot sustain a republic. Our children inherit not only our prosperity, but also our neglect.

The question is not whether America is perfect — it never was. The question is whether we are willing to defend and rebuild the principles that made it strong.

Nations do not fail because they are challenged. They fail when their people stop caring.

The future is not predetermined. But it will reflect what we choose to tolerate — and what we choose to defend.