“This is the way the world ends ...Not with a bang but a whimper."

Does that famous quote aptly describe America’s future? Time will tell, but indications are that this nation, the most powerful, benevolent and fair in the world, is crumbling before our very eyes. Like Rome, it isn’t falling from outside invasion, but within. 

 And one of the biggest culprits is political correctness.

It’s all around us, but especially this time of year, as the assault on “Merry Christmas” accelerates.
 
It used to be a standard greeting, and people would reciprocate with a smile. Your religious denomination didn’t matter, or whether you even had one.  It was simply a friendly expression in a nation where the vast majority celebrated Christmas. And for those who didn’t, most returned the sentiment anyway because it was just a nice thing to do during the jovial season.

But all that changed as Americans’ sense of entitlement exploded. And yes, that included being entitled not to feel “offended” because something may not be to your exact liking.

“Merry Christmas? Well, I celebrate Hannukah or Kwanza or am an atheist, so how dare you presume to wish me your holiday? How offensive and rude!”

But it doesn’t stop there.  Hypocritical retail stores woo Christmas shoppers --- you know, the 95 percent who do celebrate Christmas and spend a half-trillion dollars doing so  --- but won’t put the word “Christmas” in their ads or on their displays.

It’s the Nativity scenes that are increasingly barred from public places. It’s residents who call the ACLU because a development hangs simple white lights on its trees. It’s office Christmas parties becoming a relic, replaced by generic “holiday” events. And yes, it’s Mayors like Michael Nutter who last year deliberately removed the word “Christmas” from the holiday retail complex near City Hall (but subsequently was forced to replace it).

All of it a brazen attempt to make America a more secular society through political correctness, and those who dare question it are labeled “bigots.” 

Several important points need to be addressed:

1) The push to make all things politically correct has been successful, as it is now entrenched in all aspects of society. Everyone gets a trophy in most youth sports leagues, we don’t keep accurate score when one team is winning over another, and all things must be racially, culturally and ethnically homogenous.

The problem is that’s not how the real world works. And it’s the basic principle that the Occupy movement doesn’t understand. You have to work hard and fight for things you want, but when they are bestowed upon us --- without merit --- from those who worship at the altar of political correctness, things go downhill fast.  Need proof? Just look at those who engage in PC the most ---Europe and the United States. Enough said.

2) This is a not call for “Thought Police” to mandate that everyone say “Merry Christmas.”  Quite the opposite. It’s a call for the silent majority to wake up and shove it right back at the small but extremely loud minority who shout “I’m offended” at every single thing. Saying Merry Christmas behind closed doors doesn’t take guts.  Saying it because you truly believe it and not worrying that such an innocuous greeting will offend does --- insane as that is.

3) Most important, Americans need to remember that actions have consequences. And until we connect the dots and see the error of being so PC, those consequences can, and will, have devastating results.

When good folks start looking over their shoulders before saying Merry Christmas for fear of "offending," it all begins to unravel.
 
Think the PC stops at that?  Well, think about the fact that the next time you step foot on an airplane, it may be your last day on Earth because your government --- we the people --- absolutely refuse to non-invasively profile the very folks who openly state their intentions to blow up said aircraft.  And it gets better, as the Transportation Security Administration just announced that children under 12 don’t have to take off their shoes for screening, and will not be subject to routine pat-downs like everyone else

Here’s the $64,000 question. What do we think al-Qaeda will do now? Here’s a wild guess. Start flying a lot more with children? What’s next? Not screening foreign children at all?
 
So when your wife gets incinerated two minutes after takeoff, and the wreckage of a jumbo jet falls on your child’s school because a terrorist put the bomb in his 11 year old's shoe, courtesy of the red carpet we provided, perhaps we shouldn’t wonder why it happened.

Or when your son gets his skull sliced in half by a bullet that emanates from a Mosque in Afghanistan which is "off limits" for retaliation for fear of offending the very people who don’t like us anyway, maybe we should think about where it all started coming apart.
 
Did it start from the reluctance to say Merry Christmas or the refusal to put a Christmas tree on a courthouse plaza? Did it originate from the refusal to acknowledge Christmas on a public school calendar while other religions’ holidays are clearly labeled as such?  It’s impossible to pinpoint, but it really doesn't matter.  That mentality is here, and has in large part led to the Great Decline.
 
So when the inevitable tragedy happens again --- one that could have been prevented --- and dumbfounded Americans stand around asking "How and why did this happen?", well, you'll know why.  The 40's and 50's were certainly not perfect, but people spoke their minds, were respectful, and America was a powerhouse. That attitude put a man on the moon a mere 60 years after the Wright brothers took flight but is now a fleeting memory.  Which is what happens when you bow to the wrong principles.
 
When Rome was at its zenith, it adhered to the simple principle that the well-being of its citizens was paramount. All of them.  In fact, so fervent was that belief that the Romans would literally go to the ends of the Earth to hunt down any thug that violated the rights of just a single Roman. They didn't let political correctness rule the day, and the Republic thrived.  But when it abandoned that principle, it all came crashing down.
 
They said Rome would never fall, but it did.  Many say the same about America.   Yet the whimper is at our door.

So if we are to ever return to our former glory, perhaps that path could begin by good folks jettisoning political correctness and saying two small but incredibly joyous words without reservation:

Merry Christmas!
 

Chris Freind is an independent columnist, television/radio commentator, and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com  His self-syndicated model has earned him the largest cumulative media voice in Pennsylvania. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Royal Wedding was watched in awe by over two billion people --- one of every three people on Earth --- for good reason.  Prince William and Kate Middleton seem like genuine people truly in love, in stark contrast to the last royal marriage where it became quickly apparent that Diana’s love for Charles was a one-way street.

Hopes are high that this Royal Couple will be more successful, since they are destined to be the future King and Queen of England.
As the world watches the pomp and circumstance, they will be reminded of great English traditions that have survived over the years, and the rich history of a people who changed the world in incalculable ways.

But for America’s leaders, it would be wise to take a history lesson from Britain’s more recent past, using it as a guide to avoid becoming what England is --- a nation in decline.  It is a shadow of its former self, a country known more for its pageantry and traditions than meaningful substance and a place on the world stage.

The sun never set on the British Empire, and, while it showcased the English pioneering spirit and willingness to take risks, England became vastly overextended, both politically and militarily.  Stretching itself too thin, it alienated indigenous peoples in many of the foreign territories it occupied. The blood and treasure expended to maintain the Empire became too great a cost, and the Crown’s holdings crumbled.

Faced with keeping its status as a world power by looking inward, it proceeded to do all the wrong things. England’s leaders bought into the quasi-socialism concept to give them a sense of security, but that “security” came at a high cost.  Their national prestige evaporated after massive taxation and runaway spending on social programs. This in turn starved the military, killed entrepreneurship, and fostered a lazy, entitlement mentality in much of their population.

Legendary Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher adeptly noted that the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money.  In Britain’s case, uncontrolled culture-killing immigration became rampant because the government needed new bodies to prop up its socialist Ponzi scheme.

It flung its doors wide open, with no regard to whom it was admitting, resulting in many immigrants whose loyalties were decidedly non-British.  This became a two-fold problem.  Some simply lived off the dole, with no incentive to become productive citizens and make their new country better; in fact, such entitlement largess, courtesy of Brits who actually put in a hard day’s work, became expected. 

Others took advantage of the system to (sometimes overtly) recruit terrorists hell-bent on destroying the West, resulting in deadly terrorist attacks on English soil. Rather than fight the real threat, though, Britain’s responses were rooted in meaningless, politically-correct measures that succeeded in wiping away citizens’ privacy --- and dignity.

British leaders not only allowed political correctness to take hold of society; they actively encouraged it. The forced multiculturalism, hand-in-hand with its open-borders policy, enabled immigrants to eschew assimilation --- a welcome situation for those who didn't believe their chosen society was better than any other.  The erosion of the remaining indigenous culture created massive social unrest when the disparate cultures ultimately clashed.

On top of it all, and perhaps most significantly, Britain lost its place as holder on the world’s reserve currency, the all-important pricing unit for products and commodities traded on the global market.  The country with reserve currency status enjoys immense economic benefits, so when lost, the repercussions are severe.  And it becomes lost when the world’s faith in that nation’s economy is shaken, and its stability questioned.

Every decade since World War I has seen Britain's culture and world standing whittle away. Could the same happen to America, and is it already occurring?

The United States has not seen that same steady decline, but the seeds of dependency sown during the New Deal and Great Society have grown deep roots that threaten to crumble the American foundation in a very rapid fashion.

Consider:

-The millions of baby boomers set to retire have placed Social Security, Medicare and other entitlements on the path to bankruptcy in mere years. The annual deficit is now greater than the entire budget of just a few years ago, and interest payments on our national debt account for a huge percentage of tax revenue. And America abandoned its manufacturing background, betting on an unsustainable service economy instead, thus outsourcing much of its future.

-The coddling of illegal immigrants, numbering over 12 million, continues to erode faith in America’s rule of law, while breaking the backs of taxpayers who are forced to pay billions to accommodate them.

-Prospects for energy independence grow dimmer by the day, while the nation’s biggest competitors --- some say adversaries --- forge ahead with bustling economies and strategic energy plans.

-Political correctness has become so ingrained that national security is threatened and lives are jeopardized, all in the name of not “offending” potential enemies. 

-America continues to engage in foreign entanglements with no clear objectives, while maintaining military detachments in over 130 countries.

-And the value of the once almighty dollar continues to plummet, having lost 95 percent of its value since 1900.  Not surprisingly, talk of the United States’ losing its reserve currency status has increasingly become a front page story.

The United States of today seems a lot like the Britain of yesteryear.  But will America’s leaders recognize the mistakes of our ally across the pond, or will we be doomed to repeat them?

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The 17th century belonged to the Spanish, the 18th to the French, and the 19th to the English --- all once great empires that experienced huge declines. America has owned the last 100 years, and, while on shaky ground, continues to lead the world.  Given its superpower status, some say America can never meet Britain’s fate.  But no doubt the same was said during the height of the Roman Empire.  If history is any indication, America is not too big to fall. 

And here’s the most sobering thought: Britain's socialism and military decline was underwritten by an America ready and able to protect the peace at all costs. If and when America declines, who will remain to defend freedom and prosperity?
 
Chris Freind is an independent columnist, television commentator, and investigative
reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com

Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries
and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including
The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick
Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."

Freind, whose column appears regularly in Philadelphia Magazine and nationally in
Newsmax, also serves as a frequent guest commentator on talk radio and state/national
television, most notably on FOX Philadelphia.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

There’s an old saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

Seems logical. 

After all, if you find yourself living in a foreign country, common sense tells you that you should be aware of that nation’s laws and customs and yes, quickly familiarize yourself with its language.

Deliberate ignorance of these things defies rationality, and, of course, should never be rewarded.

Just imagine how an Italian moving to France, for example, would be viewed if he found official French government documents written in… French, and French workers who spoke…French.

What if, in disgust, he wrote to his friends back home, asking, “What is this?  These application forms are in FRENCH!  Who do these people think they are to have official government documents printed only in their own language?  I am entitled --- it is my right --- to be able to read everything in MY language!  What is the world coming to when racist governments ignore my individual wants and needs?”

And do you know what response he would --- and should --- receive?

“Si fueris Romae, Romano vivito more; si fueris alibi, vivito sicut ibi.”  Translation: “In Rome, live in the Roman manner; if you are elsewhere, live as they do elsewhere.”

So why is it that the whole world abides by that rule --- except the United States?

The latest example occurred in Forty Fort last week.  The borough council in that northeastern Pennsylvania town voted down a proposal to make English the official language for government business.

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Not to be outdone as the center of attention, another northeast PA town also made news when Hazelton’s immigration ordinances requiring landlords to check renters' immigration status were struck down by a federal appeals court.  The misguided judges also decreed that Hazelton could not require businesses to use an electronic database to verify whether potential employees are authorized to work.

The court’s rationale? That the town was infringing on the federal government’s right to control immigration rules.

There’s only one small problem:  The federal government hasn’t controlled the now-widespread illegal invader problem in decades, and cities such as Hazelton, reeling and on the verge of bankruptcy because of the fed’s abdication on this issue, are fighting back.

The court’s ruling is like telling citizens they can’t have guns to protect themselves because that’s the job of the police --- where no police force exists.

It just doesn’t work.

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As long as we’re on the topic of Rome, it’s important to remember why the Empire disintegrated.  It wasn’t because of outside invasion, but from internal decay. Rome lost its way after abandoning its values; when that occurred, it was only a matter of time.  Rome was doomed to fall.

Why then, after the benefit of seeing the mistakes of others, would we choose a path of self-destruction?

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Ronald Reagan said it best when he stated, “A nation without borders isn’t a nation.”  He didn’t know how right he was, nor could he have seen how much his country inexplicably would run in the opposite direction of that philosophy.

When a nation voluntarily relinquishes its culture and language, bowing to the altar of appeasement in order not to “offend,” it loses the very essence which makes it unique, and surrenders its identity.

And that’s exactly what’s happening here.

Rather than celebrate what makes our country the most desirable on Earth, the marshals of political correctness are relentlessly pushing to homogenize America, making it all things to all people. 

The irony, of course, is that for hundreds of years, immigrants have risked their lives to come to this nation, for the simple reason that America was…America. There has never been a country like it before, and there never will be again. Those that made it kissed the ground in thanks, for they knew they were the lucky few.

And those people were, and are, the backbone of America.

But now, in an attempt to coddle minorities and illegal immigrants --- for less than noble reasons --- some government officials are hellbent on erasing all that made America great, choosing to turn our land into one without respect for the rule of law. 

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Is it any wonder why so many second and third generation Americans do not speak the native tongue of their ancestors? Because those who left everything behind to start a new life in America were happy to be here, and wanted their children to reap the rewards that this magnificent land had to offer.  They instinctively knew that, at the risk of losing some of their Old World culture, their children could only achieve greatness if they viewed themselves as American.  It was a branding they wanted to have.

What a pity that we have devolved so much.

Now, our government conveniently ignores the law --- and the will of the people --- to appease an obnoxiously loud but extremely small minority.  But the bigger problem is that a majority of Americans are unwilling to take a stand, afraid of being labeled insensitive, reactionary --- and, of course, racist.

Build a wall?  That’s racist.  And how dare you take away the dreams of people who just want the same opportunity as you --- no matter that they break the law to get here.

Demand proper documentation when applying for a job? No  way--- that would be insulting and disenfranchising to those here illegally.  And offending people is tantamount to harassment.

Affirm English as the official language? How bigoted and exclusionary!  That would be like putting up a sign saying, “You’re not welcome!”

And of course, those who speak out against local, state and federal governments that aid and abet criminals --- which is, by definition, the status of all illegal immigrants --- are swiftly labeled as bigots who hate immigrants.

But don’t look to Washington for answers, since the politicians are as much to blame as anyone.

Under their watch, illegals receive official drivers licenses, jobs, free education and healthcare (for which we foot the bill), and documents in their own language, all while our wide-open border beckons more illegals.

Republicans and Democrats are equally at fault, since both have no motivation to change.  Some in the GOP don’t want to offend the Hispanic vote (which doesn’t vote for them anyway) while others are in bed with Big Business wanting cheap labor. Too many Democrats put politics ahead of national security because they see illegals voting their way --- which they do, and in ever-growing numbers, to the point where they are affecting congressional and even presidential elections.

America’s downward spiral can only be reversed if the majority of people take their head out of the sand.

If the battle for America’s heart and soul is to be won, rank-and-file citizens have to voice the ideas that made America great --- and which have absolutely nothing to do with race---: protection of borders, protection of customs, protection of the English language.

If not, America will continue its plummet into obscurity, ceasing to be the Shining City on a hill.

And all of us --- American and immigrant alike --- will be far the worse for it.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com
Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."
Freind also serves as a weekly guest commentator on the Philadelphia-area talk radio show, Political Talk (WCHE 1520), and makes numerous other television and radio appearances, most notably on FOX 29.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it