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In the past few decades, there have been several undeniable trends. First, the power of government at all levels, from all three branches, has increased dramatically. Simultaneously, the quality of life for ordinary Americans, especially those living in cities, has decreased significantly.

Thus, as ordinary citizens have ceded more power and control to government “experts” the living conditions in our country have deteriorated considerably. The American “dream” of upward mobility and a better standard of living than the previous generation is now impossible for many young couples. Our country’s working-class citizens are finding it more difficult to survive economically. These are the people who follow the law, pay their taxes, and raise their families the right way.

While the value of the dollar and buying power for Americans has declined, violent crime has increased. One reason is that the so-called “experts” were granted the power to empty mental institutions. Many of the people who previously received treatment in a hospital setting with trained medical personnel are now living on the streets of our country.

In New Orleans and many other cities, most of the homeless population are suffering from mental illness. The result is that innocent people are being harmed. Serious crimes such as shoving a person in front of a train, setting fire to a building, or engaging in a stabbing spree on a shopping avenue are being committed by homeless people on a regular basis.

Phony experts have created severe problems beyond domestic economic issues. In the 1960s, during the Lyndon Johnson administration, Americans allowed our government to wage an undeclared war in Vietnam that had no clear purpose or strategy, other than to stop the advance of communism. As a result, over 58,000 young American heroes died, and countless others were wounded and crippled. The cost of this eleven-year war was astronomical. Imagine how those funds could have been used to rebuild American roads and bridges.

The result of the Vietnam War was tragic as our embassy fell in Saigon and the communist dictatorship exacted their revenge on those who had assisted our military. Despite our involvement, a communist government secured control of the entire country. American interests were not protected, even though our country paid a tremendous price and made a huge sacrifice.

Incredibly, these lessons were not learned. Several decades later, the same folly has been repeated in Afghanistan. Over twenty years, our government spent an astronomical $2 trillion on the war. Sadly, 2,400 of our brave men and women serving in the military were killed in Afghanistan. In this war, our cause was to fight radical Islamic terrorism, instead of communism. Our fatal mistake was to venture from destroying terrorist camps to “nation building.” This enterprise was doomed to failure from the beginning.

Domestically, Americans have allowed judges and government paid “criminal law experts” to supposedly reform our prison system. The result is that the system has been modified so much that it is now practically impossible to incarcerate all the murderers, rapists and muggers who attack innocent people daily.

We can’t incarcerate all these criminals for a variety of reasons. One of the biggest problems is that government “experts” have made prisons incredibly expensive. The so-called “experts” also invented a “solution” to the crime problem, early release and parole. These programs produce disastrous results. How many times have we heard of a paroled criminal committing another heinous crime such as murder?

Sadly, our government’s idiocy doesn’t stop there. It includes transferring large amounts of tax dollars to young teenage girls who have babies. If a young mother has three children before she turns 18 years old, the government will supply her with even more money, as well as a free phone, an apartment, and other benefits.

The result? The rate of out of wedlock births has skyrocketed, compared to the proportion in previous generations. Unfortunately, many of these children will be raised in homes without a father. Children who have no male role model at home are more likely to commit crime as they find their inspiration from the wrong element “on the street.”

There are many more examples, but the trend can be clearly diagnosed. As government “experts” assume more control over our lives and as they reverse the societal rules that built America, they are destroying our country.

America was built by people who embraced the timeless virtues that all wealthy, stable and productive societies must follow. These include the rule of law, hard work, religious faith, and legal protection for the institution of the nuclear family.

In their hubris and stupidity, our government “leaders” have rejected these timeless virtues. They have also squandered the abundance and security these values produced.

So now Americans must act and fire the government “experts.” It is imperative to proceed before all our cherished institutions fail. These institutions not only include the family unit and our criminal justice system, but also our electric grid and our food supply chain. These systems cannot function without societal rules and a legal system that enforces them.

No American should take our way of life for granted. It is constantly being threatened by enemies all over the world. However, we also need to realize the threats on the home front as well. Government policies that are supposedly enlightened can be destructive to what Americans hold dear. If concerned Americans want to hold on to prized traditions, it’s time for the “silent majority” to start getting more involved in the political arena. The stakes could not be any higher.

Jeff Crouere is the host of “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 10 p.m. Sunday on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 a.m. till 11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. He is the political analyst for WGNO-TV ABC 26 and a columnist for selected publications. For more information, visit his web site at RingsidePolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.