According to a new poll by the Hill newspaper, 69 percent of Americans now believe the USA is in “decline.” In addition, a whopping 83 percent indicate they are worried about America’s future. Very sobering. So what’s going on?

If you study history, you know that America was built on self-reliance and personal achievement. In the early years of the republic, the federal and state governments pretty much stayed out of the way as folks built businesses and communities. There were absolutely no public safety nets. If you failed, it was up to you to survive.