Where Has the Love Gone? The Future of the American Political Duopoly

 America’s love affair with partisan politics (if there really was one) appears to be over for good. The Democrats, once the harbinger of inclusivity, has found itself mired in mediocrity and lacking in leadership, is able to maintain relevance through Identity politics.  I guess that’s what happens when you run out of ideas and don’t have a very deep bench.

The Republican Party, as a result has benefited, especially in America’s heartland and  in particular, at state and local levels. Yet, its support seems to rest on the last vestiges of a fading demographic white, mostly male, middle class voters, and there is a subtle cold and callous undertone to their call for austerity and “making America great again” by cutting back on social security and the public social safety net but continuing to spend more money on the military than the next ten nations (including China, UK, India, France, and Russia) combined!   

However, neither those who agitate on the Left or Right are satisfied with what their side is offering. The result is an America more deeply and widely divided than at any time since the years proceeding the Civil War.  Some ominously predict a pending revolution while others anticipate a second civil war at any moment, and still others foresee for a “civil divorce”.

Even during our formative years as a nation there were those among our Founding Fathers who questioned whether we were or could ever become a truly “United States” of America. We were fundamentally too different; a multitude of nations.  Over the subsequent decades and centuries, as millions came to our shores, those divisions have only intensified. Regardless, one thing is for sure. This is not the America our Founders intended. So, lets take a look at our political landscape. Perhaps we can even predict an America just a few years or a decade or two down the road.

First, despite the popular belief that America is a “two party” nation, the truth is that it was never established that way. In fact, the majority of the Founders opposed the creation of political parties, fearing that they could become powerful special interest cliques which would in time weaken the political power of the average citizen through deception and corruption and eventually dominate government (nah. That could never happen…could it?).

Secondly, that we’re only limited to just two parties. In fact, we’ve have numerous political parties. Most have either merged with other parties or simply faded away with whatever particular issues they supported. Today, we have two primary parties---Democrat and Republican, although the Libertarian, Green, and Constitutional parties are formable.

 However, despite their public perception of two differing parties, the fact is they’re more similar than not.  For example, they’re both owned by special interests from Wall Street. Wall Street controls the finances of both parties. It funds their campaigns, their leadership PACs, and sets their agenda. It dictates their domestic and foreign policies (which are not overly dissimilar). The corporate media defines their public persona and influences their political message. Both are legal fictions given the rights of the average citizen…and then some.  They are, in fact, a duopoly of Wall Street. Another thing they have in common is that both are actually minority parties.

According to the most recent polling, Independents are the largest political demographic in the United States with just over 43% of all registered voters not aligning with either the Democrats or Republicans. As an aside, did you know that Independents have been the dominate political demographic since 2011? Meanwhile, the two corporate owned parties are roughly equal with 28% each of the electorate making Independents (erroneously called “swing voters” by some) the literal “kingmakers” of today’s politics.

Something else the Democrats and Republicans have in common is that not many people like them. According to a Pew poll, 65% of registered voters, irrespective of registration, disliked Republican polices. 56% felt the same way about Democrat policies.

A 2025 NBC News Stay Tuned Poll, showed that 71% of Independents disapproved of the direction the Republican Party was going. 91% of Democrats agreed as did 13% of Republicans (could they be the nefarious “RINOs” so hated by GOP hardliners?).

When it came to Democrats, 64% of Independents disapproved of where the Democratic Party was wanting to take the country. 93% of Republicans concurred. Interestingly, so did 22% of Democrats (those nefarious “DINOs” this time).  In short, an overwhelming majority of Americans disapproved of both Democrat and Republican policies.

Amusingly, in 1960, 4% of Democrats and 4% of Republicans said they’d be unhappy if their son or daughter married someone outside of their party affiliation. In 2019, nearly half---45%---of Democrats said they’d be unhappy if their child married someone from a different party. Republicans were apparently a little more open minded. Just 35% said they would object. Today, I suspect they’d be disowned.

Another factor affecting both parties is that they’re losing their base. Demographics in America are constantly changing. Historically, America has been a predominate white European nation since its founding while blacks were considered the largest minority, As a result, legislation and funding was directed accordingly. But that’s all changing.

Today, whites are still the largest racial demographic at 58.4% (white males, often viewed as America's political, social, and economic “powerbrokers” are projected by the Census Bureau to become a de facto minority by the early 2040's).  The second largest population are Hispanics, who comprise 19.5% of the population (that number would likely be higher if all illegal immigrates were included. However, it's  only as an estimate). Black Americans make up just 13.7% of the population. Asians are 6.4%. Those claiming two or more races make up about 3.1% of the population (and growing). Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and others make up under 2%.

Based on projections, sometime in the next 25 years, America will no longer have a majority racial population. Whites and Hispanics are expected to have a near parity. Black percentages are expected to drop while Asians are anticipated to increase along with the number of those of mixed racial ancestry. So, what does that mean?

Well, for starters, it means that limited federal tax dollars are going to be redirected to the group with the most mouths to feed, and that’s going to be Hispanics. So, expect future federal (and likely state) programs will cater more to Hispanics which could increase competition between blacks and Hispanics for federal dollars.

Secondly, there will be an increase in the number of people of Hispanic ancestry being elected to office at all levels as a result of both a growing population and an increased concentration in key districts or dominate state with high electoral votes. So, don’t be surprised to see a Hispanic president in the next 25 years. Also, although historically, there’s been a decrease in ancestral allegiance over generations, that doesn’t seem to be the case when it comes to Hispanics.

 The reason is that historically, immigration came in waves, thus giving time to integrate into American society, aka the proverbial “melting pot”. Note too, this “absorption” was also encouraged by previous immigrants and society in general as well as newly arriving immigrants had a strong desire to become “Americans” as quickly as possible.

That’s no longer the case. First, the arrival of Hispanic immigrants (legal and illegal) are occurring as such regular rate and volume that there’s little time or opportunity to integrate. Secondly, many have no intention or desire in becoming “Americans”. They are here solely for a payday.  These are economic migrations. As a result, few bother to learn English, the laws, or adopt to customs, values, or traditions. They tend to congregate in their own ethnic enclaves. Many regularly support family back home. Therefore, nearly everything about them remain tied to their native country.

Black Americans have faced a series of serious issues since emancipation which the federal government has attempted to correct through legislation and various taxpayer based programs with varying degrees of success. As federal funding for programs and services are reduced or redirected, along with competition for jobs now being taken by Hispanics, black Americans are going to be forced to struggle harder.

Lastly, the percentage of Asians are growing more rapidly than previously. This is due to the influx of Asians from places like China, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan,  Vietnam, and elsewhere. Another factor is that Asians tend to have large families (as do Hispanics). Thus, in certain areas, especially along the West Coast, Asians could come to represent minority majorities.

This brings us to an interesting question. With Democrats and Republicans shrinking in number, generational dissatisfaction with existing partisan politics (especially among Millennials, Gen Z and facing a declining number of Babyboomers and aging Gen X), what does our political, economic, and social future look like?  Cities, starving for economic  resources, are gobbling up smaller surrounding communities. Corporations are also continuing to gobble up everything they can, thus eliminating or consolidating competition. It already controls the government, and with it, controls funding as well as domestic and foreign policy.

 Technology, especially AI, is already proving to be a double edge sword. It’s provided opportunities for a few while reducing or eliminating jobs thus contributing to the already enormous gulf between the rich and the rest of us. It is also the tool behind our evaporating personal privacy and becoming the ever watchful eye of our emerging surveillance state. It bears mentioning that Millennials and Gen Z, both raised on technology, don’t appear to have the same regard toward privacy as older generations.

As I briefly touched on, the wage/income gap between the elites and the rest of society (which also benefits Congress and others in power) is widening. For instance, did you know that the top 1% control 31% of the nation’s wealth compared to the bottom 50% which controls just 2.6%? From 1979 to 2023, the top 1% saw their wealth grow 182% while the bottom 90% had a growth of 44%. The average CEO makes roughly 334 times that of the average employee.  

Are either of the two corporate owned parties equipped to deal with issues like these over the long term? The Democrats try to maintain power by never saying “no” and kicking the debt can down a short dead end road without a worry about who’s going to pick up the tab. The Republicans hope they can prolong the inevitable by cutting programs affecting the politically weakest and forcing open foreign markets by rook, crook, or rocket. They believe cutting taxes on mega corporations and the wealthy will improve the lot for everyone else.

Neither party are willing or able to make the changes which we need. Besides, it’s not in their vested interests to do so. It’s taken decades crafting the perfect scam. The tune they dance to isn’t the voice of the American voter. It’s sound of vast sums of money played by Wall Street. Corporatism, as under Fascism or Communism, requires a compliant citizenry convinced into surrendering their integrity and wellbeing to a state absent any real accountability, which to me is a lot like an alley cat telling a mouse to “trust me”.  Bon Appetit anybody?

 

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Political Polarization in the United States

Digging into America’s sour views on both political parties:From the Politics Desk

GOP Holds the Edge in Party Affiliation for Third StraightYear

Wage inequality fell in 2023 amid a strong labor market,bucking long term trends

Corporatism

U.S. Census Bureau: Quick Facts

Partisan Politics drags U.S. towards failed-state status

 

Finding Happiness in a "Brave New World"

Are you happy?  Most people would shrug their shoulders and say something like "I guess so" which isn't really much of an answer.  But for most people, the question needs to be qualified in order to give you a more honest answer. For instance, are you talking about my finances, my work situation, my home life, and so forth?

It would also be relative as to your situation at the particular moment.  As an example, you could say you're not real happy with your work situation, but then you suddenly get a promotion with more pay, and suddenly you're one contended clam. You could have cancer and feeling pretty depressed. Then, out of the blue, you get some news that reports a potential cure and your depression almost instantly goes to euphoria.

Nevertheless, to answer properly someone question about happiness, we need to take into consideration the topic and timing. Well, the World Happiness Report is published in partnership with Gallup, The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, and the WHR Editorial Board, decided they were going to poll the globe to find out.

The report, which is published annually, looks at number of wide ranging factors including age demographics, opportunities, health, population, GDP, political satisfaction, degree of freedom, and environment. So, without further adieu, let's see who's the happiest in the world and who isn't!

Starting with the overall score, Norway came in the fifth spot. In fourth place was Sweden. Third place went to Iceland while second went to Denmark. As for the top spot, that went to Finland...again! In case you didn't notice, but all five overall are Nordic, which isn't unusual. Scandinavia is typically ranked in the top ten when it comes to the best educated, best healthcare system, and best government (strictly based on personal opinion obviously).

When the list is expanded, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, New Zealand  and Australia round out the top ten. Notice who's missing? Yelp. The United States didn't fare to well. In fact, for the first time ever, the U.S. fell from the top tier and landed in the 23rd spot, just ahead of Germany in 24th.  The countries just ahead of included Czechia (18th), Lithuania (19th), the UK (20th) and Slovenia holding down the 21st spot.

It's worth noting the bottom third worst countries to live in are mostly in Africa, although Afghanistan is dead last in the 143rd position (Lebanon is just above it at 142),  With the bottom third being the worst places to live in terms of happiness (not to mention economics and opportunities), it's no wonder that Europe is overrun with "migrants"  mostly from Africa. Unfortunately, most appear to be looking for four star rated accommodations and other freebies rather than a job.

In examining our drop, the report says that among those 30 and under, the U.S. ranked a pitiful 62 place. But for those over 60, the survey said the tenth place was all ours (as an aside, the 30 and under crowd are the Millennials and Gen Z while those 60 and up are mostly Babyboomers and some Gen X.  It also includes those of the Silent Generation and the Greatest Generation).  

Before going any further, I need to break up these groups by date. The Greatest Generation (WWII) comprises anyone born before 1927. The Silent Generation is 1928 - 1945. Babyboomers are 1946 - 1964. Gen X is 1965 - 1980. Gen Y/Millennials 1981 - 1996 . Gen Z is 1997 - 2012 and Gen Alpha is 2013 - ?.

It should be mentioned that among Millennials and Gen Z, political party registration is its lowest and dropping.  Among Millennials, Republicans make up barely 21% of registered voters. Democrats are 27% while Independents are a whopping 52% and growing. Among Gen Z, it's not much different. Republicans are only 17%. Democrats are 31%, and Independents are again 52% and continuing to grow.

When we look at Gen X, Republicans make up 30% compared to Democrats at 27%. However, Independents are 44%. Among Boomers (that's me), Republicans are 35%, Independents are 33%, and Democrats are a close 32%. The Silent Generation is the Republicans core voter group. The GOP makes up 39% while Democrats take up 35% and Independents are 26%. As an aside.

The "World Happiness Report" would seem to back this up as it says those under 30 are increasingly unhappy about pretty much everything, but especially the economy, the environment, and corporate control of politics.

Another way to look at how the percentages by generation will affect voting and the economy is based on generational preference for capitalism (our current system) and some form of socialism (likely similar to the top ranking happy Scandinavians).  The Silent Generation overwhelmingly back capitalism with 77% in favor. The balance is equally split between socialism and no preference.

Baby Boomers like their capitalism too (despite their Che posters). 60% back capitalism. 16% like socialism, while 10% are too high to care. When it comes to Gen X, we start to see a shift. While capitalism still wins out 39%, 14% want socialism. Significantly 22% don't care. When we get into Millennials, the shift becomes a little more noticeable.

Among Millennials, 34% like our current capitalist model, although 20% prefer socialism of some type yet 21% are open. Lastly, let's look at Gen Z. Although mostly in their 20's, only 29% support capitalism while a close 28% back socialism and 19% are willing to go either way. So what does that means?

From my take on the numbers, as the Silent and Boomer generations age out, the new power players will be the Millennials and Gen Z. Given the present situation of the United States (such as need to stay on an artificial war economy to get economy going, growth of illegal immigration, slide as a world power, failing infrastructure, etc), I would expect a change away from our current predatory form of capitalism.

In its place, a more managed economy which may include more regulation, especially of critical resources or industries. The biggest change may be the political system. In place to a corporate controlled duopoly, we may find open primaries, easier entry for third party and Independent candidates into election, real campaign finance reform, and term limits. 

While I question whether our southern border will ever again be secure, I expect Spanish to become our second defacto "national" language. (its essentially that already)  The U.S. will start showing concrete signs of balkanizing into racial and ethnic zones. Maybe the "Reconquista" will happen yet.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha may be the last wholly American generation. The U.S. economy may show short lived signs of the dominance it once had, but we will be in stiff competition with countries like India, China, Mexico, and Brazil (all, incidentally, members of the BRICs union). Other similar economic and military unions will form out of necessity in order to compete and defend trade lanes.

For those of us of the Silent, Baby Boomer, and older Gen X generations, the America we grew up in with all its idyllic collective memories  are gone, never to return expect on late night reruns. The Oligarchs are working hard to build a bulwark against what's coming, not for our sake, but for theirs. Their aim is to minimize choices while making it appear choices are abundant; to create a managed political and economic system.

That also entails more surveillance. For instance, while we'll have more electronic goodies than we can imagine, but ultimately you have to wonder who do they serve---us or someone else. Siri and Alexa have already proven they passively listen and store damn near everything. At what point does the illusion of convenience trump  our right to privacy? 

Will our electronic cars take us only to where we're authorized to go based on our credit rating?  We'll also interact less and less with our fellow human beings. We will start replacing flesh and blood relationships with cyber ones. Even our sex partners may come with off/on switches!  

 Our definition of "happiness" will surely have to change to meet changing technology and global demographics. Even "happy" Scandinavia is rapidly changing.  The so-called "migrants" pouring into the country and demanding to be given their free share of prosperity without contributing. I guess when you import the third world, you get the world.  I bet even Aldous Huxley couldn't have predicted this  "Brave New World".

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World's Happiness Report 2024

These are the world's happiest countries in 2024

Finland named the world's happiest country (again) but young people are struggling

Party identification in the United States in 2022, by generation

Millennials,Gen Z Clinging to Independent Party ID

Which U.S.Generation Holds The Most Political Power?

Gen Z willchange capitalism as we know it

 

Where Has That Old Time Gospel Gone? The Decline of Religion in America

According to a recent survey by Barna, 20% of all churches, regardless of denomination, could close by the end of 2021. That's approximately 60,000 churches nationally. Although there are a number of factors, the leading contributing factor is the COVID-19 virus.

This shouldn't come as a surprise given that the average age of attendees is 57 years old; an age bracket which is considered to be at risk for the virus. However, don't think the decline is just the result of a virus, or that it applies only to Christian churches. Far from it. The decline in attendance applies to practically all organized religions, from Catholic and Protestant churches to Temples and Mosques.

According to an April poll by Gallup, just 47% of those surveyed acknowledged belong to a specific religion, which is down from 70% in 1999. That's the first time in Gallup's 80 years that number has dropped below the 50% mark.

 The poll also revealed that the percentage of "none of the above" has risen from 8% in 1998 to 21% in 2000. It now stands at around 1/3 and growing. It's worth noting that of those who do identify with some specific domination, the majority do not attend services, or if they do, it's only for the major events like Passover, Easter, Yom Kippur, Christmas, etc.

How this breaks down generationally is equally interesting. According to the poll, 66% of those born before 1946 (which comprises the "Greatest Generation" and the "Silents") still either attend or participate in other ways (such as watching it on TV, recordings, listening on the radio, or online).

It's worth nothing that the "Greatest Generation" experienced the Great Depression as children, endured WWII and the Korean War (some participated in the early stages of the Vietnam War too). They fueled the greatest economic revival in history, including the birth of subdivisions, and set the standards we associate with the Middle Class. Many were union members or belonged to some social fraternity; a carryover from their comradery and "can do" attitude from their experiences during the war. 

Meanwhile, the "Silent Generation" (1928 - 1946) was the first generation to benefit from the post-war economic boom. They were known for their fast cars, dances, soda fountains, Beatniks, surfing, having disposable income, and rock 'n' roll! It was also the start of the Space Race and the Cold War. They're usually characterized as hardworking, resourceful, dedicated, traditional, and respectful of authority.

 Babyboomers (1947 - 1964) participate at a rate of 58%. This group was the largest demographic up to that point. As a result, Babyboomers are divided into two similar but different groups or cohorts.  The first group, born between 1947 and 1954, are the more typical "flower children" and "Hippies" of the 1960's. They are often identified by Woodstock, Monterey Pops Festival, communes, the early Vietnam War, JFK, Malcolm X, "love-ins", decline in unions, the Civil Rights Movement, and a lost innocence.

The second cohort, born between 1955 and 1964 was influenced by the more violent aspects of the anti-war movement, SLA, Weathermen, the Women's and LGBT movements, moon landing, Watergate, late Vietnam War, Che Guevara, oil embargo, hyperinflation, the assassinations of MLK and RFK, and the Kent State Massacre. As a group, the first cohort tended to be more optimistic while the second cohort was much more cynical. The first questioned authority. The second was downright dismissive of it.

The first cohort makes up the majority of the 66% which participates, in some fashion or another, organized religion. They were also more likely to "tune in and turn off" and were part of the cutting edge of the emerging popularity of Eastern philosophy thanks mainly to The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. They are also most likely to identify with a religious denomination.

The second cohort is less likely to either participate, identify, or belong to a religious organization. They are, however, more likely to be spiritual. They were much less likely to be trusting of authority figures or institutions in their youth which has carried over into adulthood.

Generation X (1965 - 1980) has a religious participation rate of 50%. This generation is the younger sibling of the Boomers or first born of the first Boomer cohort.  Interestingly, Gen X as its often called was known for being the "Reagan Generation". Unlike the Boomers, they were usually socially and fiscally conservative. They tended to be more traditional in some respects as well, and this included religion. Socially, Gen X was the first post-Jim Crow generation.

Another interesting aspect of this generation is that they were the first to experience the use of computers in school and were the first to take advantage of the internet. They tended to be very entrepreneurial, independent, and self-motivated (the classic Gen X stereotype is "Alex P. Keaton" from the 80's TV series "Family Ties"). 

When it comes to religion, one Pew poll indicated that religion was important to Gen X as a whole with 53% saying it was "very important" and 56% saying they pray at least once a day. However, while religion is considered important, most remain non-denominational. Additionally, just 25% say they participate in some form of religious services on a regular basis (57% said seldom or never).

Replacing Babyboomers as the largest generational demographic is the Millennials (1981 - 1996). Millennials have been in the news a lot due to their increasing influence over both the economy and politics. Millennials are often considered to be lazy or self absorbed; a generation totally immersed in technology. However, they are behind the tech drive which has created countless social media platforms and the high tech world we live in (for better or worse), adaptive, and achievement driven.

Politically, Millennials (aka Generation Y or Gen Y as they're also called) are noted for being strongly in favor of democratic socialism; at the very least, to be anti-capitalist as much as their Gen X predecessors from the "Go-Go '80's" were capitalistic. This could result of having come of age during the "Great Recession", which created a sense of economic insecurity for many of them. They are also the first generation where their quality of life didn't surpass their parents, but dropped instead.

As a group, Millennials tend to be fairly optimistic and socially conscious as their first cohort Babyboomer grandparents were at the same age. They're very aware of the environment, ranging from population to climate change (the environment became a political issues during the mid 1960's and heavily influenced the Presidential election of 1968 and continued to do so for the next decade or so).

 Millennials were the most socially, economically, and racially diverse group this nation had seen, with the majority being Hispanic (many are foreign born or first generation American). They are highly educated and generally optimistic about the future. However, it's worth noting that as a group, they also tend to be financially crippled from high college debt.

The main reason is that in pursuing their academic passion, they neglected to take into consideration how employable their major was. As a result, many ended up with degrees in which the market was already over saturated with applicants or were there was little or no demand (such racial or gender studies).  This has left many unemployed or underemployed in what should now be close to their peak earning years.

Millennials are quite comfortable working on small ad hoc groups or teams to complete a projects, and then moving on to other impromptu groups. They prefer to set their own schedules; working around their own personal time rather than scheduling personal time about work hours.

Politically, the majority of Millennials have rejected both corporate owned parties---the Democrats and Republicans. Most are registered as Independent, which has contributed to Independents being the country's largest political demographic. When it comes to ideology, while Millennials aren't big on dogma, they strongly lean Left as group. In fact, most self-identify as "socialist" or "democratic socialist", while a majority cite libertarianism (small "L") as their preference.

When it comes to religion, Millennials again reject any sort of dogma. Just 36% acknowledge any sort of religious preference. 62% say don't participate in any form of religious services. However, it's worth noting that 69% of Millennials regard themselves as spiritual or somewhat spiritual. 61% say they are sure or fairly sure God exists. As an aside, several of the surveys seem to point out that among Millennials, once they break from an established religion, that break becomes permanent.

The latest generation on the block is Gen Z (born after 1996). Most members of this group are just beginning their lives, so there's much we don't know yet. However, there are a few things we're pretty sure about. First, Gen Z is the first generation which has never known a world without laptops, the internet, or Smartphones.  

Economically, life started out pretty good for most with the overall economy actually in a upswing. However, perhaps the defining factor for them will be the COVID virus and its influence on their lives in terms of physical interaction with friends and school (most have been taken classes online and via chat rooms instead of having personal contact). Thus, they've been forced to develop a further dependence on technology rather than through developing their interpersonal skills. How that works out in the future remains to be seen.

As an aside, many Gen Z's are more interested in trade and vocational schools than in going to college. Perhaps they've seen what the high debt and low economic return has done to their older siblings, thus preferring the lower cost and higher demand, and greater reward trade and vocational school can bring. This could also present a badly needed boon for blue collar unions as well.

Socially, Gen Z has grown up in highly diverse environments. Like their older siblings, race, gender identification, and other markers mean little or nothing. Knowing someone who is gay, transgendered, or of a different culture or race is no big deal.  One in five are Hispanic.

Like Millennials, Gen Z is comfortable with technology just as they are in working in ad hoc groups or teams to solve as specific issue. Equally, they are at ease with a large government and tend to be even more progressive than Millennials.

Although they are still coming of age politically, this is translating into a generation which is even more Left leaning than Millennials. In fact, many are already starting to identify as "socialist" or "democratic socialist". Obviously, with two Left oriented generations, this doesn't bode well for Republicans.

When it comes to religion, Gen Z appears to be even less interested in organized religion than Millennials; 52% have no trust in organized religion. However, while that means they are less interested in organized religion, that doesn't mean they eschew faith. Actually, they are very interested in spirituality in general, with a strong curiosity in Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism, along with Hinduism. Additionally, they are interested in Native American as well as early European spirituality.

Most interesting, a strong segment of Gen Z say they find spiritual satisfaction from giving back to the community, such as participation in food or clothing drives for the poor, picking up trash alongside a river bank, helping the homeless, and so forth, which is similar to some Millennials. That is, they find their spiritual satisfaction from actually doing something instead of praying about it.

So, while organized or dogmatic religion is on continuing its decline in America, interest in spiritually is actually on the rise. While there are numerous reasons, such as the affect of the COVID virus and the ageing of traditional church attendants, there are other and more deeper reasons too.

 Many cited the failure of organized religion to keep pace with technology, changing social values such regarding issues like homosexuality, single parent or adult, abortion, stance on women, divorce, ongoing sexual abuse by priests, plus the ability of priest to marry. Some, on the other hand, point to the failure of organized religion to update their dogma based on recent discoveries in archeology.

Finally, along with the changing social and political demographics of America, including its rejection of the Corporatocracy which has hijacked both parties and usurped the Republic, many see religion as merely another attempt at control. With access to more information than ever before, we can expect more questioning of authority than ever before, be it government, social institutions, or religions. Those able to withstand the onslaught will survive. Those who can't won't. Religion, like everything else, must adapt or be swept away. 

America is losing its religion

Adults in Generation X

 

Younger Millennials

Gen Z Is The Least Religious Generation. Here's Why That Could Be A Good Thing

Gen Z is looking for religion. You'll be surprised where they find it

Gen Z is lukewarm about religion but open to relationships