On the impact of Kennedy's death on American culture

As I may have mentioned, my view is that WW1 was the key event that shattered the West, but specifically Europe. The USA wasn't as shaken, it took later events to do that. This brings me to this interesting article I came across a few days ago, which argues that the death of JFK was a similar seismic shock for America: JFK’s Death Split the American Psyche. Some excerpts:

Unable to face the fact that Kennedy was murdered by a communist, liberals became intolerant, prone to hysteria and conspiracy theories, and intent on punishing America for the sins of its past. Feminism transformed from a quest for quality to hating men, particularly the darker impulses of men

This makes a lot of sense, it was from the mid-sixties and Vietnam war (that Kennedy got the US into- a fact that is often ignored) that the left began to be anti-American.

Christopher Lasch noted that the fact that both left and right believe in the idea that societies move towards perfection would have been considered bizarre to the ancients. He also argued that people need more than progress. ”If humanity thrives on peace and prosperity,” Lasch wrote, “it also needs an occasional taste of battle. Men and women need to believe that ‘life is a critical affair,’

Also true, an easy life leads to decadence. I need to get hold of Lasch's book.

To be equipped to partake in that destiny, men need to be not just procreators and providers, but warriors, poets and artists. They need to be empathetic, well-spoken, and wise leaders. They can’t just preach virtue and cut taxes. That have to be in touch with their shadow. Conservatives, while doing the long and hard work of beating back the punitive left and tying to maintain the institutions that had made civilization possible, and with the possible exception of Ronald Reagan, never really spoke to America’s soul.

The key problem with the right is that post-Christanity they have no big picture, just pushing for economic growth doesn't provide a sense of purpose or meaning, which is why the left is better at recruiting young people. It also links in with my observations on demographics, and how the only parts of the US population that are growing are religious groups like the Amish and Mormons. 

If the West is to survive and counter the woke takeover we need to embrace a pro-population growth agenda and come up with alternative societal goals that give people's lives meaning.