On July 13, 2023, a country western artist little known outside his genre stepped into the national spotlight when he released a video of a song that channeled the feelings of more than 100 million Americans.  Maybe a lot more.

In less than a week it was ranked #1 on iTunes and as of July 25 it is the #1 trending music video on YouTube. But you won’t see it on Country Music Television, because it’s been banned.

By now the story line is well established. Jason Aldean, 46 years old, who already had 24 number 1 hits on the US country charts, has released a music video where against a backdrop of protests and rioting, he sings “don’t try that in a small town, see how far you make it down the road…”

Reaction to Aldean’s alleged endorsement of vigilantism and allegedly coded racist undertones has been swift and unrelenting. Which is why what Aldean’s song represents, and the reason for its popularity, is much bigger than the song itself, or the artist who sings it.

Many foundational pillars of society in the United States appear to be crumbling right now before our eyes, weakened by an erosive array of social, economic and political forces.

The deterioration of traditional cultural norms and the social upheaval that’s followed — from the living room to classroom the boardroom — is no surprise to Ayn Rand scholars.

The celebrated Russian-born American author and philosopher predicted with haunting accuracy many of the nation’s current crises.

Among her observations: Government would encroach on parental rights, stifle academic and scientific research, and fuel a dangerous mentality of victimhood.

Even her biggest fans might be surprised at her prescient insight into the state of America today.

Moms for Liberty

Just recently, a New Hampshire Democrat denounced the group as “***holes with casseroles,” the Hill ran a story titled, “Six reasons why Moms for Liberty is an extremist organization,” and the Southern Poverty Law Center added them to its Hate Map.

Why so much animus for an organization whose goal is merely to give parents a voice in the education of their children? It certainly doesn’t reflect public opinion.

This explains why Moms for Liberty has, in less than three years, expanded from a few chapters in the Sunshine State to nearly 300 chapters in 45 states. Nor have they restricted themselves to protesting at school board meetings. They have endorsed and actively supported parent-friendly candidates for school board seats nationwide.

Joe Biden is a walking dead man, politically. His approval ratings are in the tank, and a stunning 72 percent of Americans think the country is on the “wrong track,” according to a recent survey.

Biden’s cognitive decline is embarrassingly obvious. He is already 80 years old — the oldest president the country has ever had. He would be 86 at the end of a second term, assuming he lived that long, which troubles even his supporters. On top of all of this, he is surrounded by the stench of corruption.

Biden has become more of a liability than an asset. In such circumstances, a political party would normally search for a different presidential candidate.

But the Democrats are not a normal party, and they simply can’t ditch Biden — not even if running Biden again carries the risk that a third-party candidate might emerge, or that Donald Trump might be elected again. Why is this?

How can the U.S. simultaneously arm Ukraine in its fight against Russia and deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan? It’s a false choice.

A critical look at the weapons that Washington has transferred to Kyiv, what is needed in the Pacific, and when new production might become available reveals that the U.S. has enough resources both to arm Ukraine and to bolster deterrence in Asia.  Ukraine and Taiwan don’t need the same things.

There is a large category of U.S. capabilities that are critical in the Pacific and that haven’t been provided to Ukraine. By the same token, many capabilities provided for Ukraine’s ground war aren’t at the top of the list of what Taiwan needs from the U.S., according to numerous unclassified expert analyses.

Aid to Taiwan and Ukraine isn’t zero-sum.  In fact, aid to Ukraine is of direct benefit for Taiwan’s defense.  Here’s why.

The bad economic news from China keeps coming.

Exports fell 12.4% in June. Between 2012 and 2022 China added at least $10 trillion more to its debt load than the U.S. Youth unemployment is at record levels, even as manufacturers report severe labor shortages. The residential property developers at the heart of China’s long boom look increasingly vulnerable, and local governments who have long relied on a red-hot real estate market for revenue are turning to Beijing with their hands out.

Some look at the troubling statistics and predict that China is headed for a catastrophic market bust. Such forecasts, for now, seem premature. The central government still has a lot of money to throw at its problems, and the increasingly totalitarian state that China is becoming has many policy tools at its disposal.

But while China’s economic outlook is as uncertain as its long boom is unprecedented, foreign-policy strategists should prepare for a world in which China’s era of superfast growth has come to an end.