03-13-2009, 11:27 PM
Even though the mantle of "leader of the Free World' was thrust upon the US right after World War I it was taken up truly only after 1943. Unfortunately the intellecutal process was not updated till end of 20th century. The founding fathers were frozen between Reformation and Enlightenment and did not advance the ideas. Their contribution was the founding of a Republic and all the trappings of preModern European especially English society were preserved. England was ahead in casting of her attitudes towards slavery and ant-Semitism. The US Civil War brought about Modernism and Vietnam brought about Post-Modernism in US. So there is a lag of 30 to 50 years in the intellecutal progress.
The recent economic meltdown could lead to a roll back of these advances in Western intellectual thought
The recent economic meltdown could lead to a roll back of these advances in Western intellectual thought