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America has changed a lot. We see problems everywhere, and many of us feel lost. The Turn shows us how this all started over the past 75 years. We see political greed, corruption, and the shaping of America’s culture changing everything for the worse.

This is why we see the rise of political self-interest winning over the good of the people. This focus on what leaders want for themselves, instead of what the country needs, is the reason for our decay.

The Decline of Right and Wrong

Dennis Joiner argues that our country is now in a deep moral erosion. The very idea of right and wrong is falling apart. Things that were once seen as bad are now accepted as normal. Dennis Joiner states clearly that “every aspect of American life is in decline”.

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This is a powerful and scary statement that shows how bad things have gotten for the average person.

Look at the family, which is the most important part of society. The strength of a society is based on the strength of its families. But now, fewer Americans over 18 are married. The old rules and guidance of the family are being pushed aside by society. The Turn argues that society now favors new ideas and ways of acting—“counter-normative values, ideas, expectations and behavior”—over the traditional family structure. This means the basic building block of our culture is weak, making the whole structure shaky.

Declining Values in Media

On top of this, our entertainment is filled with bad examples. America has “an insatiable appetite for debauchery and immorality”. We are shown more raw brutality, illicit sex, and escalating violence in movies, video games, and sports. The American mind has become desensitized to these terrible things. We don’t turn away from violent scenes anymore, and we are no longer appalled by pornography. This lack of shame is a big sign of moral erosion. Even worse, Joiner notes, is that children are being exposed to sexual immorality at a younger age. We are losing our shared belief in what is good, what is bad, and what is true.

The abandonment of a sense of duty to uphold moral standards has played a significant role in this decline.

If “right and wrong are nothing more than personal preferences,” then there are “no moral truths” left for us to follow.

This is exactly how a once-strong culture starts to rot from the inside out. Joiner argues that this rot started with a move away from God. Americans no longer worship or acknowledge the supernatural authority that played a big role in the country’s founding. The sacred writings of Christianity no longer provide the standards by which Americans judge truth, goodness, and beauty.

The Rise of Political Self-Interest and Personal Gain

The biggest problem is the rise of political self-interest among our leaders. They are not serving us; they are serving themselves. Dennis Joiner argues that our government is “immoral and corrupt”. Our elected leaders are no longer thinking about what is right and wrong for the nation. They only care about keeping their jobs to “further lucrative careers within the Washington Establishment”.

The goal of policy today is simply to keep things the way they are, to “maintain the status quo”.

This focus on the self has led to massive corruption. Joiner points out that political and business corruption has grown because of greed and a lack of punishment. This is made worse by powerful lobbyists and “malicious identity politics” which has created a system of “unprecedented corruption and political bribery”.

Politicians without Limitations

Our politicians often spend their entire lives in Congress with “few limits of power” because there are no term limits. Some seek to gain control over public funds and institutions for their own benefit. Controversial practices, such as pork barrel spending and influence peddling, further erode public trust. Some corrupt politicians and their families “get free passes” for their crimes because they are rich or have powerful contacts. In some cases, assets or property obtained through corruption are confiscated by authorities as part of legal penalties.

This constant failure to do the right thing destroys our trust in leadership.

Respected public officials are now rare, as ethical lapses have become commonplace. When we see politicians acting like “Chronic liars and shameful hypocrites,” as Joiner writes, how can we believe anything they say? They are “liars, scoundrels, hypocrites, and flatterers”.

The only choices voters have are people who rank high in “mendacity, hypocrisy, venality, megalomania, and kleptocracy”.

The cumulative effect of these unethical decisions undermines the legitimacy of the entire political system.

Dennis Joiner states that “Cynicism has never been higher”.

A Frayed Social Fabric

The breakdown of morality and the lies from our leaders have led to deep societal fragmentation. The cultural bond that once held America together began to “unfasten” around 1954, when “social cohesion or solidarity [was] sacrificed on the altar of greed and gain”.

This dissolution is seen most clearly in the loss of social order.

The Turn describes this loss as anomie, which is “a normless society where there is no order, predictability in social relationships, or sense of what is right or wrong, good, or bad”.

We see old social wounds and injustices being picked at over and over, keeping them raw. Dennis Joiner argues that dwelling on these past conflicts prevents Americans from “healing psychically and emotionally”. This constant need to stay focused on past grievances, instead of finding ways to move forward, stops Americans from fixing the problems of the present.

A Lost People

When people feel lost, confused, and poorer, they stop getting involved in civic engagement. Addressing these challenges requires a variety of approaches and the collaboration of different groups working together to rebuild trust and participation.

People feel helpless because they see their political representation as completely corrupted. The whole political system is caught in a “partisan gridlock” where Congress is “unable or unwilling to legislate issues”. The system is built on favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism—the “good ole boy system”—which rewards family and friends, not the most skilled or qualified people.

When people see their country acting this way, the rise of political self-interest is complete. The system has shifted from one that supports the people to one that only supports the powerful and rich. The lack of trust makes citizens feel vulnerable and less likely to participate in group efforts for change.

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To understand the full picture of how America reached this point of cultural decay and the rise of political self-interest, and to see the path forward, you need the complete story. So, buy Dennis Joiner’s The Turn.