With all due respect to the late Mr. Cooke, he would have done better to predict his own country's demise. England is finished. It's become a godless, drunken, socialist hell-hole that is currently surrendering to the inevitable Islamic Sharia death knell and the British public don't seem to give a damn. When the mayor of London forbids the entry of the POTUS, it's over 'mates'. The U.S. is decling too, but at least with Donald Trump they are putting up a good fight.

@JohnTSmith-jw2gq

7 жыл бұрын

Liked your post. Pinned it to the top.

@schizoidboy

7 жыл бұрын

I think he was living in the United States at the time and he became an American citizen as well. He was known for his outsider look at the country he came to live in which had more incite that could be expected from those who live within a society but might miss certain things because they see these things so often they never notice them. Of course he might have had the same predictions as well for England that he had for America because in some ways they're not always that different especially with system that creates a welfare state.

@creamesoda79

7 жыл бұрын

Ivory Girl Do you imagine Donald, a debauched, serial fraudster, who exists in decadence is America's saviour? America could do with more reason and less God, more liqueur and fewer opioids, Muslims make up a fraction of England's population but keep beating that tired old Sharia drum as America enters minority-majority status, not England.

@itrthho

6 жыл бұрын

Either him or that debauched, serial fraudster, Hillary Clinton, who exists in decadence. Would that be America's savior?

@aliofly

6 жыл бұрын

I wonder if you voted for Brexit...

How right he was the man was sharp as a tack.

@fastinbulvis2223

3 ай бұрын

The hostile elite who controls the West knew this was true and needed to manufacture something that they could use as a shield to place themselves above criticism - enter Identity Politics - the REAL cancer of the human race.

I used to listen to his Letters from America on the Radio here in Australia. He was a particularly insightful man.

@sitarnut

9 ай бұрын

Right on Bro...my pals and I were Ham radio operators in the 60's. We loved listening to ABC on shortwave, and hearing about that 'Land Down Under". Times and ABC has changed. We loved it when Alistair introduced "Masterpiece Theatre".

Possibly the most insightful and articulate broadcasters of his time .His Letters from America radio broadcasts ran for decades and were loved by millions

You rarely see stuff like this in todays world.....

@luciatilyard2827

9 жыл бұрын

dojufitz Alistair Cooke was very thoughtful and mature in his outlook, he always seem to take in the more subtle stuff. Today's world's attitudes seem a far cry from then, it all seems to have gone down hill, people seem less intelligent than they were. I don't understand why, and spend a lot of time wondering about this conundrum.

@luciatilyard2827

9 жыл бұрын

dojufitz I've come to the conclusion that money is at the heart of many things going downhill. as in things appealing to 'the lowest common denominator'. It seems to be across the board,- books, films, you name it. Capitalism gone crazy!

@luciatilyard2827

9 жыл бұрын

dojufitz I most definitely shall look him up, sounds very interesting. Are you in the U.S. or the U.K.? Be good to get the point of view of someone else. I'm really quite baffled by the changes in the world, have googled 'dumbing down' a number of times, trying to figure it out...Will look him up straight away, thanks for that.

@luciatilyard2827

9 жыл бұрын

dojufitz Just been looking at his blog. - Good stuff - There are a number of things I'm really quite worried about, and I've a strong feeling we're getting to 'tipping point'. Feel that things are O.K. for now, but that it's not going to be long before people are affected on a personal level, and that we might find ourselves in something like the French or Russian Revolutions, a world civil war. I only hope that I'm wrong.

Alistar Cooke made a documentary called "Alistair Cooke's America" in the 1970's. I believe this clip appeared at the very end of the documentary. You can find the documentary by typing in "Alistair Cooke's America" in the search bar on KZread. I just ran across this clip and copied it.

A shocking and clairvoyant prediction -- not to mention being relatively on target some forty-three years later. I wish that this warning could be played all over the United States today ....

@Falcrist

8 жыл бұрын

+Schiller150 And yet we can see in these comments the very reason that people aren't moved by such a prediction. There is a strong tendency of many Americans to take this message as a condemnation of the opposing party. Both democrats denouncing the warmongering and greed of the republicans, and the republicans denouncing the democrats and their welfare programs. Neither group seems to understand the underlying and insidious waning of our democratic rights. Our democracy has been replaced and rebuilt, brick by brick, by an aristocracy, supported by a corporate oligarchy. I believe the most apt description of this was used in the video above: They “can't see the [forest] for the trees.” After Hillary's upcoming election (of which I have little doubt), 4 out of the last 5 presidents will have direct family relations to at least one of the others. This isn't a democracy any longer.

@JohnTSmith-jw2gq

8 жыл бұрын

Falcrist I have a feeling that Hillary will be left at the altar.

@Falcrist

8 жыл бұрын

John T. Smith The Democratic party is absolutely bending over backwards to accommodate her. Meanwhile Sanders is getting shit from civil rights activists... despite being a prolific civil rights activist for longer than those people have been alive. Also, the GOP is a complete disaster at the moment. Trump is getting 99% of the coverage despite being a complete moron.

@JohnTSmith-jw2gq

8 жыл бұрын

Falcrist According to CNN : Vice President Joe Biden received President Barack Obama's "blessing" to make a 2016 bid for the White House, according to a senior Democrat.But that's if Biden chooses to run -- the decision is his. While he doesn't need the President's permission, of course, a potential presidential candidacy was among the topics of their lunch Monday at the White House. The President made clear he would not stand in his way or counsel him against a run, the senior Democrat said.Trump vs Biden will be interesting.

@Falcrist

8 жыл бұрын

John T. Smith If I had to place a bet, I'd still bet on Clinton.

Sad but true. And should a country that grooms and destroys the innocence of its children have a right to survive?

Today, July 4th 2019, this short but insightful warning should be played on all networks, social media and radio's. We have a glimmer of hope, but unless something is done to turn the Progressive tide, our " Fall of Rome " moment is upon us.

@JackG79

2 жыл бұрын

With Biden and his Cronies doing anything, and Everything in their power to destroy American, and our military establishment, as well as departments of criminal justice so corrupt that they are nothing more than weapons for the leftists to turn on their political enemies. Lefts are NEVER arrested or prosecuted and blatantly flaunt the law and break the law, citing their superiority. ... Justice is only reserved to hurt Republicans and other Conservatives who dare express love of American and her founding principals. Even the media is nothing more than the Left Wing Propaganda arm of the Democratic Socialist party. So sad. our boys didn't go to Europe, and Japan to get Machine gunned for THIS. We didn't bury 80 Thousand US servicemen in France to push Socialism out of her borders because we wanted it in OURS... our WWI & WW2 Vet's who aren't rolling over in their graves, are literally crying, and depressed here at home. 68K dead Americans in Vietnam to stop the spread of communism to have people try to drag it here and destroy our nation. DISGUSTING!!

Very true! Even then, it could be seen.

Alistair Cooke is right on!

Wow. Spot on. Especially the “freakishness in the arts masquerading as originality.” Reminds me of that “Desmond is Amazing” little freak.

@JackG79

2 жыл бұрын

Reminds me of the whole Hunter Biden Debacle!!

@Stakker

Жыл бұрын

@@JackG79 ….eh??

Amazing.

How absolutely prescient.

April 2022. He was so right.

It used to be often remarked that decadence was a sure sign of imminent decline, I've noticed that that idea seems to have been lost. It's a long time since I've heard it.

@ctvtmo

8 жыл бұрын

+Lucia Tilyard Very insightful comment. Though it means the decline has only accelerated at a breathing taking pace.

Thanks for the post. You're on the right track.

It is happening in 2022

This man is legend to be sure.

I have to say he’s hit it right on in many instances

Superb.

Hard words to hear. True but hard to hear.

Our "leaders" should have paid attention to this guy in 73

That was a pretty brutal analysis. The willingness to relocate manufacturing to a predatory Machiavellian dictatorship practising economic warfare such as iptheft, strategic currency devaluation etc.... wasn't mentioned.

@englishtime7925

11 ай бұрын

He outlined some principles, such as the love of decadence and dependence on the state. He also didn't specifically mention Hollywood or the control of the media by 1 group. It's true that a lot of work which used to be done by Americans is now done by China. With a love of decadence this outsourcing of work (a form of discipline) is enabled, as people get by with less work. So he pretty much had it outsourcing to China covered.

Holy moly.

50 years on he is looking spot on. Not just for the US but the whole civilised West. We are allowing, nay encouraging the hollowing out of our civilisation from the inside

Nails it

His prediction is surreal.

Bravo, Mr. Cooke. Correct, unfortunately.

Here from Nerdrotic’s video

Back before the market was so flooded with information that it came to have no value...

Yikes...and this is way before today's GQP started jumping of the cliff like proverbial lemmings in 2016.😢

President Trump, had his state dinner in spite of, Muslim Mayor. We in the US still have no real dialogue with our internal foes. I believe, Great Britain is far more secure & ahead of us, they have much more experience than we do as do as well.

Where did you find this clip? It is a classic...

What a surprising reply although I welcome it. Blessings & Shalom,

I wonder what Alistair Cooke would make of the World today and recent events with the Trump presidency…

I've never discovered the identity of the wise Frenchman who is supposedly the source of the saying, "Liberty is the luxury of self-discipline." 1:56 .

@mirozen_

7 жыл бұрын

Alexis de Tocqueville

Damn...yet just another example of the decline and fall of America...

Decline of the world more like it to be sure.

@JohnTSmith-jw2gq

5 жыл бұрын

Exactly.

Reagan staved off the decline for a bit, but there is no doubt Cooke is quite prophetic.

@boggy7665

8 жыл бұрын

+ctvtmo The election of Reagan was a symptom of decline; his subsequent term accelerated it. To cite just one of many facts: When Reagan took office, the US was the largest creditor nation; when he left, the US was the largest debtor nation.

@tonytune4342

6 жыл бұрын

Reagan greased the slope.

@willardchi2571

4 жыл бұрын

Reagan caused the decline.

@gsolomonla

2 жыл бұрын

Reagan increased the gap in wealth and the decline of the middle class, nothing trickled down by giving more tax breaks to the wealthy, same for Trump, companies hoarded their 2017 tax cut windfall, bought back stock, didn’t invest in new tech, new jobs, or increases wages, average salaries, even for degreed professionals, have not increased with the rate of inflation the past 30 years, leaving the very very very rich and the rest left struggling and stagnant. When people go to college, learn a trade, and work real hard every day, they should be able to house, feed, and educate their children and live comfortably, have a good life, without worry, but people are working hard and struggling while more billionaires and CEOs are bonused millions every year on the labor of those unrewarded. Trump stirred the pot, getting his followers rowled up against the left, all of whom are in the same position, to distract them from his thievery for the super wealthy. He detests the people that voted for him and would never have a beer with them, too clueless to realize how he used them to get power. Turning Americans on each other, the incredible smokescreen, to seize power at the expense of our democracy and the participants won’t realize their role until we have no democracy and they have less than before they put their faith in Trump.

@DerKirchenhocker

Жыл бұрын

Not fair to pin the blame (or credit) on one certain president. The truth is that in a democracy the leadership merely reflects the populace.

I vote decline :(

Scorpio ♏️

It’s social engineering.

Eerily prescient!

The problem is in the mirror.

That's the contradiction in capitalism, isn't it. Gets you all kinds of stuff in short order; but its mandate is to ruin good things to meet its bottom line. We know this. That's why Jerry Seinfeld ended his show when he did. Any tv show, any magazine, anything at all that's around for too long gets ruined by the demands of capitalism. The machine is always going to notice there's a way to bring in more revenue/less overhead by getting rid of all the wonky iconoclastic programming on Nickelodeon and make it Disney-esque, plastic, standard, on network brand, barbie doll, mass produced versions of earlier wonkiness (for example). The machine doesn't care about right and wrong. It cares about responding to the market; and if the market is narcissist sjw fascist monsters then guess what your capitalist society is about to look like? America was the best idea; but shot itself in the foot with slavery. We had a good thing going, then the industrial revolution and mass forced schooling changed the system serving the people to people serve the system. We had a good thing going, then loan lending became a thing c. 1953 and by 1971 the wealth building homer ownership society was gone. Elon Musk is going to Mars, though, so that's something...

Americans are always arguing over questions of right and wrong. Decline is possible but not inevitable. Things may have been better in the past in some ways but the seeds of our problems were planted long ago. They didn't just spring up from nowhere. The breakdown of the african american family has its roots in the seperation of black babies from their mothers, for example.

@MikeJAk49

Жыл бұрын

The biggest user of abortion is black mothers.

@MikeJAk49

Жыл бұрын

Crazy how saying black family needs a complete family unit like a father and mother in the family somehow controversial.

So, what do you think? Is Trump decadence or vitality?

It's thought provoking speech, but given that it's been over 40 years since and life in America is very much better now than it was in 1973 [1], it's hard to find much predictive value in his observations. While I agree with most of his sentiments, I don't see that his collection of observations form a useful theory that tells us where the world is headed today. The world was fucked up in the 1970's. There was nothing to be optimistic about. All the indicators did seem to hint that the end was near. Pointing out how America was fucked and predicting more of the same in the future does not distinguish Alistair Cooke from virtually every other social pundit, critic, and commentator in the early 70's. [1] While I agree that the installation of Don Trump may perhaps be a sign of the impending apocalypse, his arrival is an acute event, a statistical outlier. Throw out that data point and I think America is a far nicer place than it was in 1973, but if I could trade a detail between then and now, I'd take Nixon over Trump.

@JohnTSmith-jw2gq

7 жыл бұрын

As just one example of our moral decline :Dr. Paulozzi, MD, MPH, states, “The mortality rates from unintentional drug overdose have risen steadily since the early 1970s.” Since 2000, these rates have reached historic highs. As of 2008, overdose death rates were between four and five times higher than those of the “black tar” heroin epidemic in the mid 1970s. Overdose death rates were also two times greater than the number of deaths that occurred from crack cocaine use in the early 1990s. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that drug overdose rates have dramatically increased since 1970. In 2007, 27,658 unintentional drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States. The CDC further reports that drug overdose deaths were second only to motor vehicle crash deaths among leading causes of unintentional injury death in 2007 in the US. “Among deaths attributed to drugs, the most common drug categories are cocaine, heroin and a type of prescription drug called opioid painkillers,” states the CDC.

@ProdicalMan

Жыл бұрын

Good ol trump derangement syndrome