What are parents and children up against today?

Doug Casey: It's very serious. Once upon a time, going to school and watching a movie or a TV program wouldn't endanger your kid's moral character, but now they do. And I ask myself: Where did the rot start, when did it begin?

There's an old saying: Tough times breed strong men; strong men result in good times; good times result in weak men, and so forth. I'm afraid that pretty much describes what's happened with the US.

We're following the path of all great empires in the past. After Athens became rich and prosperous, they fomented the Peloponnesian War, which resulted in their collapse. It happened to the Roman Republic, which fell away from its founding virtues, transformed into an empire, and became dissipated and soft. It's happened to Europe after it became rich and prosperous. Its conquest of scores of colonies has come back to bite it.