What Happened to America - Exploring the Decline of the US | Historical & Political Analysis for Modern Readers | Perfect for History Buffs & Social Studies Discussions

A superb study of the United States of America, and how it has grown and deformed over the last 200 years. Mr. Ryter concentrates his analysis on the 20th century, and the rise of banking syndicates, the 16th and 17th Amendments, the creation of the Federal Reserve System, and the F. D. Roosevelt presidency with the concomitant rise of government bureaucracy. Mr. Ryter, actually a pseudonym, opens a whole new side to U.S. history here, and a perspective that no doubt some people would want to keep unrevealed.The 16th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution created the federal income tax, and the 17th greatly reduced the power of the States at the federal level, via the election of Senators directly by the people. He also discusses how both Amendments were controversially "passed".Long, detailed, at times slow, but always well written and intriguing, the book at over 500 pages will take a little while to read. Yet as well it should, for Mr. Ryter is careful to place in many informative footnotes, often substantial, that will at times read as a sub text. Sometimes the footnotes will carry speculative or only probable information, but this is duly pointed out. It is his use of footnotes that may slow the reader down.The analysis of the 20th century continues with the Warren Court and judicial activism, with conjectures as to its causes. Mr. Ryter sees Globalism, the elites, and their various agencies, in the background as at least one significant cause. Finally, he has extended sections of the W. J. Clinton presidency, with First Lady Hillary Clinton's various health care proposals and ancillary projects.Clearly an outstanding study, and opens lines of criticism that even the informed citizen is unaware of. I believe "Whatever Happened to America" should be placed on the same level as Julien Benda's "Betrayal of the Intellectuals", and Bloom's "Closing of the American Mind". Benda is a philosophical work, Bloom is societal critique/philosophy, while Mr. Ryter is societal critique/political history. Therefore all three have different perspectives in their evaluations of the 'Decline of the West'. Mr. Ryter's appraisal and indictment of 20th, and now 21st, century America is important to read and can be viewed broadly as a critique from the political 'right'.Ryter ultimately focuses on the apparent coming globalism at the hands of various transnational groups, such as the Trilateral Commission, the UN, the CFR (Council on Foreign Relations), and the Bilderbergers, entities that have been in operation now, in one form or another, for 100 years... All in all, a unique and informed analysis.