Anomie: when the norms of a society disappear or disintegrate; as when a president is blatantly above the law and the senate leader proudly serves corporations at the peril of citizens; where trust and the peaceful path to a predictable good life are missing for the majority.

It took a long time to strip America to this point, where “normlessness” and the lack of connection is so rampant that entire generations of youth have never known otherwise. This despair is a prime contributor to addiction, depression, and supremacy groups.

Without the peoples’ intervention, elected officials can only keep looting the country and being the rampant world aggressor. The work of governing and the welfare of citizens is essentially lost. People have become expendable, an unnecessary cost to capitalist democracy as practiced.

It’s not that people must use some French word to understand and prevent the crumbling of American society. But it is important to recognize that the conditions afflicting America are predictable and can lead to total collapse. With anomie, it always boils down to the welfare of the people versus the rulers’ resolve to keep all the money and power.

Anomie might be why prominent countries or civilizations tend to breakdown after a couple of hundred years. If America is going to buck the trend, it will be a testament to her strength and resolve. If America prevails and reasserts herself, it will not have been through electoral politics as they exist (and repeatedly fail the people) in 2020.

The absence and abuse of social support is well articulated by Bernie Sanders. Now they are weakly adapted into democratic political talk. It’s not clear that either of the two political parties are capable of addressing them as the class problems they represent, let alone doing something.

Disparities of income, health care, environment, etc. are all symptoms of anomie. Basically, unchecked political and economic power in America has engendered a ruling class that is free of legal and moral constraints.  

A Bit More on Anomie

To some, sociology is just another science to deny. But anomie is increasingly prevalent in America today. Americans are experiencing anomie just as Émile Durkheim of France defined it in the latter 19th century.  There’s plenty of documentation but it doesn’t take much to get the gist of it.

Thought leader Chris Hedges is knowledgeable and passionate about anomie and the peril we are under. He is ruthless in his efforts to bring awareness to thinking caring people. You won’t see him on MSNBC. He tells the story that mainstream politicians don’t want anyone to hear.

Note: big thinkers would say indifference and ignorance to broken norms are signs of anomie. Those that facilitate and benefit from anomie can only survive if surrounded by apathy.

Clearly, we are on the precipice of staggering change. As Walt Disney said, “Change is inevitable; growth is optional”.  Americans are beat down and are oh so tired, just as a strong effort is needed. But it’s not hopeless. We must stiffen our resolve and unify for the collective good. America can pull it off.

So, now what?

Here we are, subjected to ‘rule-less-ness’ and the rupture of social bonds. Anomie is is running amuck. We are experiencing quality-of-life breakdowns. And we want to turn it around and avoid societal collapse. So…

• Start and end with people. This is a working class issue. Those who are hungry or don’t know where they are going to sleep probably won’t be fighting the battles in terms of anomie. Sadly, far too many are already disconnected and we need to restore in them a feeling of belonging. Recognize they need you and the collective us.
• Don’t be diluted or distracted by the flim-flam of reform. Think major transformation. Do not accept or waste your time on electoral politics as they are, where both parties serve money masters. Socialism is not a bad word.
• See how the establishment is ramping up its war against the label of  socialism.  Anticipate the relentlessness with which they will be attacking anything other than the dual-party system, to continue taking turns in service to the rich rulers.
• Acknowledge that government as envisioned and needed is not what we have now. This is not to be antigovernmental – it is to be sure government serves the people and rises above dysfunctionality. We cannot accept such an abundance of politics, while only a small minority of those elected are even attempting to actually govern.
• Do not accept any lesser-of-evil candidates, which has never worked at any level of government. Such opportunism must be stopped, and new levels of accountability must be instilled across all candidates, at all levels.

Be ready to fight through a range of legislation and operating norms that are used against the mass of American people.

Samples include separation of powers, a supreme court that reflects the interests and will of the people, the policing that the RNC and DNC do on behalf of their money masters – and on and on. And consider the assaults on truth that must be addressed, and meaningful accreditations to stop lawyers from undermining society.

America Can Transform and Thrive Again

Let’s be clear that the transformation is only starting.  We will be in the stranglehold of politics-as-usual well beyond the 2020 election. But we must not be dissuaded by those who say it is impossible or impractical to get beyond the two-party system.  People on the left and right are increasing seeing corporate capitalism as the problem.

Most of our youth have never know what it would be like to be without anomie.  And they don’t have the old fears about socialism that the old politicians are resorting to.

There is a welcome rise in awareness and substance for new party action, beyond the tired historical approaches. Right now Wall Street has two parties, and the people have none that they can count on.

Capitalistic corporate politics has made people utterly expendable. They are depleted on issues of unity, leadership, and character. Trump’s only real error, in the eyes of his masters, has been the unrest he has engendered among the masses – else he might get another turn.

You might realize anomie is as deadly as the COVID pandemic, or that they are related sicknesses. And being at the precipice of anomie is not far from the precipice of fascism.

America has lost its place on the world stage. We should aspire to get back to a reality where, as America goes, so goes the world. Let’s get started by working for the meaningful return of wonderful America.