When Did U.S. Decline Begin?

Hello and welcome to Montana Classical College. Today I am lucky to be joined by my friend Big Tuna. He has a substack called the Crux of the Matter, where you can find his podcasts / essays on politics, the human condition, and Christian ethics. I joined him for a discussion on the Christian Ghetto podcast with our friend Kruptos to talk about two of the most dynamic strains on the Right today, namely, Christian and Vitalist, and how they might fit together or not. Lately, Big Tuna has been writing insightful things about president McKinley, who by his account, is one of our best, and a man that contemporary leaders ought to look to for inspiration. The article that serves as the initial touchpoint for the conversation: America’s Forgotten Statesman.

We discuss the incredibly understudied 25^th president of the United States, William McKinley, the question of when American decline started in earnest, the effect of technology and capitalism on American habits (in the 1870’s), and the soundness of William Graham Sumner’s critique of the Spanish-American War.

Big Tuna is really able to bring history to life and I learned a lot from his skillful narration.