That is absolutely not what I'm suggesting at all.
I'm not talking about the size of the government, but about the attitude towards it and other large organizations, and to one's role in society.
I'm also not blaming "darned libertarians" (I do have a lot to say about "them", but HN isn't quite the place for such discussion) for anything. I'm simply saying that some axioms of the libertarian ideology have permeated throughout American society. This leads to a changing culture, and different cultures have different accomplishments.
Which type of accomplishment is "better" or more "important" is, again, subject to personal preference, and I'm not going to debate that. All I was suggesting is that the US hasn't accomplished recently the same kind of things it had accomplished in the past, may be in part due to a shift in attitude.
Well you made a great original comment, but unfortunately, some of the replies want to politicize your observation trying to assign a "side" to it. It's a very social sciences observation so it's hard to prove and for some probably even accept.
I'd add as further proof to your observation was look at how even government organizations position themselves in the last decades. Remember the army of one commercials that were meant to appeal to that very individualism attitude. Military in the US is the antithesis of individualism. If you join the military you are told when to wake up, how to dress, what to do, when you'll do it, and how you'll feel about it while doing it. Chain of command is rule number one in the military. It even has processes so that individuals can't be completely responsible. It's too dangerous. But, here we have a campaign to tell you that's not true, and in fact you have autonomy because that's what our society assigns value to now.
You are not judging it just stating an observation. There is no wrong or right to it.
I'm not talking about the size of the government, but about the attitude towards it and other large organizations, and to one's role in society.
I'm also not blaming "darned libertarians" (I do have a lot to say about "them", but HN isn't quite the place for such discussion) for anything. I'm simply saying that some axioms of the libertarian ideology have permeated throughout American society. This leads to a changing culture, and different cultures have different accomplishments.
Which type of accomplishment is "better" or more "important" is, again, subject to personal preference, and I'm not going to debate that. All I was suggesting is that the US hasn't accomplished recently the same kind of things it had accomplished in the past, may be in part due to a shift in attitude.