Responses in 2009
To A Study Of Our Decline

December

27th

Adam Cassidy, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Hi, Just dropped in on your writings, thought your short biography was brutally honest — truth is sacrosanct, I feel that very strongly in what you say, and agree that it needs to be said, or we will never move beyond it.
Thanks for injecting some honest critical thought into this world, it is both laudable and inspiring.

1st

Tina Gould, Sacramento, California

My heartfelt thanks I want to thank you very much for your website ourcivilisation.com. which I discovered about 2 weeks ago and am so very impressed by everything I have read so far. It's a masterpiece. I loved reading your concluding comments, that as sad as it is to verify our civilization's decline, there is the matter of truth at hand and to speak the truth and to acknowledge the truth is the higher right in our lives. These are my words restating what I heard from you words.
Well, I wanted you to know that I am very appreciative of all your study and hard work which brought forth your website.
If from time to time, when I have a question may I email you?
My husband wants to know what I am to do with all this information that I'm gleaning from reading your postings. To date, I haven't found the best answer to his question. I know that reading your postings helps me to understand what is taking place and to feel more pity rather than anger at the process. But I know there's another reason why I immediately sensed after reading just one of your postings that so many of my "life-questions" had been answered. I believe it's because your site speaks truthfully and truth has enormous power since (I believe) all truth comes from God. The real God, the true God, The One Who use to be worshipped by Western Civilization before He was deposed by us, in favor of ourselves. It is very sad but to everything there is a lifespan and you have captured so precisely the full spectrum of our civilization's decline.
Thanks again for such an amazing website.

November

30th

John

A Letter from France You know, I do have to say that I first I was a sceptic about some of the ideas on this site, but I now see that most of the things mentioned here are actually happening. I am a student living in Paris (I'm a Franco-American), and I can tell you that you're pretty accurate. Never-ending new laws strip away our civil liberties, but people don't care much about the community anymore. People, in general, are less and less helpful. Multiculturalism means that I can be persecuted for any stupid remark I make, whether educated or not — I am afraid that most of the time I have to conceal my political opinions to myself. I feel that France, in general, is becoming increasingly foreign to it's culture and moving more and more into a Western Style generic consumerist state. The privatization of national enterprises, which run worse than their nationalized counterparts (do the some 30 suicides at Orange, formerly France Telecom, ring a bell?), is a good example of some of these destructive changes. It's not like it matters anyway, as many people don't care much for nationalized companies.
Graffiti invades every corner of this town (even on touristic monuments). As a regular subway user, I have to deal with an increasing amount of people who jump across ticketing barriers, people who play loud music on their phones (I once asked one of them politely to turn their volume down, and of course, I ended up being the one at fault), people degrading public owned materials, and the like. I don't feel that we are nearly as cohesive, in terms of a culture, than before.
Multiculturalism has introduced an invisible barrier between immigrants and native French (as you may have seen, some of these tensions rose in 2005 and 2006). You cannot even travel to some suburbs (referred to infamously as banlieues here) because they are simply too dangerous to go to. The socialist run system that most of Western Europe is using is slowly failing as people care less and less about this socialism and community and prefer caring more and more about themselves.
We are so advanced in our technological age, yet we have less and less time to do things, and yet we seem to become dumber. Mobile phones make us available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; computers make sure we never miss a day at work (or at school, for that matter); and it give us less and less free time to enjoy. And although we have less and less time to enjoy, it seems that we are becoming dumber and dumber.
The Bac system (used to get the French equivalent of an exam-based secondary education diploma), gets less and less challenging every year as the curriculum is adapted to students who simply don't care about being educated, as they are distracted by this technology. I am in a Prépas class in France (about 5% of students that go into tertiary education choose this course of action, as it is a very intensive course in math, physics, especially in my course of action taken), and we have spent the last 3 months (200 pages of math notes) simply catching up with what a Terminale (12th grade) student knew in 1970.
I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to think the world of tomorrow, spiraling into a darker, and steeper decline will look like. I complain and try to help fix things, but I alone and too small to make a difference, and authorities have become too incompetent to properly listen to me. People vote for other people in politics as celebrities, not as thinkers. We don't care about one another, each of us living in our little isolated corners. And before we know it, an equivalent of George Orwell's 1984 will be right under out feet, except it will be more isolated than ever.

October

22nd

Dave Griffiths,Devon, UK

I cannot find much to disagree with in your essay. It mirrors accurately the situation brought about here in the UK by our pragmatic government (supported by all the major opposition parties). The quasi-religious middle-class 'Green Meanies' who delight in the discomfiture of hard-working small businesses and road users are regarded with respect by our politicians, whereas the working population, who earn a living through muscular activity, are ignored, penalised through a system of ever increasing stupid legislation, and are suffering from the effects of the very points you have raised. More power to your elbow!

21st

Laura, from Arizona, USA

I agree with Bryan Smith's comments only I'd say
bloody brillant.

8th

Bryan Smith,Canada

Just thought I would drop a quick note and say that I think your page, or pages are brilliant.

August

6th

Jeff Nolen

Thank you By accident I cam upon your website when researching on global warming for a college course I am taking I am 49 and had the oppurtunity to go back and earn a Bachelors after reading through your website this exactly what I have been talking to people about for years. I have always been a fan of history with the belief we are doomed to repeat it. Thank you again I do not feel alone in this now and am reaching out to other people with the truth.

February

15th

William B Hammond

Dear Philip, Your insight is quite extraordinary and as time passes more proof of your theory becomes evident. However, the subject of decline does nothing to lift the spirits and I imagine, requires great mental stamina to continually write about. For that reason I am only able to dip into your work occasionally, as compelling as it is to continue reading. Best Wishes

8th

Professor Tinko Eftimov, Bulgaria

Dear Mr Atkinson, I am really delighted to find your thoughts on political correctness on the Net.
As a person who witnessed the fall of a politically coirrect system as communism was, I was shocked to find out how far in the same dead-end alley the "democratic" West has advanced.
It takes guts to write about that, and it will take even more courage tomorrow, iunfortunately.

I plan to set-up my own web site and elaborate on these matters. I shall contact you later as well. My hearty support for your work Sir! Pleasure reading your writings!

3rd

Dennis

Very well written. Glad I stumbled on this site. I as well as others believe exactly what is being said. Good Job!

January

24th

Kaye Ward

i have not even finished your excellent treatise on morality but i had to write to you to say thank you so very much for the light of truth — i have never seen such a perfectly accurate — sensible and SANE perspective on our situation just to know that there is one such as you who understands the plight of the world in very clear rational terms is a blessing — please keep up the good work — i must get back to the site! thank you

11th

Dee Wynne (New Jersey,USA)

DEar Mr. Atkinson, TOday is my lucky day (1/11/09. )While researching the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbons,I came across your website and read just a small amount of your comments and theories. I had to drop whatI was doing to tell you that you have turned on my lights. If I were a lightbulb,I was perhaps 100 watts. After a few minutes reading your thoughtful exegesis of the decline of civilization, the wattage went to 250, then 300. So, here I am telling you I will not stop even to comb my hair today. I am so excited to be the the beneficiary of your generosity. I am incapable of expressing myself the way you have, so I feel like I am sharing your brain. I'm going back right now to asborb your profound wisdom. Your words resonate deeply within me because I am considered politically incorrect by many because I believe in liberty and the right of everyone to express their thoughts without persecution. Warm good wishes, Your best fan,

5th

Richard Deeks

WELL SAID —Hi I have just had a quick read through your site and to my surprise found out we have not only shared a similar vocation (I am a software developer) but also similar opinions.
I am a 37 yr old married with one child Australian of English heritage.
Personally I am surprised to read someones with what appears to be such similar views. For the last 10yrs for fear of being called a racist (even though I financially support 3 children on 3 different continents) I have tried to point out the futility of multiculturalism, the decline in free speech and the rampant greed and corruption that is taking over Australia.
I often find myself defending the difference between being racist and not accepting the multicultural lies, whilst this country gets sold out.
Unfortunately as the average IQ in Australia is more akin to my weight in kgs (and I am not fat) I think it is an uphill battle. I have all but resigned myself to simply watching the decline take place.
What amazes me in this country we have had political prisoners in the guise of Pauline Hansons trumped up charges that led to her imprisonment. This is Australia for Pete's sake not the USSR. Regardless of who or what she is whether you agree or not the powers that be deemed her dangerous enough to attack the person not the policies and finally resort to locking her up, and none of the mentally incapacitated public could see the issue as bigger than her. Its about political freedom.
Like I said I have resigned myself to watching the decline of the country. Having had two Grandfathers who have fought for the "freedoms" we are losing. I personally would never pick up a gun for this country.