This is Part 1 (of 4) of an essay by Pam Geller. Courtesy of Google, we learn she began her publishing career at The New York Daily News and subsequently took over operation of The New York Observer as Associate Publisher.  She left The Observer after the birth of her fourth child but remained involved in various projects including American Associates, Ben Gurion University and Senior Vice-President of Strategic Planning and Performance Evaluation at The Brandeis School.

by Pam Geller
"I am a student of history.  Professionally, I have written 15 books in
six languages, and have studied history all my life.  I think there is
something monumentally large  afoot, and I do not believe it is just a
banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis.  Yes, these exist
but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now
coming into a sharper focus.

"Something of historic proportions is happening.  I can sense it
because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people
react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something
happening within our country that has been evolving for about 10 - 15 years.
The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.

"We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing
our economy.  Why?

"We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history,
and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why
we are worth preserving.  Students by and large cannot write, think
critically, read, or articulate.  Parents are not revolting, teachers are
not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity.  Why?"