There are a lot of other phrases just as inaccurate as "pussification of American," like "defining deviancy down," or "bigotry of low expectations," that describe only tiny facets/symptoms of a much larger problem.
We're on a road to hell paved with good intentions. Many of the changes that have led us where we are now came about for good reason...but those changes became so extreme and were implemented with such fervor that they went from innocuous adjustments to assist some group of people or improve their 'self-esteem' (gag me) to morphing into an absolutely ridiculous society destroying pestilence.
Welfare: Not bad if it was applied correctly, and it probably was at one time. Then somehow it got morphed in such a way that a family in need didn't qualify if Daddy lived with Mommy...so Daddy, not wanting his kids to do without, moves out. This becomes a new norm, and...hey, why bother getting married, I can't live with my baby-momma anyway? Things fall apart from there, and now we have a permanent underclass (not all black, though this is definitely one of the major factors in the decline of Black America). We, as a society, didn't just endorse an immoral choice that ran counter to what our culture historically embraced, but punished people for not making that immoral choice.
That's just one example. We live in a world where you can't make any legitimate critical analysis of any protected group because, regardless of whether your points are valid, benevolent, and (God forbid) intelligent, you are worse than Hitler for doing so.
Since I started with Fred, I'll end this post with him:
Fred wrote:
As tensions grow in America, as divisions flourish, and the nation leads up to something unseen but ugly, prissy vindictiveness and moral sadism become normal. We have become a gotcha culture, watchful for transgressions meaningless but forbidden, so that we can make the malfeasor squirm. How we enjoy the squirming, the writhing on camera, the heavy punishments inflected for nothing.
Your Pal,
Jubber