Toynbee's assessment is a bit over my head in some respects. I think he is characterizing narcissism and arrogance in government. But that and even the disconnect in values is not the main theme of the US's decline.

The main problem the US faces above all else is corruption and financialization of every aspect of life. Everything in our culture is either to exploit, or to be exploited for profit. Medical system, higher education, automotive market, energy market, the food industry, pharma, etc.

Nothing in this country is considered worth doing unless you are fucking someone else hard.

For one example, the entire homelessness "assistance" industry in a state like California where most managers and executives in the NGOs make upper 6 digit salaries, and the problem keeps getting worse regardless.

But the narcissism and arrogance makes our corruption straightforward and understandable.

I do completely agree that our country is in a death spiral, and Trump is NOT going to save anything just because of the scope of the issues. Sic: the national debt as it is now cannot be paid off unless the US miraculously quadruples its GDP from a normal peacetime level. If Trump goes in hard on illegal immigrants he will likely spark a very bloody actual civil war - there are 40+ million illegals.