You don't have to look far to realize most Americans feel their country is rolling downhill. In fact, I just Googled "survey" + "America" + "decline" and turned up 31.9 million results.
Evidence for decline
To some degree, evidence of decline is relative, a matter of perspective. For example, strong cases can be made that …
• Our morals are worse than ever. When you study movies and music, observe the behavior of public figures, think about the degradation of sexuality, and generally look at how people dress and behave, you can confirm the feeling. But compare those actions to the systematic immorality of Jim Crow laws and the cultural abuse of people of color in the mid-20th century, and you can see evidence of improvement, at least in some areas.
• Government has declined. You can make an excellent case for this point, particularly the blind and brazen partisanship that characterizes lawmaking at the state and federal levels. (Certainly, I am far from being the only American who feels neither party represents me, since the nominating process of political candidates rewards extremism and ignores the broad middle.) But students of history can point to previous examples of partisanship and extremism. Think how McCarthyism dominated post-War America two generations ago.
• Business is morally bankrupt. Every time I read the news, or watch or listen to programs that explain the financial crisis that has plagued our society for the past three years, my head spins and my heart aches. A cadre of business elites made obscene fortunes but produced nothing. The best way to describe it is they figured out how to bet on national and global financial markets and transactions, and they set themselves up to make fortunes, even when millions of people lost life savings, retirement funds and jobs. Still, you can look back and see where similar oligarchies prospered on the backs of the populace generations ago.
• Our educational system is failing our children. Sports at the collegiate and professional level have been corrupted by the super-wealthy. Civility is eroding by the day. The climate is deteriorating rapidly. Other nations are taking our place as global leaders in practically every field.
Dickens got it right …
Still, we are blessed compared to most nations. To a large degree, our age echoes the opening lines of Charles Dickens' masterpiece, A Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way … ."
Damnable selfishness
The common denominator — or perhaps I should say, a common denominator — of our decline and degradation is a human trait as old as humans themselves. Selfishness.
Every problem facing our country today could be solved by wise, patient selflessness.
The illustration comes from the extremes: For example, some people don't want to pay taxes, and other people don't want to work. Yes, that's extreme, but it represents claims and arguments we hear every day.
Seek the good … for everybody
The way forward is for all Americans to seek the good of the whole. This requires sacrifice — individual sacrifice — by all residents. We all give up some things. We all gain a future for our children and grandchildren.
Describing what should be given up, and how, and what is recieved in return would require a book, not a blog. But the first step is to work on our attitudes: What can we — what can I — do without or make do with less in order to ensure a stronger, more stable country with a brighter future.
I'm praying for leaders to arise who exemplify that kind of courage, commitment and selflessness. Leaders who will speak truth to all Americans. Leaders who will not be bought, either by financial contributors or party kingpins. Leaders who affirm the value of hard work, education, honesty and commitment, but who also realize some of our fellow Americans need to be taught the way to those virtues.
If the gift at America's 235th birthday party were commitment to the common good, the 236th and coming birthdays would be much happier.
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