Dakota Beacon

The question is “Are Americans more satisfied with their federal government today than they were five years ago?” Listen to the resounding “Nos.”

It is insufficient to point to the Obama administration and ascribe blame to incompetence, inefficiency or stupidity. This is not the answer. Obama and his minions know exactly what they are doing, where they are going and how to get there. Throughout both of his presidential campaigns he told America his goals and objectives. There was no secret. And the mainstream media did not vet him. He was their man.

So, who or what is really to blame for our predicament? The answer is not simple and the truth is embarrassing. Look to your left. Look to your right. Look to your neighbor. Obama won his first term with 52.93% of the popular vote. He won his second term with 51.06% of the popular vote. The majority of the people wanted Obama for whatever reason. In return we got his czars and extreme leftist administration. What’s wrong with the electorate?

There is no single answer for the electorate’s behavior but rather a multitude of factors. We might begin with three sociological components: home, school and church.

The disintegration of the traditional nuclear family over decades can assume some of the responsibility. Too often youngsters passed through adolescence without acquiring sound values. Such values were regarded as old fashion. Result? As adults they were challenged by what standard they measured right and wrong, good and bad? In exercising citizenship this makes all the difference.

Certainly much blame can be laid at the feet of the education system including primary, secondary and higher education. How much of our knowledge of history, civics and government should be preserved and incorporated in our conversation? Overall, the US ranks lower in general knowledge than some countries which were once identified as “second world” or even “third world.” Our education system struggles to produce competent graduates for the work force much less as effective citizens.

The theological leg of the sociological stool, Christianity, has slowly morphed into a variety of little more than religious clubs to be casually joined or rejected at one’s fancy. The bedrock of Christian understanding as the foundation of our government, our legal system and our mores has atrophied or otherwise been expelled from our culture.

Beneath the cultural decline lies a more serious malady. We have arrived at the trivialization of American public discourse. Public discourse has, in many ways, become a form of baby talk. Logic and rhetoric have lost their authority. The written word demands more of us than we are capable of giving and we have sought the easy way out. Public education, politics, religion and history are generally expressed in storybook images. This eases the stress of thinking issues through to conclusions. The truth of our history has become irrelevant. Serious topics end up being communicated as entertainment.

In religious and political discourse as well as education the demand for entertainment takes precedence over rigorous learning. Businessmen understand that selling products must rely not on facts but on music, comedy, celebrities and other forms of entertainment.

Even sober TV news is reduced to one more entertaining show featuring handsome men and beautiful women. Commercials announcing cures for erectile dysfunction or hemorrhoids may appear at anytime during a news story. How serious do we take a thirty second sound bite about a car bomb killing dozens that is preceded by an advertisement for a Caribbean cruise? Serious subjects are reduced to trivialities.

How else can you explain the election of an administration that openly advocated transforming America from what we have always known? What other explanation is there?

It is difficult to treat the topic of cultural trivialization in 700 words or less, but there is much more to be said.

With this social environment, why should we be surprised at our current government? I object to our cultural drift, but whatever “fix” is forthcoming will probably not happen in my lifetime.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at P. O. Box 337, Stanley, ND 58784 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).