[November 14, 2021] The allure of irresponsibility is too strong to resist. Our most admired institutions (academia, the military, large corporations) are failing American citizens and hurting democracy through their encouragement of irresponsibility.
In academia, we are unfocused, individualized, and scattered. A cultural void has descended upon us and hit unexpectedly, for we were not on guard. Ignorance of the past, a sense of rootlessness, and an aimlessness are as pervasive as the ocean is necessary for a great sailing ship.
Our military has gone Woke in its overemphasis in meeting the demands of transgenderism, critical race theory, and politicalized Generals and Admirals. Over medaled high-ranking and distracted leaders now have rejected their once primary mission to support and defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Large corporations jumped on the Woke bandwagon and fired employees who hold different political opinions, tell jokes, or refuse to donate to radical causes. Their money influences elections and requires voting for “their” candidate or being terminated from their jobs.
We no longer have a society with different opinions. Irresponsibility is much easier. If you buck the system, you’re out on your butt. If you can tolerate nonsense and wrong ideas, then you are part of the “elite” or the “in-crowd.” Irresponsibility is not just tolerated but demanded of you.
“Democracy is one of the rarest, most delicate and fragile flowers in the jungle of human experience … it relies on free, autonomous and self-reliant citizens and extraordinary leadership.” – Donald Kagan, American historian and classicist
Dr. Kagan is clear that such a democracy relies on educated citizens. Meaningful freedom means that you have choices to make. There must be intellectual diversity, debate, and a rigorous adherence to standards of excellence. And disagreement. The protection of freedom of speech is paramount for this to be successful. Freedom demands responsible citizens.
The fight to shape free citizens in schools, through the media and in the public square goes on. There is no hope for anything if you don’t have a population that buys into a solid and free society. That can only be taught. It doesn’t come in nature. Responsibility is necessary and required.
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Once again, Gen. Satterfield has nailed it. This article is an example of drawing attention to a problem that we all somehow understand but never really had it in front of our thinking. The allure of “personal” irresponsibility is the new, but proven wrong, way of doing things in America. How fast we have fallen?
The ALLURE is there and cannot be ignored. I never gave this much thought but now it makes a lot of sense.
Yes, amazing that once you read something like this, the idea immediately pops into your head and you say, YES, makes a whole lot of sense.
Wow, Gen. Satterfield, well written. Scary but explains a lot.
Gen. Satterfield and Dr. Kagan are couching this irresponsibility in terms that lead me to believe it is destructive at the societal, democratic government level too. That is a scary proposition. I’m not seeing many others writing about it. Maybe they just don’t “see” it but I do. Great article here.
Yes, irresponsibility IS much easier. Rely on your neighbor. Just like the old story of the ant and the grasshopper getting ready for winter. One gets ready, the other relies on his helpful neighbors. This is one of the meta stories of human history.
https://www.kidsworldfun.com/shortstories_antandgrasshopper.php
MORAL: WORK TODAY AND YOU CAN REAP THE BENEFITS TOMORROW!
Dr. Jordan Peterson, so often referenced by Gen. Satterfield, says this is making a sacrifice today for a gain for tomorrow. It works. Today many are taught to take what you can NOW and not worry about tomorrow. No wonder we have such irresponsible kids these days.
Right, we call it ‘delayed gratification.’
The more irresponsible we are, the more politicians love us. Just look at Blacks in America. If they follow the same line of thinking to be on the government hand-out machine, the more they get. But along with that, they also lose their most important task of having a family and good community.
Right, encouraging irresponsibility means encouraging it in every sphere of our lives. Including the family. The Black family has been failing since at least the 1960s. Look at it now when over 90 percent of Blacks are born into single family households. Look at their crime rate, suicide rates, and death rates. The connection is obvious. Our govt continues to encourage irresponsibility and Gen. Satterfield nails it with this article. Well done, Gen. S.
YES! Why can’t we “see” this problem? I suggest IMHO that our media is in bed with the government and encourages irresponsibility too. Bad problem. Great article from Gen. Satterfield. Thank you!
I never thought of it this way, Max and Rev Cain. Thanks. What I would like to see are areas of the country where communities encourage doing your duty (your responsibility) and observe how they do compared to other areas. Gen. Satterfield nailed this one.
Excellent discussion. Much appreciated. Now, the next step is “what to do?” 😊
Easy, kick out politicians and school boards and keep kicking ’em out until they fix the problem. Get their attention. That is starting to happen, very slowly but I still see it. Hold them accountable.
Pow, got that right.