But the Bush Administration is not the root cause of our societal problems. In 2004 the majority of Americans voted for Bush. We could simply say "the root cause is the stupidity of the electorate, too ignorant to understand the nuances and sophistication of effective government." After the election, a common chain e-mail purported to show how superior the average IQ of blue staters to of red staters. But the American people are not stupid, they are you and me. John Kerry, while succeeding in rallying much of his Democratic base, failed to communicate with them. Furthermore, by framing the election as some kind of intelligence test, one downplays the critical morality of politics. John Kerry did not make clear the immorality of Bush's policy. He talked about economic issues not in terms of the poor, the suffering, the millions of Americans without health insurance, or how it is wrong to leave a gigantic debt for future generations. It is no surprise that the biggest issue in the election was moral issues. But George Will is right, every political issue is a moral issue.
People in liberal circles would rather Bush bash, and feel superior to red staters, but they never try to understand why people vote Republican. They do believe they are doing the right thing and they do care about America. The root cause is a psychological backlash against the capitalist economy's incessant message of materialism, hedonism, and cynicism. The philosophy of our culture is extreme individualism. Today in America, the well being of the community is deemed much less significant than satisfying the desires of the individual. John F Kennedy+óGé¼Gäós lofty ideals are deemed quaint and historic. The result of this individualism is a loss of connection, a deep loneliness where no one is willing to sacrifice his or her interest for the sake of others. This philosophy is particularly evident in generation Y, our generation. ADD and depression are considered the norm, because every child is led to expect instant gratification and constant stimulation. Individual success is the ultimate goal, and people are judged not by their character, but where they go to school and their earning potential. Success, as defined by our society, devoid of any ethical standards, and disconnected from any cause bigger than the self, is unfulfilling and lacks meaning. This is in turn is why many kids my age turn to drugs and alcohol to escape the feeling of emptiness and to numb the present experience.
In order to overcome our deep psychological malaise reflected in our individualistic culture, we must as a whole embrace the unity of humanity, weather red state or blue state, American or Middle Eastern, pacifist or terrorist, with equanimity. Global problems will not be solved through more intelligence but by the cultivation of collective compassion. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, +óGé¼+ôThe great problems facing modern man is that the means by which we live have outdistanced the spiritual ends for which we live+óGé¼-ªThe real problem is that through our scientific genius we+óGé¼Gäóve made of the world a neighborhood, but through our moral and spiritual genius we+óGé¼Gäóve failed to make it a brotherhood.+óGé¼-¥
People vote Republican because they are more concerned with the lack of meaning in our culture, than with their economic interests. This is why so many people read The Purpose Driven Life. The democratic party must stand up not just for their economic rights, but americans basic humanity, which as long been trampled. This message would truly empower the people and return the democrats to power.