America is a sick society

[TnT]

(12-28-2016, 02:42 PM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote:

(12-25-2016, 07:05 PM)TnT Wrote: Yes, we are a sick society.

But then, what should we expect?  For the last 65-70 years, we have turned over the development and maintenance of our societal values to commercial television.

So why am I telling this story in a post about America as a sick society?

I don’t see it as just the kids who want to let it go, who want to disregard virtues and responsibilities in favor of playing with the neat toys our culture can provide.  The planet is warming?  Frack it.  The deficit is growing?  Cut taxes.  A lack of regulation contributes to economic collapse?  Cut regulation.

Somewhere near the bottom of things is a childish desire to disregard discipline and virtue, to build a snowman under the pretense that there won’t be repercussions.

An observation about something that startled and amazed me over the last ten years that relates to this:

The meme that's out and about tells us that our soldiers all suffered greatly from many deployments into the Middle East.  I know several firefighters and paramedics and EMTs who have been deployed.  Then return and go back to work at either one of the local fire services or EMS providers.

Then, surprisingly, they can't wait to be deployed again!!  Yes!

When I chat with them they tell me how much they enjoy the relative freedom, the cameraderie, the simplicity of life.  The "rules" are straightforward.  You work, you blow stuff up, you shoot stuff, you fly stuff, you eat, you sleep, you drink, you enjoy one-another's company.  And then people call you a "hero."  And you get to be a part of something that seems much larger than yourself.  

Quite a lot of self-actualization of a type that's rare and very hard to find in domestic society these days.