In a recent op-ed column in The New York Times (11/18/17), David Brooks touched a deep nerve. He reminded us that nations thrive when they have a compelling narrative about who they are -- a collective vision that serves to unify their citizens and mobilize them to strive for common goals. However, as Brooks observed, America has lost its way. If “the American dream” was already on life-support after the Great Recession, the 2016 election pulled the plug. The deep partisan divisions and obstructionism that marked the Obama years have given way to a broad agenda of social destruction and political corruption. From tax cuts for the rich and benefit cuts for the poor to gutting the EPA, undermining our judicial system, and targeting immigrants, a dark energy is on the loose that is threatening to undermine and destroy our democracy. If this continues, it cannot end well.
If we want to mount a counter-revolution against this corrosive force, we must create a new vision of our national purpose, along with a set of positive values and goals that can catalyze and guide our actions. Resurrecting some older narrative – a “mandate from heaven,” or the “iron laws of history” (read communism),
From Seattle
The New Narrative:
Why the
“Fair Society”
is the Way Forward
by Peter Corning