You need to read some Leo Strauss. I think he was on to exactly your point. A society without absolute moral values that endlessly promotes the notion of individual liberties is left rudderless, without unifying social structures to keep it afloat. He theorised that America needed myths to believe in - whether they were absolutely true or not didn't matter. Step forward, the neocons!
Happy reading :)
"You need to read some Leo Strauss."
Oh, I don't think so. Strauss was a pointy-head, and for those of us who are middle-aged and have learned the meaning of life the hard way, through living it, sitting around and reading people theorize about the meaning of life isn't interesting either. Where's the suspense? Will he get it or not? Who cares? After all, he's dead now, so it can hardly matter whether he got it or not. ;) Besides, I once decided that I was going to study the history of philosophy, just because I wanted to know it, to be an educated person, so I started with one of those old Greeks, I forget which one. Well, after about 20 pages of him I put it down in disgust-- reading it was like arguing with teenagers. Let me tell you, if arguing with teenagers is your job, it's the last thing in the world you want to do for entertainment!
Anyway, I can tell that you're a modern person, who lives below what Francis Schaeffer would call the "line of despair". From my own experience, the best thing to do about the whole "meaning of life" question is to quit worrying about it and just jump in and LIVE life. It takes courage and energy, and will cost piles of money and break your heart, but hopefully before you're dead you'll figure it all out. I feel pretty lucky to have it figured out at only 45-- I regret a little that I didn't understand more sooner, because it would have saved me a lot of suffering, but my regret is far outweighed by my gratitude to finally GET IT. Now I get to spend the rest of my life knowing what the hell I'm doing and why, and maybe I'll be able to pass along some of that to younger people, if only subliminally, as they see my joy and wonder at the reason for it.
Good luck!