CASEPOINT last post was not directed towards you...
I am in agreement with you...I cant really think of men like those of the Past...like John Adams who wrote
” Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almight God...What a Utopia, what a Paradise would this region be”. - John Adams
Boy have we come a long way.
We have. Capitalism is a good system only if it is paired with religious influence and/or family values. If it is decoupled or practiced by an irreligious population or those without family values, then it becomes that cold-hearted, mean-spirited system the liberals claim it is naturally. Of course, really capitalism is just a tool, reflecting the values of the people who practice it.
Our main problem is we have a large segment of the population which is irreligious and estranged from family or never had it in the first place. This leads to a get-it-now mentality where the future and the past are ignored, other men and women are just competitors, and the concept of ultimate justice or a Judgment Day is foreign to so many. What inspired so many heroes of the past is the notion that they were each part of a larger, noble undertaking that will benefit their descendants if not themselves. We have lost that connection to and care for the future.
As far as what we can do: each must decide what he or she can do to fight the trends of today. Preachers should preach family, God and repentance. Teachers should focus on families, Constitution, economics. Workers should concentrate on ways to keep their companies solvent. Writers should write letters to the editor on bedrock American principles. Survivalists should help others prepare to survive in the event of extremis. All of us should be getting out of debt and able to move anytime with as little loss as possible. If we care, we need to use our talents however we can to assure our children and grandchildren have a chance at a decent, free life. Collectively, it could add up to a tremendous resistance to trends of today.