We no longer have a majority who believe in the founding principles.
Ours is a failed system and we are to blame.
Everyone seems to be in loot mode, rich and poor alike - the bankers, auto companies, the auto companies unions, our senior citizens, the leisure class etc. Not to mention politicians who pat themselves on the back for cutting 1/10th of 1% out of a budget that has gone up 1,000 times the 1/10th of 1% they cut.
Sadly, I think your "every man for himself" analogy is quite true. It makes one wonder if we're all not picking at a carcass at this point.
We no longer have a majority who believe in the founding principles.
Comprehension of founding principles isn't the only vital "pillar" of America that's crumbling. Other pillars such as property rights, the family, free markets, education, our collective moral ethos, civic awareness, culling of natural resources, industrial prowess, the financial system - the list goes on.