Crisis of Confidence

Jimmy Carter’s speech as he addressed the US in 1979, talked about a growing doubt about the meaning of our lives and the loss of a unity of purpose for the nation. He said the erosion of confidence is what threatens to destroy countries. The fabric of society used to be woven by strong families, close knit communities, our faith in God and pride in hard work and a job well done. These shared values have been replaced with owning and consuming things. There’s not enough stuff in the world to fill that longing for meaning in our lives. Consumption isn’t making us any happier. Society is getting sicker and sicker, and the solution isn’t more meds. We are confronted with a moral and spiritual crisis and a growing disrespect for government, churches, schools, news media and other institutions. Classic liberals, small ‘c’ conservatives and reasonable middle folks seem to have evaporated as we wrestle with culture wars, forever wars, war on drugs, political and corporate corruption, inflation, climate change, etc. I certainly feel the decline in optimism. No one is carrying a vision of the future that we can fully trust. Am I the only one? There’s never been a time when everything is perfect. We have conquered terrible things in the past and overcome massive obstacles and there’s no reason to assume we can’t do the same thing again. Jimmy Carter’s speech reminds us that we are heirs of generations who survived threats much more powerful and awesome than those that challenge us now. Our fathers and mothers were strong men and women who shaped a new society during the great depression. They carved out a new chapter of peace for the world. To rebirth the Canadian spirit, we need to regain the strength of every household. We can’t rely on the divisive and visionless leaders we have today. We need communities to unite with a shared vision. We don’t need a protector. We need each other.