Violence in the Culture

I'm sure it comes as no surprise, but multiple threats have been called in to schools across the country. I make a habit of skimming the newspapers from swing states, I have seen arrests made in Minnesota, Nevada, and Florida. And the Washington Post reports of threats made in Arkansas, Massachusetts, South Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia, North Carolina,  and New York.

I think it's a sad state of affairs and a damning indictment of our culture. In The Spectator Steven Pinker, who has written a book on the decline of violence, reminds us that a lot of good things are happening in the world. But the media is has a thing for suffering. He mentions how people that follow the news often suffer burnout and increased anxiety.

I think he's right. My mother is something of a news addict. But every six or eight months she goes cold turkey, completely fed up with it all. I have to confess, I'm rather similar. One of the joys of living in China is not being subjected to America's 24/7 news cycle.

Simply put, if you have talking heads spouting stuff 24/7, most of what they say is crap. That's why I focus on print media, and mainly magazines at that. But back to the matter at hand, why are so many young people making threats?

Some will say, they're merely trying to get out of classes, but it's more than that, I think. There is a certain alienation that occurs in highly commercialized societies like ours. People, in order to differentiate themselves, become eccentric, indulging in a pseudo-individualism. I'm not sure I fully agree with that claim, but it creates in interesting perspective for viewing a lot of the eccentricities we've been subjected to of late.

In the end, whenever a school shooting occurs, the debate boils down to this:

Democrats: It's the guns, stupid!
Republicans: It's the culture, commie!

When Democrats hear that argument, they assume we're talking violent movies, music, and video games. But we're not. What I am critiquing is the rampant materialism of our society. As a culture, we no longer believe in human dignity. And maybe that is why so many people find themselves dissatisfied with life.

Liberty is important not because it allows a man to flourish economically. Liberty is important because man only realizes his full potential when he governs. This is why I am a Neo-Conservative. Democracy, be it a republic or a constitutional monarchy, is the only form of government that respects man's inherent dignity as a political being.