I want to talk to you right now about a fundamental threat to American democracy. . . . I do not refer to the outward strength of America, a nation that is at peace tonight everywhere in the world, with unmatched economic power and military might. The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation. . . .
Jimmy Carter from 1979’s The Malaise Speech
Other than the peace part (we certainly aren’t at peace around the world right now), Carter’s infamous speech rings painfully true today. America, the greatest nation on this Earth, is in a mental slump. We’re freaked out. Uninspired. Just clinging on for dear life. The economy over the past three years has beat us up. Our jobs have changed. We make less money. Some of us have lost our homes.
And with 70% of our economy being driven by consumer spending, that’s a huge problem. Our wallets are sealed. We’re upside down in our homes. We’ve battened down the hatches.
Our leaders, both business and political are thinking of themselves: Their next bonus. The short-term bottom line. The next election.
The one thing that Ronald Reagan did that truly made a difference was that he worked hard to make America believe in itself again. There is no one like him on the political scene right now. As much as I’d love to see the cavalry march in from Washington, it isn’t happening. We’re on our own.
But that’s OK. We’re capable of greatness. We’ve proved it over and over as a nation.
We’re having a massive midlife crisis. We’ve been knocked down — hard. My prayer is that this country will be guided the way that it has been in the past during its deepest crises. We can lift our way out of our current malaise. My prayer is that we find a way as a nation to do just that. To become great again.
