America Faces An Ethics Crisis

William Bennett, a Harvard professor of Political Philosophy, holds that the moral status of modern America can be regarded as critical for several reasons.

This American scholar, who has released eleven authentic books on politics, government, and community in the U.S., stated that the U.S. is facing an ethical crisis day in and day out because it is burdened with a high rate of violent crimes, increased rates of divorce, suicide by young people, declining educational standards, a growing number of fraudulent relationships, and many other factors. He reiterates that American society can hardly stand such shocks and troubles and that such crises can bring the society to its knees.

America evolved on the sidelines of Europe. European criminals were relocated to settle it just as was done in the cases of Canada and Australia. Following their history of violent behavior, European criminals tamed America by eliminating the native peoples to open spacious ways for the incoming migrants. These immigrants entered the Promised Land to survive.

After the initial settlement, more cultured people entered the land as time passed by, and America found a new way forward.

The next step was to become independent of Europe and gain a national identity. Finally, America came to be, but with a deep incompatibility between the first generation Americans (violent or southern citizens) and the next generations (cultured or northern citizens). They had to settle their differences, so South-North war broke out. Northern (cultured) Americans won the war and controlled the Southerners; Americans inherited the violence of the Southerners in their soul and body. Such violence was guided by the administration and culture of the Northern Americans. The government struggled to achieve prestige and credit for Americans in their relationships with Europeans.

The Americans' sense of inferiority troubled them. They had to find an independent and self-generating identity, yet the question remained: what should this identity be based on?

American individualism implied to them that it should be drawn from national heroes: in a sense, from American leaders. Therefore, the first generation of American leaders emerged as champions who intended to create America in opposition to Europe. For this reason, presidents with self-confidence and morality appeared one after another. All of them tried hard to establish a unified America with increased power and esteem. Some of them remained charismatic and in fact became sacred models for the people of America. They were leaders rather than simply presidents. They made efforts to improve their morals and virtues, to become more charismatic. In fact, America turns out to be the real America of today thanks to their charisma. In regions where there is no integrated and well-restored structure, charismatic leaders can play a leading role for growth and development.

The U.S. became powerful internally and externally, first through individual power, and then through the manifestation of public resolve. When World Wars I and II spread across Europe, the U.S. won the wars not by fighting ground battles but by use of money and munitions, thus becoming a post-World War II superpower over Europe and the former Soviet Union. As a superpower, it grew stronger militarily and economically, leaving behind its pre-war leaders. This time, the strong structure of America was more important than charismatic personalities. As a result, presidents came to power who were ethically inferior. During Kennedy’s term of office, the Democrats' behavior damaged America's public morality. Kennedy’s revelry and debauchery overwhelmed the moral unity of the American family. This sort of thing later turned out to be routine behavior among Democrats. By so doing, they tried to show that they were intellectuals who were above moral concerns, and they reflected that attitude as symbolic of religious freedom and human rights. Examples of such behavior include Jimmy Carter with his comments on lust and Bill Clinton with his sex scandal.