David Brooks writes an important column about the erosion of shared moral frameworks within American culture
Liberals may bemoan what they see as the "selfish individualism" of the marketplace, but what they don't understand is that such impulses were, traditionally, mediated through institutions like the church and school and other places where moral values were inculcated in the young.
With the rise of radical individualism -- and the half-century of relentless assault from many left-wing corners on shared moral frameworks like religion and patriotism (taken often to insane extremes
) -- we're left with youth that lack the vocabulary and even the mental scaffolding to articulate, address and think through moral issues.
And we will all pay the price -- especially the most vulnerable among us, not coincidentally, the group the left claims to care most about.