Lasch wrote those words nearly 30 years ago in a book he called The Culture of Narcissism. And the proof of his argument is around us everywhere today. Toshiba now markets its latest laptop computer as the real meaning of freedom. Of course, the real real meaning of freedom the freedom built on personal restraint, self-giving and moral character which John Paul II talks about in the Gospel of Life and elsewhere, is barely part of our national conversation any longer. The reason is simple.
Restraint gets in the way of production and consumption.
The heart of this culture consists of three sins. The first is pride. For however long it lasts, we re still the only superpower on the planet. The second sin is fear. When you have a lot of stuff, you have a lot of stuff to lose.