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Ryan Nelson

Miss Margaret Lee

English 112

November 17, 2017

The Problem in America:

The Unconsciously Selfish Citizen

Anxiety levels are high with the thought of the holiday family political discussions

approaching. Many are trying to decide how they will handle the crazy conspiracy theorist

Uncle. This year instead of arguing about classic talking points, gay marriage, universal health

care or free education, discuss the reasons why the country is at the point where it is today. Aside

from the pilgrims bringing with them oppression of the natives and this wonderful tradition of

overindulging in gratitude, they brought a belief that has led to where this country currently is

today. The fundamental beliefs (individual rights, freedom of thought, right to own property,

etc.) that the United States of America were built on have evolved an unconscious selfish

mentality that has allowed corruption to grow in the American political system.

There is a clear problem with the politics in America. In a country where citizens are told

that “every vote counts”, many are left questioning the truth behind that statement when the loser

of the 2016 presidential election had almost 3 million votes more than the winner. (Krieg, pa. 2).

When most people would think that “gerrymandering” is a made-up word, politicians are using

that technique to take advantage of the American people. With one example coming out of North

Carolina, “The court found that 28 districts — 19 in the state House and nine in the Senate —

were drawn in a way that diluted the power of black voters.” (Jacobs, pa. 3). This is something

that goes beyond a couple bad apples in office. As former Vice President Al Gore says about the
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problem with the we are currently facing with money being involved with the government, “It is

the incestuous coupling of wealth and power that poses the deadliest threat to democracy.”

(Gore, pg. 73). The American principles of being governed by the people has shifted to a system

governed by who has the most money. When former President Jimmy Carter says, “Basic

agreements are made between lobbyists and legislative leaders.” (Carter, pg. 8), the American

people should start worrying. “A Gallup Poll taken in May 2006, for instance, found that only 11

percent of Americans thought things were getting better when it came to values. Eighty-one

percent said things were getting worse.” (Callahan, pg. VIII). This study shows that the majority

of Americans believe there is a problem but there is still nothing being done about it. How did

the American people get to this point? As George Lakoff puts it, “How did this happen? Because

the public has been largely unaware of the moral models governing our politics, since they are

part of the cognitive unconscious. The media has similarly been unaware. And progressives have

been unaware.” (Lakoff, pg. 91). Evidence supporting the claim that the public is largely

unaware comes from a study conducted by The Inter Collegiate Studies Institute, “The

Intercollegiate Studies Institute conducted a study in 2005 of what our nation’s college students

knew about the Constitution, American government, and American history that provoked the

American Political Science Association Task Force on Civic Education to pronounce that it is

‘axiomatic that current levels of political knowledge, political engagement, and political

enthusiasm are so low as to threaten the vitality and stability of democratic politics in the United

States’.” (Gore, pg. 255). This shows that our young, educated generation has a very low idea of

what is happening in the government. If the next generation of citizens are not engaged, do not

care, and do not know how our political system works, how can they make a change and

progress it forward?
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Where is the solution to this growing problem? To get to the core of the problem first,

look back to why this country came to be and second, look at an underlying part of the human

nature. The United States of America is a country that was built by people fleeing a kingdom

(England) in pursuit of freedom and equality. It was people attempting to get out of a system that

took away individual rights and forced the citizens to live as the governing wished, what jobs to

have, what gods to worship, etc. This is stated here, “The real story goes back several centuries.

Demands for individual autonomy have been growing in Western societies for three hundred

years—ever since the Enlightenment introduced the idea that every individual has unalienable

rights.” (Callahan, pg. 29). This will help explain how the political problem has gotten so far out

of hand. The underlying part of human nature that has helped with this problem is the ingrained

fear of anything different, as said here, “Throughout history, our innate fear of others-who-are-

different-from-us has combined all too frequently with some malignant dogma, masquerading as

a message from God, to unleash the most horrific violence and oppression in the repertoire of

hell.” (Gore, pg. 48).

The coupling of the American people’s desire for individual freedom and the innate fear

of anything different has allowed for a characteristic of unconscious selfishness to evolve in the

American mind. The dictionary defines “unconscious” as, “not perceived at the level of

awareness; occurring below the level of conscious thought.” (Unconscious). What had started out

with good intentions, the pursuit of happiness, freedom of commerce, freedom of thought and

religion, etc. has escalated to the point where the average citizen associates freedom with privacy

and independence. Because of this, most people would rather keep to themselves at home, in

front of a TV, rather than get involved in a political discussion with others. When the fear of the

different is added into the equation, people not only want to keep to themselves, they also dislike
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others that have contrasting opinions. This has created a “fend for yourself” mentality. As long

as you are living in comfort you don’t have to worry about anything but yourself. If another

person has a problem, they can deal with it on their own. This is where the unconscious aspect of

this problem takes place. People are generally good, when a disaster takes place, they usually

come together for the greater good. While this is a good characteristic, it is a sad truth that people

only come together for the greater good after something serious has happened. Most of the time

people are left to themselves, not being consciously aware of other people’s problems. These

gaps in awareness, or the unconscious times, have allowed the lobbyists and legislators to team

up and seek what is best for them and not for the American people as a whole. “The primary

mission of corporations is to maximize profits for their stockholders and executives, not to carry

out the moral missions of protecting and empowering citizens.” (Lakoff, pg. 135).

When dealing with such a large and abstract topic as the underlying cause of a countries

political problem, there will always be opposite views. Many on the left believe the problem

comes from the Republican Party’s conservative views, “Today, however, we have no choice but

to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party.” (Mann, pa. 3).

Thinking that the party in power has views that are different from the popular views, “When one

party moves this far from the mainstream, it makes it nearly impossible for the political system

to deal constructively with the country’s challenges.” (Mann, pa. 5). While many on the right

believe that the problem comes from having too much government, “As Ronald Reagan opined,

‘Government is the problem, not the solution’.” (Uhler, pa. 2). The older generation will usually

blame the younger generation, “Everybody has a millennial problem.” (Scott, pa. 1), saying that

they do not pay attention or care about what is going on in the world. Others will blame the

problem on the media, internet, and fake news, “One common argument in academic circles is
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that polarization and distrust have been intensified by the Internet, which is awash in

misinformation, funnels people into echo chambers, and provides forums for anonymous hate

speech.” (Achenbach, pa. 17). Many will doubt the existence of the unconscious, saying that

people are in control of themselves and blaming the unconscious mind is just a weak excuse.

While these may be surface issues, trying to fix these problems will only be a temporary solution

to a more serious issue.

A response to these opposing views is best said by Al Gore, “There are grains of truth in

all of these concerns. I have come to believe, however, that these perceived causes are actually

symptoms of a much deeper crisis.” (Gore, pg. 15). This is not to deny that some of the

opposition has truth to them, but to get to the bottom of the problem. When the left blames the

Republican right for the problems, Gore again says it best when he makes the statement, “This is

not a political issue. This is a moral issue. It affects the survival of human civilization. It is not a

question of Left vs. Right; it is a question of right vs. wrong.” (Gore, pg. 213). These problems

should go further than a political argument, they should go to the foundations of humanity. In the

big picture, humans are all related and should work toward the greater good of all. When the

Republicans blame the problems on government and push for smaller government and more

privatization, it is a good opportunity to describe what situations are best for each of the two.

“When might the privatization of government functions be appropriate? When there is no moral

mission involved, when the life-affirming role of government is not at stake… The danger in

privatization is that the profit motive may intervene and undermine the moral mission.” (Lakoff,

pg. 49). There is a time and place for privatizing government but when the wellness of the people

depends on it, that is when the government should step up. A company being invested in a

process because of the potential profit will make decisions based on economic gain and not on
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what best benefits the people. A good example would be health care or the education system. In

response to those blaming the millennials, Gore puts it nicely, “Indeed, most of our current

complaints are as timeless as the concern by middle-aged parents that the latest generation has

lost all respect for values and is well on the road to decadence.” (Gore, pg. 14). The older

generation complaining about the younger generation is an age-old tradition that doesn’t hold

much ground. Lastly, when the opposition denies the existence of the unconscious and claims

that it is just being used as an excuse can listen to Cognitive Scientist, George Lakoff explain,

“But what most people are not aware of, and are sometimes shocked to discover, is that most of

our thought—an estimated 98 percent—is not conscious… It is called the cognitive unconscious,

and the scientific evidence for its existence and for many of its properties is overwhelming.”

(Lakoff, pg. 9). The unconscious mind has been proven to exist and scientists are just starting to

discover the power it has over everyday choices. While the arguments against the American

citizen unconsciously evolving into a life of selfishness may sound appealing, they are just

problems that resulted from this happening.

Whether the blame is being put on the republicans, democrats, millennials, or whomever.

These are just surface wounds on a much deeper infection, the unconscious spread of selfishness

from the independent views this country was founded on, that causes the American citizen to

look at others, not as family but as foe. In an eternal competition with neighbors, nobody will

come out as the victor. “It requires the realization that empathy and responsibility are at the heart

of the moral vision on which our democracy is based, an understanding of real reason, and a

comprehension of systematic causation: of our connection to the natural world and to each other.

It also demands that we cultivate empathy, responsibility, self-reflection, and a sense of

connection, together with a full life based on them.” (Lakoff, pg. 117). Let this not be an attack
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on the American people or the country that has allowed these freedoms of expression but an

attempt to shed light on the issues holding this great country from becoming even greater.
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Works Cited:

Callahan, David. The Moral Center: How Progressives Can Unite America around Our Shared

Values. Harcourt, 2007.

Gore, Al. The Assault on Reason. Large Print Press, 2008.

Carter, Jimmy. Our Endangered Values. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2005.

Lakoff, George. The Political Mind: Why You Can't Understand 21st-Century Politics with an

18th-Century Brain. Viking, 2008.

Mann, Thomas E., and Norman J. Ornstein. “Let's Just Say It: The Republicans Are the

Problem.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Apr. 2012,

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lets-just-say-it-the-republicans-are-the-

problem/2012/04/27/gIQAxCVUlT_story.html?utm_term=.699d30a56ecc.

Scott, Eugene. “Analysis | Democrats and the GOP Both Have a Millennial Problem.” The

Washington Post, WP Company, 28 Sept. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-

fix/wp/2017/09/28/democrats-and-the-gop-both-have-a-millennial-

problem/?utm_term=.887138144ac8.

Achenbach, Joel, and Scott Clement. “America Really Is More Divided than Ever.” The

Washington Post, WP Company, 16 July 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/national/america-

really-is-more-divided-than-ever/2016/07/17/fbfebee6-49d8-11e6-90a8-

fb84201e0645_story.html?utm_term=.e995de602591.

Jacobs, Rusty. “Under Pressure, North Carolina Draws New Voting Maps.” NPR, NPR, 30 Aug.

2017, www.npr.org/2017/08/30/547065920/under-pressure-north-carolina-draws-new-voting-

maps.
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Krieg, Gregory. “It's Official: Clinton Swamps Trump in Popular Vote.” CNN, Cable News

Network, 22 Dec. 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/12/21/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-

popular-vote-final-count/index.html.

“Unconscious.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/unconscious.

Uhler, Lewis K., and Peter J. Ferrara. “‘Government Is the Problem, Not the Solution.’” The

Washington Times, The Washington Times, 17 July 2016,

www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/17/paul-ryans-task-force-government-is-the-problem-

no/.