A Widespread Loss of Faith

In "Americans’ Confidence in Its Leaders Hits New Low," Bill George details the (largely unsurprising) results of a new poll:

The 2011 National Leadership Index indicates that Americans’ confidence in its leaders has hit new low points: the overall index has fallen from 101.4 in 2005 to 89.4 in this month’s survey, even below the 2008 level in the midst of the financial meltdown. (100 is the normative level of confidence.)

The index is highly reliable as it is based on interviews of 1,065 Americans and conducted by the Center for Public Leadership, headed by Professor David Gergen at Harvard Kennedy School. These results are very worrisome to me, as without trust and confidence in our leaders, America cannot recover the energy and optimism required to restore its domestic economy and global leadership.

The survey indicates that 77% of Americans believe the U.S. has a leadership crisis. Without better leaders, America will decline as a nation, according to 77% of those interviewed. Seventy-six percent disagree with the proposition that our country’s leaders are effective and do a good job.

I would take things one step further than Professor George: history -- including recent developments overseas -- suggests that when you combine a widespread loss of faith in the-powers-that-be with growing inequality, increasing corruption, and deteriorating economic circumstances, it can lead to something else: a revolution.

Comments

[roger]

It's a skewed way of saying,we lost confidence
in the system. reality is hard to swallow.

[We have to start somewhere...]

Why Do GOP Bosses Fear Ron Paul?

Buffett campaigned in 1952 to nominate Taft as the Republican candidate for president. That effort was opposed by the Wall Street speculators and banksters of the day, and it failed—although not without a serious fight that went all the way to the GOP convention.

After his defeat, Taft griped, “Every Republican candidate for President since 1936 has been nominated by the Chase National Bank.”

That was the pure voice of old-right conservatism speaking.

It is echoed now by Ron Paul, who makes no secret of his high regard for Taft, Buffett and the old-right Republicans of the past, and of his disregard for the neocons and crony capitalists of today. Paul is running ads that propose to “drain the swamp,” a reference to the insider-driven politics of a Washington where Republicans such as Gingrich maintain the sort of pay-to-play politics that empties the federal treasury into the accounts of campaign donors and sleazy government contractors.

http://www.thenation.com/blog/165290/why-do-gop-bosses-fear-ron-paul

[Blurtman]

Let's hope.

[RPY]

On the subject of Ron Paul, I agree with somewhat he has to say about big government and the dissolving of the FED.But I am a little concerned about is ideas on social security, Medicaid and Medicare.
Being a doctor has he is it seems to me that he is little harsh with the idea of eliminating all of the above under the idea of shrinking big government.
I think we need social safety nets, to take care of those that have run into bad times, that are not necessarily their fault.It is called compassion.And without some compassion, what kind of a society do we become? Also people who have worked hard their whole lives and paid into the system all the way should be able to retire without worrying.

I mean the main idea in the Hippocratic oath, 'is do no harm'.How does he square himself with that?
If we eliminate SS, Medicaid and Medicare, there will be plenty of harm done to those that really depend on it.
Or has he now become more of politician pattering to his base, then a doctor?

[survivingeconomiccollapse]

With so many corrupt leaders in D.C, it's no wonder that the people are losing faith. At some point, a critical mass will be achieved. Aka, so many people loose confidence that basic services will start breaking down.

[Gil Gamesh]

American leaders deserve no respect. It's regrettable that tarring and feathering have gone out of fashion. Oh well, there is still the guillotine.
As the US faces existential challenges, the venal, preening, self-aggrandizing men and women running the major institutions --government, business, academe, the churches, media-- have demonstrated, virtually to a man, astonishing incompetence, dishonesty, and bad faith. It seems this country will suffer karmic justice for its long history of predations and collective cruelty, all for the sake of making a buck. The chickens have surely come home to roost, and its up to the ruled to band together and make the best of what looks to be hard times.