Seemingly everyday there is another story in the media of a celebrity indiscretion or another reality tv show staring dozens of gold digging women. Even a third season of The Inferno.
Recently, a petition to keep Paris Hilton out of prison cited that Ms. Hilton, "provides beauty and excitement to (most of) our otherwise mundane lives." Beauty and excitement-- that's all you got for us Paris? Shit, if I'm ever arrested I'll let you copy whatever you want off my iPod AND I'll buy you a beer of your choice at the Yard House.
Its not just socially either, the collapse of the Enron Corporation was just a famous example of the numerous companies which have swindled their own employees pension plans and stock options to make the already affluent executives even richer.
So is the collapse of American society as we know it imminent? Is America really heading down the moral sewer? Well, maybe.
According to the Independent Sector, nearly seven out of ten households give to charity.
In addition, from 1987 to 2006 the number of charitable organizations registering with the IRS has grown at double the rate of the business sector. Philanthropy rates are also increasing, 30% over the past several decades.
Warren Buffett and Bill Gates have each donated billions of dollars in the name of charity.
So what should we believe? Our eyes which gaze upon a possibly intoxicated Britney Spears driving around in her SUV with baby in-lap, or the statistics all pointing toward an increase in altruism.
In the words of Bob Dylan, "Everything passes. Everything changes. Just do what you think you should do." - To Romona
The above work is the opinion of the author, and not necessarily that of the Prometheus Institute
Hopes to be out of jail in time to vote in the next presidential election 