Senator Chris Murphy has been representing Southbury for almost two decades. He has just published “Crisis of the Common Good”. I recommend this to everyone who is interested in finding ways to restore the values and principles that historically made this country the envy of the world.
Senator Murphy has been grappling with the big issues that affect too many of us: loneliness, anxiety and emptiness. These affect people regardless of party affiliation. The Senator has a history of working across the aisle to find solutions.
In the book, he identifies six cults that have taken hold over the last forty or fifty years:
- The Cult of Profit – all activity should be driven by profitability
- The Cult of Everywhere – local activity is never as good as national or international
- The Cult of Technology – technology will solve all problems
- The Cult of Consumption – consuming more will make you happy and fulfilled
- The Cult of Credentialism – only with the right college degree can you succeed
- The Cult of Corruption – corruption as a normal part of our everyday lives
For each of these, he shows how historically this was not the case and how the new cults have affected our quality of life. In addition, he shows how policy decisions made by Democrats and Republicans alike have supported these cults.
As a result, he argues we have a choice about whether we keep or abandon these policies. One that I am particularly concerned about is the corruption of our politics because of the Supreme Court decision called “Citizen’s United” and decisions about Political Action Committees (PAC’s). Corporations are not people!
I highly recommend this book and its recommendations to anyone interested in creating a country that works for all of us.
— Ed Edelson,
Southbury, CT
The Southbury Record 