Things Fall Apart, The Center Cannot Hold

So I read a particularly grim article today which, while tinged with bias and a little anti-American sentiment, certainly brings to light the array of maladies which plague our nation (I wrestled here with using the descriptor "once-great"). The economic disasters rooted in irresponsibility which have already done so much damage may have subsided somewhat, but the undercurrent which allowed them to run so rampant in the first place is still running strong, and gearing up to do just as much damage. The hubris that allowed people to think that the money would never stop and that it was OK to make a buck at the expense of everyone else is still alive and well. I had already read a report a few weeks ago regarding skilled labor in America running out of competent replacements by 2020, but this new article goes on to expand on the statistics.
We are buying into a culture which drives the idea that everyone can get by on popularity (make sure to read "everyone" as opposed to "anyone") A surprising number of today's youth claim that their ideal job is to work as an assistant to a celebrity. No one wants to be a machinist anymore. Or an accountant. It isn't cool to be a steelworker. In a culture where it is acceptable and even praiseworthy that people behave irresponsibly and stupidly on camera, how can hard work ever be popular? The message being transmitted is, "If you want money and attention, act like a brainless moron." And people are listening. A nuanced message is hard to deliver, but a simple message is much easier to transmit; and "Stupid = Money" is a simple message, indeed. I can only pray that TV shows like "Dirty Jobs" may actually attract some interest rather than help enable a mindset that such necessary work is "gross and stupid."
We are in for a very rude awakening. I am determined to awaken as many as I can.