Episode 135: The American Dream, Unequal Responses to Tragedy, Trump's Use of Power, We Love Those Who Praise Us

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In this episode, the Shawn, Matt & Levi discuss various themes including the importance of friendships, the concept of the American dream and exceptionalism, the response to loss of life in legislation, the influence of Trump's presidency on personal wealth, and the nature of government and leadership. They explore how societal values shape responses to tragedy and the moral implications of political actions.

First this week. A recent poll shows that Americans are losing faith in American Exceptionalism. Nearly 70% of people said they believe the American dream—that if you work hard, you will get ahead—no longer holds true or never did, the highest level in nearly 15 years of surveys. Sam is a huge proponent of the American Dream. Is the American Dream supported by scripture?

Next up. After a 27 girls died at Camp Mystic in the July 4 Guadalupe River flood near Kerrville, Texas, the state legislature quickly passed near-unanimous legislation to prevent something like that from ever happening again. Yet, children are being wounded or murdered on a regular basis in cities throughout the US in mass shootings that result in no meaningful legislation. In some ways, it feels like society treats some loss of life differently than other loss of life. Is it immoral for Texas to pass laws preventing loss of life from floods at camps, but to do nothing after mass shootings?

Finally. This week, Trump’s family launched a cryptocurrency which led to a $5 billion gain in wealth for the family. As president, Trump nominates the people who control the money supply. Through his office he has a lot of control over the value of the dollar, which influences demand for cryptocurrencies. He also owns a social media platform on which he released de-classified video of an attack on drug cartels from Venezuela. As the only source of this video, every news station that reported on the story had to credit his social media platform as the source. Is Trump’s use of presidential power to influence his own personal wealth immoral?

The Big Question: In Heleman 13:25-29 Nephi chastises his people. We love those who praise us and despise those who call us out. If it is human nature to reject people who tell us hard truths, is a representative form of government the absolute worst of all forms of government? If people are always going to vote for leaders who tell them what they want to hear, aren't elections the worst way of selecting leaders?

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Praise for Levi
03:03 The Importance of Friendships
05:50 The American Dream: Myth or Reality?
09:39 Legislation and Loss of Life
21:09 Socioeconomic Factors in Tragedies
28:40 The Right to Bear Arms and Federal Tyranny
29:05 Responses to Tragedy: A Discussion on Race and Economics
31:09 Trump's Wealth and Presidential Power: A Moral Dilemma
38:25 The Nature of Leadership: Elections vs. Dictatorship
47:10 The Role of the Press in Democracy
52:44  We Love Those Who Praise Us