David Brooks has announced that he is leaving The New York Times, for an as-yet unexplained position involving Yale University.
Most days when the Times publishes a Brooks article, I read it–often with appreciation, other times shaking my head at what comes across as a self-satisfied imperviousness to contrary understandings. (His warnings against elitism display a lack of self-awareness–in my view, Brooks is the epitome of an elitist.)
That said, most of this “goodby” article belongs in the perceptive category. I entirely agree with this paragraph:
In reality, I’ve long believed that there is a weird market failure in American culture. There are a lot of shows on politics, business and technology, but there are not enough on the fundamental questions of life that get addressed as part of a great liberal arts education: How do you become a better person? How do you find meaning in retirement? Does America still have a unifying national narrative? How do great nations recover from tyranny?
Brooks steps back and takes a long view of what can only be described as American decline: the loss of faith in democracy, in America’s goodness, in technology and especially in our fellow Americans. As he points out, Barack Obama could run a presidential campaign on hope as recently as 2008, but other trends have erased that hopefulness.
The Iraq war shattered America’s confidence in its own power. The financial crisis shattered Americans’ faith that capitalism when left alone would produce broad and stable prosperity. The internet did not usher in an era of deep connection but rather an era of growing depression, enmity and loneliness. Collapsing levels of social trust revealed a comprehensive loss of faith in our neighbors. The rise of China and everything about Donald Trump shattered our serene assumptions about America’s role in the world.
He lists evidence that America is a “sadder, meaner and more pessimistic country” these days. Public discourse is distressingly negative. Majorities believe the country is in decline. Americans distrust experts and so-called elites. “Only 13 percent of young adults believe America is heading in the right direction. Sixty-nine percent of Americans say they do not believe in the American dream.”
Brooks sees nihilism everywhere, especially in Donald Trump, and–like so many of us–finds it incredible and immensely disheartening that In the election of 2024, “77 million American voters looked at Trump and saw nothing morally disqualifying about the man.” Then he makes a point I have frequently made. It isn’t just Trump.
It’s tempting to say that Trump corrupted America. But the shredding of values from the top was preceded by a decades-long collapse of values from within. Four decades of hyper-individualism expanded individual choice but weakened the bonds between people. Multiple generations of students and their parents fled from the humanities and the liberal arts, driven by the belief that the prime purpose of education is to learn how to make money.
Brooks returns to one of his favorite themes–that Americans occupy a “naked public square,” that we lack a shared moral order. He bemoans what he calls the “privatization of morality,” and says the lack of shared standards makes social cohesion impossible. There is both truth and danger in that assertion. A shared morality/philosophy is important–but so is the content of those shared commitments.
After all, White Christian nationalists agree with Brooks–and are intent upon dictating the contents of that “shared morality.”
I strongly believe that a shared allegiance to the principles of America’s founding documents–the importance of individual liberty, civic equality and the rule of law, rather than a shared theology or the “spiritual climate” Brooks recommends–provide a sufficient basis upon which Americans can and should clothe that naked public square.
I do agree with Brooks’ assertion that a “true humanism” that upholds the dignity of each person is the antidote to nihilism. True humanism, as he says, “comes in many flavors”– secular, Christian, Jewish and so on. He defines it as “any endeavor that deepens our understanding of the human heart, any gesture that makes other people feel seen, heard and respected.”
Finally, Brooks recommends that readers engage in what he calls the “Great Conversation” over theology, philosophy, psychology, history, literature, music, the study of global civilizations and the arts. What he doesn’t seem to recognize is that he’s preaching to a relatively small choir. (A criticism that admittedly could be leveled at this blog.) One of the thorniest issues we face is how to engage all or most of our fellow Americans in a common conversation–how we bridge the distances between the bubbles we inhabit.
The essay is quintessential Brooks. He’ll be missed.
I love when the elites take to preaching about problems and solutions. It’s kind of like Trump trying to relate to affordability and groceries, when he’s never had to struggle in life nor has he ever been in a grocery store.
This is why he preys on Christians and racists. He tries to speak to them by giving them what they want. His prayer breakfasts are an amazing spectacle as the religious folks hold him in some divine savior offered by God. He’s a child rapist and grifter, who at his late age is realizing that it might interfere with him getting into heaven. Is it too late to change? 😉
The oligarch’s messaging for forty years might have something to do with our lack of trust in institutions. They’ve been intent on destroying unions to where about 10% of workers are unionized. Why?
Because unions almost busted up the oligarchy during FDR’s presidency. Ever since, there has been a concerted effort by the plutarchs to destroy unions. What has been a solid replacement for unions? Maybe attending a local church worked at first, but religion felt empty.
I still refer to Einstein’s theory about capitalism which focuses on the individual versus the collective. It’s a forced egotism which separates us from our social aspects. We compete rather than collaborate. Watching Trump’s difficulty in navigating the world, is a classic example.
Why do we need others when I already know everything?
p.s. As consumers in this cog, our only responsibility is to consume, and if we don’t have enough cash, then we borrow it. This isn’t sustainable behavior. Our country and individuals are grossly overextended.
“One of the thorniest issues we face is how to engage all or most of our fellow Americans in a common conversation–how we bridge the distances between the bubbles we inhabit.”
Trump and his MAGAs and their 77 million voters bring one questions to my mind; “After making it through 2025 and starting 2026, how many of those are falling away from Trump and the MAGAs? Are their bubbles beginning to burst as they realize they are among Trump’s targeted victims?”
We are again in the beginning of February; Black History Month, in America and he (no name needed to identify) began this month during one of his all night rants with an ugly racist joke about one of his perceived enemies and his wife. President Barack Obama and his First Lady Michelle are not Trump’s enemy but he has proven he is theirs. Let me return to 1965 and the Selma March to Montgomery, Alabama, when President Johnson sent federal troops to protect the marchers (the protesters of that era) NOT to attack, brutalize and kill them. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, words bear repeating, “No lie lives forever.”; America’s 250th Anniversary year proves democracy, Rule of Law and the Constitution are not lies.
Trump and MAGAs’ ten years of lies are holding the majority of Americans hostage using unofficial martial law and unless and until the members of Congress take back their rightful control of the Legislative Article of the Constitution and burst their bubble we will remain their hostages. Overcoming the Catholic majority of our Supreme Court to end Trump and MAGAs’ full immunity is our biggest battle to overcome adversity and regain our rightful place as leaders of democracy here and around the globe.
Brooks may have offered what is a viable recommendation but Sheila asks the more vital and viable question of “HOW???” Trump and MAGA are fast destroying truth in the media and replacing it with their version of what is considered “news”. Kathryn Graham, once owner of The Washington Post, and her Editor Ed Bradlee, without billions at their disposal, upheld the First Amendment freedom and responsibility regarding the press providing the TRUTH about our government to the American public. They, without such as Bezos and other billionaires “outed” the Pentagon Papers and “ousted” Nixon and his band of thieves.
In my personal view; Bezos has killed off one of America’s true heroes of the First Amendment; Freedom of the Press.
Todd,
Have you read my book, “Racing to the Brink: The End Game for Race and Capitalism”? It was published in 2012. Spooky.
Anyone still buying from Amazon?
Nihilism is not everywhere. Brooks is wrong about that. But you and he are both correct about how dangerous nihilism is. It destroys incentive by demanding despair and excuses evil by claiming that good and evil are indistinguishable.
Brooks always got at least a glance from me. Some days he left me cold; other days he opened my eyes to something. For all of it, I am grateful Hope his association with Yale goes well.
It seems to me that the importance of individual liberty has been emphasized a bit too much. The “you can’t make me” movement is alive and well here in Florida. Government can’t make me get a vaccine for COVID has evolved into you can’t make me vaccinate my kids. And there’s also the ever present fear of the state controlling how often my kids see the dentist. The solution: Let’s stop fluoridating the water.
It’s time to focus more on that other part of the preamble, “Promote the general welfare.” If we want a decent democratic republic, we need widespread recognition that we are all in this together. Sometimes we’ll be called on to do something for the good of everyone else. Sometimes the common good is the most important thing in life.
I just spent 30 minutes asking Gemini AI to compare and contrast your book with Einstein’s article, Why Socialism. Here is one of its conclusions:
“While Einstein attributed the rise of oligarchy to ‘economic anarchy’ and the profit motive leading to cycles of boom and depression, Turner adds a specific layer of racial capitalism. He argues that race and racism have been combined with capitalist greed to bring the American democratic republic to its current “brink”. Both authors agree that this concentration of power leads to a “crippling” of the individual and a destruction of the social cooperation necessary for a healthy society.
im standing with spoiled Americans issues.most every aspect is what im getting next and im not standing in line. rudeEh? but if looking at the complete picture with the maggots, its fast and the answer is 30 minutes away,or a click.
most demand reason in their own sphere,disregard the fundamental issue of everyone. the trump memes are wraped all over their jacked up truck,and American flags shreading in the wind. am i short sighted? im living among the maggots here. it doesnt matter to them,as long as i get mine,first. trumps credo im sure. the facts are not there,and neither is the mind.hey kid follow along and ill teach ya how nice it is to be hooked on cigarettes/vaping while you are contributing to my investment in tobbaco. the game becomes the prey. education musta took a dive off a short pier. in Sweden a decade ago, in primary education,a added feature to ones being taught right from wrong,by teaching kids how to observe the issue,read about it,and define if it does good for one,or for the good of all. did we miss something? on freespeachTV there use to be docs,
shadows of democracy and plutocracy. took ya back when grandaddy gave his life in labor conflicts,against the very people today who use social media,think tanks PR firms and captured corps and politicians screwing with your mind. brain washing or a deliberate disregard to teach their home alone kids right from wrong?the i phone,left alone with kids to decide who is right and wrong. when corp America decided profits were all theirs and the two income family was demanded to make ends meet. who was paying attention to this issue,credit.if your solidly middle class,or above,weekend trips and some away fun together as a family. take poverty,seeing the same walls everyday. weve been driven to disregard the actual issues and to smile down upon those who didnt make it and walk away. teaching your kids to hate,need we say more? if the white house sees empathy as a scape goat,i see the project2025 as the fundamentals of hate. and now the trump government professes it for self preservation.
You and I Sheila agree that Brooks is an elitist. But apart from that our assessments of his farewell column are quite different. Coincidentally, my Republican (but not Trump-voting) brother-in-law asked me what I thought about Brooks’ farewell column. I didn’t mince words. Here goes:
“Thanks for asking. I’ll try to be brief. I should confess that it’s more than disagreement; I’ve often found David Brooks annoying, sanctimonious, pompous, and elitist. In my opinion, he’s often overly certain that he is right when his perspective is actually quite narrow and his evidence meagre.
Today’s farewell essay seems to fit that pattern. He writes: the “master trend” over the last quarter century or so “has been Americans’ collective loss of faith.” He also writes: “In my reading of history, cultural change precedes political and social change. You need a shift in thinking before you can have a shift in direction.” You need a different spiritual climate.”
This is theoretically 180 degrees backwards. If we want to understand what has happened to America, we need to look at demographic, economic and technological factors and trends, how these have shaped politics and society, and in turn how American culture has evolved.
Brooks seems to think that if everyone had the privilege of his University of Chicago liberal education, it would be a perfect world. His answer to America’s woes is for everyone to “jump in on the side of humanization and join the Great Conversation.” Oh, please.
And to make matters worse, he is totally misreading what is happening at America’s universities. The state is taking over curriculum, academic freedom is under attack, financial support for research and for students is disappearing, a new type of political correctness reigns, and the liberal arts are dying (how can he, the supposed champion of the liberal arts who so often likes to show off his own U of C pedigree, be so oblivious to this?).
Despite all this, he claims to see a new renaissance, with valuable changes in higher education “coming in four buckets.” Bullshit. Those are empty buckets. This is laughable–courses and programs on citizenship training and civic thought? programs to help people learn to reason across difference?
In other words, not only does Brooks have everything theoretically backwards, he has empirical trend lines in higher education factually backwards. And this makes him not only wrong, it makes him dangerous.
My message as he leaves the NYT: good riddance. My message for Yale University: what in God’s name are you thinking?”
Ian:
i do projects,some in the tune of 5 figures. parts,supplies,etc. ive never even looked at a amazon(major privacy issues)(boycotted since inception) web anything,keeping my IP out of their sphere. that also includes google. if i need parts,i call you. if i need info,i call a human. if your site doesnt include a easy to see adress,im questioning you why? (shipping from the NE/Ca. sucks)im able to run my projects ontime and without e bays profits to theils regiem. its not a form of boycott,its self preservation.see above about spoiled Americans.
“Individualism,” as personified by Reagan’ projected persona, and the “Marlboro man,” both fake, have indeed hurt the country.
Brooks’ “Great Conversation” will not happen, at least not any time soon, as discussed in yesterday’s topic here.
“True humanism, as he says, “comes in many flavors”– secular, Christian, Jewish and so on. He defines it as “any endeavor that deepens our understanding of the human heart, any gesture that makes other people feel seen, heard and respected.” Anathema to the Orange Bozo in charge!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for this, Todd: “Both authors agree that this concentration of power leads to a “crippling” of the individual and a destruction of the social cooperation necessary for a healthy society.” Yo, Vernon, you are in good company. My, Florididia library does not stock your books.
Yale and The Atlantic are where Brooks heads next….. He has come a long way from his start as the conservative voice at the NY Times, but, often enough for me, not far enough. Attacks on so-called elite institutions by one of their own always bothered me as he shared an impression he created of them and then attacked. Shortcomings they have but he went too far as I see it. For too long, he indulged the GOP. Now, he is seeing the light. He is mostly there with this column, you’re right, Sheila, but as usual he leaves out some of the critical institutions that can make the difference he now seeks: the family, schools, youth groups such as scouts, communities…. The universities are but one part of the picture.
Aberger; every Republican vote in the past 10 years has gone to support Trump whether they meant it to or not. The red states, like Indiana, have many who believe their Republican vote will somehow miraculously return the old (real) GOP into control. As Cab Calloway so aptly sang, “It Ain’t Necessarily So!”
Brooks, with whom I seldom agree, has some of the broad strokes correct, but that’s it.
I see a country where fear of “communism” (starting last century with extreme spurts over time) led to an extreme belief in absolute individualism and laissez-faire (most clearly expressed by Reagan). If the “commies” did something, we did the opposite, and we embraced that philosophy to the extreme. Indiana’s Rep. Spartz still employed “red-baiting” in her campaigns.
At the same time, some of the “capitalist” ideas that I was taught as a child changed. I was taught that you bought a stock that you liked, or expected to grow, and sold it when you lost faith in it, but the answer changed to the hostile takeover. A “reasonable” return on investment was no longer legit; now, ALL corporations had to concentrate on short-term “maximal” profits or else.
Sadly, the “elites” changed as well. In 1945 Leo Szilard, along with Einstein, Franck, Seaborg, and others petitioned against the use of atomic weapons. In 1975, while imperfect, a group of molecular biologists organized the Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA, deciding to put restrictions and guidelines on DNA research.
Today’s Tech Bros favor “full steam” ahead, without restrictions, showing their complete arrogance and disregard for everyone else.
My only hope is that enough people who learned the “old” American values (minus the bad aspects) can start to rebuild, working on the political and social infrastructure, and slowly building out, knowing that we are in a new environment where we aren’t all sharing just three TV channels, and that we have an Internet full of AI propagated lies (AI can be a boon, but like everything else, it depends on how and where it is used).
The comment from Aberger is spot on wrt Brooks.
Yeah,good riddance.