Like Mick Jagger, the American people in 1979 just can't get no satisfaction. As President, Jimmy Carter knows this. He is keenly aware of how dissatisfied the American public is, with long lines for gas, with rising inflation and declining wages, with a government that seems out of touch with their concerns.
Here's what's at issue: what's really causing all that dissatisfaction. The American people seem to think it's right there, right in front of them in the previously mentioned list. Their president, however, disagrees. While he recognizes a dissatisfaction with government and politics as usual, he thinks the true source for all American unhappiness goes deeper than material concerns. He thinks the American people are dissatisfied with themselves.
This psychological exploration for the root causes of American discontent get to the heart of the "Crisis of Confidence" speech.
Questions About Dissatisfaction
- What's driving the American public's discontent?
- What does President Carter view as the source of American unrest?
- Extending Carter's argument, do you think the negative events of the 1960s and 70s justify American doubts about their country and its future?
- Which cause (the Nation's or the President's) do you think better explains American hardships? Explain your reasoning.
Chew on This
Despite a laundry list of real, tangible issues, President Carter's diagnosis of the problem gets to the heart of America's energy crisis.
President Carter's explanation for the lack of solutions to America's energy crisis is suspect at best, and at worst can be seen as an attempt to shift blame away from himself and onto the people.