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We're constantly being told how complex American society is, how unpredictable and chaotic it's become. Yet in spite of its complexity-or perhaps because of it-pundits, market researchers and social observers seem more addicted than ever to slapping sweeping, one-size-fits-all glosses on the teeming contradictions of our social life.
Consider the notion of economic prosperity. As a way of explaining Americans' moods and attitudes, prosperity ranks up there with El Nino, the all-purpose cause for effects both big and small.
Prosperity is cited as the reason for President Clinton's success at surviving sexual scandal and for the failure of the film Primary Colors; the first is seen as a threat to the happy status quo, the latter too "real" for feel-good times. Why are Americans unable to focus on substantive political and social issues? Prosperity Why did the Republican Revolution of fiscal responsibility devolve into a porkbarrel fest whose greatest monument is a highway improvement bill? Prosperity. Why is the culture so fixated on theme-park fantasies and special-effects escapism? Prosperity.
There's so much self-congratulation and pinch-me giddiness in the air, it makes the "complacent" '50s look like a decade-long anxiety attack. Today's prosperity explanation comes with a fatalistic...