How did a nation which once came together to survive a horrendous global depression and then shared the sacrifices of World War II, emerging to create the infrastructure for the most prosperous, inclusive and expansive society in history come to such a sorry pass? How is it that a nation which once prided itself on inventiveness and a work ethic which enabled ordinary working people to enjoy the benefits of prosperity, is now governed by an elite which despises ordinary working people?

One simple answer is that greed is now in the driver's seat but then greed is always with us so what is different now? Well, there is an ebb and flow to history. Sometimes social values and the common good prevail, providing a check to rampant individualism and unbridled greed as in the 1930s-40s; at other times end of the 19th century and the 1920s. There is a kind of pendulum effect in the social dynamics of history. Tragically, this is a time when the common good has been almost completely trashed by the corporate powers that seem to own the government (and much of the media) lock, stock and barrel. But this isn't just a political problem or economic oppression though it is both of those.

There is a profound moral sickness in the land which allows this to happen. From the classical Christian perspective the situation has become one of widespread, idolatrous worship of money and power, resembling very little the biblical faith as it has been understood for centuries. The religious right, which endorses Bush and his programs, has little taste for the Hebrew prophets and their concern for the poor and for justice. It is almost as if they have never read Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. So, Bob Herbert is right on target and there is a frightening moral and religious underpinning to the Bush budget.