The Problem

If Chivalry-Now is the answer, what exactly is the question?
    Before people can fully appreciate the remedy we offer, they need to recognize the problem that they face. Unfortunately, the root of the problem is so prevalent, so engrained in our social fabric, it is difficult to see it for what it is.
    Human nature ingeniously adapts to bad situations to make life easier. Creatures of habit, we then hesitate making changes once a pattern is set, foolishly ignoring the threat of long-term consequences.
    Every day, we witness the incremental decline of ethical standards in society, the debasement of effective politics, the amorality of corporate interests, and a stubborn indifference to environmental poisoning.
    It is not that we are unaffected by this sorry state of affairs. We tell ourselves that the status quo is unchangeable. Why rock the boat? Some direct their anger at people who are just as victimized as they are. Others exploit the situation for profit. They latch on to what seems a necessary evil, and make it beneficial - at least for themselves. This works so well, they want to keep things the way they are
    Tolerated or ignored by some, exploited by others, the problem continues to take hold.
    What exactly is this problem? Quite succinctly, it is the impoverishment of fundamental ideals upon which our western culture was built. While these ideals are still part of who we are the deep inside, they have become less and less part of our everyday lives.
    This is no small threat. It has the power to subvert the very foundation of everything we hold dear. Without reclaiming the support of vibrant cultural dynamics, it is only a matter of time before the structural integrity of all we believe crumbles before our eyes.
    The integrated rationale of western ideals is so fundamental to who we are that much of our existence depends on them. The results of how their influence is faltering can be seen even now. Partisan bickering has brought the workings of government to a standstill by. Corruption is considered part of normal business. Corporations ignore moral imperatives that were once the mainstay of our culture, profiting on global recessions and environmental hazards. In some circles, conspiracy theories provide more influence than science. Uncouth media propagandists are richly rewarded for preventing people from thinking for themselves. Education flounders. Courtesy declines. Bullies and scandal-mongers grow more audacious. Fixed ideologies depend more on knee-jerk opposition than advocating something positive.
    These examples show the consequences of the steady decline of our own ideals.
    We simply cannot surrender our collective conscience to greed and the multi-faceted pathology that comes from it, and still be advocates for justice, equality, human rights, democracy, a viable economy, and concern for the general welfare. It simply cannot be done.
    Virtue, which has rejected and condemned avarice from time immemorial, depends on the unfettered will of conscience to complete who we are as individuals. Without virtue, who are we as people, or as a nation, or as a civilization? Nothing but subjugated pawns in a political and corporate chess game.
    We must ask ourselves, to what end will the broken machinery of our governments lead? Western culture may appear functional, at least from a Wall Street's perspective, but everywhere we look we see it drifting further away from its own ideals. This is the existential catastrophe that we must contend with - a powerfully advanced civilization in the upheaval of losing its soul!
    Is it possible to turn this around?
    No law can do it. No ordinance or official declaration. Modern politics is too dysfunctional for this kind of leadership. Sectarian efforts are too divided and given to more parochial issues. The business world and entertainment industries have their own priorities, which bend more toward exploiting the problem rather than fixing it. Social engineering cannot repair something as organically complex as a living culture.
    We need to find a way for our culture to heal itself, reinstate its vision, update its historical message for the needs and intellect of today.
    Culture itself, however, is an abstract concept. What makes it come alive is the people who comprise it. Us. We are the ones who have to reclaim the vision, the standards, the expectations. We have to rediscover our own ideals, not only in our history, literature and philosophy, but in ourselves. They exist in our conscience, both collectively and as individuals. We need to awaken them and, in the process, waken ourselves. The full activation of conscience and reason completes who we are.
    Chivalry-Now is a movement to do exactly this. By reinstating moral prerequisites into our culture, we can revitalize the ideals of freedom, democracy, ownership of property, rule of law, enlightened capitalism, and so much more.
    Chivalry-Now presents an historical treasure-trove of profound concepts that explain the depth of the western psyche. It distills those concepts into a simplified code of ethics capable of dramatically improving our lives at every level. Its emphasis on honor promotes moral integrity, not as an egocentric means to reap reward or avoid punishment, but for the moral agency of what is good and true. It clearly sees the problem for what it is, and is capable of returning western civilization to the path of its own evolution. Non-sectarian, it welcomes people of good will without regard for religious belief.
    We ask that you join us in our mission by familiarizing yourself with our concepts, and helping us carry them into the world.

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