This Quote from a book about the American revolution reminds me of today, what do you think please tell me?

Question

i'm writing this paper due tomrrow and i was wondering if it's safe for me to compaire our times now and this quote about the 17oo “ the American people seemed incapable of the degree of virtue needed for republicanism. Too many were unwilling to respect the authority of their new elected leaders and were too deeply involved in trade and moneymaking to think beyond their narrow interests or their neighborhoods and to concern themselves with the welfare of their or their country ” (wood, p. 229)

this really makes me thing about us

Answer 1

It is an American characteristic not to respect elected leaders. While seeming to be a disadvantage, it is most often an expression of our American freedoms, and should not disqualify us from sustaining a republic. As for preoccupation with moneymaking and other narrow interests at the expense of the general welfare, that is a central issue in the American political debate to this day: the political right says that the pursuit of self-interest is the most efficient means of benefiting everyone; the political left says that too many fail to be protected by an unregulated economy and some government intervention is needed. While this debate goes on the republic has managed to hold itself together for over 200 years.

Answer 2

It is "safe" as you say to compare the past with the present. The quote to me is full of conflicting view points when it comes to the elected leaders and the people involved in trade and the actual ideal the Founding Fathers had for the new type of government being established.  But go for it!