“Reality, unlike perception, cannot be changed by propaganda.”

— Charles Hugh Smith 

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As one looks around in today’s America, there is a sense that something is missing. 

This isn’t paranoia.

 Some of the missing things, like phone books, glass milk bottles, boom boxes and polio, are not a regretful loss.

Others are.

One of those missing things tracks to the erosion of positive cultural ideals in our work, schools, churches, politics, places of commerce, and even restaurants. 

The reason can be partially tracked to the vast difference between a culture and an enterprise.

Crafting and maintaining a culture is hard. 

Crafting and maintaining an enterprise is much simpler and thus much easier, and thereby more seductive. 

In today’s America, just about any organized activity you can think of is mostly an enterprise – “a unit of economic organization or activity.” 

Enterprise is not bad unto itself. But operating alone, enterprise naturally tends to digress toward greed, indifference, bureaucracy and superficiality. 

Running into any of those things?

A constructive counter to raw enterprise is culture. The dictionary – grab them while you still can – defines culture as “the set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or societal characteristic.” 

That is a mouthful because it covers a lot of important territory. 

Here is the meat on that bone – where culture is discarded – we also lose the heart of the human experience. 

In my community I think of the difference between an enterprise – McDonald’s – and a culture – the Greek restaurants that were once the dominant dining experience.

You did not just go eat in such places, you were greeted, remembered and introduced into an ecosystem that prioritized values, relationships, and normality over money and growth. Your tummy, heart and soul all got fed in the same place. 

Try finding culture or good food at Mickey-D’s. You will find fast-food, a clean table and sustenance, but that’s about it. 

At one point every organized activity was built around a culture – usually good – where the enterprise mattered, but found its traction in things that mattered more.

Think of the old-time hardware or country stores. Those weren’t just places to buy things. They were places to get help, feel like you mattered, and connect with other human beings.

Today, enterprise is the priority. 

Sure, marketing departments are crafting glowing mission statements that sound like culture. But it’s a good bet you’ll find that most fail honest scrutiny.

You know, like the difference between a Big Mac you see on TV and the Big Mac you get at the drive through.

Examples of where we’re getting it wrong abound. But there are also some good ones:

BAD - Political Parties — Both the elephants and the donkeys talk a better game than they play. And don’t for a minute think the socialists, anarchists or nihilists are any different. All of them are power enterprises. The only reason I remain a Republican is they walk their talk with more realism and moral cultural values than any of their opposition. 

GOOD – Chick-fil-A — They still don’t open on Sunday, prioritize service, make money, uplift their employees, and serve some tasty food. Watch them, though. Walmart, under Sam Walton, once had a similar cultural model. They sacrificed it, one small step at a time, and became a hollow big box. 

BAD - Mission Hospital System — Though their ads, brochures, stated values and imagery shout humanity, compassion and quality of service, their reality is they are a first and foremost an investor-owned, money-making enterprise. It will stay that way because the entity that oversees healthcare – our government – is a sloppy enterprise of its own. 

GOOD – Trump and his patriotic followers — Trump retains his popularity not because of his charm, maturity, or communication skills. He is popular because he is a mighty and unrelenting force against those trying to disband our American culture. I – and many others – love him for that. Patriotism is a demanding cultural choice. In contrast, TDS is clearly an anti-American enterprise hiding behind a mask of imaginary virtue.

MIXED – Too many Christian churches — Christianity is about Christ. The foundation for understanding Christ comes from the Bible and the gift he left behind – that bridge to God we call “The Holy Spirit.” More and more churches on stepping around the culturally inconvenient parts of the Bible and confusing the Holy Spirit with a man-made spirit or even an evil spirit. That’s a Christian country club as an enterprise – not a church.

As you go out and about, start paying attention to the places that are striving to create an uplifting culture and those who are simply running an enriching enterprise.

Support the former when you can, mark, endure, and do not be fooled by the latter when you can’t.

MAGA is a positive cultural movement. 

The left, in contrast, is a cynical enterprise whose products are chaos, bankruptcy and moral destruction.

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Conserve [v. kuhn-surv] To use or manage wisely; preserve, save...

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Carl Mumpower is a practicing psychologist and former member of Asheville City Council. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .