As the Old West — and its mythology, in books and movies — slips further and further from the American consciousness, the lessons it teaches about the nature of the good life — about truth, justice, and the American way — are slipping away as well. Or, perhaps, the causality runs the other way: As our culture morphs, we take less interest in traditional American heroes, storyforms, and aesthetics.
 
The stories we tell ourselves about ourselves mold our characters and our culture. Our stories must be true, of course, but human nature being what it is, we need to hear the right ones, told in the right ways. We need the right legends and the right heroes.
 
For Americans and America, what’s at stake is of the greatest import.
 
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Length: 5,255 words
Author Bio: David B. McGarry is a Policy Analyst at the Taxpayers Protection Alliance. He has written extensively on a wide range of topics related to economics, history, and law. He has reported on tech policy and telecommunications, particularly at the Federal Communications Commission and on Capitol Hill, and his analysis has appeared in such publications as The Hill, Reason, and National Review. Follow David's work on X.