[Bas]

I guess all my criticism comes down to this. Global Warming, Peak Oil, and human rights when it comes to leverage for trade deals....

[jupiters_release]

This is the crux of the two opposing views of how the world works. You see man's destructive systems as a result of incompetent disorganization by oppositionally disconnected hierarchies known as sovereign nations, while I see it as intentional organization by centrally unified hierarchies known as private banks.

The media supports your view but they're owned by the hierarchies of my view.

You can turn your world view of failure into success by adopting my view.

[Bas]

ah, nice variation on the American dream buddy.

[ColossalContrarian]

Talking about bad things will get you ostracized in America. If you want to have friends you must only think, say, and see happy thoughts –delusions. Sweep your problems under the rug and be better than your neighbor.

We’ve been told our entire live how lucky we are to be American but this somehow transformed into many of us believing it is something we deserve and that we deserve it more than any other people because we’re American. Our way of life is non-negotiable if you will.

This is going to be painful for many…

[Expertgiraffe]

It is unbelievable what people will believe in order not to believe.

[wisconsin_cur]

Of course is anyone more interested in the mantainance of the status quo than those who have profited the most from it?

It should not be too surprising that America is not leading, it is the most invested in the way things are.

I recall some thread about how those most invested in the way things are become the last to see how things need to be. So it was for the European powers who tried to hold onto their colonies and fought wasteful wars to try to protect them. So it is for the entrenched powers that be in Washington.

[venky]

This seems conflicting to me. We all like to criticize the incompetant American leadership over its numerous failures and sometimes wish it did not have this much influence in the world.

Yet at the same time we look to America to take the lead in solving the problems that we face.