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TechnoratiGrabby America Needs to Grow Up
My roommate last week, Sharon, critiques United States political and social history the way you might gossip about a badly mannered child.
"Our country just hasn't grown up," she told me. "We have a long history of being grabby. We want something, we think we ought to have it. It's like a badly parented child who doesn't see why he or she should have to wait in line, share, or consider the impact of their wishes on others."
Some of the history Sharon describes was justified by the 19th century doctrine of Manifest Destiny -- the belief that the American people were so remarkable, virtuous and thereby blessed by God that it was inevitable and preordained that the nation should extend its borders to spread its goodness, democracy and way of life. Even among the ruling classes of the mid-1800s, the doctrine was challenged by some. But, of course, for people living, protecting and depending on the natural resources of those lands, Manifest Destiny was a public relations campaign that justified invasion and appropriation of others' property.
When white settlers wanted land, the federal government moved native peoples from the land by force. When they wanted water, they took water. In April, I visited the Gila River tribe in Arizona. The lifeblood for this desert tribe had been the Gila River, which was turned off like a faucet farther north in the mountains 150 years ago when white settlers wanted its water. The tribe was forced to abandon its agricultural tradition and use government rations of highly processed flour, oil and sugar to subsist, leading to today's astronomical rate of diabetes within the tribe. In a rare example of reparations, three years ago the tribe's rights to the river's waters were finally validated after a 150-year court battle and passage of a bill in Congress to affirm a settlement.
Today, of course, the nation's oil addiction justifies invasion of Iraq and other nations with large oil reserves, always with the Manifest Pretense of spreading democracy. Notwithstanding our repeated failures to establish democracy in nations we overrun, the nation's comfort with the tradition of adventurism has permitted this history again and again.
The nation's history of we-want-it-we'll-take-it doctrine extends beyond wars, invasions, and land-grabbing, of course. The nation was built by one race that enslaved another for its economic and social convenience. This is a particularly personal history for Sharon, because it enslaved her great-grandparents and millions of other Africans brought to this country.
She is also grieved that cousins and others in her family, whose elders were leaders in the civil rights movement, are more interested in owning bigger cars and houses than in social justice. I asked if she discusses with her family ways in which the seeds of injustice are sown by insufficient examination of the supply chains meeting our needs. Or the military power required and human lives lost to protect petroleum supply chains. Or the human and ecological atrocities required to mine many basic metals and chemicals.
"They can't afford to think about it," she said. "It would undermine everything in their lives."
All week I've found myself pondering Sharon's assessment of our nation's and culture's historic and ongoing transgressions as a form of childishness. I recognize the dangers of describing collective social trends in inappropriate interpersonal terms. Yet historians sometimes see collective behavior in just such terms. In "A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century," Barbara Tuchman describes the impulsiveness that both resulted from and created the youthful, emotionally rigid chivalric orders of the day. She notes the lack of nurture and restraint as one of the seeds of the dangerous and inhuman wars and social atrocities of that century.
A friend of Sharon's joined our continuing dialogue and took exception to the phrase, "We just haven't grown up." Who is "we," she wanted to know. She pointed out that she, herself, had not invaded or supported invading Iraq. She opposes drilling in ANWR, supports U.S. aid for medical care in developing countries, and in general believes she considers the needs of others than herself. So what's her role as an individual in asserting values of respect for other peoples, nations, future generations, and other species on the Earth?
I found myself going to sleep recently considering her question: How are we responsible as individuals for asserting the values that push our culture and nation into mature and responsible behavior? Where does our influence lie? Can we parent our nation and culture into a more constructive role in the world that doesn't depend on the belief that for us to meet our needs we can afford to impoverish others?
Margaret Krome of Madison writes a semimonthly column for The Capital Times.
© 2008 The Capital Times
43 Comments so far
Show Allalaskamaid--thanks, I'll keep that in mind. In looking at glaring example of itiots in my own sex, I 'm sure I overlook those in the other camp.
I liked what you said about the IRS. That's an excellent example of what individuals can actually do--one of the themes in this discussion.
sorry for this cross post ( from another thread) but upon reading this, it seems more applicable in some ways, here:
Not to allow corporate greed/ interest off the hook. But- it seems blame is being placed everywhere but on the individuals involved.. meaning the people who want the biggest house.. the most credit on their credit cards ( and the more cards, the better)etc. We as a culture are conditioned to live way beyond our means. And as a culture, we need to start accepting responsibility and being accountable. Remember, the politicians and financial people ( machine) of our country are still products of and reflections of our culture. They cannot " enact ( poor word here) what we, as a culture do not embody. this probably isn't well worded- sorry. But we as a whole, need to assume responsibility on the personal level. Get out of credit card debt, stop going for bigger better faster and start thinking about feasibility/ sustainability at the personal level. From there it is a small/ next step to taking action at a local level. Get involved at the community level. be informed. Read diverse opinions. Learn how to contact your elected officials. Etc. THINK, question, decide if we/you believe it, and then.. decide if we/ you really agree with it ( noting the two are not the same).
What was the quote, many years ago.. no country/ people can be repressed against their will"(?).
additionally- Aldous Huxley- 1931! " the question of the next generation will not be one of how to liberate the masses, but rather how to make them love their servitude."
A very wise Peruvian said 2 things- if you want to save the world, heal yourself. 2- if you want to help us ( indigenous people), the best thing you can do is clean up your own yard ( metaphoric yard ie country.. I think.. :)
ask yourselves- is this about wanting to be angry at someone, or about creating change? It sounds simple,, but it is a harder and deeper question that it seems. Ask- what am I really angry about? and address that dynamic.. then you will start to see change around you.
the world is as you dream it. ( john perkins)- we change the dream the same way we change the channel. there are thousands of channels to choose from.. teaching us that there are thousands of " dreams" to bring into being. work for what you want to see, rather than fighting what you don't want... it's wasted energy.. be like germany, going around the impenetrable Maginote ( spelling) line ( if i remember my history:)
Gus, you are giving Bush/Cheney way too much credit. It is probably far more likely that the corporate media has found its mark with the already stupified, couch-potato, anti-intellectual, TV culture than Bush/Cheney's putative "genius". Those two are just greedy corporate pigs feeding at the trough.
Have you ever seen a pig at feeding time?? It is no coincidence that at the end of the oil age we have twenty-three former oil executives occupying the White House.
'We the People" PAY for what our government does so yes we are complicit
I used to be part of a group which unfortunately is no longer active, it was called Con$cience and Military Tax Campaign -- US
The way it worked was, you filed your income tax as usual BUT any amount due was sent to an escrow account managed by CMTC - US, and you included a note with your filing stating that the money had been deposited to an escrow account because you wished for it to be used for (fill in the blank with any real local need such as community gardens, education, affordable health care, etc.) rather than (fill in the blank with federal excess such as warmongering, graft and greed, etc.)
This showed that you were not opposed to paying taxes but rather opposed to how the monies were spent, AND that you were not holding the funds yourself. The IRS was then advised that they would have to seize the monies from the escrow account, which they would eventually do . . . the whole program was financed by interest earned by the account . . .
Can you imagine if EVERY town in the country had such a program ? And people used it ? I've heard that if only 10% of taxpayers were not in compliance with the IRS dinosaur, the whole system would collapse under its own weight . . .
cutbankid -- you have some great comments but please bear in mind that there are some VERY wicked women out there and the ones that are, are WAY worse than men because they can hide behind their gender. There are not very many of them, but they hold a LOT of power and it is all under the radar . . .
i did love your comment on another article about why men are always looking backwards -- so true !
Galen -- for a very interesting take on the 'Aryan superiority syndrome' try reading Slave Species of god by Michael Tellinger . . .
Poet gets it!
www.storyofstuff.com
Change your ways and be part of the solution!
As long as we drive kazillions of miles, shop at big box discounters, sit passively in front of the cyclops that TV has become, in short, as long as we allow our spending and actions (or inactions) to permit "business as usual" all of us are a part of the problem that America is to the rest of the world no matter our po0litics.
When we promote greater community, sharing, delaying our own indulgence in order to make sure others are helped, (have you given to any food banks, homeless or battered woman's and children's shelters lately?) we are a part of the solution that america can be to the rest of the world.
Otherwise we have agreed with the elder Bush (who first uttered the phrase on his way to the Rio climate conference), little George, and his worthless crumb of a vice president when they all say: "Our way of life is nonnegotiable".
Now that China and India are saying the same thing, we are finally getting a dose of the bitter pill we have been feeding to the rest of the world. That is poetic justice.
Good points Dogleg. I agree with your post. But making friends here could be more productive than not.
Am I the only one who has a problem with the ubiquitous statement that America is "addicted to oil"? I agree that we have an oil-based economy, but a basis is not the same as an addiction. A better, though not a perfect, analogy is that we need the fuel of oil the way our bodies need the fuel of food--yet no one would make the ridiculous claim that peope are addicted to food. The difference is that we cannot change our biological makeup, whereas we can change our economic makeup.
But, please, enough of this talk of oil addiction. Neither I nor most people I know get a high from driving or flying, heating and cooling their homes, or using items made of petroleum. We will simply continue to use oil, not be addicted to it, until someone comes up with an alternate source of energy.
It's a "democratic" "republic" in which the "democratically elected" "representatives" don't do what's best for people, or even what the people want, in the rare cases the people want something other than what we're told to want.
Shawn July 9th, 2008 3:25 am
Good post.
DogLeg July 9th, 2008 6:12 am
With all respect to your rude bad manners, America is a Republic and we have that form of government.
Your interpretation is an opinion, not fact.
Frankly, if you can't disagree with someone without insulting them, especially when you are mistaken, you should consider your attitude.
americans live in a fantasy world of their own choosing. One in which the crap served up through TV provides americans with the basis/foundation of their morality 'cause on TV the "bad people" are made to pay or made to appear as if they are paying and this allows most to be absolved of any form and/or manner of real responsibility - all is A.O.K.
Childishness my ass, numbed and dumbed zombies with a sense of entitlement that makes your moronic assine pressie appear sane.
Oh my now 'grabby' is used to describe GENOCIDAL, MURDEROUS, CRIMINAL, SHAMELESS, IMPERIALISTIC, INHUMAN, CALAMITOUS should I go on?
What a meaningless article.
Shawn:
With all due respect to your incipient stupidity, take the time to look up the definitions of a Democracy and a Republic. You may find we live in a representative Democracy that a minority would prefer was a Republic. Guess which prefer which? Now look up Corporatism, Fascism, Police State, Oligarchy, Nepotism, etc. After studying several books of historical value check back with us on your stupendous assertions.
Sorry to nitpick many of the above posts, which I consider many if not most as excellent issues being brought to light. My nitpiking comes from the fact that it seems that EVERYONE calls our form of government in th U.S.A. a democracy. We do not have a democratic system of government, or at least we aren't supposed to have. We instead have a Constitutional Republic form of government and the differences are many, In a democracy, generally, the majority rule and those outside the majority lose. In a Constitutional Repubublic, all voices are heard from and the minority have a say in what policies pass or don't pass as law. Afterall, everyone pays taxes (except the rich elite and corporations, banks, etc.) including the minoritiies and as such have the right to have a voice in they ways in which they live as they wish, even if the majority disagree (ie. although Christianity is the dominant religion in the u.S., Jews, Hindus, and Isamics stil have the right to practice their reilgion as they see fit, even though it isn't what the majority aproves of as legitimate religion.) We do seem to be moving towards a democratic type of government, and for everybody's sake, I hope that never happens, and that we remain as we were reated, a Republic that listens and respects both the majority and minorities.
You are responsible if you continue to buy the STUFF!
www.storyofstuff.com
"I found myself going to sleep recently considering her question: How are we responsible as individuals for asserting the values that push our culture and nation into mature and responsible behavior? Where does our influence lie? Can we parent our nation and culture into a more constructive role in the world that doesn't depend on the belief that for us to meet our needs we can afford to impoverish others?"
This is part of the duality we find ourselves in. We want to be individuals, but can't seem to get away from the fact that even as individuals we are part of a society - something larger than our parts.
In some big ways, we are an immature society, and that is borne out in our actions, both as a society and as individuals. Note one important way this is borne out: We still look for a father figure to rescue us every four years. That the father figure is male or female is not the point, that we look for someone other than ourselves to do the work, is.
We are ultimately each responsible for our actions and inactions which affect our society. It stands to reason that if we were more mature as individuals, we would be more mature as a society.
Toast,
You said it very well! Excellent prognosis of our political system.
One must remember that 'Manifest Destiny' was an outgrowth of Protestant Christianity and it's view that the Earth was to be brought to heel under Man's dominion.
It was this selfsame view that taught that all other cultures, except those of white Northern Europeans, were degraded and barbaric, and had no intrinsic worth or merit. So it was possible to slaughter, rape and deliberately spread deadly infectious diseases.
Kinda like the Bush Junta today, huh?
Well first, about democracy- no, not at all, not us. there may be nothing wrong with being a white man, but rich propertied white men were the ones old Tom had in mind when he said all men are created equal. Not women. Not slaves. Not Native Americans. Not even hard working white men who had no property.
But that was just where we started. Where we are at now is
we have a plutocracy. by the way Lee Ann G that was a good post and you came very close to inventing a new word. you only get half credit though cause Mussolini said "Fascism should be more properly called corporatism, since it is the merger of state and corporate power"
don't really wanna start a fascism argument, but we do have corporatism for sure. We the people decide nothing. Our corporations decide what will happen, the corporate media tell us what to believe, and when they hold one of those wonderful democratic "elections" the suits we are allowed to vote for are pre-selected for us. Ask our friends here who wanted Dennis, or Ron Paul. Or who still want Cynthia, like me.
But to get back to the subject: yes americans are too grabby. it's a way of expressing fealty to our corporate rulers, who insist we must buy buy buy so they can keep raking in more and more money. Hey listen I'm 80 years old and I swear it's never been this bad before. honest. For example NOBODY would have dared to keep handing out fat tax breaks to the richest 1% while cutting child health and veterans benefits in my lifetime. until now. Now they can do anything. and they are truly really insatiable. There is another story today about the G8 meeting to discuss their plans to continue starving the Global South for greater profits. This is now so obscenely inhuman there are no words for it.
Darn Lee Ann, I didn't know there was anything wrong with being a white guy.
Mature and responsible behavior being only that behavior that meets certain criteria?
What about all those Africans that came here as freemen? What if her people were slave owners themselves?
The point I'm trying to make...not well I admit...is that blanket statements or statements from a particular point of view are seldom true.
kivals,
Thanks. That was very helpful.
"WE" are the government. That "WE" empower individuals to represent us, is more of a bad habit acquired during a non-technological reality at the time this country was constituted. Participatory government was impossible due to lack of transportation, communication and access to information (with other rights restrictions thrown in).
"WE" are more capable today of transitioning to a less representative form of governing than at any other time in our history. "WE" can now individually participate on levels that were undreamed by our founders.
However... those to whom "WE" have relegated our democratic "power" greedily covet that which it brings, in ways that have become all too evident of late. That power cabal does not want "US" to grow up. Accepting responsibility for "OUR" actions puts the ruling class in a position of jeopardy that threatens a way of life to which they have grown to believe "THEY" are eminently entitled.
Dumb us down, institute media domination and control for propaganda purposes, shred Constitutional rights, spy on "US", marry church and state, cloak illegal acts in secrecy, encourage corporate takeover of military and education, deplete the Treasury, pervert the Justice system, wage class war, damage the balance of power, redefine who "WE" are, wage illegal wars... and for their god's sake, do everything within their power to retrieve "OUR" oil from under foreign sand.
There is little difference between the two major parties upon who "WE" so willingly bestow our rightful power. They both want to keep it that way. Growing up equates directly to a revolutionary way of changing the way "WE" govern ourselves.. not in electing a Democrat or Republican and hoping for change.
"The government can do nothing without the active support of the majority of American citizens."
Yep, George Carlin was right. We have exactly the government we deserve. No, I personally am not responsible for it, but as a member of the corporate body that is the US of A, I am responsible.
In the Episcopal prayer book--which I admit I have not cracked open in a long time--the Candidates for Holy Baptism are asked to renounce not just personal sin, but also corporate sin, in the form of the "evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God." Furthermore, they are enjoined to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being."
We don't have to be Episcopalians, or even Christians, to see that if none of us are "responsible," then all of us are responsible.
Who pays taxes to the government? We, the People. Who votes for the candidates on the ballots? We, the People. Who enlists to fight in wars? We, the People. Who builds the bombs? We, the People. Who makes dinner for the politicians, who drives them to work? We, the People. Who labors for big business and obeys the bosses? We, the People. Who sits on juries and passes judgement on our fellow Americans? We, the People. Who joins the police to enforce the laws? We, the People.
The government can do nothing without the active support of the majority of American citizens.
"It's a government of, by, and for the very obscenely wealthy and powerful... "
That is called a Plutocracy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutocracy
This is what the governments of most of the western nations REALLY are.
cutbankid,
Oh great, let's intensify the gender war and further divide the left so the oligarchy can have an even easier time of it. That is really helpful.
Let's not forget the role of sex. The people who are most grabby and impatient tend to be those most insecure and needy. They're also the ones who happen to own and run our country. And guess what? They're men. And they're going to do it their way cause they're big crybabies, and they know that if they talk to anyone with any sense in their head (like women) they'd have to be more mature and reasonable.
Women tend to be more secure than men because they don't have to "prove it" (that they're a woman). Men get into sulking and skulking, they're impatient and belligerent, and before you know it, we're at war.
It's not that women should replace men entirely, it's just that women should have an equal say in how the country's run. Men are simply too immature to run a country; most of them can't run a family properly.
I go into this in my book, Women: DOWN through the ages, how lies have shaped our lives.
http://partnerpage.google.com/womendown.com
Decades ago I came to the conclusion that, as technological advancements would bring all the people of the world closer and make world society far more integrated, by the 22nd Century we would most likely have world fascism, world socialism, or human extinction (or close to it with a post-apocalyptic Mad Max world). In the following few years I realized that most of the super elites had come to the same conclusion and were determined to make world fascism the future. The Reagan administration seemed to confirm that. And now the Bush administration has confirmed that the super elites are determined to give the rest of us only two choices -- world fascism or human extinction. They would rather commit suicide than submit to equality. And the challenge for progressives is to convince enough of the rest of humanity that future human equality is worth fighting for, to the point that the super elites feel enough pressure to back down.
The most disturbing aspect of this struggle is that many super elites would rather have extinction than equality and most non-elites would prefer extinction to being enslaved by the super elites in a world fascist system. So the prospects for human survival are not looking good.
"Greed is good" work for some animals. Not so good for big headed human animals.
"Grabby" is the term for a child who has yet to learn not to take others' property by force.
We use different terms when an adult exhibits the same behavior..."sociopath", "psychopath", "criminal", etc.
Then when an entire nation behaves thus: "freedom", "glory", "honor", "manifest destiny", "protecting freedom"....
MarkMarshall, I love your "is it me or is it the the glass that's half full of shit?" analogy. I hope to Jesus you have more.
Lee Ann: thanks for your feedback. The thing about democracy is that it is not a question of 100% or 0%; it is a matter of degree. There are a number of states in the world that are democratic, but none of them is a perfect democracy. Usania is one of them. Of course Usania is a flawed democracy. Is it more democratic than France? Less democratic than Mexico? More democratic than Austria? More democratic than Australia? I don't know. I honestly don't know. Do you? Who has so much expertise on the comparative political systems of the countries of the world that they can say which states are more democratic and which ones are less so? Certainly not me. Let's say for the sake of argument that we agree that Usania is less democratic than Denmark. In that case, the Danish people are more responsible for the invasion of Iraq than the US people (considering that both states participated in the invasion of Iraq in 2003). I guess my point is that, while I agree with you that Usania is not a perfect democracy, I still am not prepared to let the US people off the hook entirely. Maybe 50%, but not entirely.
Mark Marshall
Toronto
It's almost Mel Brooks the juxtapositioning of Mark Marshall's comments to Mordechai's humorous depiction.
LEE ANN: Good post.'
CLASS ACT: I, too, intended to utilize the parental analogy by citing the example of progressives coming from more liberal nurturing home environments, and conservatives from the "all omnipotent" strict father households.
The programming of American exceptionalism, added to the macho-hero-worship drawn from sports and the glorification of war, added to the lack of meaning that ensues from a society that has lost its spiritual bearings (if it ever held to any), added to the divorce from nature seen in the faux filler that passes for food, and for many, lives quite apart from Nature... taken together, the capacity to OWN mistakes or demonstrate (note the so-called leaders aversion to this very thing) accountability operates at a dizzying deficit.
If the law of karma was taught, American consciousness would have a fighting chance to wake up. Remember all those mafia films where the Don just has to "confess" to the priest, and all sins are washed away? Not that different from the church selling indulgences centuries ago. People do not recognize where they will be held liable and frequently are too selfish to give a damn. That is a remnant of the me-first Mars rules society that makes for war, hierarchy and rabid capitalism. Since these are tenets of our land, they form part of its psychic bedrock and thus are not challenged by enough who reside here.
Mark, the problem with your post is that the USA is most definitely not a democracy and has not been for a long time - if ever, really. The country was founded by rich white guys, and many of the people living here had no say in how the government was run. The US as a democratic, progressive country by, of, and for the people is an ideal, but it's not a reality.
For a great alternate history, read Howard Zinn's books. His overview of how the army was treated under George Washington may be quite shocking to those of us who were taught to revere him as an almost flawless leader. And that's just one minor example.
The USA is a corporatocracy. (I made up that word, although others may have used it before.) Jim Hightower calls it a kleptocracy. It's a government of, by, and for the very obscenely wealthy and powerful. Many of my progressive friends believe that even elections are simply a form of bread and circuses to keep the people happy and under the illusion of participatory government. I'm not sure it's that bad, but it's definitely very bad.
Many of us in the US protested, demonstrated, wrote letters to congress and the newspapers, talked to everyone we knew, and became active in political movements. The results have been negligible. I have good friends who were environmental activists for years. They spent all their time fighting the EPA (yeah, that government agency supposedly meant to protect the environment), talking to lawyers, working with other groups, and doing whatever was needed for their cause. Years of this activity produced almost no benefits. Big business just steamrolls to get whatever they want.
My friends are not unique; there are thousands upon thousands of concerned citizens doing the same thing. To blame US citizens for what the wealthy, powerful, and greedy corporations have accomplished is like blaming rape victims for not fighting back or for wearing the wrong outfits. As bad as Iraq is, the people there are not the only victims. Gays, women, people of color, working people, homeowners, anyone who makes under 6 figures, along with any "foreigners" or those who don't speak English - all of these people are not quite human to the Powers-That-Be. We are simply game pieces to be moved around in order for them to play the games of acquisition and power they began long, long ago.
It is up to those who are mature to restrain the immaturity of others. For most, because they believe in the authority of a strong father, it will require a stern punishment. Those who would prefer a nurturing America must realize that those who do not will continue to thwart civility unless they are met with consequences sufficiently severe to strip them of the power to do so. Those who believe discipline is necessary to society will only respond to an equal and opposite discipline.
I think the growing up has to start with correcting the wrongs that have been inflicted on others over the centuries. Clothing ourselves in moral rectitude cannot hide the injustices that have been carried out in our name and continue this day.
I've often wondered about this very question but from a different perspective that being, who are these people who assume they have been vested with some authority to assign blame to the collective "we" and to tell others that they are part of the collective "we"? The second thing I've pondered is how it is possible that these people can live as long as they do in the beleif that change is possible and that they can somehow influence the outcome? How can anyone live in self deluded ignorance for so long?
If we could pump American hubris and stupidity into our gas tanks, gas would be 3 cents a gallon.
"We" are responsible for what the government does to the extent that the state we live in is a democracy. More democracy, more responsibility falls on "us"; less democracy, less responsibility for the masses.
For example: In 1980, Iraq invaded Iran. Iraq was not a democracy at the time, so the people of Iraq were not responsibe for that crime. In 2003, Usania invaded Iraq. Usania was a democracy at the time, so the US people bore some responsibility for that crime. But clearly Usania was a flawed democracy, which mitigates the people's responsibility somewhat. For example, the statement: "Usania invaded Iraq because that's what the US people wanted" would be absurd. The answer is somewhere in the middle: the US people have some responsibility for the situation in Iraq, but it would be unfair to blame them entirely.
Mark Marshall
Toronto
The phenomenon is as old as man itself, and not unique to the US. What is perhaps unique is that we are a "democracy" that has a majority of its citizens opposed to the imperialism of the current administration.
That being said, aren't George W. Bush and Dick Cheney actually geniuses for pursuing a policy that they know Americans will embrace if citizens were faced with reduced energy availablity? Look at the willingness of our fellow citizens to open ANWR, build coal- and nuclear-powered generating stations. Our fellow countrymen will support the grabbing of Mideast oil if the alternative was a "reduction" in their current energy consumption and lifestyle.
Don't get me wrong, I'm as aghast at this policy and concurrence as the next thinking person, but it is what it is.
Here is more on the arrested development of the culture...
http://www.healingmagic.org/articles/Narcissism.pdf
overthrow
I hope this discussion doesn't devolve into an argument about candidates and parties.