There are things we need to do in this country. We need to deal with the widespread unemployment by creating jobs, have a moratorium on foreclosures in light of the widespread and illegal dealings by lenders across the country, reduce defense spending that is bloated and unnecessary, end our wars, the rendition, indefinite detention and torture of suspects, reclaim our electoral process from being overwhelmed by big money and special interests just to highlight some of the more acute problems.
The list goes on and on. Politically we are too timid and risk averse (Democrats), resistant and obstructionist (Republicans), too divided and polarized and therefore so dysfunctional to the point of inertia and stagnation; a stalemate. The sides seem irreconcilable, like a bad marriage.
The worst economic calamity since the great depression happens and we don't hold the perpetrators accountable and rein in their excesses. Instead we reward them and make them whole again. An alien would look at this and say, "That's crazy. That is the exact opposite of what should have been done."
Our private health care system has costs that are rising astronomically as they're essentially running a monopoly yet we "reform" that system by expanding their reach rather then initiating a competing public system that would force the private behemoths to compete, reduce their costs or suffer the consequences and go out of business. That makes sense, but it wasn't even considered.
The richest 1% has miniscule tax rates relative to their income. The evidence is clear and overwhelming they do not spend and create new jobs with the gains they receive from the tax reductions (which instead just adds to their massive holdings) but we give it to them anyway. That makes no sense but hey, this is America; we don't do what makes sense.
We fight wars against terrorists that serve to expand their numbers and create greater hatred and animosity towards us. So instead of rethinking that strategy we expand the wars (hardly clandestinely) into more countries. We use missiles, drones and an expanding cast of private mercenaries that kill innocents and non combatants with impunity but instead of curtailing the activity we increase it. This is the U.S. If something makes sense we're sure to do the opposite.
Our roads, bridges, railroads, schools et al are decaying and in dire need of repair. Unemployment (the real rate closer to 20% than the 9.7% we hear "officially") remains unacceptably high. Common sense says if private employers are unable or unwilling to increase hiring then the government must step in to put people to work so they can pay their bills, pay their taxes and spend what they earn. That would reduce unemployment and fix what needs to be fixed. That makes sense. Of course we don't do it.
And so in the face of all this "official" dysfunction, ineptitude and wrongheadedness many people have become mad as hell aka the "tea partiers" seething in their witches brew and seemingly ready to erupt, but except for their yelling and incoherent message they have no real idea of what to do or how to go about fixing it. Meanwhile others remain passive and in denial avoiding the reality around them and escaping into the world of fantasy, celebrity worship and gossip, reality show inanity and sports mania spectatorship.
From here there's a name for all this and it's called lost.
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