These two things have devastated our culture and we have descended into madness.

[moondust]

68. Agree.

I'd say Reagan's "trickle-down" economics and "big gubmint bad" bullshit have allowed relatively unregulated capitalism to become predatory. Of course that's what they wanted since they could no longer own slaves to prey upon. Unfortunately, Thatcher was on board with Reagan's bullshit and I believe some other countries played along, to varying degrees, with the "leaders of the free world"--eventually creating massive inequality not just in the U.S. but in other countries as well. There is probably no one person that deserves more blame for "global inequality" than Reagan. He was a bad actor who wasn't that smart and probably just did what the fat cats around him wanted him to do--for their own benefit. It was never about serving more than a handful of "The People."

Money is property--not speech. If money is speech then why aren't bullets from an AR-15 another form of expression protected by the 1st Amendment? Citizen's United poured gasoline on the fire of corruption and inequality consuming the U.S.

I don't know if it's doomed but I wouldn't bet too much on it's long-term survival given the human weakness for corruption and the slow pace of a justice system overwhelmed by all kinds of criminal behaviors in the 21st century.