"Well, you took the test and got less than a passing grade."

Another serious problem with the middle class that the working class and poor don't share: they have a lot of education, yet remain ignorant and ill informed by choice.

And Amos, you are smug and condescending to people here all the time. Your remarks: "I do think there is something wrong with espousing neediness" and "I have seen lots of need in my life. I did not stay that way" is a classic textbook example of the hatred of people in need I'm talking about. Classic.

And the traits I speak of are as common in Basra as Cincinnati. The difference is what can people of conscience and integrity who transcend those traits do there, as here, to bring about the needed changes to raise our societies up and with it, human beings treatment of one another.

If you live in Basra right now, there is precious little you can do to effect insitutional change because the institutions are in tatters thanks to the US led "Coalition of the Willing". Just as if you are among the poor or working poor of Cincinnati, there is precious little you can do to effect institutional change there because you don't have the power to influence those institutions. You may, if you are one of the lucky ones, be able to better yourself, hopefully your family too. But even that is a pretty tall order for most people who live at the bottom of the economic ladder.

Oh, I forgot to mention another trait I hate about middle class people like you Amos. A complete, utter lack of compassion and empathy for human suffering, unless it is you and yours doing the suffering. Then there is no expense too great to save you from it.