While I understand your patriotism, I have to say...

I have never encountered any other nation of people who talked so endlessly about F-R-E-E-D-O-M, and yet handled it so irresponsibly...

Not that I don't appreciate the ideals set down by Franklin, Jefferson, and their peers in the 1770's. I do. They were extraordinarily aware for their time, and had a great vision. When put into practice, it didn't include women, blacks, Native Americans, orientals, and various others in its proposition that "all men are created equal", but that was not very surprising, given the time...people thought differently then about a lot of things.

But to imagine that you are now living in the "greatest society on Earth"...a phrase repeated endlessly in your American schools (which I attended for 10 years), and in the dark corners of your impressionable minds.

This is sheer unrealistic mythology and jingoism of the same sort previously echoed by all powerful and wealthy empires, including Great Britain, France, the Holy Roman Empire, Imperial Russia, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the 3rd Reich, the Soviet Union, Imperial China, Rome, Greece, Persia, Egypt, and a host of others, some better (debatably) and some worse than the present corporate America.

It's so familiar, self-serving, and transparent. There is no "greatest" society. All societies have their strengths and weaknesses, and all have things of value and beauty which could be shared...if we would all stop playing the "Patriot Game".

American corporate civilization is one more passing blip on the radar screen of human destiny, so enjoy its excesses while you can...and while Nature permits it. Something considerably more sane and reasonable will replace it one of these days. Probably something none of us have even heard of yet.

Thus end all empires...after they have squandered their resources, their morality, and their sanity.

- LH