WolfieVN-I wasn't passing moral judgement, just pointing out the facts. Count acreage and you'll see my point.

Amos-I think that our wealth and freedom are somewhat mutually reinforcing. It's possible for us to be free because we can afford it. Conversely, because we're free, we can create the capitalist market, which encourages large scale spending, boosting the economy a la Keynes. Also, while I'll readily agree that our technological innovation is impressive, I can't say the same for our art. While we are primarily responsible for the rise of good speculative fiction, most of what is actually called art nowadays, whether literary, musical, or visual, far exceeds Sturgeon's Rule, and is entirely composed of crap. Europe at least has the glory days of classical Greece, Shakespeare, and honest traditional music to look back on, even if it did spawn Dadaism.