Dirty little secrets - Page 5

what am i missing?

Perspective, to begin with.  The only thing "American" about these are their addresses.  All that you stated in your last post is indicative of exactly that.  There are puppets, and puppet masters.  Do you also believe the aim of global democracy is liberty and freedom?  Or is it more likely rooted in the pursuit of wealth and power?  The entire phenomenon is also fairly organic, taking on a life of its own.  What is perhaps most sinister, is that it is an enemy without a singular face, name, group, race, country, or religion. Observing it is a bit like observing a black hole; you can't really see it, all you can see is  its effect on vicinity.  Ambition, greed, conquest, and domination.  We've come quite a ways since the cradle in Mesopotamia, yet we remain beasts awaiting to emerge from Plato's Cave, albeit a bit more refined, eloquent, and sophisticated.
 

gotcha, we have different definitions of achievement, your version is that of self-obsessed sociopaths that re-organize a system based on good faith to suit their own boundless megalomaniac aspirations at the expense of everyone and everything they share the planet with.

you call them "leaders" - where/what  exactly is it they are leading us to?

Lol.  It's more like a run-away train.

Stanford University.  Doubtful American economic recovery will be realized any time soon.

Well, some leaders are sociopaths, true, but not all sociopaths are leaders. Some leaders have other motives for seeking the leadership spot. I do think in this modern age it gets harder, however to keep that straight and narrow vision based on altruism. That has changed I think, and is so easily relegated to the status of a delusion of bygone time. Is it practical to expect we all share the same ideals of wanting what ever it is for the "greater good"? It used to be polite to give each other the benefit of the doubt, individually or collectively. In these times, it makes you a target.

Bee, take Obama for instance.  My gut tells me that he is genuinely committed to a sort of benevolence (the particulars of which I happen to oppose).  This man reached office, and it didn't take very long at all before his countenance completely changed.  My best guess?  That even the most dedicated, benevolent, high motor mover and shaker is all but paralyzed in the face of the obstacles.  People can use the Republican dominated House as an excuse, but it doesn't really matter whether the executive is blue or red. 

I actually watched this video Grossman suggested, and it was worth every minute.  What immediately comes to mind is a segment in which Rupert Murdoch is singled out for having thrown his own, Tony Blair, under the bus for not playing ball, with head of the British state effectually bowing to the mogul.  I'm confident this happens more than we know.

http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=114&template=PDGCommTemplates/HTN/Item_Preview.html

bee, you in a sense speak of looming cannibalism and guerilla warfare, block by block, street by street, house by house....not all have lost our faith to your level.

vk4: Hmm? You think I have lost faith? I have always considered myself the eternal optimist. I just have learned I must avoid the pitfall, so I don't fool myself, as I endeavor my search for the idealized, what could be destination: Utopia.

Carlin: Yes, the paralysis. It used to be called, the "wheels moving slow". But it has got to the point of being so slow the cogs have rusted and the motion takes so much exertion for mere inches.
 
I have some thoughts on the paralysis. It is being used to the advantage by the disenfranchised, a cunningly loose cohesion of the stagnated middle classes, who have equal access however to the information and power of the web. It creates defense efforts big and small, forever attacking our sense of any and all language definitions! Pick one and the info/media doubt war becomes waged. Hard to know how to fit it with the information age, on a constant morphing existence. Meanwhile, it also wears and tears away at the esoteric, the frustration and waste to always be in defense. And yes, think of it, I was sure Obama would be forced by the realities of the overload, I thought he'd have to change his tune. I remember when Obama thought it was going to be just a matter of persevering and going through line items, one at a time! HA! 
 

please tell me what you guys think of the writings of joe bageant (spelling?)  writes about the US working class and how they get used to destroy themselves to benefit the elite and even don't know it...sort of.

i always found his stuff deep but i don't know US history/politics.

Your right, you don't know.
Joe Bageant makes good points but not anymore than others have.
He's dead by the way.