It seems to me that many (most?) people I know just can not cope with the truth about our economy, but there is some real nervousness. I have had friends who have lost over 50% of their retirement funds in the last two years - they tend to be more realists than other friends and family members who get (or will get) government pensions. The pensioners tend to have faith in the US and local governments that seems to me to be outside the bounds of clear thought and common sense.

I may be over simplifying this, but I think that in addition to the obvious greed and avarice of the elites, that we have a basic problem with fear. Fear can keep a society from making sacrifices now rather than postponing the pain and making the future more difficult.

I think that the next ten years will be interesting to live through (in negative and in positive ways) but facing problems head on seems like a better approach to what our leaders are doing now.