I have lived in this country for nearly 5 decades but was born and grew up in the middle east. My impression of most Americans is that they are arrogant, ignorant and damn proud of it. It does not make me happy or proud to assert the above. It makes me very sad.

American schools seem determined or resigned to matriculate students who just are just barely literate. This refusal to invest in the nation's future is mysterious to me. America's capital is its future citizens who must be educated beyond texting and social groups in cyberspace. Yet the political will to do this seems non-existent. Why does this nation's leadership believe that ignorance is good enough? I don't get it. What saddens me even more is other countries copying America's neglect of its young citizens in favor of insuring that the most advantaged citizens in the nation gain ever more wealth.

Why is there no forward leaning leadership anywhere outside of Asia? Wish I knew.

To bbuc. You are so right within your questioning that "he's" not really in charge. He is dictated by the events that do take place in his country. Can you imagine for one instant what would happen if at once the war ended? All these soldiers to be demobilized who in turn would be seeking a job on the present labor market... Then, all the layoffs in the military industries? This would be a repetition of 1929 krash, period. Can one say, without offending anyone that under the present system "War is prosperity ?"

bbuc. I think you know the answer already; but we all feel uncomfortable, bad, frustrated, angry, that the people we elect to lead the country, are hamstrung before they even begin.

The industrial military congressional complex Eisenhower warned us against are fully in charge. They are getting rich from the misery and havoc they wreck, and there is no way they are going to let go of power.

And John Lewis' point is also true, we have "painted ourselves into a corner" that is almost impossible to get out of.

We produce far too little of what we REALLY need; but we sure produce an over abundance of weapons, so it seems we are forced into unending war. HOW CAN WE STOP IT.

Maybe China Japan and our other debtors will pull the plug???
Then again maybe not. It suits China perfectly that we are weakening our country all by ourselves. Some day could be, THAT ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS BLOW, AND WE FALL DOWN

bbuc
You are precisely on point; the US ruling class has the US population divided into: the filthy rich who are happy with things as they are, and the rest who are bewildered and besotted with fairy tales of who the big bad boogeymen are, about which nothing can be done, just keep sending your young to be trained how to kill the bad guys, oh, and so sorry that some will return in bodybags and bandages, but we'll keep them out of sight.

feloneous cat, you are partially right. The Taliban, (who are mainly Pashtuns) were told by our government to turn over or throw out, the Al Queda. They refused, because it is against their culture. (A host can not throw out a guest)
So we attacked them.

Bush wanted to attack Iraq from the minute he took office, he was just looking for an excuse. 9-11 worked. The regime "cooked up" several scenarios threw them against the wall to see which
would stick, which one would the citizen "buy".
Scare the hell out of them with the prospect of weapons of mass destruction.
Remember? They KNEW where they were!
Oh wait! God told Bush he should get rid of Saddam and create a democracy. He felt it in his gut. Take your pick which reason do you prefer??