One of the reasons Europe pities us is that we have journalists like Howard Fineman. One of the reasons parts of the country look so shabby is that there are too many people riding in the wagon and not enough pulling it — including the millions of poverty-stricken peasants we take in each year. We no longer spend public money for the public good. Instead, Congress uses it to award special interests and voting blocs. We are becoming a kind of dysfunctional welfare state like so much of Europe. The debt and stagnation can be squarely laid at the feet of a disgustingly corrupt Congress, in particular Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Our President is a joke.
Your post #9 really nails it.
Whom, unfortunately, we as Americans keep voting for.
That's the beauty and the tragedy of voting in a Republic.
Personally, I'd restore the original voting system in America. IE: only those that own property can vote.
That way, the only people voting have a vested interest in seeing our country grow and prosper. (As who wants to see their property go down in value?)