[Noumenon]

Things look pretty good on the surface. The sun is shining, people go to malls and shop, it's up and at 'em to work five days a week, fun and games on the weekend. For most of us, trouble of major proportions is just a distant wisp of smoke on the horizon. Most of us don't pay it any mind. Shoot, if it doesn't impact the day-to-day, who cares?

Seen what's coming out public schools lately? We tend to forget that cultural trends take time to manifest themselves in real consequences. We've squandered our intellectual and spiritual capital with a stock market panic intensity since the 1960s. It's only just now that we're starting to realize that, as a nation, we're broke.

[Torie]

There are not really any barbarians at the gate. But some have this odd need to go on a quest to find them. They must be out there somewhere. A successful quest would be to realize that where they are is in one's own pessimistic and dispirited mind.

[junta]

One thing you need to know about Torie is that he/she follows the conventional wisdom therefore hardly ever radically wrong, but since the Neocons Torie follows are trending against "multi-culturalism" Torie will as well given time. One of the bigwigs from the neocon camp has set the tone some months ago and soon all will follow reminiscent of their falling away from Stalinism some years ago. Strange though how that camp cuddled with the Lefty kooks hoping to change their bad bed manners like an abused wife would with her battering husband.