I'm pretty sure we could debate for many hours about what exactly is wrong with this country, how long it's been that way, how it all came about, what to do about it and so on.
Well, I just recently stumbled on what I consider a key to this puzzle.
kAmvJ> E62496CD]k^Am
kAm%92EVD C:89E[ J@F 962C5 >6] x 7:C>=J 36=:6G6 E92E E96 42FD6 @7 >2?J @7 @FC AC@3=6>D :D E96 BF2=:EJ @7 A9JD:42= 65F42E:@? >2?J @7 FD C646:G65] ~7 2== E96 4@F?E=6DD DF3;64ED H6 H6C6 E2F89E :? 9:89 D49@@= — D@>6 3J 3C:==:2?E[ 9:89=J D<:==65 65F42E@CD 2?5 D@>6 3J 4@>A=6E6 <?@H\?@E9:?8[ :?4@>A6E6?E 3@@3D — E96 >@DE C:5:4F=@FD H2D A9JD:42= 65F42E:@?]k^Am
kAm~9[ 5@?VE 86E >6 HC@?8] xV> ?@E @?6 @7 E9@D6 !]t] 92E6CD H9@VD H2:E65 >@C6 E92? 92=7 2 46?EFCJ E@ D@F?5 @77 23@FE E9:D] x 24EF2==J =:<65 8J>] xE H2D >J D64@?5 72G@C:E6 DF3;64E :? D49@@=[ DFCA2DD65 @?=J 3J =F?49 W3642FD6[ 2D E9@D6 H9@ C62==J <?@H >6 42? E6DE:7J[ x ?6G6C :? >J =:76 >:DD65 — @C 5:5 ?@E 7:?5 D@>6 C6566>:?8 G2=F6 :? — 2 >62=X]k^Am
kAm}@[ x H2D C6>:?565 E96 @E96C 52J 3J E96 @E96C A6CD@? H9@ =:G6D 2E @FC 9@FD6 W%~!({p~wX 9@H 7CFDEC2E:?8 :E 4@F=5 36 H96? J@F H6C6 F?4@@C5:?2E65 @C >2J36 ?@E A9JD:42==J 3=6DD65[ 2?5 9@H ?@ >2EE6C H92E J@F 5:5[ J@F 2EEC24E65 E96 HC2E9 @7 E92E EJC2??:42= A6CD@? :? D9@CED 2?5 D?62<6CD H9@ ?6G6C H6?E 2?JH96C6 H:E9@FE 2 H9:DE=6]k^Am
kAmx? E96 42D6 @7 %~!({p~w[ :E H2D D@>6E:>6D ~}{* E92E r :? !]t] E92E <6AE 96C 7C@> >2<:?8 E96 9@?@C C@== WH9:49 D96 5:5 @442D:@?2==J 249:6G6 2?JH2JX — F?=:<6 J@FCD ECF=J[ H9@ ?6G6C 6G6C 42>6 4=@D6 E@ E92E <:?5 @7 24256>:4 244@>A=:D9>6?E]k^Am
kAmqFE 6G6? E9@F89 x =:<65 8J> 4=2DD W3642FD6 x =@G65 DA@CED 2?5 82>6DX[ x H2D?VE ?646DD2C:=J 8@@5 2E :E] (96? :E H2D E:>6 E@ 4=:>3 E92E C@A6[ x 4@F=5?VE 86E >@C6 E92? D:I @C D6G6? :?496D @77 E96 8C@F?5 367@C6 >J =:EE=6 ?@@5=6 2C>D 82G6 @FE 2?5 D6?E >6 7=J:?8 E@ t2CE9] p?5 x 4@F=5?VE @FECF? 2 EFCE=6[ E92?<D E@ >J =2C86C\E92?\?@C>2= 3FEE]k^Am
kAm}@[ >J C62= 3667 H:E9 !]t] E62496CD H2D E92E E96J ?6G6C E@@< :?E@ 244@F?E 9@H 92C5 2 A6CD@? H@C<65 E@ A6C7@C> E96 2DD:8?65 >2?6FG6CD :? E96:C 4=2DD] $@>6 @7 FD H6C6 72E =:EE=6 5:AD H9@ DH62E65 3=@@5 ;FDE H255=:?8 `__ J2C5D — 2?5 @E96CD H6C6 E96D6 82K6==6\=:<6 DFA6C\9F>2?D H9@ 4@F=5 D9@@E 2C@F?5 E96 EC24< H:E9@FE 6G6? 86EE:?8 D=:89E=J 52>A D<:?]k^Am
kAm%96 82K6==6 A6@A=6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 6?E:C6 A9JD:42= 65F42E:@? 6DE23=:D9>6?E[ 2== 56D6CG65 p\A=FD6D[ H9:=6 E96 C6DE @7 FD H6C6 5@@>65 E@ 86E rD @C sD[ 56A6?5:?8 @? :?5:G:5F2= 2EE:EF56D]k^Am
kAmp?5 E92E[ x DF3>:E[ :D 4@>A=6E6=J DEFA:5 2?5 HC@?8] (92E 23@FE E96 72E <:5 H9@ 24EF2==J EC:65n $9@F=5 96 C62==J 36 8C2565 =@H6C E92? E96 D<:??J <:5 H9@ 5:5?VE 6G6? 92G6 E@ ECJn }@[ 96 D9@F=5 92G6 8@EE6? 2 qt%%t# 8C256[ E92?< J@F G6CJ >F49] qFE[ 8F6DD H92En xE 5:5?VE H@C< E92E H2J]k^Am
kAm!6CD@?2==J[ x DFDA64E :E H2D E9:D 324<H2C5 DJDE6> E92E 92D 3C@F89E FD E@ E96 H6:C5 A=246 H6 2C6 ?@H — J@F <?@H[ H96C6 H6[ 2D 2 D@4:6EJ[ 564:56 E@ 6=64E =6256CD H:E9 ?@ 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 ?@ <?@H=6586[ E9:?<:?8 E92E E9:D >:89E[ D@>69@H[ D@=G6 @FC AC@3=6>D]k^Am
kAm}@H[ 2E >J @H? 9:89 D49@@= WH9:49[ 3J E96 H2J[ :D E96 D2>6 @?6 2EE6?565 3J %~!({p~wX[ E96 3@JD 5:5 ?@E 92G6 E96 D2>6 :?76C:@C BF2=:EJ @7 !]t] E62496C 2D E96 8:C=D 5:5] ~FCD H6C6 >6? H9@ 4@24965 E96 DA@CED E62>D 2?5 2=D@ E2F89E 9:DE@CJ[ 3:@=@8J[ t?8=:D9[ 6E4] %96J H6C6 C62= 65F42E@CD :?E6C6DE65 :? DEF56?ED[ 2?5 :? 86?6C2=[ x 36=:6G6 E96J 5:5 2 AC6EEJ 8@@5 ;@3]k^Am
kAm%96 8:C=DV 8J> E62496C[ @? E96 @E96C 92?5[ H2D 2 AC@76DD:@?2=[ 7F==\E:>6 A9JD:42= 65F42E:@? E62496C H9@ ?6G6C[ 6G6C H@C6 24EF2=[ 8C@H?FA\H@>2? 4=@E96D — H9:49[ J@F >:89E E9:?<[ H@F=5 C6DF=E :? 2 9:896C 42=:36C @7 !]t] :?DECF4E:@?] qFE D96 H2D E96 @?6 H9@ E@=5 >J H:76 E92E[ 8:G6? 2?@E96C J62C @C EH@[ D96 >:89E 6G6?EF2==J 56G6=@A D@>6 4@@C5:?2E:@?]k^Am
kAm{6E >6 DE2E6[ 7:CDE @7 2==[ E92E E@ E9:D 52J x 92E6 E9:D A2CE:4F=2C H@>2? — AC:>2C:=J 3642FD6 D96 H2D F?<:?5 E@ E96 A6CD@? x =@G6 E96 >@DE :? E9:D H@C=5[ 3FE 2=D@ 3642FD6 D96 6I6C4:D65 DF49 C64<=6DD W2?5 :5:@E:4X 4CF6=EJ E@H2C5 2?J J@F?8 A6CD@?[ 2?J E:>6]k^Am
kAmp== x 42? D2J :D[ H6VC6 2== 6IEC6>6=J 7@CEF?2E6 E92E D@ >2?J @7 E96D6 !]t]\72:=:?8 DEF56?ED H6?E @? E@ 7@C> D@ >2?J @7 @FC >@DE DF446DD7F= 5@E\4@> 2?5 @E96C 9:89\E649 6?E6CAC:D6D 2?5 6G6?EF2==J C@D6 E@ DF49 96:89ED E92E E96J AC@323=J ?@ =@?86C 6G6? C6>6>36C E96 D9C:== D9C:6< @7 E96 8J> E62496CVD H9:DE=6]k^Am