As the debate about the fiscal cliff drags on, it is becoming clearer to me that the US has lost its greatness. It is no longer the biblical city on a hill envisioned by Reagan. Our leaders are no longer concerned about our nation, they are concerned about themselves -- their power, their wealth, their position, No one puts their country first.
We are supposed to have a democracy that allows the people to choose good leaders, but they have chosen poorly. Too many of our leaders are stupid, selfish, greedy, corrupt, or worse. One of the worst things as been the capture of the political system by moneyed interests. A few years in government are just preparation for making real money as a lobbyist, consultant, or businessman selling to the government. Another real problem is gerrymandering, making congressional districts safe for incumbents. The House of representatives should be the most in touch with the people's needs, but it has become less and less responsible to them. Congressmen's main concern is keeping their donors happy, most of whom live outside of their districts.
So, it looks like we will either continue to run trillion dollar annual deficits, or we will fall off the fiscal cliff into a deep recession, neither of which would be necessary. Economists have good ideas about how to avoid both disasters, but our leaders are not listening.
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