Yes, I agree, to a certain extent... but then again, we are the parents who often cosign for these things, when we should know better ourselves

The role of the media in bombarding our younger generation with the 'bling life', the fast fix, the losers mentality if you don't have the necessary gadgets cannot be overstated, either, though. The very media controlled by the mega-corporations, the shapers of public opinion and attitude. These are things we had to deal with to a FAR lesser extent while we were in our formative years (deregulation, once again).

But when we all see our basic living costs, our energy needs, our education needs, our health needs go up at MULTIPLE times the rate of inflation, it is a simple case to look around and go 'who is getting rich off of this?'. And it certainly isn't US... Nurses make less and work harder, teachers work harder and make less... the people that do the WORK are getting shafted, and the leeches that OWN the corporations are giving themselves $400,000 vacations and golden parachutes.

This HAS to stop. We don't want revolution in America, but we aren't exactly the most patient people in the world...

It is time to cut lobbying influence, cut pork barrel spending, cut tax loopholes for mega-corporations, and spread the wealth AND the pain evenly throughout our society. The rich cannot exist without the poor and middle classes (as much as they try to lock themselves away in gated communities and PRETEND they can) and we can't exist without them. But balance needs to be returned to a system that has tilted to the right and the wealthy for thirty years or more. Time for America to rediscover what a great 'society' means. Equality and liberty and justice for ALL, not just the wealthy.

Do I sound like a populist? I SHOULD BE... I am part of the population. As are we all. Not a serf for the lords to do with as they please!