The last 3 elections have each gotten more and more depressing.

[BeyondGeography]

7. If you have time for Facebook and reality TV, you have time to understand your place in the world

Here's where I agree with you: America is an exhausting place. Your interests are permanently up for grabs and money is always on the prowl, increasingly unimpeded by the law. We had a serious debate in the 60s and 70s about which way we wanted to go and we stampeded toward individualism, which makes the task if standing up for yourself even more difficult.

My impatience with the average Joe who keeps voting against his/her interests is the unhappiness and anger that so often comes through. If you're miserable, maybe take some personal responsibility, you know, that thing they claim to care about.

I know I sound high-minded, but this is about something very basic, self-defense. It's hard work, as George W. Bush used to say...