Chalk it up to human nature

Irony and humor cannot be prevented from spreading; they have a way of slipping through the patterns of thought which are imposed upon mankind by habit and design.
-Idries Shah

When the Bushes start talking about investment, ordinary folks should start circling their Chevrolets

Let's pause and remember that Americans were far less greedy and stressed as a consequence. Our overall standard of living progressed by the years. Along the way we built an interstate highway system. Our public schools were first-rate. Our industries led the world. There was no shortage of innovation or ambition. And we surrounded ourselves with personal comforts. We congratulated ourselves that we were the richest and freest nation on Earth.
Gated communities were not the rage. You never saw lawn signs warning of immediate response by private armed security. And we didn't have to face the unsettling news that two decades of growth in personal income had come to an end.
So what happens to the dwindling middle class in 10 more years? You can guess the answer.
We are fundamentally a middle class society that works together to solve problems. We're not an I-got-mine-and-the-hell-with-the-rest-of-you society.
· No Words Left [Body & Soul]