america is worried about foreign enemies.

the government is constantly reminding you to look for terrorists, under the bed.

but the only significantly dangerous enemy america has is rich americans. they are driven by greed and can never be satisfied. their financial power has shaped american foreign policy with the result that america sees enemies everywhere, and is not wrong to do so, because they have made enemies everywhere.

mccain is the current apologist for greed. it's a difficult job you might think, but america worships money. even those who have little and don't expect to get more have been educated to accept that it's their own fault to be losers. from this base, mccain is able to support 'the american way', while helping the rich get more.

nothing to be done about it, i suppose. americans will watch their standard of living deteriorate and swallow the lie about living in a country of 'freedom'. it is free: the rich are free. and the poor are free, too. free, but without health insurance, without good schools, with crumbling roads and bridges. free to survive if you work two or three jobs.

and all the while, the princes of capitalism complain bitterly about 'terrorism'. so they should. terrorism is extra-national guerilla warfare, the war of the poor against the rich. it is the only kind of war the poor can make, not having drone bombs, tanks, or mercenary professional armies, with helicopter gunships, air support, night vision systems.

terrorism is unlikely to succeed, and won't trouble the rich personally, but it is the only visible symptom of resistance to wealth. that makes the rich nervous, as communism used to do.

what should really frighten the rich, their real achilles heel, is themselves. their greed will destroy the society on whose existence their wealth depends. but they can not see this, and if they did they would say "let restraint begin elsewhere, i don't have enough".

Hi Demos...... you should write to the US administration and recommend they read the book of Habbakuk.. the old Testament minor prophet.

They might also benefit greatly by reading Amos.. They both have different but most interesting perspectives on national life and politics and the problems you have highlighted.

You might find them interesting :)

“they are driven by greed and can never be satisfied.”

Ah DEMOS, nothing like being specific. Why attack an individual for their shortcomings, when you can more easily generalise about a whole nation, assuming they are all the same and devoid of free will.

“but america worships money.”

Actually, on a per capita basis, more Americans attend and actively participate in their local church than do Australians.

May be they just “worship”, all round, more than Aussies.

“but without health insurance,” na.

lots of health insurance and when I lived there, mine was cheaper than what I am levied by the government here for medicare.

“the princes of capitalism complain…”

Whilst the “princes of socialism” complain about nothing,

because they were deposed and thrown out of their kingdom back in the early 1990’s

“terrorism is unlikely to succeed,” like dearest Margaret said

“All attempts to destroy democracy by terrorism will fail. It must be business as usual.”

“their greed will destroy the society on whose existence their wealth depends. but they can not see this,”

Ah the banner call of ever lefty since the beginning of “leftism”, and it will happen shortly after the time when “the meek will inherit the earth”.

In short, don’t hold your breath

And Margaret also said “Economics are the method; the object is to change the soul.”

I suggest you read about Maslow, you might get to understand what you need to do to “move up”, above the swill heap of the socialists.

Demos you are being ridiculous and ignorant. Terrorism is not war against wealth. It is a cheap tactic everyone will utilise (even the wealthy) against a superior fighting force. In the current context it is a response to decades of mistreatment and abuse by foreign countries of the middle east and of a refusal to leave the people in peace there (Afghanistan and Iraq). Granted the "War on Terror" is a sham and clever political ploy to gain more power and control, but here you're missing the point and are confused.

Secondly most people are driven by 'greed'. Your post has more to do with power than wealth, though many wealthy people do strive to have as much power as possible. Anything else you say is merely a repetition of the "power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" saying, which is not particularly meaningful nor helpful. Americans can do whatever they want as far as I'm concerned (domestically). You shouldn't concern yourself over what they do to each other either (unless it's likely to affect us somehow in Australia of course). Private wealth can have many good consequences if the holder is an intelligent, inventive/creative or wise philanthropist.

Great commentary, DEMOS

Interesting - your pseudonym is written entirely in capitals and yet the content of your post is completely devoid of them!

Col Rouge

"lots of health insurance and when I lived there, mine was cheaper than what I am levied by the government here for medicare."

Lots of PEOPLE LACKING health insurance, more like it - 45 million Americans have no health insurance of any kind.

Bronwyn “Lots of PEOPLE LACKING health insurance, more like it - 45 million Americans have no health insurance of any kind.”

We all make choices to how we manage our personal budgets and resources.

I find my decisions of expense priority suits me better in Australia and it suited me in USA too.

Some of us think of our future and others think only of their immediate, then whine when it arrives and they are unprepared.

However, in Australia, I do not get the choice of medicare I want, I have to take the one-size-fits-all solution prescribed by the federal government and I don’t get to choose a different medicare system either.

Of course, I can ‘double-cover’ and buy private insurance to get what I really want but no discretion on the queues which dominate the public service.

Same too the UK, worst system I have ever seen (I wont bore you), basically more concerned with the career paths of hospital doctors, nurses and porters (etc) than the patients; who the porters, nurses, doctors are supposedly paid to serve.