I'm an immigrant living in this country for 5 years now. Being a foreigner and coming from one of the poorest countries in Europe, i have the benefit of an outside perspective on a lot of issues that people here don't. Besides obvious paradoxes like punishing poor people for being poor (with higher interest rates), living most of your mature lives in debt (college, car, house), the fact that most prestigious universities are private and not public (therefore excluding all but the rich), lack of separation between state and church, not having universal health-care and eating the worst kind of cancer causing foods - none of these things you would expect from the most developed country in the world - it is amazing to me how people above all, act against their best interest.
I am shocked at the brainwashing that goes on here, the propaganda machine is in full force 24/7. The corporations are the masters, holding the government in their pockets. The political system is completely non-functional, whoever has the most money - makes the laws (but lobbying and campaign contributions), whoever hast the most money - is legally right (by having hoards of lawyers). Everything is an industry - education, health care, food, news, everything. The highest values in this country is the dollar. Nowhere else did society structured itself so perfectly around this golder idol than here.
Still the principles that this country was build upon are strong and true. Perhaps more people need to read the inscription on the Statue of Liberty more often to be reminded what this country is all about. It seems a lot have forgotten.
