In the US, even more than our cultural history, it’s out political culture that won’t allow the kind of strategic thinking Senator Hart talking about. Just look at something as fundamental as the debate over climate change. Despite all the scientific evidence compiled by the best institutions and scientists from around the world, there are those at the highest levels of our government who still call the whole thing a hoax, or simply quote from the bible as a reason to do nothing about what is probably the greatest problem of our time. Dig a little deeper and you see that these same people are wholly-owned by the very industries that would be most affected by any change in the status quo.

I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record on this blog, (and I’m sure at home too) but the systemic corruption that prevents the American government from solving even the most urgent problems, like health care, in a rational way would certainly be poison to the notion any national strategy in any area. And if there was coordination with foreign governments involved, whoever proposed it would be labeled a Communist, a Fascist, a Socialist, a member of some kind of Fifth Column, the anti-Christ, a bed wetter — well, you get the idea. Large changes are no longer possible in a system as corrupt as ours has become, no matter how much sense they might make.