EEE,

I share your sense of outrage and loss of hope. As a country, we have lost the ability to have civil, fact-based discussions. And I plead guilty to sometimes producing more heat than light. The enormous audience for ranting radio/television blowhards demonstrates that many Americans simply want to be entertained in political echo chambers where their previously held views are constantly reinforced. Many people are simply immune to reality. The often emotional, and cynical methods used by politicians and pundits are time-tested: appeals to one's own tribe, fear of "the other", the sense that someone is getting something at your expense, etc.. And the Right doesn't hold a monopoly on these practices. I don't see things changing, and that means I don't see things getting better. It will be interesting to see how the bipartisan presidential debt commission's recommendations are received at the end of this year. That could be a step in the direction of true patriotism and a return to civil standards of discourse. Then again...

As a fellow member of the white male club, I don't however share your view of collective shame. Shame, like pride, should accrue to those whose actions were directly involved in a given situation.

Peter T.