the moral meltdown of America

America was founded on the premise and core value of "individual freedom" above all else.The extreme valuation of individual rights and freedoms is achieved at the cost of social cohesion and social order (see "the normalization of violence").
Libertarianism and individualism taken to extreme has resulted in the sanctification of selfishness and greed. All moral principles are subordinated to the promotion of self-interest and instant gratification/reward. America has become a nation of narcissists.
"Good " has come to be defined as "that wch benefits me personally"
Instead of perceiving "evil" as that wch is hurtful or injurious to others,it has come to signify "anything that opposes the furtherance of one's own desires and interests".
Individual freedom is idealized above morality.
In a society in wch the worth /value of a person is measured/judged by their wealth and power ,it is no great wonder that men willingly set aside their scruples , their conscience,and their integrity and commit all manner of wickedness in the pursuit of pleasure and the aquisition of material objects.
The deficit in personal morality is reflected in political corruption.
American politics is corrupt to it's core!
The motives of self-indulgence and self-aggrandisement trump every other principle.
Elected officials (so-called "public servants") do not behave according to what is right ,but set aside their conscience and allow themselves to be led by their personal desires.Behind a facade of altruism(public service),they serve the interests of corporations and pursue their own individual gain.
(see, "what has happened to the American experiment in Democracy?")
We must re-establish a balance between freedom and responsibility,otherwise we cannot maintain the integrity and cohesion of society as a whole.

Every religion decries greed as sinful.Greed drives one to lie ,steal,and commit all manner of wickedness.
Yet Capitalism encourages and glorifies greed.
In America greed is good!
(see:"Capitalism run amuck")
The "profit motive" poisons all human transactions.Dishonesty and deception have become endemic in our society,generating an ethos of distrust wch corrodes the very fabric of society.(Trust is key to sustaining all social relationships.Dishonesty poisons all relationships)
The richest 1% of the population in the USA has more wealth than the lowest 95%.
This disparity in the distribution of wealth is unjust and immoral.
The rich get richer at the expense of and through the exploitation of the labour of the poor.When the laws of the land fail to protect the people from being robbed by corporate gangsters ,then the people will reject their legitimacy and will refuse to comply with them. At some point the dispossessed will not obey and abide by the laws of the land wch allow such exploitation and will pick up pitchforks to protect/defend themselves from such abuse.

The uncontrolled greed and irresponsibility of the U.S. financial industry plunged the global economy into the worst recession since the 1930's.Yet Wall Street bankers have failed to make any correction in their behavior. They are again making outrageous profits and rewarding themselves with obscene bonuses (after being bailed out with trillions of dollars of taxpayers money ,and while the middle class remains in a world of hurt because of these immoral fat cat greedsters). Instead of admitting their moral failure and expressing contrition,they hire an army of lawyers and accountants to deny their culpability and to lobby congress to emasculate any regulatory legislation that might oversee their behavior and hold them accountable.
 Every encroachment into the market by the federal government--under the guise of "reform"--is regarded as a violation of their entitlement, and demonized/stigmatized  as "socialism".
Clearly in America "money" and the "profit motive" trump moral principles.The highest principle in the corporate world is the maximization of profit. There is no higher set of values.
America's greatest threat is a deficit of moral values!
A country that loses it's moral compass has no future!

The pursuit of self interest is also reflected in American foreign policies (see,"the outsourcing of evil"),where moral force has been replaced by military force. America does not respect the legitimate aspirations and interests of others.
The richest most industrialized nation (wch produces the most industrial emissions)also has the highest rate of consumption and is therefore most responsible for depletion of the planet's resources and destruction/poisoning of it's ecosystems.
America's refusal to reduce it's emissions and pay it's fair share for the environmental consequences of climate change is irresponsible and immoral!
They defer the consequences of their decadent consumption by leaving a poisoned planet and an oppressive debt load to their children.

Those who are at the cutting edge of the struggle for social justice and human rights will always come into confrontation and conflict with the establishment wch weilds the reins of power and seeks only to maintain its own entitlement and to promote it's own interests...thereby allowing the continuation of injustice.

"the United States of America has commited more atrocities than any other nation on the planet"
"if there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America"
--NOBEL PEACE PRIZE recipient,Nelson Mandela