Yeah ... [sigh] ... I have to say that, broadly speaking, I agree with you both. It just seems that we have, as a nation, arrived at a point where we no longer believe in anything if that "anything" is going to personally cost us something. Moreover, I think Greg's point about moral relativism is probably one of the most insightful points I have seen made on this subject.

Furthermore, I have to admit that I have often wondered about the point of possessing a nuclear arsenal if we have no intention of using it. That's not to say that I advocate nuking the Middle East. I just don't understand the point of sinking millions upon millions upon millions of dollars into projects that we lack the collective courage/conviction to utilize.

But here's a question for you. What do you honestly think it is going to take to turn this thing around? Moreover, do you even believe that it can be turned around? There's an awful lot of world history that suggests that "empires" crash when their value system turns to mush (e.g. the Roman Empire, the British Empire, etc...).