I am of the current opinion that the US is well on its way down the primrose path and is unlikely to be coming back anytime soon. This really tears it.

Whether it's conspiracy or just monumental incompetence or some of each, I think the things that I used to consider American ideals are all either dead or dying, and there seems to be no real impetus to bring them back even among the democratic minority.

I've been reading articles with comments from former ambassadors to third-world countries along the lines of the Bush administration reminding them of those other governments. I don't know how we're going to get out of this this time.