USA citizenry despoiled by Selfishness, Vanity & Greed, insomuch as the last moments of Ancient Roman Empire

"Criticism alone can sever the root of materialism, fatalism, atheism, free-thinking, fanaticism, and superstition, which can be injurious universally; as well as of idealism and skepticism, which are dangerous chiefly to the Schools, and hardly allow of being handed on to the public."

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

Critique of Pure Reason, Preface to 2nd edition, B xxxiv, 1787.

"Talking to Americans" CBC Special with Rick Mercer Part 1 2 3 4 5
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Re: The Truth Will Set You Free's post "What would you do for money?" on the subject of a recent U.K. Reuters newspaper article "Money more important than looks in a man"

It is a sad truth that even the plain-looking North American woman would choose to date the man -- regardless of his reputation and charm -- solely based on his "respectable" socioeconomic status as in consistently financially secure with plenty of disposable income.

There's no such a thing as true human love without fairly good financial security & respectable socioeconomic status as the prerequisite in silent sociocultural perspective. Our lives are often centered around money, money and money in the pursuit of materialistic greed and vainglorious ego.

United States of America is not alone. People's Republic of China, Japan and certain countries have this identical attitude owing to the sought-after desire of best life through the ascension and attainment of higher socioeconomic status. American men & women magazines that strenuously emphasize passionate sex, ludicrously expensive fashion, fancy automobile, luxurious high living, exorbitant money and healthy/unhealthy egotism (as in excessive pride) provide the tainted overall picture to promote the impression that those who meet the above criteria are worth the more than the humble middle-class and even the poor working class who really do not give a shit about expensive fashion style and fancy Porsche or Dodge Ram.

It is with perverse irony I work at a certain electronics retail big box where there are the number of entry-level and mid-level co-workers & department managers who have to work overtime and yet despite the meager monthly taxed income they are able to afford such luxury normally out of reach for the barely-sustainable working poor and miserly middle class like expensive cologne, watch, jewelry, clothing and new/used/traded motor vehicle.

It is about image for the purpose of inflating one's ego to impress the peers and thereby apply the silent pressure to spend, spend and spend to rise oneself up to high standard even if one could barely afford it while trying to pay living expenses and manage college debt payment.

These co-workers, despite their toiling in overtime, have reinforced my admittedly prejudiced perception that the United States of America as it currently stands utilizes the obnoxious and sickeningly self-absorbed attitude of "show me the money!" and consider the dual culture of all-conquering consumerism and utter sociopolitical apathy not only acceptable but also insistently prerequisite in most social settings where intellectual vacancy is the norm.