Isn't every story about a hero who must overcome obstacles? The more powerful the people who benefit from those obstacles, the harder the hero's battle and the more we suffer with her and the more we identify with her or idolize her. Americans were once reasonably great, with good education. They had some systems in place to help little heroes navigate some of the obstacles and achieve their goals. Now the voting majority believes that the obstacles are the very institutions that help us on our hero journey, They put their trust in the rich and powerful who want to increase the real obstacles for the many so they can take even more for themselves. A housing- or stock-market crash will allow the super-rich to buy-up the rest of the country. I won't be surprised if we're having one during this administration. The 77 million suckers (ok, and the clever rich people) subsidize the campaigns of the ultra-rich who then waste no time dismantling the institutions that help everyone achieve their goals. Increase the obstacles for the many! And the suckers hope that by giving their dollars to the ultra-rich will make them rich too. Like the believers handing their money to their priests. And here's the twist: make the suckers believe that the ultra-rich are the victims who are fighting the establishment and their evil institutions. That they fight for Joe and Jane Average. Now that's good story-telling and we're living it.