The problem I have with blaming it on the system is it basically removes indivudal and collective responsibility in favor of pinning it on some amorphous concept that we treat like is a force of nature, rather than something we control. And we've had quite enough of that. Every American who was alive at the time and supported the Iraq War, deserves blame for the Iraq War and all 2700 dead Americans and 400,000 Iraqis. Not the bush Administration. Americans weren't snookered. About 75% of Americans, mad about 9/11, wanted to beat someone up more substantial than the Taliban and feel strong again, so they cheered the Iraq War then rewarded Bush with a second term. Every American who lived on credit, bought a house they couldn't really afford, and indulged themselves on dangerous loans deserves blame for the Financial Crisis. "The Banks" did their part to be predatory as hell. But Americans as a whole were willing prey who rewarded politicians who allowed greater deregulation, and then embraced living in the
now, to hell with future debts.
Even with gun control. People want to blame the NRA? Republicans? The fact of the matter is, as it stands, the gun debate is over, and the gun nuts won. Adam Lanza blew away a couple dozen of kids in an elementary school, and a 7 years later, _not_one_thing_ was done. The gun nuts are willing to let a a few dozen kids die, every year, as an offering to the blood god, in order to continue living their paranoid fantasies and indulging in their hobby. If gun control were actually important to Americans as a whole, Americans should be expected to do something about it. Instead we settle on listening to politicians go "
ehhhhh yes but this is why we can't blah blah blah mental illness".
That's not the system doing that. That's 330 million people who generally speaking, don't give a fuck about their fellow man outside of their family and immediate friends; who will live like supreme opportunists and take every scrap of anything they can get; and have no compunction about treating the life and the world they live in like it's a fire sale and everything must go.
That's how we get slowness on climate change action.
That's how our national gluttony leads to national obesity.
That's how Donald Trump is president for 3 years and the biggest protest against him happened the day after his inauguration despite rising discontent.
Oh and this coming election? Get ready for about 62% to 63% of eligible voters to show up. A good 35-38% or so are going to find some excuse to stay home.
So you can blame culture if you want. You can give the American people, who engage in most of the seven deadly sins on semi-regular basis, the excuse.... that it's some force of nature that screws them.
The truth of the matter is, I believe that there is no system... no system man, machine or god above could create... that would work for these people until they start to face their problems and own how they got there without blaming others, but themselves. Starting with the excuses they make on a regular basis as to why they don't care.
And let me tell you, as part of my gig at the PAC, this has been the most frustrating element I've come across. The apathy. That's the data that it's gathered. That so many Americans operate on the level of a caged goat. It's not economic or educational. It's not that they just feel ignored or forgotten. It's an egocentricsm that has translated itself into a legitimate "i don't give a fuck" mindset.
The part of my role at the PAC I support is with voter turnout. To get people out the door on voting day. And you know, I'm just a volunteer - it ain't my real job - but the thing I keep pushing for is something mechanical... technological to get people out the door and vote on voting day. Texts to remind them, an app to inform and harass them to do it. Something of that sort. Heard the goat out of the cage, into the field so it graze. Relying on an individual to inspire a person to do that through their message is stupid and will fail in the face of Trump's cult.