(This isn't really a random thought but it is something i find myself constantly flashing to in comments or discussions about the U.S. or society in general. I figured I'd put it down here in brief since it's actually something important that i wish more people would realize for themselves.)

Capitalism is like a suicidal death sentence for a society. It’s got great potential for riches, but it's always at the cost of someone else's riches, life style, or life in general. It’s very bad for creating a stable society or economy (despite what economists will tell you about it). It’s one of three major things that are keeping the U.S. (and similar societies) in a downward death spiral (and maybe these are more similarities of the U.S. to ancient Rome).

The other 2 things that are hurting the country are the U.S. society's strong dependency and attachment to independent and competitive mind settings. In all of world history, all societies and cultures that were cooperative in how people interacted with each other, and how the government dealt with other nations, flourished and grew to become very prosperous. Societies with an emphasis on dependant social family and community ties became more self-sufficient and helped to ensure the longevity of prosperity; while nations that had more independent and/or competitive societal behavior were much more unstable or unable to maintain long spans of peace or prosperity. Many Asian countries and ancient societies had both cooperative and dependent cultures and were very stable and successful. When societies like ancient Rome became more competitive and independent they began to fall apart. With the U.S. being so reliant on capitalism and its Independence and competitive culture, it’s griped by the choking stranglehold of greed, unsuccessful development, and instability; a true disaster waiting to happen and something no country could ever hope to sustain itself on.