So, which is it? What is the root cause of this mess we are in?

[NRaleighLiberal]

[Cal Carpenter]

1. Other - Capitalism

It's the economy, stupid.

Was this a trick question? :)

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. Ah, good answer...should have put that in...but greed seems to be a worthy synonym!

[Cal Carpenter]

5. Not really synonymous

Sure, there are and always will be greedy people, but when the economic systems rewards greed above all else, then greed will be harder to counter.

so if we're looking for the root, I'd say it's the *system* that encourages greed, which basically ensures that greed wins and stifles any efforts for a more fair and just economy, and a more fair and just world.

[anarch]

3. it's the greed, hatred, and delusion

[adamuu]

4. I was looking for "Ronald Reagan" n/t

[scheming daemons]

6. He's covered by Greed, Stupidity, and Short Attention Span n/t

[Angry Dragon]

7. The first four are inter-connected

[ThomThom]

8. Which problem? I guess it doesn't matter. The cause of all our problems is

the republican philosophy of life. They have contributed nothing good since Lincoln. They have corrupted everything.

[leeroysphitz]

9. Greed. Unbridled, unregulated, un-noticed greed.

Any CEO worth his salt in the 80's 90's 2000's would be willing to step over his own grandmother to sell your child a gallon of slow poison if it meant a .5% increase in global market share.

[RagAss]

10. The Sociopathic Scumbags that run corporations and the political puppets they own.

.....if we could see inside their minds we would have to kill ourselves.

[mdmc]

11. 1

[MerryBlooms]

12. Oh, I think it's a combination of many things

greed
fear
willful ignorance
hate being given mainstream acceptance
denial of human suffering
patriotic delusion

I think it's tough to simplify - humans are a complicated species ...

[kenny blankenship]

13. Our political economy is founded on the idea that rewarding greed results in the best society

and that's just stupid. With enough iterations of this game play,there is no society remaining--and no politics either--nothing that can be distinguished from the profit seeking activities of the greediest, most powerful players.