700 trillion says he will keep the change

Sure it's easy to be critical, but that is such a necessary part of what keeps things progressing.

I came across the following doing some research on a paper I need to finish on Robert Jensen's article "The Greatest Nation on Earth" - which is, in short, a critique of anyone, or any nation to claim that they are the greatest (individual or nation). Jensen claims anyone who states such is “either mentally unstable or he’s an asshole” he goes on to say these claims are "depraved and dangerous."

I would disagree and point to Muhammad Ali. It's subjective, of course. I also feel one of the greatest tragedies to ever occur is the assassination of Malcolm X. It's something I always come back to for inspiration - his level of personal change that he accomplished during his lifetime, is by far a perfect example of our potential for greatness. Anyway, I'm off topic, kinda... change, greatness, and so on...

Robert Jensen is a respected journalism professor at the Univesity of Texas at Austin, an author, and a political activist.

This comes in a later chapter of his book - "Citizens of the Empire: The Struggle to Claim Our Humanity"

"... the Soviet Union was a global military threat to our existence was a political weapon to frighten Americans into endorsing wars to suppress independent development in the Third World and accepting a permanent wartime economy. With the Soviet Union gone, American planners needed a new justification to keep the military machine running. International terrorism and threats from drug traffickers were tested as rationales during the 1980s as the Soviet threat receded. In the 1990s, talk of "humanitarian interventions" also became a justification for a bloated military that was far beyond the level needed for defense. On 9/11, the vague terrorism justification became tangible for everyone. So, even if nonmilitary approaches to terrorism are more viable, the rationale for ever larger defense spending was set."

It IS time for a change.
What's the old cliche about a sinking ship and taking in more water than you can bail out?