Consumerism

Something politically and ethically relevant, but not much to do with a deity, is the amount that this country consumes. The United States is number one in the world for use of cocaine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_prevalence_of_cocaine_use) and has an even bigger methamphetamine problem (http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Meth_use_now_USA's_top_drug_problem,_survey_finds).
Being the supposed developed nation that we "are," I find those facts very disquieting. In fact, I think our system has long since collapsed. I believe that our government has grown too big, much like Americans themselves.
In our Constitution, a provision is made in which citizens are welcomed to dismantle a tyrannical government. The general public, however, is too sedated to do something so bold and ballsy. The problem is that in order to change the government, you'd need to change people's minds. I, however, recognize that this is where I fall short in my abilities. I'm not about to be burned to the stake like Socrates for "corrupting the youth." People are afraid of change, and it's because they're too busy stuffing their faces.
I like to examine our society from a different perspective. I like to image what Plato's "luxurious city" would look like, and how my country falls short to that standard. I believe that our government is a seriously degenerated version of what a society should function as.
74% of adults who are obese or overweight is an OBSCENE figure (2007), and it doesn't get enough attention [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_United_States]. This nation is no longer the one that it once was. No one thinks for themselves or looks at another perspective. People are too afraid to think for themselves, because then they would be responsible, and hence susceptible to failure.
With rampant drug abuse and face-stuffing while others are starving or freezing on the streets, it is easy to see how this country is caught in its own red tape. People in the nuclear family become exclusive. The capitalist way of being is exclusive and cliquey. Groups of people, or cities exist, but very few communities proper. Instead of getting an education, or realizing that their defense mechanism (work, food, drugs, sleep, anger, alcohol, cigarettes) is slowly killing them, people wrap themselves into their own facade or "routine" for twenty or thirty years and then die.
The government itself does not set a very good example. Citizens are encouraged to reduce their credit card debt or refinance a mortgage, but what about the $14 trillion national deficit? Did no one stop and think at $1 trillion dollars, "well, maybe we need to stop spending so much," or is Congress just too coked out on their benefits, earmarks, and photo ops?
Furthermore, I have no respect for the person who is in our highest office. We have been trapped by the party system that just regurgitates the same last names and close friends or people with money through the offices and motions of politics. Each and every political candidate in that election spent millions of dollars on running for office. What if we gave that money to schools, or the homeless, or the broken healthcare system?
     "No, get out of our way, you godless heathen... We have golf to play and ponies to ride."
With the government putting themselves in massive amounts of debt with their spending addiction, we might have to foot the cost for rehab, too. Seriously, politics is not about the truth, or what policy is best for the people, but about ruling, making laws, and enjoying life on someone else's money.
The military get's the green light and decides to infiltrate every corner of the world, and they're happy doing who knows what to who knows who. Do you trust that EVERY soldier is good and would never do anything unethical? Some are nice and honorable, but the image of the "heroic soldier" has been fed to us so we will put up with the costs of war [this idea will be later developed].
Besides all of the signs and warnings, we have learned how to live sub-prime lifestyles, and, as Americans, self-medicate. Obesity is such a problem in America that the current generation's life expectancy, for the first time in a long time, folks, has gone down. We're literally eating ourselves to death while we run the rat race that is "routine" life, too sedated, blinded, and dumb to stand up and fight for freedom from oppressive government spending and regulation.