While I think you make some important points and observations, I also think you might be taking it too far. And maybe because I'm from one of the 3 countires you mentioned, Canada.

And I don't think it helps to denigrate people because some of them are not behaving as you'd like them to.

And even more importantly, this essay strives to strike down the hope of people like myself, who really do think there is a chance that ultimately people will turn about and see that the craziness they are now touting is exactly that, craziness.

But maybe I'm totally wrong. Still, I'd rather have some hope that we can salvage this hate, anger and greed and power trips and turn it about on itself to come up with something even better.

That's how I view it; crisis = opportunity. If those of us on the left see it as crisis, then we have to sit back and ponder how to transmute it into a positive opportunity and what actions need to be taken to do that.

My 2cents, umair.

P.S. this is response #13. Does that mean it's associated with bad luck?!