What strikes me in what you have written is that it seems to chronicle and mirror what happens during the downfall of all affluent societies. I was reminded of the Roman Empire and, though I am in no way a historian, from the little I remember, it sounds so similar. Greed, entitlement, fudging on the rules in a little way that becomes a big way over time — it completely seems as if it is in our DNA.

The desire… no, the NEED… to have more seems to be programmed in our bodies, in our mind and easily in our society.

So what do we do? Nature tells us that when an animal grouping grows soft and lazy, ofttimes make their way to extinction by destroying their habitat through over usage or routed out by a rival grouping. I think the answer lies in your conclusion. WE MUST MAKE A CONSCIOUS CHOICE. It is our only hope. The thing that separates us from the animals is our abilities to be self-aware and to use our executive brain functioning to make conscious decisions that are not based on instinct. Unless that conscious choice is bred into us at the personal, family and societal level, we will be destined to go the way of all “soft and lazy” species and cultures.

I wonder if we are too late?