For the first part, I suggest you read "The System," by Robert Reich. We will likely never see another amendment to the Constitution, unless it's for something completely meaningless and worthless like flag burning. If it wasn't for family I would strongly consider moving to Canada, one of the Nordic countries, perhaps Germany. And yes, I've been to each of them and have traveled internationally extensively, and lived overseas for a year. I'm ashamed at the mess of a country I am leaving my children and grandchildren - a country that is financially, politically, racially and morally broken.