A divided country

We are a divided country in so many ways, and it appears that we are becoming more and more polarized, unfortunately. It seems to be an either/ or situation - for or against, and we are no longer the great country we once were. The intelligensia is the minority, and there has been a coarsening of our once strong values and ethics. Sometimes societal "opposites" aren't opposites at all, but red herrings for selfish , self- preservation agendas. Take Congress; many members have a ruling class mentality, and the political class has placed itself above the folk.I would love to have one term in Congress. That's all it would take to get a great pension and fabulous health care benefits for life.I think the two major political parties, per se, can't be trusted , but it's unlikely a third party would succeed in taking the presidency.It's in their personal interests to preserve the status quo, so consequently, America's decline seems inevitable. It's not so much Republicans vs Democrats. It's more nuanced than that.Socialism vs Capitalism, religion vs secularism, nanny state vs smaller gov't, cult of celebrity vs true role models, patriotism vs uninformed rebellion, takers vs givers,slackers vs workers, the blasé vs the concerned, action vs passivity. President Obama was elected and reelected;again, half the population is for and half the population is opposed to his policies.His election and reelection are historic,and that's about it. He is a smart guy and good family man, but I think he and his administration will go down in history as one of the most divisive, destructive and demoralizing presidencies ever.And for all our sacrificing,noble military , I am embarrassed by our president's mediocre leadership. We can't sustain the nation's financial burden, and we can't get a majority of politicians from both sides of the aisle to reverse it.Other problems that don 't look like they will be solved any generation soon because of polarizing opinions: immigration, Middle East, entitlements, fossil fuels, our Space program( or should I say lack of space program),higher taxes, diminishing middle class, yada, yada. It isn't uncommon for someone of my generation( or older) to have a sense of ennui and be jaded. It's sad, really, that I don't hold out a lot of hope for righting the leaning ship of state, or improving the deterioration of civility and national pride. Of course, for everything I just wrote, there will be people who adamantly disagree - the divided country dilemma.