But the sad part is, that many do not take the time to understand that in politics it is not to the advantage of any party to have people actually think.... just is not in their best interests.... they wish to tell you what to think... and they appeal to what leads to their (the party's) survival and not necessarily the government's (ie the US).

Large corporations (that is, multinationals) have abandoned the notion that what is good for the US is good for the corporation and this INCLUDES the news media.  What else could explain the "trashing of the US."   Many of the Hollywood crowd have openly made the decision to  live elsewhere in a further distancing themselved from the US - because money and fame will buy creature comforts as readily in Sri Lanka as they will in Beverly Hills.

yea... outliving the country - that seems to be the goal of the republican and the democratic party.