Is America "too broken to be fixed"?

This is not a question I'm pleased to ask, but given the toxic nature of our government, and the many lingering problems that our lawmakers don't seem to want to address, I honestly wonder if we've passed the point of no return. i.e.

* Wealthy corporations and people who seem to operate under a different set of rules than the rest of us.

* Lawmakers (on both sides) that seem only interested in pushing their own agenda, rather than working for the good of the country

* Long term lawmakers who sit on powerful committees that are reelected only because they are able to aquire federal $$ for their own state.

...and the list goes on and on. I used to think these problems would be addressed in time, but they've only gotten worse, and with democrats and republicans locked in a never ending blame game, I wonder if America might someday go the way of the old soviet union, and simply become a commonwealth of independent countries. Thoughts?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/20/lawmakers-fried-for-bringing-home-bacon/

http://www.voanews.com/content/political-forecast-more-gridlock/1950498.html

http://news.yahoo.com/us-aimed-wrong-way-most-want-leaders-183543213--election.html

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/bank-america-nears-17-billion-202715068.html

No, although the will among the populace to fix what is broken (or even recognize that it is) seems to be lacking. I have found that a common attitude among Americans is that even where they recognize that some aspect of American society is flawed, they either assume that this problem is worse everywhere else (e.g. poverty), or that it can be fixed by going back to a 19th Century America (which obviously had many more problems that the 21st Century America does).

Originally posted by bill718
I wonder if America might someday go the way of the old soviet union, and simply become a commonwealth of independent countries.

What would cause it to break up into separate countries? Which of the groups influencing US politics do you think would benefit from such a scenario?
Why did you pick that scenario as a likely outcome rather than all the other possible outcomes: eg satus quo, civil war, police state, etc?

Originally posted by bill718
This is not a question I'm pleased to ask, but given the toxic nature of our government, and the many lingering problems that our lawmakers don't seem to want to address, I honestly wonder if we've passed the point of no return. i.e.

* Wealthy corporations and people who seem to operate under a different set of rules than the rest of us.

* Lawmakers (o ...[text shortened]... 213--election.html

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/bank-america-nears-17-billion-202715068.html

Bring back government to the people.

In other words, support grass root efforts for states to amend the Constitution and return power to the state level.

Collectivism breeds tyranny and corruption. It always has and it always will. End centralized control.

All I'm asking is a return to Federalism. I'm not even asking to try anything that has not already been done.