They know it and are simultaneously 1)mad about it and 2)not willing to do anything about it because of some combination of Protestant work ethic, religious faith and national mythology.

This is so very true. I remember hearing a radio report about an initiative to get libertarians to move to New Hampshire in the hopes that if enough moved there they could start the libertarian dream. In the report, they interviewed a woman who had tried a few jobs and was working on her other start-up businesses. None had really succeeded and she was not all that well off. Still, she wanted no income tax and low taxes on everything else. When asked her reasons, she said that when she became a millionaire, she didn't want any of her money going to the government. This to me completely explains how Americans can be angry and not want to do anything about it...even commonsense measures.

It also demonstrates that the individualism that Tocqueville warned us about in 1860 or so is well upon American society. Please do keep up the arguments Jerome, but I agree with poemless. The US didn't listen to an astute Frenchman then, and is unlikely to listen to one now. :)

Enough of getting off topic...