[Saturn69]

Originally Posted by VivienM

As far as I can tell, yes. Being (North) American means feeling entitled to consume large quantities of natural resources and screw any environmental consequences.

Well, that's not what it means to me. I wasn't talking environmental consequences, I was talking societal consequences, about our economy dependent on the generosity and marketing whims of foreign corporations. At least those 'Socialistic Europeans' have a clue what to do when gas costs too much for most of the workforce - the very backbone of the economy, and therefore the Nation - can't afford it. Look beyond today. Do we want to be a proactive society or a reactive society? It's a lot like the American attitude towards health and fitness; why exercise and eat right when I feel fine today? Healthy eating is for Volvo-driving, Greenpeace lovin' Hippies....oh....my chest....thump. We treat ourselves like crap until someting goes wrong instead of doing the right thing and keeping illness at bay, much the same way we continue to promote consumerism and anti-conservation and then complain that gas costs so much. Well, WASP, park the frackin' Tahoe. No one is entitled to anything.