We should not forget that we live in a representitive democracy. Sure, we can blame the elected officials for their decisions but the its up to us to hold them accountable. We, the electorate, should ultimately be blamed for our demise. If the majority of Americans believe that the role of government is to nurture us from cradle to grave then our country is in trouble. Elected officials, in essence, represent the values of the majority of the population. Unless our culture changes, the criticism of our elected officials will be reduced to frustrated conversation pieces on websites and blogs. It's up to us to help change the American culture.