I agree. But I still struggle a lot when I look at the world I'm going to have to spend the next seventy or so years in knowing that it is totally contrary to everything I try to live by... More than anything I'd like to be able to "shrug" off everything opposed to me and not take life so seriously. But at the same time, like Michael said, it hurts and I feel like I'm being pulled down by my surroundings. This quote has often summed it up for me: "Life is a comedy for those who think... and a tragedy for those who feel." -Horace Walpole It's not the world, it's the United States. Unless you earn more than about $87,600, you are not stuck supporting the system here right now. Stay liquid and think global. Some parts of the world are enjoying an unprecedented renaissance. World GDP from 2001-2008 grew at a 4.7%. That's the second highest for an extended period this century. Jim Thanks for the insight. It's good to hear some positive things.