Bad Debt in America and How Bad it Really Is

I was just watching Bill Maher and was listening to their discussion on Kevin Phillips book called Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism, and Cornel West said something that summed up how sad things really are:

We can see how sad this really is.
If we really want to tell the truth in a powerful way.
We have corporate greed running a muck.
We don't have enough jobs with a living wage for fellow citizens.
Unavailable health care and child care for millions.
Disgraceful school systems.
Failing infrastructure.
Then you have a political sphere where you can't have a critical debate or dialogue about these issues.
Then we have imperial occupation in Iraq.
That is the makings the collapse of an empire.

Cornel West said several things that were extremely well spoken and enlightening, but this statement really summed up my concerns at the moment during this election.