[@Penny]I was actually talking to my friend about this. I'm not entirely certain if you've seen the movie Armageddon, but there's this scene where NASA and its representatives are telling the main character (Bruce Willis) about him being their one and only hope for survival, and he goes on this huge rant on how this cannot be possible. 

[quote]Harry Stamper: What's your contingency plan?
Truman: Contingency plan?
Harry: Your backup plan. You gotta have some kind of backup plan, right?
Truman: No, we don't have a back up plan, this is, uh…
Harry: And this is the best that you-that the government, [b][i]the U.S. government[/i][/b] could come up with? I mean, you're NASA for crying out loud! You put a man on the moon! You're geniuses! You're the guys that're thinking shit up! I'm sure you got a team of men sitting around somewhere right now just thinking shit up and somebody backing them up! You're telling me you don't have a backup plan, that these eight boy scouts right here [gestures to USAF pilots], that is the world's hope, that's what you're telling me?
Truman: Yeah.[/quote] 

And I realized 'this is such a 90's way of seeing the Government. I can completely tell this movie came out 98, because today when I watch a hearing at Congress or the president speaking, I wouldn't trust most of them with my laundry. 

I think the U.S. has a very competent and rich, and successful history, but it's stagnant.