The first part describes how we increasingly find excuses to put more and more areas of the economy, e.g. "defense" (really war), healthcare, and education. This is part of increasing gov't spending in general and the increasing power of the Executive Branch-- the biggest problems we have.

Regarding money, I see money as faith-based by its very nature. You asked a few years ago to think about what money could be, not what it always has been. I see money as a medium of exchange of things of value. Money itself, in my mind, has no value beyond the belief that in someone in the future will accept it in trade.

I agree with you about debt though. I see the root of the problem as gov't spending. Having the reserve currency of the world lowering borrowing costs is just a temporary thing that happened by chance.

Contrary to the last part, though, I don't think everything's going to worms. This is a remarkably prosperous time. Despite the problems, the average person gets a good education and has more opportunities than most people in human history.

I didn't understand what you meant about the implications of Clinton use the phrase "basket of deplorables". I think those people, racists, criminals, etc, have always been with us. We probably have fewer than earlier societies.

I actually didn't follow who are the strip miners and who are the townspeople in your analogy. I think the problems of the modern world don't have a clear villain, victim, and hero. The townspeople and strip miners are one and the same.