Quote Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible
So we are clear on this, and don't get things twisted. I am not advocating that the government decide anything, I am mandating that the "American people" become more responsible and aware of the environment around them, and choose to drive more efficient cars, and be smart and embrace every means of efficient alternative fuels(and not necessarily corn) which in turn will save the environment, and cut us lose from having to make compromises to foreign states(Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Iraq, and Iran..and Venezuela for that matter). This is not political, it is personal. Taking personal responsibility for the plight of your own country does not have to be political.
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Yes, it does. Obviously: because there will always be significant minority who place greed and self-interest above the common good. Remeber that we aren't just talking individual people; we are talking corporate interests, many of them global rather than national, that are driven exclusively by their next quarter earnings-per-share and nothing else. These interests must be compelled to do the right thing for the community by government.

What is wrong with government? First let's acknowledge in a democracy the goverment is the primary agent of the people. No private interest is so charged. If people don't like the government, they should vote for change rather than just condemn their government. The problem might that our political reps don't really represent us but instead corporate and funders.

To counter that, citizens need to critically indentify where their real interests lie and ignore to politicians clap-trap designed to appeal to their fears and prejudices. Is this asking too much? If you will, a major aspect of personal responsibility is electing political representives who represent the real, long term, interests of ourselves and communities.