Dispatches From the Changing American Dream: Expanding the National Conversation

So it's no wonder people have lost faith that our broken political system will produce solutions to improve their lives. And as we approach the 2012 election (after, of course, several more manufactured crises about the deficit), the debate is likely to get even further removed from the reality of what's going on in the country. Washington has tuned out the country, and the sentiment is being reciprocated.

The question becomes: what now?

Well, one place to start is with ourselves. Our politicians have chosen to narrow their imaginations, but they can't narrow ours. Even if we can't control how Washington responds to our problems, we still have control over how we respond to them.