Religion is based on the idea that God is an imbecile.

The U.S. is different from Europe and other industrial countries.

Most of the population in America is disenfranchised. It doesn't matter what they think. Just look at the passionate rhetoric about how we can't stand by when a country uses weapons to kill innocent civilians.

The development of space technology, including space warfare today, is similar in its technological-industrial significance to the development of navies a hundred years ago.

A functioning eco-system is a human need.

Whether the person should then be called "an intellectual" seems to reduce the issue to a question of terminology.

There certainly are those who worship the state much as divinities are worshipped. Not just the state but even leaders.