The United States is a very insular society. Most people know very little about the outside world and don't care that much. They're concerned with their own affairs.

Since James Madison day (and long before), there have been constant struggles over "democratic governance".

What the polls don't tell you is, though other polls do, is that if you do a study of CEOs, top executives in corporations, they're liberal.

Workers in different countries can easily be played off against each other.

If workers are more insecure, that's very 'healthy' for the society, because if workers are insecure, they won't ask for wages, they won't go on strike, they won't call for benefits; they'll serve the masters gladly and passively. And that's optimal for corporations' economic health.

If there are lessons to be drawn from the sciences, then that should be the concern of everyone, including scientists to the extent that they can make a contribution.

The desire for hope and change is easily understandable. In many ways it's even more dramatic in Europe.