What’s the source of the problems we’re facing?

Michael R. Stilley, Mesquite

Friday, Aug. 12, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

With all the problems we are having — including the government’s inability to arrive at a consensus of what needs to be done, officials telling us that Social Security needs fixing (despite the fact that our government has “borrowed” trillions from this fund), and an escalating debt that is the responsibility of the government — I came to these conclusions:

• Representatives and senators are not appointed to their position by any governmental body. They are elected by the majority they represent;

• The current members of Congress cannot work toward a compromise because they are following the mandate of those who voted to put them in office;

• A private firm (Standard & Poor’s), which rated mortgage securities as investment grade, now tells us the United States is not a AAA credit risk;

So, I ask a question: Is the government dysfunctional or is the United States, as a nation, dysfunctional? I don’t have an easy answer, but it seems to me the latter is appropriate.