Nothing has Changed

Nothing of any importance has changed. The engine of Empire is lugging a bit as the load increases, but the Empire's army of high-caste technocrats are hard at work, securing their perquisites and fat paychecks by keeping the sprawling global machine running. 

Just as in the late stages of the Roman Empire, magical thinking abounds. This is America, the capital of can-do! We are audaciously hopeful because we always arise, newly envigorated by the unquenchable spring of American innovation, blah blah blah. 

Thus is truth silenced because it might be painful, and require actual change rather than highly glossed facsimiles.  

We are bogged down by restrictive rules and regulations. Our supposedly limited government has imposed unlimited and onerous roadblocks in the paths of "free" enterprise. The powerful will not acknowledge their failures - they only shift the blame and inflict a new gnarly set of rules to "correct" the problems which they created. As Don points out, the horses hitched to the coach are growing very weary pulling the oppressive load.