It's all part of a larger picture. We have a crumbling power grid and are falling behind the rest of the world in broadband infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) talks of "congested highways, overflowing sewers and corroding bridges" that are "constant reminders of the looming crisis that jeopardizes our nation's prosperity and our quality of life." Every year the engineering society issues a report card grading 15 categories of America's once-premier infrastructure. In 2005, that "core" infrastructure collectively got a "D-," slightly worse than the "D" it received in 2000.

Wages are stagnant while food prices are skyrocketing and oil is at an all-time high of $118 a barrel. I don't know about you, but I lead a pretty humble life, and I'm having a harder time making ends meet right now than I was a few short years ago.