When opportunism is misguided, society suffers

Many things have contributed to the United States becoming a great and influential nation over the last sixty years—the taking of risks foremost amongst them. However, the same opportunism that motivated Rosa Parks, JFK and Martin Luther King (and others) in the 1950s and 1960s has precipitated a litigious, mistrusting society in more recent times.

Misguided opportunism, encouraged by a self-serving legal 'industry', has led to some crazy claims and quite outrageous reparations, the most recent of which is reported here. While safety is important, the imposition of huge payouts for what are, in effect, accidents is counterproductive. Enquiring minds and innovative dispositions—so necessary to the creation of new knowledge, the discovery of new technologies and, closer to home, the formation of strong and robust communities—are stifled when a legalistic, rules-based culture gains the upper hand.

It's no wonder that America's claim of being the greatest nation on earth is under threat.