No, it's not off topic. Unfortunately, getting rich at any cost to others seems to have become one of our core values. After the appalling debacle of Enron a few years ago and now JP Morgan just losing a billion or two, you'd think we might sit back and take a look at where our obsession with money and quick earnings is taking us. Sadly, I fear the result will be the opposite: even more people trying to manipulate the system.

I know there are plenty of people out there who are honest, not greedy, and who work hard, but they don't get the headlines -- and increasingly, they don't seem to be valued. When we start going after our teachers and firefighters as leeches on the system, we cannot be surprised if things get ugly and our young people have no idea what path they should pursue. What do we spend our time on? Sports and stars.