Every day I do research on trends I think that matter, that I can give my readers information about. As I read the dozens of publications this requires, I am struck by the complete breakdown of the U.S. Congress and the Supreme Court as properly functioning institutions. In this piece I want to focus only on the Congress. There so many urgent trends the Congress, particularly the House, should be focused on. And yet, the Republicans are trying to block anything that will address the crises the country faces and, instead, like unruly children in a sand box they waste their time, the nation’s time, quarreling over nonsense like what is described in this article. But what I find even more alarming is that about a third of Americans voted these ignorant corrupt cretins into office and seem ready to do so again, just as they are willing to once again vote for Trump, a criminal sexual molester psychopath. The truth, I don’t want to face but must, is that America has become a different country than it was as recently as the 1970s, two countries really, and the age of its world leadership in so many areas appears to be passing.