If God does not exist, then praying and worship is a waste of time, and therefore an evolutionary disadvantage. However, we observe that most humans are religious. So, logically, God must exist.
«I'm not saying a lot of Americans don't make stupid decisions»
... then contradicted yourself immediately:
«but it's not "the American lifestyle"»
Exactly how many above "lots" would be required before you considered the activities normal? "Lotsa lots"? What a joke!
Stupidity IS the American lifestyle. If millions of people are normalizing stupid behavior by their very numbers, then it becomes normal by definition. I'm sure you don't like that, but there it is in all its glorious self-evidency.
«Lemme just go move out into the woods and live off of tree bark.»
You don't have to go completely arboreal or native in order to avoid supporting evil. You failed the "reasonable effort" test.
«What the fuck propaganda are you talking about?»
Are you blind? Deaf? TV, newspapers and the radio belch out Imperial propaganda in megaton-sized daily servings. American media tells you Americans what wonderful people you are, while you bankrupt, pollute and bomb. The mainstream media feeds you all such falsehoods you end up thinking things which are entirely orthogonal to reality.
«Where the hell do you get these ideas from?»
Thinking critically and reading from many sources, not just getting HappyNews™ from the TV. You might want to pick up a book every so often, especially ones that don't assume the West is the pinnacle of Human achievement. How about David Korten's "When Corporations Rule the World", or David Cay Johnston's "Perfectly Legal", or Kristina Borjesson's "Into the Buzzsaw"? How about anything political by Chomsky?
Since Chomsky is one of the top 10 quoted living intellectuals, is that "reputable" enough for you? Or are you thinking instead that "reputable" only means a source that Rush Limbaugh would agree with? What does "reputable" mean to you, anyway?
«What statistics?»
Credit card debt. Housing equity shares. Voter turnout. The number of people who still think Saddam Hussein had something to do with 911. Savings rate. M3. The rise of financing for homes throughout the entire 20th Century. Trade deficit. Budget deficits and overall US government debt. All the falsehoods buried in the so-called CPI and unemployment numbers. Etc.
Are you really this dense, or are you working at it?
You sound to me like some early 20s Young Republican* or Young Democrat* who literally doesn't understand any socio-economic topic since you refuse to even contemplate any level of evil that your society indulges in. Am I right?
* These folks have no essential difference when it comes to the only two things which matter in governance, those being (1) foreign relations and (2) domestic economy.