my comment had nothing to do with how people view the social conditions or the conditions of other people's lives quite simply i was stating that the the naive optimism inherent in Americanism makes it very hard for serious political change to come about, regardless of whether people are aware or even empathize with the plight of others
why ? because the quasi religious view of tomorrow will always be a better day' (actually reflected in this poll by today is already a great day) defuses the necessity and urgency for critical social thinking
one should read Harold Bloom's book, 'The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation there's an amazing quotation from the book (i quote almost verbatim from Bloom, if my not-so-aged but still failing memory serves me): 'It must be sublime to live in a country where according to a recent poll more than 90% of Americans say that God personally loves them, a privilege that in the whole of the Bible was only conceded to one person, David' (i don't think 'privilege' was the word he used, but you get my gist)
the sense of Bloom's quote is what i'm getting at