American Democracy

So, why is it that other nations are experiencing popular movements that challenge their governments to do better, whereas Americans are pretty much just disconnected?

Some possibilities:

1) The Bread and Circus Theory - America, given the advanced state of our economy, and technological development, is distracted and more or less sated.  We don't care about being powerless, as long as we have our big screen televisions, our Internet (esp. YouTube, and MySpace) and as long as we can get our Mickie D's.  Even the poor in America are, like, millionaires (to be absolutely glib and obnoxious about it) compared to the poor in other nations.  People might complain, but the welfare state works well enough to keep people from doing any more than that.

2) The American System is Fucked, But It's Better Than Anywhere Else Theory.  There is some validity to this.  Afterall, the people in Iran are not just protesting a close vote that they think was rigged and then resolved unfairly (similar to the American 2000 election that brought GWBush to office).  They also are dealing with a government that is much more repressive in terms of fundamental free press rights, that is overseen by a theocratic, relatively shadowy organization that pre-screens candidates, etc.  The American system has its problems, but we've come to accept those problems as aberrations from an otherwise decent political process.

3) The Lack of Organizing Theory.  Critics of American society have misconstrued rhetoric for action.  And cynics and the disenchanted have misconstrued action for violence.  Nobody knows what to do.  Nobody knows how to organize anymore.  Or maybe, we have become so distrustful of organizations generally, that we're not interested in being organized.  The point, though, is that a lot of critics seem to think that their well-argued and Truthful criticisms will be enough to spontaneously spark an uprising.  What we lack is organizing.  Why are the only people that knock at my door either selling me something or trying to get me involved in one mayoral campaign or another?  The only people that are organizing like that are the people that are already in the system - where is the counter-system organizing?  There are many disaffected, but they are all on their own - individually disaffected, and therefore powerless.