Although propagandists claim "liberals hate America," I can tell you as a left-of-center mother, I don't hate it. I worry about it. Like a child of mine that is experimenting with drugs or hanging out with the "wrong crowd," I still love it but desperately want it to change its ways before its ways change it irrevocably.

Is this the America we want? Does this or this sound like America is doing well, or backsliding into the 19th century?

I don't like the trampling of rights that have taken place in the name of "security." My personal economic status and the nation's economic status have both declined alarmingly. Our country is losing ground. These things have happened since the new millennium began. Do the math -- these policies must change.

Does that mean more corporate taxes? You may be surprised to know we already have a high corporate tax rate. However, look at this:

"Although the United States has the second highest statutory corporate tax, the background paper reports that U.S. corporate income tax revenue (federal and state) as a percentage of GDP paradoxically is much lower than the OECD average — 2.2 percent in the United States versus an OECD average of 3.4 percent — over the 2000-2005 period. In short, the OECD data present a conundrum — the United States has the second highest combined statutory corporate tax rate among OECD countries, yet is tied with Hungary in raising the fourth lowest amount of combined corporate income tax revenue relative to GDP in 2004."

Why aren't many corporations investing back into America and its people? Perhaps the question isn't "why do liberals hate America," but "why do corporations hate America?"

Maybe "hate" is a strong word. Corporations don't "hate" America, they just treat it like a skanky girlfriend they use, abuse and borrow money from without giving anything back.

And I'm starting to feel an itchy, burning sensation like they infected us with something nasty, too.

I don't think this trend is irreversible. I may be a skeptic, but I'm not a cynic. But we're not going to get what we need by continuing this cycle, or by begging for a scrap of kindness or charity.

We, the American people, deserve respect and proper treatment. It's time we demanded it from our no-good, two-timing, lying, cheating scumbag of a partner -- our corporations.