Likenesses & Differences

Lately I've been thinking about how we are like Africa & at the same time how we are so different. This picture is an excellent example. Do you know what that tall thing between the woman & the tree is? It's a termite mound. It's hard to believe that an insect so small can produce that. We pay good money every year to make sure the little boogers don't invade our homes & there they can build their own.
I have been reading about the nation of Ethiopia. It has such a strong christian heritage. It is incredible really. It has never been colonized by the European countries that have managed to take over every other African country. They have managed to keep their heritage something to be proud of. For the most part, they have remained a religious nation. They are in the bottom 5 for poorest countries on our planet. Now, think about USA. We started off with a very religious heritage. Yes, our founders relied on the heavenly Father to be their guide. Yes, they were getting away from religious persecution, but they were still choosing to honor, worship, and have a serious relationship with the God of the universe. Now, as time has passed, people have chosen to take the "freedom" thing to mean we can all act however we want - including acting like the worse heathens. We have let those use their so called freedoms to take away our rights & have since then lost our heritage that our founding fathers worked so hard & fought so hard for us to have. We have so many different religious beliefs that it's no wonder people don't know which way to turn. We have become (for right now) the richest nation in the world. But has the cost of such wealth been worth it? Are we really a happy & peaceful nation? I know what I think. And I didn't put this out there to cause a great debate. I am just trying to make sense of our no sense world. I try to convey to my kids the irony of this in a way they can understand.
I have shown them & explained how I have seen people who have literally nothing be happier than most of the people I know. And then you look at us, a country who has access to anything we want, and yet we are never satisfied. Go figure......