Short answer is "yes". I believe that can be demonstrated two ways.

First, the healthcare debate. The US has wound up with a system which is the most expensive in the world and yet ranks 37th in effectiveness.

Why?

Because the healthcare system likes it that way. The people who make the money care less about patient care than profits and there's nothing the people can or will do about it.

Second, there is nothing being done to keep the rich from getting richer. The banking industry, failing institutions, used public bailout money to give executives huge bonuses. The public was powerless to stop that looting.

Those are bad enough, but they are only examples, symptoms. The folks with the hands on the levers of power are not inclined to take the longer view.

The illegal immigrant problem could be solved but won't. It plays into the hands of those who want cheap labor which frees up enormous numbers of citizens for an "all volunteer" military.

The military isn't stupid. They can look at Vietnam and recognize they lost. But they blame it on the politicians. They apply the same tactics in Iraq. And lose. And Afghanistan. And lose. Why? For the same reasons the health system is so poor. The politicians require them to purchase and use the same weapons systems or derivatives which lost before. But they are expensive. And consumable.

One asks why, and is led to "follow the money". It has to make sense somewhere. Who benefits? Only the mega-corporations and wealthy.

And since the Karl Roves of the world are so effective, since elections can be bought, there isn't much to be done. If it could be we'd have the best medical care system and an expanding middle class. We'd have the American Dream available to most Americans. And it's not.

More and more and more kids can look forward to flipping burgers or prison.

These trends are continuing with no dynamic apparent to counter it.