Why do we do that?

I'm currently vacationing in Gatlinburg, TN.  It was a small town in the Smokie Mountains with beautiful views of the National Park.  The town itself has grown from a quaint, quiet vacation spot to a total tourist trap filled with go-carts, miniature golf, and Ripley's museums.  None of which have anything to do with the natural beauty surrounding the town.  For those that stay in one of the "over 1000 motel rooms" in town, there are a variety of "authentic" country shows, fast food places, and gift shops of all types to visit.  It has become the Tennessee version of the Jersey shore.

So the question that I have is, why do we do this to places of natural beauty?  Why do we allow greed to overtake our good sense and stewardship of nature?  How does a beautiful shoreline or picturesque mountain translate into video arcade?  Why do we build hundreds of hotel/motel rooms and condo rentals in these locations so that people can supposedly come to enjoy what nature has to offer and then clutter it all up with mindless nonsense that takes us away from all of that offering?

Thoughts anyone?

Can somebody please lead?!

After a grueling, and embarrassing, debate over the national debt limit, followed by a humiliating lowering of our credit score, now we enter the beginning of campaign season.  This is shaping up to be even more acrimonious and divisive than our debt limit debate was.  Not only that, there doesn't seem to be any good reason for it.

Every summer we travel the country for a week or two and meet all kinds of interesting people from different walks of life.  We all seem to be able to get along, transact business, and go about our daily lives without worrying about who's richer, what party they are a member of, or any other type of unimportant nonsense.  We are secure in the knowledge that we all belong to the same country and we can get together and get things done when we need to.

Why can't Washington do the same?  Why can't they remember that ultimately, they are sent there to get a job done?  Why can't they work in the national interest and not in the interest of a party or movement?  Why do they continue to spend time worrying about their allegiances to each other rather than the country they serve?

Thoughts anyone?