Maher: U.S. Is Michael Jackson -- 'In Debt, On Drugs and Over the Hill'

"Michael Jackson IS America. We love him so much because he reflects our nation perfectly: fragile, over-indulgent, childish, in debt, on drugs, and over the hill."

So said HBO's Bill Maher on "Real Time" Friday night during his "New Rules" segment.

As he elaborated on how America fit each of these negative attributes, he concluded by claiming, "Monday is the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong first setting foot on the moon, and I can't think of any ambitious goal we've reached since then" (video embedded below he fold, relevant section begins at 1:45):

Imagine that. In Maher's view, America has accomplished nothing since July 20, 1969.

So I guess President Nixon opening up China to the west three years later was nothing.

So was the creation of the personal computer which potentially has changed America and the lives of its citizens more than any invention since the car.

Or how about President Reagan's ambitious goal of destroying the evil empire known as the Soviet Union?

Lest we not forget the Internet, which despite existing for decades was not made easily accessible to regular folks until the '90s, and has radically changed virtually all aspects of our lives.

In the end, these are but a few of the ambitious achievements America has made in the past 40 years, and anybody living here that doesn't appreciate them is either blind or a liar.

Or is it both, Bill?