The New Opium des Volkes

Barack Obama was right when he said that working class Americans turn to guns and religion for solace from economic hopelessness. But he underestimated just how hi-tech the modern-time US are, for they turn to the make-belief world of video games for escape from the grim reality.

US sales of video game consoles and software have grown 57% over the past year, defying the economic downturn. The three grands - Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft - can barely cope with the demand, and well, that does keep jobs for quite a few people so it's not entirely sad news after all.