People can and will take to the streets for lesser reasons than lack of basic needs and outright tyrannical government.
Here's two examples from Switzerland (where basic needs are met and government isn't tyrannical, compared to other countries)

1) The first example is from Zurich where the authorities wanted to close down an abandoned industrial site that has been used for parties and concerts. An initially peaceful demonstration quickly turned into full out rioting with six-figure property damage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c2QpU0TzYo

2) Second example is from the capital city Bern. In the aftermath of an illegal party event, some people started wreaking havoc just for heck of it. This wasn't a protest against lack of basic needs, no protest against tyrannical government, just rampaging because they apparently didn't have anything better to do. Again, property damage in the six figures. Now try to imagine what these spoiled people will do when they encounter real problems.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_nsdWvL5hU


PS: So you lived everywhere in the U.S. but have you lived anywhere -outside- the U.S.? To get the bigger picture you speak of you need to have experienced the outside perspective as well. Otherwise, you won't be able to see the forest for the trees. No matter how many trees you know.

Okay, sure, people will protest for lesser reasons but they won't rise up against their government for lesser reasons. And if protesters become too much of a problem, just send in your police force and tell them to arrest everyone. The government could also just brainwash everyone to be happy with the way they do things like a lot of other countries do today. We live in a world where in many countries, the governments are tyrannical or the people don't have their basic needs met and the people in those countries do nothing. They just suffer in silence like sheep. You overestimate the strength, the bravery, intelligence, wisdom and self respect of most human beings. There is a reason why people like William Wallace are famous and most people are not...

I've visited many countries(UK, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, France, Poland, Canada) and I have lived in Germany for 5 years. A large portion of my life, I lived in an area in the U.S. with a lot of immigrants from Eastern Europe. From age 18 to 23, most of my friends were from Eastern Europe. Romania, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania etc. And only one of my ex girlfriends is American. And many times, during my vacations and while living in Germany....I had to learn the hard way...people are not the same everywhere even though people may appear to be on the surface... The lessons were very unpleasant. And once you've been living amongst people who are mostly not a bunch overgrown babies, it becomes extremely easy to notice that the majority of Americans are overgrown babies. It's like, once you see light, you know what darkness is... I'm not saying Europeans are perfect in every way compared to Americans. I'm not saying the majority of Americans don't have any good qualities because they do have some admirable qualities.

But living in the USA is like living in a giant Chuck E. Cheese's http://www.chuckecheese.com/ or Disneyland but more ghetto. And every day you see two adults in their 40s, strangling each other over an arcade game or a roller coaster ride. You should see how people here behave on Black Friday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu7UqAW6ysk

Our police force couldn't even manage the few rioters in Bern (right in front of the capital building, on top of everything...) so if there's ever a real riot like in Greece, our police is unlikely to to be able to handle it. Whenever there's a soccer game between two rivaling cities, pretty much the entire police force is on duty just to keep order. They even have to bring in extra forces from neighboring counties in some cases. And that's for a simple soccer game. Life in Switzerland is too secure for anything largely drastic to happen in the near future but as to the future beyond the immediate, no one can say. Unless you have a crystal ball in which case I want one of those.
I can't recall saying anything about people in general being intelligent and wise but these fine qualities aren't required for rioting. And even for a full blown revolution, you only need a few figureheads like Wallace or Danton and a couple thousand 'sheep', as you call them. Those 'sheep' can turn from the silent suffering kind into the wild and dangerous kind in surprisingly little time when rallied by a skilled shepherd, good or evil.

If you personally don't get along with Americans quite as well as with people from other places then there's two possible reasons for that:
A) It's them
B) It's you

In either case, exploring options for moving into a neighborhood entirely composed of immigrants could solve your problem (every decent city has a Chinatown. The food is great). If you are in any way able to relocate to another country, Norway in particular seems hospitable to just about anyone. Switzerland will take you in as well but they can be iffy if you're not a top dollar tax payer.
Anyway, this is pretty off topic, my apologies to OP. I'll shut up now, gotta play Tropico.

It's obvious, you are not taking a single word I say seriously so I think it's best we end this conversation. Enjoy Tropico.

Well gee, I'd like a new PS3...anyone?

That's it, I'm not eating!

There is a rumor (albeit unconfirmed) that this is the reason Gandhi fasted.

By "same", I believe we mean the same thing. Some are serious, some are humorous, some are clever, some are devious, some are malicious, some are creative, etc. There are hundreds of gene variations and we don't all have the same qualities, codes nor beliefs. No two humans are exactly the same. We aren't cloned. I have met many people I've chosen not to like or be friendly with. I guess I should have chosen a word other than "same". SIGH

Nah, I definitely think you're a troll.. 99% of the time you post nothing but nonsense...

*** Edit ***
I noticed just now that we seemed to have gotten past this, but I still wanted to voice how I feel about this particular situation.

Thanks. :D

Yes but it's possible for the majority of a group of people to share a common trait due to the environment they live in, their culture, their upbringing, their media, their government etc.

Just an FYI, this is a troll. Our squiggly friend is more like what hides inside a Dalek, except more sarcastic and with a better singing voice. :)

Just run this commercial or this one non-stop in his presence. He'll either be very hungry and cave in to his hunger or have the will to live due to one of those sexy creatures.

Forgot about this one. Please keep them coming Hardee's/Carl's Jr.

Someone here paid attention in Biology class. A+!

They should just let this fker out and then when he goes and doubles his score to 144 kills, maybe those fools up north will get it. Oh, and give him the PS3 for goodness sake, why not? Maybe throw in some BJ's from the Prime Minister (although I am quite sure he is getting nookie somehow, it would probably be too inhumane not to).

Meanwhile in the rest of the world...