I've long come to suspect the whole concept of a "national discussion."  I think it's hogwash.  People write, people read, people talk, people listen, but this whole thing about discussing the issues of the day at a national level is pretty much a sham because what is really meant by this is the superficial shit that is seen on television, primarily on national network and cable television programs.  Except all of that stuff is bought and paid for by a particular sector of society.  So it's nothing like anything that I would call a discussion without a sneer on my face.

And fear always works.  Get the limbic system firing over-time so the cerebral cortex can't compete.

EDIT: One more thing - Donal alludes above to the detiorating economic conditions in America.  It's been decades in the making, but the American middle class does seem to have forces aligned against it.  Even so, this is a process that has moved at a glacial pace and what has to be recognized is how rich Americans still are relative to the rest of the world.  So, if by "problems" you refer to the really big issues that must be reckoned with, say long-term energy policy, nearly any serious and adult discussion will require that people are willing to 1.) take responsibility for how they act right now and 2.) at least entertain a willingness to make some changes (and possibly even outright sacrifices).  People frequently avoid doing those things.  Like Bush the Elder famously quipped, "The American way of life is not negotiable."