we have found a witch. may we burn her?

Why is America so litigious these days? Jane Galt says it's because we're rich. It's an answer I wouldn't have considered, but perhaps she's right:

So why are lawsuits increasing? I'd plump for several factors: an increasing number of lawyers; the rise of class action lawsuits in the 1970's, which provided large trial firms war chests to elect legislators friendly to their cause; people using an increasing number of products whose innards are mysterious to them; better communications, which make it easier for people to realize they have an actionable case, and easier for lawyers to collect clients; a cultural shift which has convinced parents that if their baby drowns in a bucket, the bucket manufacturer is somehow at fault for failing to warn them that this could happen.

But the single biggest factor, I'd claim, is that we're getting richer. That means that we drive more miles and consume more goods, which of course increases the chances of one of our toys somehow going wrong. It also gives us more income out of which to pay for lawyers, and makes more companies a more attractive target for lawsuits. If lawsuits are the price we pay for getting richer, that's a bargain I'll take.

I still say we should burn the lawyers. Er... the witches.