The Mystery of Lawlessness is Already at Work

I tried very hard to get these verses into my "status square" in Facebook, but alas there were too many characters.  So, next best thing is to blog it, right?  If this passage doesn't reflect what is going on in the United States today, then nothing does.  Thoughts anyone?  (Yes, a thoughtlet from this morning's sermon.)  Look at the wings of the vulture carefully.

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, NASB

⁷For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
 ⁸Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
 ⁹that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
 ¹⁰and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
 ¹¹For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,
 ¹²in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.