Hrmmm..
with regard to energy bending...
The lionturtlething told Aang "before people bent the elements they bent the energy within themselves" and then he showed/taught him energy bending. They made it sound like it was something everyone did, not just the avatar.
Also I found it interesting to note that during the first show there was a 100 year gap in which very little changed in the world. Aang froze himself in a block of ice, 100 years past, and yeah a massive war broke out and a long got conquered, but it sounded like most of the conquering occurred during the first time the comet passed and then things kind of stablized after that.
But EVERYTHING has changed since the first show ended. (what like 60 years?) The nations have homogenized into one entity. For the most part I really like the way its playing out. "Technology" of a sorts has come SO far and I while I think it's a little strange that 'difficult' bending forms are commonplace I think it is also a side effect of the unity between the nations?
Though if firebenders (aka lightningbenders) are the reason that everyone has power and if earth (aka metal) benders are the reason that cars and buildings are as sophisticated as the way they are then why is everyone clamoring for the revelation? Don't they realize that society as they know it is built on the back of the positive aspects of bending?
--
~Ç~ http://img.imgcake.com/AlecTrevylan006/fdshieldpngyn.png Eff_Dee
http://img.imgcake.com/nio/9fdpngys.png