Why nothing will improve in the US
Comments
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as an outsider, i find the major problems is the sense of superiority that America has. there are countries in the world that do things better than America but America doesn't want to learn from those countries.
America has some great qualities that other countries look at and try to emulate and i think America could do the same.
The second issue i see (and i hope people don't get offended here) is that i meet so many Americans who are like children. i can't remember how many times i hear " This is a free country so fuck anyone who says no to me" even this whole debt ceiling thing. I cant believe that there are idiots out there who were saying no to raising the ceiling no matter what.0 -
fife wrote:as an outsider, i find the major problems is the sense of superiority that America has. there are countries in the world that do things better than America but America doesn't want to learn from those countries.
America has some great qualities that other countries look at and try to emulate and i think America could do the same.
The second issue i see (and i hope people don't get offended here) is that i meet so many Americans who are like children. i can't remember how many times i hear " This is a free country so fuck anyone who says no to me" even this whole debt ceiling thing. I cant believe that there are idiots out there who were saying no to raising the ceiling no matter what.
On the first issue, well put, my friend. The idea of American Exceptionalism (which has led to the dangerous notion of jingoism and disastrous foreign policy measures) has become so warped that it has transformed a great country into a stubborn old man. Times change and old men need to learn new things.
On the second issue, I fear that you are right. The false, bloated sense of entitlement in this country is absurd. it has destroyed any notion of what it takes to be a functioning society and replaced it with a warped sense of individualism where everyone is so fixated on accumulating more wealth and more material possessions than their neighbors. Quite silly if you ask me.0 -
whygohome wrote:fife wrote:as an outsider, i find the major problems is the sense of superiority that America has. there are countries in the world that do things better than America but America doesn't want to learn from those countries.
America has some great qualities that other countries look at and try to emulate and i think America could do the same.
The second issue i see (and i hope people don't get offended here) is that i meet so many Americans who are like children. i can't remember how many times i hear " This is a free country so fuck anyone who says no to me" even this whole debt ceiling thing. I cant believe that there are idiots out there who were saying no to raising the ceiling no matter what.
On the first issue, well put, my friend. The idea of American Exceptionalism (which has led to the dangerous notion of jingoism and disastrous foreign policy measures) has become so warped that it has transformed a great country into a stubborn old man. Times change and old men need to learn new things.
On the second issue, I fear that you are right. The false, bloated sense of entitlement in this country is absurd. it has destroyed any notion of what it takes to be a functioning society and replaced it with a warped sense of individualism where everyone is so fixated on accumulating more wealth and more material possessions than their neighbors. Quite silly if you ask me.
I don't think that its just about getting more material possession (but that's a big one). just look at this debt ceiling thing> i can't believe that people were basically saying "fuck raising the ceiling and therefore paying our bills for things that we ALREADY got" its funny that the people who didn't want America to pay its bills are the same people who said "fuck off to those people who couldn't pay their mortgage"
I wish America didn't raise the ceiling cause i would have loved to have seen who the government would pay for first. that way the people of America would finally realized that their government don't give a fuck about them.0 -
whygohome wrote:fife wrote:as an outsider, i find the major problems is the sense of superiority that America has. there are countries in the world that do things better than America but America doesn't want to learn from those countries.
America has some great qualities that other countries look at and try to emulate and i think America could do the same.
The second issue i see (and i hope people don't get offended here) is that i meet so many Americans who are like children. i can't remember how many times i hear " This is a free country so fuck anyone who says no to me" even this whole debt ceiling thing. I cant believe that there are idiots out there who were saying no to raising the ceiling no matter what.
On the first issue, well put, my friend. The idea of American Exceptionalism (which has led to the dangerous notion of jingoism and disastrous foreign policy measures) has become so warped that it has transformed a great country into a stubborn old man. Times change and old men need to learn new things.
On the second issue, I fear that you are right. The false, bloated sense of entitlement in this country is absurd. it has destroyed any notion of what it takes to be a functioning society and replaced it with a warped sense of individualism where everyone is so fixated on accumulating more wealth and more material possessions than their neighbors. Quite silly if you ask me.
First issue, yes, American Exceptionalism can be a problem for those who think we can do no wrong. I certainly know that we have done plenty of bad things in the past and continue to do them. However, I believe we are more of a positive force in this world than negative. We have it very good here in the US. I think of "WMA" and realize that I shouldn't complain about the small things in my life that go bad, because I'm lucky to have it so good here. As a Christian, I do my best to help those that are less fortunate.
Second issue, I am all for more personal liberty and responsibility, in both the citizens and our gov't. We could go back to our budget from 6,7, 10 years ago, and wouldn't have to raise the debt ceiling. This will be a recurring problem every couple years, until we do something about it. I was all for drawing in the sand right now. When will we start trimming away at the debt? Will there ever be a president who doesn't have to raise the debt ceiling?0 -
311jj wrote:whygohome wrote:fife wrote:as an outsider, i find the major problems is the sense of superiority that America has. there are countries in the world that do things better than America but America doesn't want to learn from those countries.
America has some great qualities that other countries look at and try to emulate and i think America could do the same.
The second issue i see (and i hope people don't get offended here) is that i meet so many Americans who are like children. i can't remember how many times i hear " This is a free country so fuck anyone who says no to me" even this whole debt ceiling thing. I cant believe that there are idiots out there who were saying no to raising the ceiling no matter what.
On the first issue, well put, my friend. The idea of American Exceptionalism (which has led to the dangerous notion of jingoism and disastrous foreign policy measures) has become so warped that it has transformed a great country into a stubborn old man. Times change and old men need to learn new things.
On the second issue, I fear that you are right. The false, bloated sense of entitlement in this country is absurd. it has destroyed any notion of what it takes to be a functioning society and replaced it with a warped sense of individualism where everyone is so fixated on accumulating more wealth and more material possessions than their neighbors. Quite silly if you ask me.
First issue, yes, American Exceptionalism can be a problem for those who think we can do no wrong. I certainly know that we have done plenty of bad things in the past and continue to do them. However, I believe we are more of a positive force in this world than negative. We have it very good here in the US. I think of "WMA" and realize that I shouldn't complain about the small things in my life that go bad, because I'm lucky to have it so good here. As a Christian, I do my best to help those that are less fortunate.
Second issue, I am all for more personal liberty and responsibility, in both the citizens and our gov't. We could go back to our budget from 6,7, 10 years ago, and wouldn't have to raise the debt ceiling. This will be a recurring problem every couple years, until we do something about it. I was all for drawing in the sand right now. When will we start trimming away at the debt? Will there ever be a president who doesn't have to raise the debt ceiling?
I understand what you are saying but i have some questions for you. what do you mean by personal liberty? i find that for some it means leave me alone and let me do what i want. that doesn't work in a society. i hear alot here about how poor people should just work and stop robbing us of our taxes. as for the budget of 6,7,10 years ago, at that time the debt ceiling was raised. we have to understand that prices rise and what cost $2 last year cost now $3 now.
as for drawing the line, i agree but where do we do that? the tea party people are irresponsible when they said no to raising the limit as they were basically saying that its OK not to pay your bills.0 -
Electric_Delta wrote:Free enterprise is not without it's responsibilites, but when left in the hands of the disciplined, it produces abundance.
Yeah, and when pigs grow wings, they can fly.0 -
81 Needing a ride to Forest Hills and a ounce of weed. Please inquire within. Thanks. Or not. Posts: 58,276markin ball wrote:It is basically one issue for me.
Apathy.
nope. i vote all the time.
i was also sending my senator emails, but all i ever got back was a canned response. they don't listen, that's the real problem.81 is now off the air
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One word "Lobbyist"0
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shadowcast wrote:One word "Lobbyist"
I don't think it fair to just say lobbyist. there are lobbyist who are trying to create a better world. not all of them are big oil, big business lobbyist.
on the other hand i think we must agree that one reason lobbyist have alot of power is due to the cost of running for office. If a politician wants to become president they need hundreds of millions of $ and the only way they can get that is through is having donors and usually those donors will want something back.0 -
shadowcast wrote:One word "Lobbyist"
Totally agree...lobbying needs to be banned. A limit on how much can be spent on a election campaign would help, as well as having a time limit on campaign's before the election.I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon0 -
Sounds like OP is calling for MORE Gov't "oversight"- to mean regulation- to mean BIGGER GOV"T.
Oh, and tighter controls on "big business" which is Dem-speak for Capitalism.
So... I agree. More Gov't WILL make things worse.0 -
lukin2006 wrote:shadowcast wrote:One word "Lobbyist"
Totally agree...lobbying needs to be banned. A limit on how much can be spent on a election campaign would help, as well as having a time limit on campaign's before the election.
again, i don't think lobbying should be banned. For example, i work for a non profit in Toronto and we do lobby the government around causes that they may not know about. the problem with some lobby is that the $ aspect. my non profit can't complete $ wise with lobbyist who have hundreds of millions to give to politicians.
until we fix the way the election system works we will always have lobbyist. in Canada for example, political parties get money from taxes. that is until our prime minster changes that to more of an American style.0 -
Other factors to consider:
Staying with an unsustainable linear system of natural resource extraction to production to consumption to waste. Recycling is good but only helps a little to slow down an unsustainable process-- it is not the answer.
Our autobombile addiction. Hybrids help a little, electric cars might help some but again, our driving habits are a major part of an unsustainable linear system. More use of mass transit, living closer to work, increasing local economy and creating more walkable comunities would help greatly.
Refusal to acknowledge global warming is anthropogenic.
Refusal to acknowledge the reality of peak oil and the unlikelyhood of ever finding another source of energy as cheap and abundant as oil.
Continued environmental degradation.
The big uglies: Racism, hate, war, injustice.
Also, as others have pointed out, APATHY! I hope all of us who are unhappy with the state of things are doing something to make a positive difference.
"It's a sad and beautiful world"-Roberto Benigni0 -
Bump.CONservative governMENt
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis0 -
FiveB247x wrote:Bump.
So do you think things are getting worse? If so, how? (I didn't read through the whole thread)0 -
Go Beavers wrote:FiveB247x wrote:Bump.
So do you think things are getting worse? If so, how? (I didn't read through the whole thread)
because folks are soooo pessimistic....
much like the original post...0 -
Go Beavers wrote:FiveB247x wrote:Bump.
So do you think things are getting worse? If so, how? (I didn't read through the whole thread)
it's clearly getting worse ...0 -
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