Why are Americans so complacent?

Originally posted by tyranny22

Originally posted by RWPBR
The American people get the exact type of government they vote for.

I don't think Bush won the popular vote in the last election, not sure about the one before, but I think it was WAAAAAY too close not to have a re-count. The elite get what they want. The people get screwed. Bush's approval rating has been around 35% for as long as I remember. And I'd say that's probably about the percentage that voted for him.

I believe Obama will get the most votes from the democrats this time, but it won't matter. McCain will win.

Popular vote does not matter in the presidential election and hasnt for over 100 years. The electoral college system works and keeps big states like NY and CA from dominating the election.

Originally posted by RWPBR
Popular vote does not matter in the presidential election and hasnt for over 100 years. The electoral college system works and keeps big states like NY and CA from dominating the election.

It's my opinion that it does not work. It doesn't properly repsent EVERYONE'S vote.

For example:
The nation is split between a vote FOR something and AGAINST something. It's a deadlock vote and the final two states to ring in are Wyoming and New York. New York has 20 million people. Wyoming has 1 million. 9.9 million people in New York vote FOR and 10.1 million vote AGAINST. All 1 million people in Wyoming vote AGAINST as well. The vote doesn't pass because 1 million people in Wyoming over-ruled 9.9 million in New York.

The idea of electoral colleges might have been great when the North and South were fighting it out, but in this day and age it's only useful to ignore the masses of people who are supposed to be represented.

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by tyranny22
why Americans these days let their government get away with so much. .

WHY are you picking on Americans? Everyone on the planet has a government that is 'getting away with so much ...'.

Seriously, the entire world has leadership that on some level isn't exactly on the up and up ... leadership that is ignorant .... leadership that reeks of corruption.

Why should America be any different? Actually, as far as I can tell, compared to a lot of the others, America is BETTER in that area then a lot of the world.

yeah Every government in the world is corrupt but not like the American government. Other heads of government aren't in Above Top secret societies with ties to the richest people in the world who believe in a New world Order and want to make it a reality. That's why America is different. That's why it needs to be stopped. You think America is better now you wait a couple years down the road when your constitutional rights are completely gone.

The idea for one man, one vote,is so jury rigged ( And there's a fine example of a word that is so common we hardly notice it, and yet it speaks volumes for our way of life.) that it is almost an extinct idea.

Add in severely unequal taxation, personal and corporate (Which I prefer to spell c-o-r-p-i-r-a-t-e, to always remember that at the core these are pirates in suits.). It's small wonder that America is sick of even trying to straighten out the mess.

Though I am not for civil war, I fear that one day, as unexpected as a spring tornado, the common people will erupt into a massive movement to throw all the tyrants, big and small, out in the street.

The French revolution showed what peasants can do when they have had enough.

[edit on 10-5-2007 by NGC2736]

Americans, to me, seem no more or less complacent than any other country. You could just as easily ask why there is no mass outcry from the UK population over our increasingly Orwellian society, or even more individual actions such as the treatment of the Chagos Islanders.

People where ever you go, are more likely to be complacent than willing to advocate change. There is some logic to this, its the "better the devil you know" syndrome, but there is also the fear and apathy factor. Its much easier to bitch about whats going on with your friends then sit down and think in concrete terms about how you are going to oppose it.

Of course, the media probably plays a role too, as would be expected. Its job, after all is to create consensus, to a degree. And there is nowhere on the planet where the media has more power and apparent freedom than the USA, though I would say that other industrialized economies are not far behind, either.

I have been reading various ATS threads for several weeks now (I'm a noob and this is my first post!) and I always end up asking myself the same question. "What can we REALLY do about it?"

As citizens of the world what can we actually do on a daily, weekly, etc...basis to effect change. By all accounts, most people seem discouraged by the current state of things and believe that society/civilization is headed in the wrong direction but is there person, people, organization or goverment that is cabable of initiating change? What are any of us really prepared to do or cabable of doing? I really do what answers to this question.

The issues/problems of the world today seem so huge and so numerous - are we really complacent or are we overwhelmed? On any given day we are bombarded by a volley of negative news, told we need medicines for all of our maladies and seduced by advertisers to spend more than we can afford.

I am a person of action. I need a plan. ATS is full of intelligent and creative thinkers. If we can't invision a better society how can we work toward it? I think the mainstream media has suceeded in marginalizing independent thinkers by labeling us conspiracy theorist and we should reject that term. But I also think we should stop talking about whose to blame when all that counts is how to change (JAMES).

Thanks for the thread start!

It's because most of my fellow citizens are too fat, lazy, arrogant or dumb to do anything about it. Ask an average American what Kyoto is, ask them how the CIA is funded, ask them about FEMA or about Iraq and the lies that took us there. Ask them about the Bush family or its links with Hitler, ask them what a passport looks like, ask them where Scotland is, they don't have a clue. They are so wrapped up in their Twinky munching world that they know nothing about foreign policy or they fact that we effectively live in a dictatorship and that GW is the biggest commie ever!
We are a dumb, arrogant and proud nation, lord knows what we are proud of though? Atom bombs?, Pollution? GM? Oppression? Slavery? Racism? Genocide? Oil? Torture flights? Condy Rice? Guantanamo Bay? Iraq? Having the dumbest leader in the world?..... I give up....

thanks...and apologies to all the real civilised nations!

Originally posted by proudyankee
It's because most of my fellow citizens are too fat, lazy, arrogant or dumb to do anything about it. Ask an average American what Kyoto is, ask them how the CIA is funded, ask them about FEMA or about Iraq and the lies that took us there. Ask them about the Bush family or its links with Hitler, ask them what a passport looks like, ask them where Scotland is, they don't have a clue. They are so wrapped up in their Twinky munching world that they know nothing about foreign policy or they fact that we effectively live in a dictatorship and that GW is the biggest commie ever!
We are a dumb, arrogant and proud nation, lord knows what we are proud of though? Atom bombs?, Pollution? GM? Oppression? Slavery? Racism? Genocide? Oil? Torture flights? Condy Rice? Guantanamo Bay? Iraq? Having the dumbest leader in the world?..... I give up....

thanks...and apologies to all the real civilised nations!

lol. that's what I'm looking for. I second that notion! just wanted to know if I was the only one that thought that way.

I am not sure so much it is complacency as much as feeling hopeless, that there is nothing that you can do. After an election that was taken by force, despite public scrutiny, legislation eats away at rights. It is a feeling like when a big brother holds the head at arms length of a little brother and no matter how much the little brother swings he can't hit the big brother.

just what can Americans do? there are no elections right now. We all know protests don't do anything.It is hard to educate people, I can't even get people to watch a movie. You take the chance of being labeled paranoid, needing a hobby, or a conpiracy theorist with the stigma attached. If I educated someone, and they asked what can they do about it, what would I tell them?

We could physically go down to the white house to try to oust the president ourselves, only too meet militant forces. We could hole up with spam and guns, but you have to wait a month for a gun before you can get one to be checked out.

It is like the gov't. is playing a very good game of chess, and the pieces are all lined up for checkmate.

When you see so much fakeness on TV, it is hard to know what is real and what isn't.

What do you believe? What do you do? The easiest thing to do is claim ignorance, or your nobody, and have a happy moment watching American Idol.

Originally posted by tyranny22
The current administration insists on stripping away our constitutional freedoms one by one, slowing driving the world into the hands of a select few. This is all done uncostitutionally without public or representative approval. The NAU is being pushed forward despite disapproval from Canada. If all goes as planned the dollar will eventually give way to the Amero. In a country that gaurantees constitutional freedoms, we as citizens turned a blind eye when the Patriot Act was passed. This one article alone repressed many of our garaunteed rights as citizens of the United States of America.
I urge everyone to ask questions. Look at current event. And most importantly, demand accountability from your "elected" leaders. If you don't agree with something, pick up a pen and write a letter, drop an e-mail or place a phone call. It only takes a couple minutes of your time and could protect you and your children's rights and opportunities for generations to come.

OP, I applaud you for opening this forum. It's a very timely topic and needs to be presented. Not all of us have our eyes closed, thank God. Sorry I had to edit most of your quote, but they are getting sticky about that. I'm afraid that if America doesn't wake up and step forward, we may have another situation, not un-like the Hitler regime. It would be good that we guard our freedoms while we still have them, rather than try to get them back after we lose them. Anyone that doesn't see any real harm in a police state or being controlled by the military; maybe they should do a little in-depth reading on the subject. It certainly won't resemble any kind of life as we've known it.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
I am not sure so much it is complacency as much as feeling hopeless, that there is nothing that you can do. After an election that was taken by force, despite public scrutiny, legislation eats away at rights. It is a feeling like when a big brother holds the head at arms length of a little brother and no matter how much the little brother swings he can't hit the big brother.



We could physically go down to the white house to try to oust the president ourselves,

Now I like that one! Smile.

just what can Americans do?

Exactly what the OP proposed. Write letters, send e-mails, make phone calls. Let them know, that we are not asleep. And they we are a majority and a force to be reckoned with.



[edit on 08/11/2007 by janasstar]

Write letters? Make phone calls? Whoopy do! :-)
You have a right under a democratic society to demonstrate, to protest! See Tiananmen Square, those kids carried on when their government was shooting at them! Or Rome's anti-war protests, 3 Million people! or the 2 Million that marched in london. Millions of people cannot be ignored, even by someone as ignorant and evil as George Bush.
You are not helpless!

Originally posted by proudyankee
Write letters? Make phone calls? Whoopy do! :-)
You have a right under a democratic society to demonstrate, to protest! See Tiananmen Square, those kids carried on when their government was shooting at them! Or Rome's anti-war protests, 3 Million people! or the 2 Million that marched in london. Millions of people cannot be ignored, even by someone as ignorant and evil as George Bush.
You are not helpless!

Now there's a Tea Party, I'd like to see! Wonder what it's going to take to wake up the masses? I'd like to see this forum heat up a little more. It's an excellent topic!

[edit on 08/11/2007 by janasstar]

Now there's a Tea Party, I'd like to see! Wonder what it's going to take to wake up the masses, though" I'd like to see this forum heat up a litle more. It's an excellent topic!

no actually this thread sucks, all it is is a bunch of Bush bashing and political baiting which the mods said wouldn't be allowed!

you lost the election get over it..its been almost 4 years already.


[edit on 17-8-2007 by darkheartrising]

Originally posted by darkheartrising

Now there's a Tea Party, I'd like to see! Wonder what it's going to take to wake up the masses, though" I'd like to see this forum heat up a litle more. It's an excellent topic!

no actually this thread sucks, all it is is a bunch of Bush bashing and political baiting which the mods said wouldn't be allowed!

you lost the election get over it..its been almost 4 years already.


[edit on 17-8-2007 by darkheartrising]

It's still America, and I think we're still allowed to have political opinions. Maybe you need to get over it!

I think the forum just heated up. Could be wrong. It might have been icecicles.

It's still America, and I think we're still allowed to have political opinions. Maybe you need to get over it!

have your political opinions at your next ACLU meeting...meanwhile read this:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Hmm how about voting next election? I think that is how it is done in America.

Originally posted by Xtrozero
Hmm how about voting next election? I think that is how it is done in America.

Very sage advice, O wise one! I kinda like Ron Paul! He gives me hope that things could be good again.

Originally posted by darkheartrising

It's still America, and I think we're still allowed to have political opinions. Maybe you need to get over it!

have your political opinions at your next ACLU meeting...meanwhile read this:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

All things being said, I just read your link. First I knew of it. Thanks for the heads up. But it does seem to me that you threw the first nasty punch here. I was just being conversational about the concerns of our country and throwing in a little humor.