The USA is in the crapper today mainly because of every one of us that sits on its' lazy arse not paying attention to who gets elected, what they do, etc. We are a country now run by the minority groups that do get out and vote and elect people that have very narrow points of view that are vastly skewed towards there own small needs and wants.
The vast majority of us sit in our homes with our heads up our arses and are strictly to blame.

Much of this recent banking collapse is caused by people and businesses taking out loans fraudulently and/or getting loans/mortgages that they were not able to pay by a long shot.
Too many people bought houses...these are not "homes"...that they could not afford...perhaps they could afford the mortgage as long as nothing went wrong, unexpected bills, etc., but there is so much more to owning a house...taxes, utilities, maintenance, etc...careful home owners know of these extra expenses and do not over spend. People over bought houses as well...When was the last time you saw a contractor building a modest 3 bedroom/2 bath house? Rather we see mini mansions popping up everywhere...
When you see someone driving a car that is costing them $400 a month just for the payment, forget about how much insurance, taxes and maintenance are costing them. How long until some sort of financial problem pops up and puts them in arrears?

Businesses are no different. Lenders specializing in loans to people with "bad credit or no credit" are part of the problem as well.
Where does the problem lie when the CEO of a failing company that is filing for chapter 11 leave and get a 100 million dollar pay out from its BOD?
We did this to ourselves.
Let the banks and businesses fail. Let the investors that supported this BOD and CEO lose their investment. They freakin' deserve it.

We also need to get involved with our government again. Who are we electing and what the hell are they doing?
If you want change it starts with you. If you do nothing the small minorities will continue to run and ruin our country and you will only have yourself to blame.

Hugo Chavez is enjoying his moment in the sun. He is poking the bully in the eye while it is powerless to react. He is also a megalomaniac full of himself and his own belief in his power and control in the world and especially on our continent.
Imagine where we would be if all the time, effort and money we are pissing away around the world, especially to countries that are not really friendly to us, were being directed towards the American continent.

I would be happy if we just started using the constitution we already have in play......

Originally posted by tdogg1
I agree with everyone else about the U.S. Constitution
No greater document ever concieved imo.

I agree with Chavez about our political system.

Captalism in a nutshell is economic and political Satanism.

I'm not just coming out of left field with that opinion.

Most Satanist will agree with that and most Thinkers if they gave it thought, would too.

Totally wrong and what the left-wing have managed to brainwash others with.
Both left and right can be construed as this. It depends on the people and circumstances. In defence of laissez-faire capitalism though:

Most Christians will point out that a certain famous individual pointed out you pay to Caesar what is Caesars and to God, what is Gods.
If that isn't the 'man upstairs' endorsing Capitalism I don't know what is.
I seem to remember a certain other 'being' called Satan tempting J.C with absolute power over others. Sounds like Socialism and controlling others to me

I want to leave yall with a tidbit of information.

The World is playing people... not neccessaringly for negative purposes, altho some of then seem like it and are negative for some...

Humans as a species has to learn to promote life instead of take it.

ALSO The Government is holding onto some secrets that none of you nor I will never know about. The very reason is because it is too powerful for anyone to control, everyone ends up turning greedy, turning into a savior complexed hero figure wannabe, people lie to themselves thinking they can handle things and then they turn. The world isn't ready. This turn of events is to open up our minds to the possibility of peace. Everyone here is trusting ATS Posters who are trusting Mass Media Employees who are trusting Mass Media Boss' who are Trusing OIL COMPANIES. ... SiLeNcE...






Ok? Does anyone get it. When humans become less ignorant and thats about 99% of the population, the Governments will start releasing new technologies... but not until we are ready. We cannot HANDLE such technology. We still commit murders because we are angered. We have to learn to control ourselves in its entirety.


....... See you all on the other side... Im not too concerned about what happens, unless its just flat out wrong. soo... good luck everyone.

I agree with Chavez in part. Specifically, that our system caused this mess, but I would disagree that we need a new Constitution. I think "we the people" should exercise our rights and powers under the Constitution and "throw off such government, and provide new guards for our future security", as was said long ago. Still, we may yet need a new Constitution after all.

We should drop the 16th Amendment outright, because it was never properly ratified in the first place. That alone would likely bring lots of money back INTO the US, instead of having money parked in offshore accounts in countries that might be friendly with Chavez, et al. Our tax system has robbed the people of nearly everything, and homelessness is on the rise.

Ya gotta hand it to Chavez. When one is right, one is right. Our government hates him because of the oil thing, but never for any real reason. Chavez simply refuses to play the US's little games. The US government can't stand being stood up to. But one would THINK that at $4 a gallon, we'd wake the heck up. But maybe we won't.

Chavez may be a dictator in his own country, but from the looks of things, he appears to have his people in mind. I have no problem with that. OUR government has disconnected from "we the people", and paid more attention to "we the fat cats with lots of money", instead, since at least 1913. It ain't nuthin' new, good people !

Thus, my vote goes to Bob Barr.

I just love the US bashers on this forum. They tend to forget that every Communist government has failed miserably, and that even the socialist governments have had to revise their governments to allow for a lot more capitalism.

But there is always that ideal of the lazy, let us profit from YOUR work. It is unfair for you to earn more than i do, or to have more than I do.

As to Chavez, he has failed to become total Dictator of his country. His own people refused to vote him into that position.

But of course, the incompetent, the lazy and those that truly believe they are owed a living because they exist, are all for him and against capitalism.