American Ignorance

reply to post by syrinx high priest


They've got everyone fooled, you're right. At the end of the end they're all sitting around laughing at us.

I am a conservative on some ISSUES and a liberal on some ISSUES. Anything less is shameful! I like neither party and used to look at a candidate but those I have to choose from all tow the party line and have sold out to TPTB, so ..... I don't vote (why encourage the bas###ds)

The lesser of two evils is still evil!

The 'COMMON GOOD' transcends being a TOTAL Lib or Con.


How about bankruptcy? Donald Trump's 3 or 4 bankruptcies have 'erased' more debt than a million bankruptcies by 'poor' people who have been sucker in to hopeless debt. Trump suckered the banks and investors.

The last few presidential terms I have found it disgusting to see how running for office encourage the literal demonetization of the other party. It's one thing to mud sling against each other, but against the American people?

There was a time when the Republican party was considered primarily supportive of Corporations, without much thought for the average citizen, I actually remember working for a fortune 500 company that had meeting encouraging it's employee's to vote republican.

On the other hand...back in the day...democrats were considered more for the average joe, the American worker, the blue collar workers etc.

So far as liberals vs conservatives, I guess you could qualify me as a full fledged dyed in wool hippie flower child conservative??? See people can't always be categorized

I worked hard for where I am, and have been beat down more than once. I have a Chemistry degree that I earned in night school, and can no longer use, and 7 computer certs including forensics., I raised my child to be a good person respectful etc. On the other hand I have realized through my many experiences in life that you can't judge a book by it's cover, some of the most left behind people have so much to offer if someone will only look at them....say hi..acknowledge their existence.

I do believe that currently we do need some certain safeguards implemented which can at least help our poor maintain life. The fact is our country is responsible for the mess it's in. I can tell you pretty much what caused the economic collapse, and despite it sitting there smacking everyone in the face, I still see a lot of sentiment to keep chipping away until there is nothing left.

Remember these words

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Promote the General Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.

Important words, but we are failing miserably.

History lesson time:

We need to restore the corporate restrictions that stared with Teddy Roosevelt and were originally put in place to...

Put an end to the rise of corporate tyranny and put an end to policies that maintained the wealth and power for an elite few, and sided for the people.

When he left office William Taft took office as a pro- corporate president. Following him 4 years later Woodrow Wilson took office for 2 terms during which he continued some of Roosevelt's policies he left office in 1921 and was followed by Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge. During that time the income and wealth inequalities rose again to similar level as before TDR. Calvin Coolidge left office in 1929, and later that year the stock market crashed, which began the great depression of 1930 and lasted into the late '30's to early '40's. His presidency was then followed by Herbert Hoover who served one term and left office in 1933.

Franklin D Roosevelt took office in 1933 and implemented the New Deal based on the idea that the catastrophe was unacceptable and should be corrected through government action which focused on...

Reigning in the the powerful and wealthy elite few....

By imposing regulations on the those corporate entities.

The government took an active role in job creation, which was quite successful.

He served 4 terms in office during which his administration brought us out of the great depression and he died in office in April 1945. Those restrictions remained in place until the Nixon administration, from that point forward those restrictions were lifted bit by bit until they were all gone.

I grew up in the 60's and 70's my father didn't even have a high school diploma but he was a hard worker and hard work and loyalty were rewarded by companies back then, raises, benefits, insurance and so forth, the companies valued their experienced employee's and the employee's were rewarded for their work. He raised a family of 6, we had a house a yard, security. When I became an adult those values were starting to decline, With the technology boom there was a brand new great paying career path for people even at lower levels like support, but then we started outsourcing those positions overseas so the Corporations could earn more profits by paying slave wages to foreign workers and pocketing the profits. Now to be even considered for a job higher than Mcdonalds a person needs a degree, although the same job was done in the past with non-degree people. When I turned 18 I supported myself pumping gas as I worked my way into higher paying jobs, an 18 year old these days would not be able to support themselves on a minimum wage job, it takes money to make money, a roof over your head, food to keep you going, and transportation to whatever job you get.

I realize people are having a hard time making ends meet and the idea of your tax dollars going to help someone not as affluent as you might be irritating, but in a way we let things get to this point, or our elected officials did but still people went along for the ride and still are.

When the OWS movement started I knew this was at the core of the problem, and I have to tell you after our tax dollars bailed out the banks after they, in their greed screwed up our entire economy, I could not believe the audacity of some of those very same High Paid Wall Street bankers after being bailed out of their debacle standing out on their break areas laughing at the protesters, they even set up a web site stating "we are the 1%" and we're proud of it. As if they earned it and were looking down their noses at the rest of society....they did not earn it,..they were carried on the backs of others and bailed out when they screwed us all over.

We've been through this before, history is repeating itself.

"Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it,"

Originally posted by oghamxx
I am a conservative on some ISSUES and a liberal on some ISSUES. Anything less is shameful! I like neither party and used to look at a candidate but those I have to choose from all tow the party line and have sold out to TPTB, so ..... I don't vote (why encourage the bas###ds)

The lesser of two evils is still evil!

The 'COMMON GOOD' transcends being a TOTAL Lib or Con.

edit on 29-3-2012 by oghamxx because: (no reason given)

How about bankruptcy? Donald Trump's 3 or 4 bankruptcies have 'erased' more debt than a million bankruptcies by 'poor' people who have been sucker in to hopeless debt. Trump suckered the banks and investors.

edit on 29-3-2012 by oghamxx because: (no reason given)

I think you're right. And in the upcoming presidential election, I doubt I'll be voting myself. I am going to make a conscious decision to specifically not vote for any of these politicians. I say vote locally, vote where change is possible...vote for your mayors, town assessors, councilmen/women, county legislators. But the hell with the federal government. I'm done with these fools.

reply to post by elitegamer23


Any human who identifies themselves as a "conservative" or a "liberal" should be distrusted from the start. Anyone who totally buys into the propaganda of either "side" (as has been demonstrated in this thread more than once) is probably someone who does not know how to think for themselves but just sucks into the manufactured sound bites.

It is perfectly reasonable for a human to hold "conservative" or "liberal" values... but any real human worthy of the name will be a mix, depending on the specific issue.

Anybody who insists they are a pure conservative or pure liberal is probably just a headlines-digester and sound-bite spewer, not worthy of being taken seriously.

reply to post by elitegamer23


I agree with OMS. I prefer to be a free-thinking individual as opposed to aligning myself with one "team" or another. That just encourages Groupthink, IMO. That's why I have never registered with a political party. I also don't identify as a "liberal" or "conservative". For one thing, people have various ideas about what they mean. It's like the word "Christian". Talk to 10 different Christians and you'll get 10 ideas of what the religion means.

I have some liberal opinions and some conservative opinions. I like it like that.

As a non American, I have always thought that the US elections were more like reality TV. The presidential debates always seem scripted and lacking real discussion on the serious issues.

To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.

(You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).

Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron , will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.

Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').

2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'

3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.

4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.

5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.

8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.

9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.

10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.

11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).

12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside ofAmerica. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.

13. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.

14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).

15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.

God Save the Queen!

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
reply to post by elitegamer23

 

I agree with OMS. I prefer to be a free-thinking individual as opposed to aligning myself with one "team" or another. That just encourages Groupthink, IMO. That's why I have never registered with a political party. I also don't identify as a "liberal" or "conservative". For one thing, people have various ideas about what they mean. It's like the word "Christian". Talk to 10 different Christians and you'll get 10 ideas of what the religion means.

I have some liberal opinions and some conservative opinions. I like it like that.

Sorry, BH, you can't do that. We must all be in our little box of "only this way is right". You're way too human to even be in this thread. Please stop being so rational...it confuses the extremists.

In all seriousness, I'm the same way. I'm a nature freak, yet I'm pro-business. I believe the government should stay the hell out of our lives, that the military should be reduced by at least half, that people on welfare should learn to suck it up and get a job, but I'd be OK for a program that helps anyone from age 0-18 and 65-death. I think Social Security should be dismembered and its pieces buried in the four corners of the Earth, but I'm OK with Medicare.

Nobody is only liberal or only conservative. They're just afraid to admit it.

/TOA

Originally posted by The Old American

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
reply to post by elitegamer23

 

I agree with OMS. I prefer to be a free-thinking individual as opposed to aligning myself with one "team" or another. That just encourages Groupthink, IMO. That's why I have never registered with a political party. I also don't identify as a "liberal" or "conservative". For one thing, people have various ideas about what they mean. It's like the word "Christian". Talk to 10 different Christians and you'll get 10 ideas of what the religion means.

I have some liberal opinions and some conservative opinions. I like it like that.

Sorry, BH, you can't do that. We must all be in our little box of "only this way is right". You're way too human to even be in this thread. Please stop being so rational...it confuses the extremists.

In all seriousness, I'm the same way. I'm a nature freak, yet I'm pro-business. I believe the government should stay the hell out of our lives, that the military should be reduced by at least half, that people on welfare should learn to suck it up and get a job, but I'd be OK for a program that helps anyone from age 0-18 and 65-death. I think Social Security should be dismembered and its pieces buried in the four corners of the Earth, but I'm OK with Medicare.

Nobody is only liberal or only conservative. They're just afraid to admit it.

/TOA

sadly i think its not about them being afraid to admit it, i think they are just too damn confused.

reply to post by elitegamer23


As long as people continue egging on division like this we will never get anywhere and things will remain the same.. or get worse.

So true, I'm with you OP

Why do I have to be one or the other? I am an individual with opinions about things. Sometimes I agree with Conservatives and sometimes I don't. I would never label myself as anything. I listen to issues and make decisions about them based on my own experiences and world view. Should I be toeing a party line?