Is America past its prime?

It is all about the unknown
The magic and the wonder
those are all gone
we are soon to follow
there is not enough to do
we cut down all the trees
we polluted the fields
we polluted the water

originally posted by: strongfp

originally posted by: olaru12
Now that America is a Corporate Oligarchy and not a Democratic Republic; the government and the citizens are completely controlled by the profit motive. Most Americans are now slaves to their jobs, have no savings and are living from pay check to pay check.

If you think about it, it's always been like this.
During the civil war and the first time conscription was brought into play 'common' farming men were called into battle, those who had the wealth of a certain amount of slaves were exempt, the poor were beaten into battle.

History has always repeated itself from the rich and the poor, the rich simply ignore the poor tho and reap the benefits of those trying to achieve the american dream, with tax, jobs, etc. The USA is a country full of many kings, all of them are in a constant war for economic territory, all of us who work for them are simply their peons.

Yes, it has always been that way. History does repeat itself
and it is temping to say it will always be this way. Namely,
that "kings" will always rule over the poor as they war with
each other over resources.

Money was invent for this purpose. Poor people did not
invent money, it was the kings image on coin. Why?
Because it may is task of ruling over them easier.

First, the gold coins paid the kings army as it occupied
a foreign land. Second, when the indigenous people
accepted these coins in trade, soon they found that
they were forced to pay taxes with the same coins.

My thesis is this: money is the means by which we
continue to be ruled by kings and oligarchs or even
those business owners who sign our paychecks.

If we want to change this, we need to rethink money
and reclaim a private system of community credit that
isn't issued by government or banks.

Bitcoin may not be the answer, but does get people
thinking about how to re-invent money. I believe
this is the change that the world needs.

My answer: decentralize everything.

a reply to: Kharron

All empires end.

Human nature is very resilient and resourceful under pressure,
and the US is not lacking in these traits. If you squint you can
see the seeds of a better future emerging - for many reasons.

Competing forms of decentralized money is one reason.

Another one is that following decades where the elite were
at best resigned to building up enough financial insulation
that they did not have to deal with the dysfunctions of
the rest of society, younger people seem to be much
more idealistic and committed to taking action.

The oligarchs control government and used the current
private money system to their advantage. Let us assume
they will always do so... how then do we move forward?

I say stop trying to reform the system, and stop fighting
the system, and simply stop participating in it. Rather
then fight to "End the FED" we ought to rather find a
way (or ways) to transcend the FED.

I say decentralized EVERYTHING, and start with money.

Empires expand by force or coercion. The component of the empires power is usually some thing new or something pure. When the rest of the world can do what the empire does, or when the rest of the world has become the empire, then the empire no longer has the ability to expand and it begins to die.

Empires must grow to live. The core needs economic plunder to maintain primacy over its lieutenants.

This time or the next time will be different though. There will be no outside force to apply the coup de grace. The last empire, the world wide empire, will get a chance to make society and civilization into the empire's preferred order.

The US is probably not the last empire, but the international financial, social and political associations operating now could be the last de facto empire.

So come on and INVADE us then...

I was in class with someone born in Korea who said they were at school, doing homework, or participating in extracurricular activities from 8am until midnite and the mother's would help out. Completely different ethic.

I think we've squandered a lot of resources and potential from having it so good for the last few generations. There's few left with the high ethics and moral fortitude to lead the world in the USA.

a reply to: wasaka

America's decline has been ballyhoo'd by haters for decades - probably since the 60's. Somehow we keep leading the world. Haters gonna hate, self loathers gonna self loathe. There is simply no other country our size that comes even close. It's a culture thing, everyone loves our culture and wants to emulate it. Many in other countries hate the culture because it is Americanizing their culture.
Comparing countries in Europe, that are the size of Texas counties, to the US has always seemed dubious to me. What works for a tiny country does not work in a huge country. There are problems of scale.


V

originally posted by: Semicollegiate
The last empire, the world wide empire, will get a chance to make society and civilization into the empire's preferred order.
The US is probably not the last empire, but the international financial, social and political associations operating now could be the last de facto empire.

New.World.Order. It's not a conspiracy theory, it's just the fact. When the elites get the structure and tech in place, I believe you are right, it will be the final "empire" in history.

America was passed its prime as America when the government took over, about 1913.

Since then America has been the bigger better empire, rather than the land of the free.

originally posted by: TruMcCarthy

originally posted by: Semicollegiate
The last empire, the world wide empire, will get a chance to make society and civilization into the empire's preferred order.
The US is probably not the last empire, but the international financial, social and political associations operating now could be the last de facto empire.

New.World.Order. It's not a conspiracy theory, it's just the fact. When the elites get the structure and tech in place, I believe you are right, it will be the final "empire" in history.

Have you heard of Congressman Larry McDonald? His airliner, flight 007, got shot down 4 months after this interview on Mainstream Media. MSM got real boring after that.

originally posted by: Variable
a reply to: wasaka

America's decline has been ballyhoo'd by haters for decades - probably since the 60's. Somehow we keep leading the world. Haters gonna hate, self loathers gonna self loathe. There is simply no other country our size that comes even close. It's a culture thing, everyone loves our culture and wants to emulate it. Many in other countries hate the culture because it is Americanizing their culture.
Comparing countries in Europe, that are the size of Texas counties, to the US has always seemed dubious to me. What works for a tiny country does not work in a huge country. There are problems of scale.


V

It's NOT being a hater to tell the truth.

WHAT I LOATH ARE PEOPLE WHO HEAR TRUTH
AND IMMEDIATELY DENY IT

to BELIEVE things that are not true is either:

A) being naive / willful ignorance
B) being obtuse / brain washed

In any case it is PRIDE and VANITY

American isn't special.
Our people aren't smarter or wiser or more brilliant
then the rest of the world--we just had more resources
at our disposal -- AND the world's reserve currency
after World War III -- THOSE DAYS ARE OVER !!!

a reply to: Semicollegiate

Larry McDonald and the CIA goofball Tom Branden?

Yeah, I remember watching this, it was a Tuesday Night Crossfire
and I was 16 years old. Watching Crossfire by myself was actually
something I looked forward to. It was 1983 and I had just started
High School. It was same year I happen to find HG Wells book:
"The Open Conspiracy: Blueprint for New World Order." (1928).
en.wikipedia.org...

Needless to say, I knew what McDonald was saying was true.
That started me down a path to becoming a libertarian, and
a Ron Paul supporter. But at the early age I knew I was not
a democrat. I viewed them all like Tom Branden, people who
argued against reality, ignore the obvious, and go on and on
claiming WHAT WE DO NOT SEE is what SHOULD EXIST.

Turns out I joined the losing team.

I don't believe the US is over it's prime, rather it is working towards a robotic society. Once it has established that it'll still not be peaking because that will not happen until they have colonized other planets. Once robots take over jobs, there'll be a lot of scientific breakthroughs and inventions but also many artistic expressions (music, arts, entertainment in general) because that is all what will be left once no one needs to work.

originally posted by: johnnyjoe1979
I don't believe the US is over it's prime, rather it is working towards a robotic society. Once it has established that it'll still not be peaking because that will not happen until they have colonized other planets. Once robots take over jobs, there'll be a lot of scientific breakthroughs and inventions but also many artistic expressions (music, arts, entertainment in general) because that is all what will be left once no one needs to work.

And this you BELIEVE? omg, wtf, wow!

Seriously, you really believe this? Really????

Look, all of that is possible... possible I said
IT IS POSSIBLE in almost ANY world, just not
the one we happen to live in.

Yes, we might send drones to build human
habitat's on Mars and Europa, but... will
that end poverty back on Earth?

Our machine will get off planet Earth, but
human beings never will. That is just the
way the Universe deals with really stupid
ideologically-driven creatures

If we did avoid destroying ourselves (perhaps
with the help of our machines) the Singularity
will be game over. The god we create in our
own image will destroy us. But even in that
case, we only have ourselves to blame.

Karma is a bitch.



LINK: www.dailymail.co.uk...

edit on 27-9-2015 by wasaka because: (no reason given)

Does this mean it's time to move to Canada?

Where would be the most attractive country to be living in now an for th future?

x

originally posted by: wasaka
a reply to: Semicollegiate

Larry McDonald and the CIA goofball Tom Branden?

Yeah, I remember watching this, it was a Tuesday Night Crossfire
and I was 16 years old. Watching Crossfire by myself was actually
something I looked forward to. It was 1983 and I had just started
High School. It was same year I happen to find HG Wells book:
"The Open Conspiracy: Blueprint for New World Order." (1928).
en.wikipedia.org...

Needless to say, I knew what McDonald was saying was true.
That started me down a path to becoming a libertarian, and
a Ron Paul supporter. But at the early age I knew I was not
a democrat. I viewed them all like Tom Branden, people who
argued against reality, ignore the obvious, and go on and on
claiming WHAT WE DO NOT SEE is what SHOULD EXIST.

Turns out I joined the losing team.

The only way to win is not to play.

Catalonia is voting on independence from Spain and the European Union today. Nullification and secession are possible options.

America is not past it's prime. Like all nations there are good times and bad times but aside from budget issues we're in a pretty good spot. We're seeing progress on numerous social issues, defense spending has gotten under control, the tide is turning against the NSA, extremists are in the death throws of losing political relevance, we just beat Iran without firing a shot, the political leverage fracking has given us is pushing Putin out of Europe, our currency is still the most trusted in the world, we're trying to fix education, and more.

We hit the bottom of the slump awhile ago, which means things are getting better again, almost all I see is positive once I separate myself from the politics of the moment and look at the bigger picture.

a reply to: Aazadan

Haven't we been trying to "fix education" for the last few decades by throwing monies at the problem with increasingly worse results? I wonder what your idea of "fix education" is. Free college for everyone?

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
a reply to: Aazadan

Haven't we been trying to "fix education" for the last few decades by throwing monies at the problem with increasingly worse results? I wonder what your idea of "fix education" is. Free college for everyone?

I was referring to grade school not college, college is a different beast entirely. I always have difficulty with this subject though. I'm far enough removed from my grade school days that my experience isn't relevant, and in Junior High I was extremely sick for most of it and was home schooled by a special tutor, in High School I went to a private school so my public school experience is lacking, plus all of that was 15+ years ago (graduated HS in 2000).

By fixing education I was referring to Common Core. The material it's trying to cover is rather important. So far CC only applies to Math though there will be an English standard sometime in the next couple years. What I'm most interested to see is the PISA test results which will be available in Dec 2016, those are going to be the first true international metrics we have for our schools nationwide. Right now if you want to look at fixing education I would say we should emulate Connecticut and Massachusetts as both of them if they were their own countries rank in the top 10 schools in the world.

a reply to: Aazadan

Fair enough, I'm in my 30s and don't have a clue what the educational system truly looks like today. We hear of the results of shifts in programs some time after. I do talk to teachers over the years, and most are pretty upset with the way things are going.

Common core I'm not decided on. There's a lot of people who talk negatively of it, but I see merit in what it's attempting to teach; however if this truly is effective has yet to be seen. I keep thinking the problems are more to do with culture and ... ethic... not education per say.