How much more are the American people willing to take?

How much more are the American people going to take before they're willing to do something. The rich in this country are out of control and greed has taken over. The US last month created 100,000 jobs as a whole while one Iphone factory in China created 300,000 jobs. How is it a company such as Apple can pay people $0.50 an hour and charge $600 a phone. As far as I'm concerned if people like the CEO of Apple want to exploit the Chinese work force maybe they should go live there. Why should they continue to reap the rewards of living in America if all they're gonna do is sell the American people out.

I sit back and watch the media conglomorates like Fox and MSNBC push they're agendas while deviding people with politics. The average American is either ignorant or blind to whats going on. The French roit over such things as the retirement age being pushed back but we Americans keep bending over and taking it while the elite laugh all the way to the bank.

I'm sick of watching everything my grandparents faught and worked for being taken way so that the upper 1% can increase thier wealth.

Am I alone on this matter because no one I know seems to care?

Great post.. I wish I had an answer.. Most americans are so brainwashed. We are told from a young age how great and wonderful our country is.. And as long as most americans are talking on their Iphones and driving a decent car then they dont care what the government does.. I wish more of us did care. I truly think our country does need some sort of revolution.. However, I believe mother nature is gonna do the "cleansing" before we have the chance..

Here is the problem mate...even on why to revolt is divided

You got one side that is saying that government is too much into our lives, regulating everything and trying to punish wealthy people...we should revolt to remove the government and let capitalism work..down with socialism

Then the other side is saying wealth division is greater than it has ever been, by an order of magnitude 200 times greater than ever recorded and growing faster every year...we should revolt and heavily regulate wealth systems so it is no longer a class of masters and slaves.


How much more are the american people willing to take? Well, if these opposing views continue, I would say a whole lot more.

People ultimately have a choice...support class division to the haves and have nots, or support iron fisted socialism...neither sound very appetising..and there appears to be no viable 3rd option.

reply to post by wantsome


You are no where near alone on this or at least I would hope not. I keep waiting for the day that the American people take the power back from the government which is the way it should be in the first place, but it would seem that the majority of American's are complacent in being run by the government and told what they can and can't do. I mean they give us a bit of a tax break from time to time and it's supposed to make up for the fact that we get crappy pay for more labor, while the cost of living keeps going up and up. I am barely making enough to get by on and yet the "affordable housing" that they keep talking about providing is set for an income level of 30-40k a year when the average working class is making roughly 25-30k a year at least in my area.

It is depressing and sad. All in all I agree with you 100$ on all that you had to say. It seems China owns more of America then the Americans own at the point. The government puts us further and further in debt and makes there own spending decisions and decides whats best for us, but yet our own constitution says we have the power to say no to anything we don't like. The sad thing is that they don't even need to change the wording in the Constitution because most Americans just sit in front of there televisions dumb fat and happy and wait for good ole Uncle Sam to do it for them.

reply to post by wantsome


"The average American is either ignorant or blind to whats going on."

You hit the nail on the head my friend. People do not care because it is not imposing on their personal space. People do not want to believe that things are bad. Everybody wants the big house with the picket fence, BMW, and all of the luxuries we take for granted. People will only care when the system can no longer provide for their daily needs not wants. As long as there are new video games,movies, cell phones, cable tv, etc. to buy and jobs are available to buy them the average american will be in denial. I could ramble on and on but you get the picture. Here is my take on it all, it is better to stress out about the bills, then to stress out on how we are being shafted by TPTB.

Originally posted by liejunkie01
reply to post by wantsome

 

"The average American is either ignorant or blind to whats going on."

You hit the nail on the head my friend. People do not care because it is not imposing on their personal space. People do not want to believe that things are bad. Everybody wants the big house with the picket fence, BMW, and all of the luxuries we take for granted. People will only care when the system can no longer provide for their daily needs not wants. As long as there are new video games,movies, cell phones, cable tv, etc. to buy and jobs are available to buy them the average american will be in denial. I could ramble on and on but you get the picture. Here is my take on it all, it is better to stress out about the bills, then to stress out on how we are being shafted by TPTB.

Exactly what I was trying to say in my post..

reply to post by wantsome


I didn't take it, that's why I moved out. How would American's even organize a protest against these kinds of things, like job outsourcing? I don't ever see it happening. Americans don't care. Most of them are too caught up in televsion, pop music, and celebrities.

I may not live in the freest of countrys, but at least it does not pretend to give itself that image. And at least the people as a whole here are more aware and interested in world news, history and events; instead of reality TV, and Lady Gaga. I'll take this over America any day. I'm never going back.

Originally posted by SaturnFX
Here is the problem mate...even on why to revolt is divided

You got one side that is saying that government is too much into our lives, regulating everything and trying to punish wealthy people...we should revolt to remove the government and let capitalism work..down with socialism

Then the other side is saying wealth division is greater than it has ever been, by an order of magnitude 200 times greater than ever recorded and growing faster every year...we should revolt and heavily regulate wealth systems so it is no longer a class of masters and slaves.


How much more are the american people willing to take? Well, if these opposing views continue, I would say a whole lot more.

People ultimately have a choice...support class division to the haves and have nots, or support iron fisted socialism...neither sound very appetising..and there appears to be no viable 3rd option.

After the great depression Henry Ford decided he would pay his workers $5 a day. People thought he was nuts paying his workers that much. But he figured if he paid them enough money they'd buy his cars. You know what it worked.

Theres been a mass exodus of jobs from America and the goverment did nothing to stop it. We don't need socialism but the elite have figured out a way canibalise the American work force for their own greed. The Chinese wouldn't have aloud CEOs to do to them what ours did to us.

reply to post by wantsome


Great OP. I am with you 100 percent. I experienced what you write while working in the auto industry and then the same thing in the IT industry. Shipping jobs overseas and wrong trade policies that has destroyed the middle class in America.

well said and I couldn't agree more...that's why my family have limited our buying to only NECESSITIES...and the fact we are broke most of the time...

The poster that said most are making 25-35k/yr is right...people around here make an avg income of 22K a year...which is barely enough to live on if that...

The sad thing is...most people I know have no clue...they don't even know that birds/fish have been dying off in droves..I'm not even for sure they could tell who the vp of USA is...(I'm so NOT joking)..

Originally posted by wantsome
Theres been a mass exodus of jobs from America and the goverment did nothing to stop it. We don't need socialism but the elite have figured out a way canibalise the American work force for their own greed. The Chinese wouldn't have aloud CEOs to do to them what ours did to us.

edit on 16-1-2011 by wantsome because: (no reason given)

Seeing the problem is easy...now, what can be done about it?

I can point at big gaping holes all day long and say "here is a hole"...and yep, everyone will agree the hole is there...however, it becomes passionately argued against whenever anyone suggests anything to plug the hole up

Here is a solution
Heavily tax corporations profits, Slap on tariffs also so that anything coming in overseas is almost prohibitively expensive,

This will make corporations not go overseas for cheap labor and lax tax laws considering they pretty much won't be able to sell to America anymore.

It will also mean that corporations, not wanting a massive tax on their profits, will reinvest most of their profits to grow the business in the states, creating many good jobs..

Nice and easy answer that if a politicians suggests it, will get him crusified by everyone (public included)...because we are scared of trying something different.

The government is -not- to blame..the government is the people, and the people are brainwashed into a 1830s view of economics.

reply to post by wantsome


I am way sick of it myself! Sick of paying such high rents,utlities and getting paid less than minuim wage. I am an independent contractor. Why can't they have some laws to protect us from these big companies. I get paid scrapes but I got blocked from work today for no reason at all. They did NOT e-mail or call me yet they wake me up to work and won't let me work. Let's just face it government and big business is one in the same. They are both in this whole thing together.
There is no such thing as a living wage, we are lied told and being told inflation is negative. Obama tries to push an agenda on the people. I am SICK SICK SICK OF IT!
What can I do? Does the government not care if we are overstressed and overburdened? How much more can we take. Let's do something about this? but what? I am a pacifist so I am not into voilence. Our society is crumbling before us and as long as we have our censored ipods then we are ok with it!
I wanted to say a certian word but I will be censored I am hoping you know what word I mean.

reply to post by Remedylane


I honestly believe humanity needs an awakening or a cleansing so to speak. I don't want people to die but this world is so full of BS! I live in world where I can't even say the words I want to say due to censorship and it is a misdemanor to curse in public yet it is perfectly all right to have people livving on the streets or in extreme poverty.
Where everyday of our lives we have to worry about BILLS BILLS BILLS! No rest for us at all.
I live in a world that the rich would rather hord the available resources then share them. I live in a world where nations kill each other over differences. It is SO CRAZY. The world is crazier than any lone loon out there! We live in a SICK SICK SICK WORLD! No wonder so many people have mental issues.

If something happens in 2012 I am ready and I say bring it on.

reply to post by SaturnFX


There are always more options however the social conditioning of today's Americans makes almost any other form of civilization outside of capitalism or socialism such an abstract idea it would never be accepted as "workable".

Symmetrical System

is an alternative I came up with, its not the only one out there and there could be several variations of the same basic ideas.

They have us stuck in a cycle of thought, either this or that...anything other than "this or that" is too far out of the box for anyone to follow.

To the OP:

no you are not alone.

reply to post by Sly1one


I agree we need to look into other systems and ideas. I am sick of worrying about money all the time. I am sick of wondering where the heck the jobs are. I take this system is not based upon a currency right? I will read over more of your ideas in the post. Do you address the issue of resources and moneterial systems?
You are right about how it works because if you don't have good credit, good references and money it is very hard to get housing,cars even jobs just to meet your BASIC needs.

As a UK citizen it's difficult to watch the good people of the USA stand around with their thumbs up their a**es while TPTB walk all over their human rights and use their civil liberties as a political punch bag.

Where is the pride , team work and fighting spirit that helped make the USA great?






Martin Luther King once said " History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people. "


Wake up America

People that poo in their own nest tend to cover it up rather than admitting they poo'ed and cleaning it up. Add that to the Americans who are completely oblivious.. by choice.. and I believe the American people will take everything thrown at them as long as they can pretend they are free and have a few petty material things. The American people are conditioned and controlled.. there is no real freedom here anymore yet they keep squaking about how free we are and a beacon to the world! We are so cool.. we spread " democracy" to these other primitive peoples. You know, the ones who have had working societies thousands of years before "the USA" was even a concept.

We CHOOSE to believe in things that are fantasies and things here will NEVER change. We have become perfect cattle. We NEED handlers now as a society. Just one small example of the true state of things: It was so glaringly evident with the banking "crisis" that I can not believe more people didnt really see it. We should have let the banks fail and suffered some pain.. then rebuilt. We'd prefer to prolong the pain and sickness than face the cure as a society. We allow things to be engineered in ways to subjugate us.. and go along with it. Very weak.. and it isnt changing anytime soon. If a "terrorist nation" nuked us our crazy citizens would stand there with their hands out like cattle and swallow whatever explanation the govt gives... as long as they can still reach Washingtons teat.

We are a broken people.. to OP... I believe we will take and swallow and ask for more regardless of what is thrown at us. There will be no revolution. There will be no revival of the Republic. Americans dont have the stomach for it.

The power is still here and it is non-violent. Iphone could not build a 300,00 person factory out of the country if people in this country stopped buying iphones. It is not a complicated situation. I check every item I need to buy to see where it is made. If it is made in the USA, I purchase it if I need it and can afford it. If it is made in China, and I don't need it, I don't buy it. If I need it and China is the only supplier, I purchase it.

The bottom line is the bottom line. Most CEOs and Boards of Directors are dependent on their jobs from the stockholders in the company. If the stockholders are unhappy, the bosses lose theri jobs. One of the major problems is the boards and CEOs get shares as part of their salary which gives them more votes in making decisions. The power is shifting to the top in disproportionate ownership. By shifting manufacturing to China, shares still pay dividends and stockholders are happy and the PTB keep their jobs. They then increase their salary and give themselves share bonuses and golden parachutes.

China is no different than any other country. Cut the demand on their goods and they will also feel the pressure and feel it quckly. I remember when OPEC said $140 per barrell of oil was a "fair price". Now they say $100 is a fair price. They sell gas in their country for about 27 cents a gallon and we pay $3-4.00 per gallon. I see no reason why corn, soybeans and wheat could not be sold for American market prices here and sold for the market price of oil on the open market.

As best I can, I boycott whatever I can that is not manufactured here. That is getting more difficult to do. When was the last time anyone talked to their internet provider with a person on American soil?

Whether you loved him or hated him, the one thing Ronald Reagan had that no one else had was trust in the American people. He trusted us to make the right decisions. The (real) Tea Party is one step in the right direction but it is not the only solution. I think we should put party affiliation aside and discuss the issues. One of two things is going to happen. There is going to be a full fledged revolt in the U.S. (which we don't really want) or we will put on our own chains and submit. Protest in your own simple way, such as driving only when you need to, purchase whatever you can if it is made in the U.S., and begin to bring voter pressure on the politicians. They do pay attention to polls, emails, and phone calls however they succumb to party pressure because they get party dollars. Support the candiate you like with a personal donation, regardless of where their representation lies. When we can move the politicians away from party dependency, then the power will shift back to the people. Government is necessary. Government is not necessary inside my home. There are three things supplied in America that are mostly American made. Prostitutes, cigarettes and beer. We need a few more choices for other products. We have the purchase power. We just need to use it.

Originally posted by Remedylane
Great post.. I wish I had an answer.. Most americans are so brainwashed. We are told from a young age how great and wonderful our country is.. And as long as most americans are talking on their Iphones and driving a decent car then they dont care what the government does.. I wish more of us did care. I truly think our country does need some sort of revolution.. However, I believe mother nature is gonna do the "cleansing" before we have the chance..

Yes very true , for example . Has there ever been a American movie made that doesn't have the Stars and Stripes fly in it ? Other countries don't do this every five minutes of footage .The rest of the world finds this offensive and vain .It is indeed conditioning it's citizens .

This is a good post and interesting discussion. S&F4OP.
I don't comment very often, but as this is specifically something that I write about, I wanted to come by and say, "This is a fair and important question."
How much more are the American people willing to take?
I also think its an extremely dangerous question, due to the obvious follow up, "and then what happens?"

Incidentally, the phenomenon that creates the problems we are discussing here is not distincly American. For even if a country is not currently following the "American" model, it strives to. The reason, of course, is the great advantage to be had. It's robbing the bank, in broad daylight, killing the guard, fingering the security cameras and getting away with it.

So the solution is the same as one finds in other movements over the years, a levelling of the playing field.
I happen to think that this can be successfully achieved, peacefully, by the changing of minds, over time.
Others would disagree and perhaps they would be right.
There are solutions, but they are drastic. It's almost either Mad Max or Star Trek.
They may not be mutually exclusive but they aren't necessarily connected either, except perhaps by the fact that neither story used money.
I've made my preference clear.

It's kind of paradoxical that the solution to this problem is a true and proper globalism.
Not in any NWO type of imagining but just in the sense of humans working together.
A balance in the mean of all possible extremes.

When we are all ready to give away the things we want, we will be deserving of the peace we enjoy.