On January 15 2013 10:45 sam!zdat wrote: Doing what?
For instance, my Dad was kicked out of his home at the age of 18. He worked offshores (Gulf of Mexico) working on oil platforms and paid his way through college (while he was at school he worked student jobs). He got a biology degree with average grades. He then got a job working for a pharmaceutical company. He started out as a sales rep and worked his way up to being a manager. He ended working for a pharmaceutical company for over 35 years. He ended up having five kids and was able to pay them all through college, which is way more than he ever received.
Dont watch news channels/ read news excessively. They'll want you to believe the whole world is coming to an end.It's natural, they have to make noise about something...and bad news sells better, so they tend to harp about a lot of things. Just read the paper in the morning, and focus on other things, it will make your day so much better.
I don't think the USA is doing that bad, you guys have vast amounts of arable land and resources, and lead the world in science and technology. Besides, the USA still has the largest manufacturing industry in the world in terms of money earned, it's just that it's mostly high tech now so many mid-to-low end workers are out of jobs currently.
With the discovery of shale gas, I think the United States is in a very strong position to start the 21st century.
In terms of fully developed countries, yes, I think the U.S. is having it rough. If I didn't have family/emotional/geographic/practical ties to living in the U.S., there wouldn't be a single reason for me to choose living here over the U.K., Germany, Scandinavia, or even Canada.
That said, we should still be grateful for what we have compared to large regions of the world.
For instance, my Dad was kicked out of his home at the age of 18. He worked offshores (Gulf of Mexico) working on oil platforms and paid his way through college (while he was at school he worked student jobs). He got a biology degree with average grades. He then got a job working for a pharmaceutical company. He started out as a sales rep and worked his way up to being a manager. He ended working for a pharmaceutical company for over 35 years. He ended up having five kids and was able to pay them all through college, which is way more than he ever received.
I mean that's great and all, and it's possible, but there are studies out there that show that a fairly socialized nation like Denmark has better social mobility than the States do.
All I can offer up as comfort is perspective. Things aren't all-time bad right now on any front. Congress has been this divided before, the economy has been more messed up, and people have always thought the new generations were immoral beyond saving. Don't believe people from other countries who try to tell you that their country's shit doesn't stink. Many industrialized nations have FAR worse political climates than the US, many have gotten far less done in the same time as us, and many are in much worse economic straights.
As for "rampant violence", there's evidence to show that in many places in the US violent crimes and murders are actually on the decline (source: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/justice/us-violent-crime/index.html). However, improvements in the Internet have led to the situation where you can hear more easily about every violent event in the whole nation. The Huffington Post is guilty of this as after the Newtown shooting, they would cover their page with local stories about murders and shootings that would ordinarily never get national press in order to create a mistaken impression that the country was falling apart.
So, all things in perspective. It's great to be concerned about the direction the country is heading, because that means you care about the nation as one of its citizens. The key is to channel your concern not into dismay or fear, but into action. Find one of the issues that you care most about and become an advocate. Get informed. Get involved. And make noise to your legislators. Hell, if you have the inclination, run for local or state office. If you don't want to get involved, then insulate yourself from some of the effects of the times. Get more education, find industries that are still growing, and market yourself relentlessly. Believe it or not, there are people thriving even in this tough economic climate.
Thanks for the blog.
No, thank you. Between this and the guy who posted the video, I feel that there's obvious hope that I didn't consider before. I suppose that one generation never has faith in the next, but hell, I'm doubting my very own. Maybe I just have too much of a cynical and "back in my day, sonny" attitude.
EPT
Isn't that kinda... banal?
