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While at work today, I was casually browsing CNN after lunch when it finally hit me: America sucks right now. I'm not talking about the stereotyped, Americans are stupid, fat, and lazy, but I realized how real the shitter is that we're finally in.
While browsing the front page, I saw links to terribly depressing things. The economy is in the absolute tank, and pour politicians, whose intended job is to represent the interests of those they elect, bicker and attempt to defame each other without attempting to make reasonable progress. The only thing they can agree on, it seems, is that it's fine to continue to spend money that we don't have. Furthermore, people run amok in society, committing terrible acts of violence, and discriminate based upon how someone was born, not who they have grown to be. We then politicize and inadvertently promote these events, rather than doing the right thing paying respect to those who were wronged. Our legislators and our populace then reacts emotionally to these events rather than logically, causing impending legislation that isn't going to solve any problems. Along a previous vein, we also glorify success, opening the door for people to think attaining that success in an underhanded manner is somehow acceptable, as long as you are not held fully accountable.
I know this must sound very cynical, because it is. Perhaps this is who I am, finding difficulty finding the light in the dark, but I fear for my generation. I fear that we have lost our way, falling victim to greed and other human weakness. I fear that if we don't right the ship, we're going to continue our slow decline into a withered dinosaur, an ancient giant who is a husk of its former self.
Am I wrong to think this way?
  
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You're not wrong, you're just late to the party
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The nation is in a bad state in some respects compared to other countries. Our education is below par and our politicians aren't the best. However. CNN's job is to get people depressed like that. Think they would get good ratings if they published everything good about the U.S. on the front page? How we are the freest modern country in existence, how patriotic our citizens are, how we are at the cutting edge of technology in many fields. No, CNN gets more viewers like yourself when they report doom and gloom. Am I saying that the U.S. is problem free? Of course not, but we are the world superpower so our flaws are going to be made more public than any other country's flaws.
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I'll counter each of your points:
The economy being in a rut is absolutely an integral part of the economic system. It's meant to grow and shrink all the time. It's getting better again, we're just screaming that it's not getting better faster.
Politics right now seems broken, but it's not as broken or crazy as it has been during the days when political figures dueled each other or had the balls to separate from the union and start a civil war.
Basically, America has either been in this state before or has been in the worse of times previously. I'm going to assume here that you're either in your 20's or younger such that you don't have much experience to compare the current state to the past.
One more note, mainstream media tends to report more on the negatives than the positives, and rightfully so. While it can make viewers like you cynical, they at least bring some attention to the problems to create discussion and pressure/motivate people to act.
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On January 15 2013 09:09 BirdKiller wrote:
The economy being in a rut is absolutely an integral part of our the economic system, viz. capitalism.
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On January 15 2013 09:09 BirdKiller wrote:
I'll counter each of your points:
The economy being in a rut is absolutely an integral part of the economic system. It's meant to grow and shrink all the time. It's getting better again, we're just screaming that it's not getting better faster.
Politics right now seems broken, but it's not as broken or crazy as it has been during the days when political figures dueled each other or had the balls to separate from the union and start a civil war.
Basically, America has either been in this state before or has been in the worse of times previously. I'm going to assume here that you're either in your 20's or younger such that you don't have much experience to compare the current state to the past.
your grasp of economics is astounding
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On January 15 2013 09:06 AegonC wrote:
The nation is in a bad state in some respects compared to other countries. Our education is below par and our politicians aren't the best. However. CNN's job is to get people depressed like that. Think they would get good ratings if they published everything good about the U.S. on the front page? How we are the freest modern country in existence, how patriotic our citizens are, how we are at the cutting edge of technology in many fields. No, CNN gets more viewers like yourself when they report doom and gloom. Am I saying that the U.S. is problem free? Of course not, but we are the world superpower so our flaws are going to be made more public than any other country's flaws.
I absolutely see your point, but does that not mean we can't ask for more and better of ourselves? I know this blog isn't going to achieve anything in terms of cultural change, but is it even possible?
On January 15 2013 09:09 BirdKiller wrote:
I'll counter each of your points:
The economy being in a rut is absolutely an integral part of the economic system. It's meant to grow and shrink all the time. It's getting better again, we're just screaming that it's not getting better faster.
Politics right now seems broken, but it's not as broken or crazy as it has been during the days when political figures dueled each other or had the balls to separate from the union and start a civil war.
Basically, America has either been in this state before or has been in the worse of times previously. I'm going to assume here that you're either in your 20's or younger such that you don't have much experience to compare the current state to the past.
A solid assumption, but I'm well educated enough to know about the days of Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner. As recently as the 80's, we've been able to come to negotiation, but pretty much since the Contract with America, we've been in political gridlock. Both sides are at fault, but what is it going to take to change the way we think and act? How are we going to actually do what's right when it's so simple to do what's easy?
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My recommendation to you is to start reading subversive literature
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Are people in America struggling to put food on the table? Are ordinary people in danger of physical abuse or fearing for their lives? Throughout history these kinds of things have been the symptoms of a society in the shitter. The things you are talking about are always in the news. Potential disaster is always on the horizon, corruption is always present etc etc.
Go pour yourself a glass of water
The state of your nation isn't so poor
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On January 15 2013 09:15 sam!zdat wrote:
My recommendation to you is to start reading subversive literature
 , then he can really start fighting the power. Motorcycle diaries to start tame and then end at the anarchist cook book to end with a bang.
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I was thinking more along the lines of Das Kapital and the New Testament, but that'll work too 
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First off, loved the "Americans Are Stupid" Video. One of the funniest things I have read in a while.
Now, getting to your post, things are bad right now, but they are not as bad as they seem.
1. The Fed, through quantitative easing, and buying government bonds, is helping the economy recover. Some sectors of the economy are recovering as well. Things may be bad, but it isn't the Great Depression. If Europe collapses, things may get worse for us, but I trust Europe's leaders. The economy will recover (pending we default on our debt...).
2. As for our government, yeah, it sucks right now. But, this isn't the worst government we have ever had. The worst government we had was in late 1860's/early 1870's. This was during Reconstruction (an American time period after the Civil War) where the Union had to figure out how to bring the South back into the Union and what to do with the now free slaves. The Republicans in office were so radical that they nearly impeached and removed Andrew Johnson (the president at the time) from office. Now, our government today is bad, but it isn'tTHAT BAD (compared to the government I just explained). It will take time, but our government will get through this.
3.About people committing terrible acts of violence, I am guessing you are referencing the Newton shootings. Yes, this even was tragic, and it is impossible to look at such an even subjectively. Emotions will undoubtingly play a role. But, after having time to reflect and mourn, our leaders can make the decisions that are best for the nation.
As for violence in general, only a slim majority of people commit these crimes. 99% of people are normal, like you and me. Society is better than you think.
4. Your last sentence in the second paragraph is referencing the American Dream. The American Dream is alive, let me say that. It may be harder to obtain, but it is still there. Now, there are businessmen and politicians who will be immoral, but they are the minority. Again, most of these successful people are intelligent, honest, and and hard working individuals. The media only tends to focus on the few that like to bend the rules.
Overall, there are problems with our society. But, the media tends to only focus on the problems--not the big picture. What we are going through is what every generation has gone through. We will get through this--but only if we look at the big picture.
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On January 15 2013 10:17 TheBigO wrote:
The media only tends to focus on the few that like to bend the rules.
But aren't those the ones for whom
The American Dream is alive
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Has anybody ever thought, "will the US last indefinitely?" Will we one day, fall apart or be taken over? The constant political bickering and absence of progress makes me think about these questions. What would happen to the world without the US? How would other countries function if the US ceased to exist? Perhaps these questions would be more significant if they were asked a hundred years ago or so, being that countries are beginning to become more modern culturally and technologically. But didn't (and forgive me if I'm wrong) the US facilitate much of the technological and cultural progress by establishing a democracy (instead of a monarchy), and bringing with it a fair and just judicial system, as well as making sure the people control the government and not vice versa? We made absolutely sure to give power to the people with the Bill of Rights and various amendments. By making these changes, we set an example for the world and many countries followed suit. But the thing is, with all of these accomplishments the US has had, I have that fear that, maybe one day, there won't be a US.
Every time I hear people on the news talking about the deplorable state of the economy and how the politicians never get anything done, I think to myself, "how weak are we as a country, such that we can't fix our own problems because our politicians in Congress dislike each other and refuse to work together." Why do we allow this to continue, instead of changing the way things are done. I don't feel that many people in America agree with the current way things are done. I would go even further to state that, despite being elected to the office by the people, the politicians in Congress do not represent our best interests. That is because our best interests are to fix problems. I don't see many problems being fixed (but hey, what do I know? I don't actually know what goes on up there). This issue brings up the question again, "how long can we continue like this?" Although I don't think the US is going anywhere anytime soon, I think most of us agree that it's heading in the wrong direction.
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I don't think the US will exist in its present geopolitical configuration at the end of the 21st century, but of course I'm a professional cynic
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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.
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On January 15 2013 10:22 sam!zdat wrote:?
It's true the American Dream is very much alive. I can attest to that and know plenty of others who have gained success through hard work.
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Am I wrong to think this way?
I can't say you are, personally. We're dealing with multiple massive crises at the moment, from environmental issues like climate change to diplomatic issues like Iran's nuclear program to economic issues like the debt and none of them are really being dealt with. The stuff that we need in working order to deal with these massive issues (educated populace good government etc. etc.) are in a really bad spot, and they're all busy shitting on each other and shoving each other further down into the muck instead of actually getting out of this shit hole.
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It was pretty helpful to read this blog. Listening to people more informed than I, its comforting to know that things used to be a lot worse, and that relatively speaking the US is doing pretty well. For all of the doom and gloom about capitalism etc., the economy is recovering well, even if its a slow recovery. And I'm sure this period in American political strife will pass as the Republican party realizes it can't cater to just a Tea Party base with crazy policies like "never raise taxes, no matter what!".
I think we're too integrated with other countries, and with other provinces/states (depending), for anything to truly go wrong. There's just too much awareness, debate, and media available for people to go down the wrong path. One documentary about overfishing of sharks "sharkwater" led to a world wide movement and a change in government policies everywhere. I think I agree that generally people tend to react emotionally, or in some cases are just brainwashed like my brother who is steeped in communist/highly socialist literature and talks about smashing capitalism every time he comes over for an extended family meeting (lol) - so it can definitely go both ways. But the thing is, we're so connected, that its increasingly difficult to get locked into specific modes of thinking, and never interact with others who have different perspectives.
The internet, I feel, and globalization in general, are going to be incredibly helpful for countries around the world in exposing corruption, bad economics/social policies, and important changes to the world (climate change), which I feel truly is important to people, as we see it being reflected increasingly in the actions politicians are taking. Its not perfect but its all getting better! 
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EPT
