You think the current gas prices is hurtin' this guy?

[Curt Chiarelli]

Originally Posted by Tommy Allison

Let's see here...

We spend BILLIONS on education and yet they continue to lower standards to make sure that every child's self-esteem stays intact, and yet, they can't seem to thrive. Do you really want a government mandated program that enforces mediocrity and maintains the level of ignorance and rewards abject stupidity? Because that is EXACTLY what we are doing now. Home Schooling is the only REAL answer to the educational problem in America. Doing away with the unions and largesse of the Department of Education is the only real way to bring change to our classrooms. Merit based pay does nothing but encourage teachers and other faculty to diminish standards in order to raise the number of passing grades. THIS DOES NOTHING BUT DILUTE THE INTELLECT OF A FUTURE ELECTORATE!!!

We spend BILLIONS on entitlement programs for everyone, and yet the only people who can't afford health care are the people who actually work for a living. Yes, I'd like to be able to take my kid to the doctor or dentist, but must I do it at the expense of others? Since when is it someone else's responsibility to take care of MY child's needs? It's nobody else's responsibility. It's MINE. If I bring a child into this world it is MY responsibility to make sure that child thrives, and is healthy.

We send BILLIONS of American Tax Dollars to so called impoverished countries who hate us, but expect our grace and currency who just so happen to be extremely wealthy in natural resources. I imagine if we cut off the gravy train they might start respecting us. ESPECIALLY those who we've treated with kid gloves far too long.

We SPEND BILLIONS of dollars to OPEC nations who take that money in turn and fund militant terrorist groups and build palaces and what not with their obscene wealth for a natural resource that is in no way scarce. Considering that they trade GOLD instead of our dollars for oil in the middle east, it's no wonder we're a joke to them.

We do not hold anyone accountable for anything in this country because to do that is to be prejudiced, and judgemental, and that's just not politically correct in this day and age. We can thank pop psychology, and the braindead morons who think that by doing away with dialogue by dictating what is acceptable wording, we'll have a better world. What a joke...

We cannot seem to call a thing a thing for fear of our litigious society's rancor and penchant for destroying those who upset the applecart of political correctness.

The quickest way to fix this country, is to take the safetys off of everything and let naturaly selection take its course. Make people accountable for their own lives. Once you do that, they'll start making their leadership accountable. Because Misery makes people incredibly intolerant of others who make living difficult.

My idea of government goes back to a time when politics was a part time job. Back prior to 1913, government was a part time gig where representatives only were in session when needed and had to live in their respective communities where they had to deal with the laws they passed. By centralizing all that crap to Washington DC, they've insulated themselves from the people they're paid to represent. Do you think for one minute that if you didn't have to live with the people who you've defied, that you'd worry about what they thought? Besides, after all, it's not YOUR money you're spending, it's THEIRS!!!

We live this way because it's important that the average citizen feel an over developed sense of entitlement. An over developed sense of helplessness which is taught in the grade schools all the way up through High School. There's a book that is being read to Kindergartners in the Twin Cities about a baby duck that gets separated from his flock and how he is nothing without the love and approval of the group and how he must work to stay with the group. AS OPPOSED TO THE LESSON THAT BEING AN INDIVIDUAL SOMETIMES IS BETTER!!! I've seen whole flocks of ducklings run over by a car. Maybe it's okay that an individual duck NOT follow the rest of the flock. That of course is NATURAL SELECTION.

As far as a Global Community, That's laughable. The Global Community is more like the Global Welfare system with the United States Taxpayer as the sugar daddy of the world. We're there with the cash whenever someone has a tragedy, or whenever some tinpot dictator needs a new mercedes. A GLOBAL COMMUNITY DOES NOTHING BUT BRING EVERYONE DOWN TO THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR. Can you imagine paying taxes to a world government where you'd have to bring the primitive peoples of the world into a modern civilized culture? The cost of let's say taking Sub Saharan Africa and bringing them into the 21st century would bankrupt every 1st world nation in the world. That's just ONE area of the world that's full of primitive people. Take a look at Mexico, Central and South America. Lot's of tribal people living the way they have for the last 4000 years. Mind blowing isn't it? That we live in the 21st century, have put people on the moon, and yet we have people living the same way they have for the last 4000 years, that have no idea what a television is, let alone toilet paper.

Am I a victim? Yes, I am. Why? Because I pay taxes without representation to a government that has nobody's best interest at heart but their own.

Tommy:

This post is an incisive observation and summation of the current state of affairs in America today. I couldn't have said it better myself.

[risingstar]

Originally Posted by Curt Chiarelli

Hi Rising Star:

An alien invasion would be about the only thing able to provide the proper incentive to unite and realize our shared heritage as a species. Either that or Allison's zombie apocalypse scenario . . . .

All humour aside, as for the rest of your response, is such defeatism truly reflective of your beliefs or are you merely playing Devil's Advocate?

That was my way of saying we haven't reached a plausible solution yet. Playing devil's advocate often sparks a healthy debate as opposed to generating defensive postures that sometimes occur when inflection and intention are lost in print.

But you asked for my beliefs... I think America is looking for answers. This is great because for the past 25 years, the typical American has been living in a bubble. More people today are genuinely interested in what's going on beyond their borders and how it directly reflects upon them. Meanwhile, closer to home, they also want to know more about the inner workings of government and how it directly effects their livelihood.

While on the surface it looks like we're intent on making people accountable for their actions (or inactions), the message I'm hearing is that America is fed up with taking the back-seat approach to things that directly effect their sense of safety and fairplay. Moreover, they're tired of having to pay for the consequences of the actions of a few self-interested figures (in government and in high corporate finance).

It may not seem it now but this is a great time in America because you can feel the change coming... You could totally feel it. The best part is that you know the change will be for the so much better.

The fact that we're openly talking about our thoughts and feelings this way is just one of many examples that illustrate our passion for this subject.

[Curt Chiarelli]

Originally Posted by risingstar

That was my way of saying we haven't reached a plausible solution yet. Playing devil's advocate often sparks a healthy debate as opposed to generating defensive postures that sometimes occur when inflection and intention are lost in print.

But you asked for my beliefs... I think America is looking for answers. This is great because for the past 25 years, the typical American has been living in a bubble. More people today are genuinely interested in what's going on beyond their borders and how it directly reflects upon them. Meanwhile, closer to home, they also want to know more about the inner workings of government and how it directly effects their livelihood.

While on the surface it looks like we're intent on making people accountable for their actions (or inactions), the message I'm hearing is that America is fed up with taking the back-seat approach to things that directly effect their sense of safety and fairplay. Moreover, they're tired of having to pay for the consequences of the actions of a few self-interested figures (in government and in high corporate finance).

It may not seem it now but this is a great time in America because you can feel the change coming... You could totally feel it. The best part is that you know the change will be for the so much better.

The fact that we're openly talking about our thoughts and feelings this way is just one of many examples that illustrate our passion for this subject.

Thanks for this thoughtful response! All too true . . . . I'm inclined to agree with you on all of your points. And let's face it: to tackle these problems on a serious level requires a format best suited to a more in-depth analysis, something I don't think StatueForum.com was intended for (this is a statement of fact, rather than a criticism).

The discourse that's been stimulated by these issues is vital and something I can only hope will encourage more Americans to become constructively engaged in the political process. Either that or we'll backslide into chaos and history will judge us harshly as a people lacking in true greatness and consequence.

[Tommy Allison]

Hey Rising Star. What do you think 9-11 was for? It was the rallying cry for people to come together against a manufactured enemy. Imagine what kind of crap we'll see when a staged alien invasion happens.

I'm of the mind that the more obscene the event, the more divisive it becomes.

After seeing episodes of Invader Zim, and War Of The Worlds, we all know how alien invasions can go.

I still miss my cupcake.

[Tommy Allison]

Dana,

Didn't have my coffee yet when I posted that.

When 9-11 happened, The whole world came together to fight the spectre of terrorism.

After about 3 months of inactivity, people started getting into their little groups and started to have disagreements. The more action was taken, the more divided the country became, and not just ours. It became incredibly heated in all corners of the world. Every Muslim had to decide which direction they wanted to take their religion. Everyone was either for war, or against war. Pro America, Anti-America. Then there were the large unspoke majority who ended up having to live with the agendas of BOTH sides of the fence.

Terrorism is NOT a naturally occuring event. It takes money, Lots of it to make someone strap on a bomb vest to kill themselves. It takes lots of money for people to hijack planes and crash them into buildings. It takes lots of power and influence to get people do do evil things, and to what end? Do you think the poor people of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, took up a collection and funded a bunch of wackos? No. Terrorism is a tool to get quick consensus of ideologies. You and I might disagree on everything, but we will agree that some wacko who kills people for an agenda is evil.

Just like Rising Star said, if aliens were to invade us, by God the world would address it as ONE world. But shortly after the crisis was over, there would be squabbling again, because that is human nature.

Didn't mean to be contradictory, it's just that right now, there are two Americas. The one where the NeoCons, and the ultra liberals believe in. Unfortunately, neither are the America I live in, as I am one of the unspoken majority who would like to see both of these groups crushed out of existence as they are divisive and evil patterns of thought.

Hope that clears things up.