May I please have your opinion?

[OneGrassRoot]

I have been agitated about something since March...something I heard on TV. The phrase "downscale Americans." I mean, it has REALLY agitated me, as it seems to encapsulate the gradual beating down of the vast majority of citizens. The beating down of individuals in an insidious way that just gets tuned out and becomes accepted.

If I'm angry or concerned about something, I try to invest some sort of positive effort into it rather than let the negativity grow. Of late, I'm all about helping people to connect to one another...to see that we have more in common than not ~ as it's often a matter of perception and perspective ~ and to not let those with ill intentions allow this separation to grow more and more, which is obviously their goal. Divide and conquer.

Since I was on hold with a work project yesterday, I took the time to create Downscale Americans Unite. www.downscaleamericans.org.

I'm asking those of you here what you think (and feel) before putting it "out there." This may be a personal thorn, my own personal thing to work through. But I can't imagine others wouldn't be offended by such things. My hope is that it will inspire a desire to shift perceptions and take responsibility and action for how things proceed.

Granted, I go into a bit of a rant, profanity and all, but do you get more of an angry vibe versus an empowering vibe from how I describe Downscale Americans Unite? Do you get any vibe at all? LOL

I keep hearing John Mellencamp's "Little Pink Houses" play....and instead of the part in the chorus where he sings "Oh, but ain't that America," I am hearing, "We're Downscale Americans, you and me." Seriously, I can't get it out of my head. LOL

As always, many, many thanks for your time and input.

Have a beautiful day. :hi:

[Coyote_Bandit]

1. That is a phrase born of ignorance

It is demeaning and it ignores the fact that many blue collar tradesmen earn more than many low or mid level white collar workers. In many ways this is the same kind of insult to hard working citizens as saying that illegal immigrants serve an economic purpose because they do work that Americans refuse to do. While it is true that some Americans think they are too good to get their hands dirty it is also true that many Americans do some damn nasty work. I've personally known a number of them.

Sadly, we have become a nation that no longer values certain kinds of work. We are more interested in selling ideas, and agendas, and services and imported crap than we are in providing for ourselves - individually or as a nation.

I am convinced that we will not strengthen our economy in a meaningful way until we begin to rebuild our infrastructure and our manufacturing base. I don't think either of these will occur until we change our attitudes toward work. The infrastructure is necessary to support the manufacturing base. The manufacturing base is important both to reduce trade deficits and to provide for national security.

I agree with much of what you said. It seems that you are focused on generating voter turnout in November. I applaud that. However, what I see is little more than a statement that "downscale Americans" feel maligned and should strike back by voting. Without more, the call for unity ends in November. What I don't see is a discussion of the larger issues or mention of reasons for "downscale Americans" to value and take pride in their identity and accomplishments. I like what you've done but I think it might be more effective if it were tweaked a bit.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. Understood, and I completely agree. This is just a start.....

a jumping-off point with regard to uniting the masses and working toward empowerment. Your points are well taken and MUCH appreciated, and the tweaking you suggest is excellent.

I have many irons in the fire and just don't have the time to launch a full-scale campaign, so to speak, so I was hoping to get a feel as to how viable and valuable such an effort as Downscale Americans Unite feels to those of you here. It would be a community effort, as I see it, with some concentrating on the political empowerment, others focused on work-related empowerment, local community empowerment, and so on.

Again, many thanks for the reply! :hi:

[hermetic]

5. Good work!

Well done and right on. I was thinking maybe you should cross post your OP over in the Poverty forum.

Edit: Ooops, I sort of got in the wrong line there. Meant to respond to OP

[I Have A Dream]

3. I think that it's great. Too often we allow things to fester inside of us...

to the point where physical problems develop in our bodies.

Thank you for caring enough to do something! :hi:

[OneGrassRoot]

4. Thank you so much! n/t