Can America Be Salvaged? Does it deserve to be? Do we care enough?

[Triana]

DO WE GIVE A DAMN?

By David Michael Green
The Smirking Chimp, September 18, 2009
Straight to the Source

I really don't know what to say anymore, about a country in which proposing a new and better version of corporate-plunder masquerading as national healthcare gets you burned in effigy for being a socialist stooge by gun-toting angry mobs.

I really don't know what to say anymore, about a country in which the same people who hate you for being a socialist simultaneously hate you for being a fascist.

I really don't know what to say anymore, about a country in which angry mobs of supposed anti-socialist demonstrators scream at their congressional representatives to "keep your government hands off my Medicare".

I really don't know what to say anymore, about a country in which claims that the government is going to start killing off seniors are taken seriously by tens of millions of people.

I really don't know what to say anymore, about a country in which people are all worked up about government czars, but sat silently while the Bush administration destroyed the Bill of Rights and used a thousand signing statements to write Congress out of the Constitution.

I really don't know what to say anymore, about a country in which deficits have all of a sudden become the source of enormous anger among people who said nothing about them previously, as the tax cuts for the wealthy, off-budget wars based on lies, and unfunded prescription drug Big Pharma giveaway transmogrified the biggest surplus in American history into the biggest deficit ever.


OH SO MUCH MORE....

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_19143.cfm

[Libertas1776]

1. Despite all the sacrifices

we made during the Civil War, I really think that this country is just too damn big for its own good. Show me any other country in the world with a 300+ Million population that is a first rate country.

[AllentownJake]

5. I'm beginning to agree

At this point I would have no problem if we broke up to regions.

If the North East was its own country, I'd probably have Universal Healthcare.

[stuball111]

18. Maybe we should join Canada?

IT has universal health care, hockey, and drives on the right hand side. We could call it Amanada, all learn how to say "EH" and make the national symbol a Beaver riding on an Eagles back with a Maple leaf in it's mouth. Get rid of all the guns, adopt the Canadian pot laws (it's legal in small quantities) all get stoned and watch Don Cherry on Hockey night in Canada!:rofl:

[leveymg]

7. Spain, Netherlands, France and Britain are infinitely better places for having lost their empires.

A bit poorer, but better. They had their share of troubles during that transition, also. They are neither better nor worse than us -we're doomed to live in interesting times. This too, shall pass.

[BlueJazz]

2. I still try to keep my Chin up but a lot of Wise People say the populace has/...

...become so Ignorant (Not Stupid..Ignorant) that years from now we may see a much worse Society.

[Triana]

13. Ignorance and a lame$tream media that helps perpetuate it.

I dunno.

I

Just.

Don't.

Know.

:shrug:

[Selatius]

3. Tout ça change, madame. All things change. Even the greatest empires must fall someday.

We are only left with the choice to rebuild in the ashes.

[Why Syzygy]

4. bookmarking

[HillbillyBob]

6. It has gotten to where I want to leave

I have volunteered my service and was thrown away for being gay, something I cannot change, but did keep it private.

I see these screaming assholes and I cringe, I am sick of them.
They are about as civil as a pit viper.

Bunch of damned divas mememmemememememe! Conservatives are such selfish creeps.
mine mine mine mine , what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine if i have to kill you to get it.

One of the many reasons we moved to a home in the woods had to do with the lack of civility from people who should be ashamed to act like they do, we also bought guns because we saw this mess coming. We did not know exactly what would set it off. When we moved out here we had hardly thought that Obama would run let alone become president.

They are so igernant. screaming don't let the government touch my medicare I think they are too stupid to live..too bad it does not take intelligence to breath and fed their fat faces.

[troubledamerican]

19. Amen.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Don't insult the vipers, they are far more civil

:-)

But I know exactly what you mean

[gateley]

8. K&R -- thanks! nt

[Juche]

9. I really don't know

Its not like America is 100% bad. For the most part it is the same 20% who are behind everything bad wrt to politics. They are the 20% who always supported Bush, who are birthers or antichristers, who are religious fanatics, who have no idea what the issues are.

Its like living your life in a house with a retarded, violent sibling. He drags you down and makes life miserable, but you really can't get away.

There are serious issues America and the world need to address. The natural resource shortage we are facing; global poverty and disease; advances in medicine; health care costs; sustainability; energy; nanotechnology; global crime; world peace; environmental degradation; etc.

The sad part is about 20% of the public (the same ones who are teabaggers and Bush supporters) are mindless religious fanatics who think Jesus will come back before any of that happens. People on the left can be pretty intolerant, but the tea baggers have taken it to a whole new level. They would rather watch the country fail and be destroyed than have it succeed with a black liberal as president and a democratic congress. As Frank Schaeffer said, and I am beginning to agree with, I think these people hate America. They want a white, heterosexual, conservative, christian America. And now that we are becoming a multi racial, multi cultural, progressive, secular America they'd rather destroy the whole thing than let it succeed as something they don't identify with. I know that is inflammatory, but it really is true. One of the worst things that can happen with health care reform is that it'll work and make people's lives better for an affordable price. And conservatives know this.

I really don't know. The best we can do is marginalize those people so their destructiveness cannot drag the nation and the world down with them.

[Triana]

12. The loudmouth, rabid, brain-dead minority is in control. n/t

[Why Syzygy]

23. I don't think they are in control...

I think they serve as simpletons for the elite to keep things stirred up, so nothing positive gets done that doesn't enrich the elite.

Teabagger Joe isn't our enemy or our problem. The fascist corporatists are. The town hall mobs don't even know the meaning of FASCIST!!!

One big reason the TBers are so ignorant is due to the dismantling of our public education system. That was done by ..... Corporations and their lackeys in elected government positions!

[redqueen]

14. +1

[Libertas1776]

16. I don't think

America is becoming unsustainable as one cogent unit because of a minority of crazies (although they are playing a part) but rather by our system of government. Perhaps it was more appropriate when we were largely west of the Mississippi and population sizes were more similar (relatively), but as we added more and more states, particularly the large, boxy, flyover states (No offense to Montana, N.D, S.D., Utah, N. Mexico, Colorado etc. DUers) who today wield too much power IMO over more highly populated states and regions. I mean, look, the presidential elections have to kick off in Iowa because they control the CORN? Granted, things were stable after the Civil War and were so until about the mid 20th Century and more so in the 80s when America was no longer homogeneous in religious beliefs. Now more populated regions have to bend to the whim of less populated, more conservative and religious regions. The idea that a state with the same square mileage of a country like Germany, but only with a fraction of a fraction of the population can hold influence over and affect the livelihoods of, say people living in the New York Metropolitan area with a population of nearly 19 Million people and more diverse than Montana could ever imagine, is seemingly unfair.

Maybe if the regions of this country formed as single states, as opposed to a hodgepodge of 50 different states, perhaps we would have a better chance at getting things done. I really think we should have some kind of Constitutional Convention. Anyway, like I said before, show me another country who has a population in excess of 300+ Million people and is also a first rate country.

[Juche]

17. There are only about 4 nations with anywhere near 300 million people

China, India, the US & Indonesia, so that really isn't a good comparison.

As far as population density and politics, it works both ways. Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Delaware, Hawaii & Rhode Island are all states that give us fairly progressive senators, despite having a combined population that is a fraction of Texas.

Of the 10 least populated states, 5 are fairly progressive and the rest are either split or conservative.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_population

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. And the village idiot is in control of the village

time to leave the village idiot by the wayside

[Quantess]

10. I agree!

[Laelth]

11. Excellent essay from Dr. Green, as usual. k&r n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[jgraz]

15. I really don't know what to say anymore...

about writers who think you need a comma after the phrase "I really don't know what to say anymore."

;)

Nice rant, though.

[Why Syzygy]

22. kick.

Need a new bookmark.