"Dumb things that Americans believe" -Newsweek

[cubsneedmiracle]

Dumb Things Americans Believe - Newsweek

Lots of stuff in there.

 

[CODE_BLUE56]

we may have the best army in the world,we may have the most technology,the best off conditions,we may be the world's lone superpower...

but god are we really this Special person????

 

[cubsneedmiracle]

we may have the best army in the world,we may have the most technology,the best off conditions,we may be the world's lone superpower...

but god are we really this Special person????

yes

people actually believe this person.. lots of dumbass people.

C-SPAN Video Player -

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Wow, two political threads in one day???

One of the biggest problems is apathy. Anytime something like this gets brought up, you have moaners and complainers saying stuff like 'politics suck,' 'I hate politics.' The best thing about these people is that they will be the first person to talk about how politicians are all the same, but so unwilling to participate in a process that is designed to change things routinely.

Hell, the author of the Declaration (how many of you truthfully know that?) and probably one of the most enlightened minds of his time, Thomas Jefferson argued for an idea of a 'permanent revolution,' and a 'government that is always changing.' For Christsakes, every two years the population of this country (18 years and over) are afforded not only the right, but the privilege to tell people that they are fired, and to have for themselves a little role in a revolution in this country, yet only 46% of the people choose to do so.

Here is the other problem, the discourse in this country has gone to shit. It used to be that having the facts, and the ability of to express those facts won an argument. Now, it's whoever can shout the loudest and fit a catchy slogan on a bumper sticker.

Country is fucked.

 

[cubsneedmiracle]

No politicians are the same. Especially now.

Always the sad part.. I can't believe people don't understand.. How your country is governed relates to if you live or die. To be completely serious.

Lemme get my chalkboard...

I agree. It is.

 

[payton 34ever]

Wow, two political threads in one day???

One of the biggest problems is apathy. Anytime something like this gets brought up, you have moaners and complainers saying stuff like 'politics suck,' 'I hate politics.' The best thing about these people is that they will be the first person to talk about how politicians are all the same, but so unwilling to participate in a process that is designed to change things routinely.

Hell, the author of the Declaration (how many of you truthfully know that?) and probably one of the most enlightened minds of his time, Thomas Jefferson argued for an idea of a 'permanent revolution,' and a 'government that is always changing.' For Christsakes, every two years the population of this country (18 years and over) are afforded not only the right, but the privilege to tell people that they are fired, and to have for themselves a little role in a revolution in this country, yet only 46% of the people choose to do so.

Here is the other problem, the discourse in this country has gone to shit. It used to be that having the facts, and the ability of to express those facts won an argument. Now, it's whoever can shout the loudest and fit a catchy slogan on a bumper sticker.

Country is fucked.

I agree with most of what you said, but I do think the biggest reason that apathy is present is because people (myself included) think that the whole damn system is so fucked up, and voters are so unwilling to think for themselves on issues instead of bumper-sticker slogans and outright lies about the "other guy" during campaigns, that they've just thrown up their hands and given up.

People, it's not the politicians fault that everything is as fucked up as it is - they're merely participating in a system that you are perpetuating by voting only for the donkeys or the elephants. They just want power and money like everyone else, and they abuse it like many people who have less than moral intentions would.

Until we're willing to stop playing this "they're wrong, we're right" cheerleader game everytime anything with politics comes up and embrace some new, possible third party alternatives - nothing will get done. I just grow so tired of this "if I'm a Democrat, all Republicans are evil" and "if I'm a Republican, Obama is the anti-Christ" bullshit I could just throw up. I don't know if people will ever stop doing that, and thus the apathy sets in. After a while it just becomes "well, hell - what can we really do at this point but watch our country continue to go to hell and corporate interests?"

I could not agree more with your last paragraph - you are 1 million % right - the level of "us vs. them" in this country has reached epic proportions - I'm just tired of the whole thing; let's blow it up and start all over.

 

[Crystallas]

LOL at these polling stats. I have never met a pollster, I only know the anonymous internet kind.

I believe if you poll people worldwide on many issues, you come up with the same amount of idiots. Some people don't know, don't care, and to be honest, they really don't have to understand many of the issues to live a fulfilling life.

 

[Scoot26]

we may have the best army in the world,we may have the most technology,the best off conditions,we may be the world's lone superpower...

but god are we really this Special person????

Yes.

 

[Scoot26]

Wow, two political threads in one day???

One of the biggest problems is apathy. Anytime something like this gets brought up, you have moaners and complainers saying stuff like 'politics suck,' 'I hate politics.' The best thing about these people is that they will be the first person to talk about how politicians are all the same, but so unwilling to participate in a process that is designed to change things routinely.

Hell, the author of the Declaration (how many of you truthfully know that?) and probably one of the most enlightened minds of his time, Thomas Jefferson argued for an idea of a 'permanent revolution,' and a 'government that is always changing.' For Christsakes, every two years the population of this country (18 years and over) are afforded not only the right, but the privilege to tell people that they are fired, and to have for themselves a little role in a revolution in this country, yet only 46% of the people choose to do so.

Here is the other problem, the discourse in this country has gone to shit. It used to be that having the facts, and the ability of to express those facts won an argument. Now, it's whoever can shout the loudest and fit a catchy slogan on a bumper sticker.

Country is fucked.

Have to say I agree with you. Especially the very last sentence. I have never understood why so little people vote in this country yet this complain about this and that all the time yet do nothing about it. I have a friend who complains constantly about things..but wont vote because his reasoning is "my vote does not count, one person does not make a difference." Yeah well thats how 's come along.

 

[Scoot26]

I agree with most of what you said, but I do think the biggest reason that apathy is present is because people (myself included) think that the whole damn system is so fucked up, and voters are so unwilling to think for themselves on issues instead of bumper-sticker slogans and outright lies about the "other guy" during campaigns, that they've just thrown up their hands and given up.

People, it's not the politicians fault that everything is as fucked up as it is - they're merely participating in a system that you are perpetuating by voting only for the donkeys or the elephants. They just want power and money like everyone else, and they abuse it like many people who have less than moral intentions would.

Until we're willing to stop playing this "they're wrong, we're right" cheerleader game everytime anything with politics comes up and embrace some new, possible third party alternatives - nothing will get done. I just grow so tired of this "if I'm a Democrat, all Republicans are evil" and "if I'm a Republican, Obama is the anti-Christ" bullshit I could just throw up. I don't know if people will ever stop doing that, and thus the apathy sets in. After a while it just becomes "well, hell - what can we really do at this point but watch our country continue to go to hell and corporate interests?"

I could not agree more with your last paragraph - you are 1 million % right - the level of "us vs. them" in this country has reached epic proportions - I'm just tired of the whole thing; let's blow it up and start all over.

Today, its mostly about who has the loudest voice and well I can see who has the loudest voice in this country. When the news is full of tea party this and Glenn Beck that..you know who is controlling the airwaves. The country is in a huge polarized state and I dont really know what the hell brought it on. It was polarized as hell back in the 2000 Election, but 9/11 temporarily saved that...Then the Iraq War happened and the country went back to very divided. Sites like DailyKos and RedState do nothing but further help to divide the country and really it just becomes a screaming fest. And its sites like that that just demand that both of their parties cleanse their parties or any moderate politicians and you just end up with two extremes.

I agree we need a third party. Just a few weeks ago I pretty much decided that I will now vote for mostly third party candidates with some hope that someday one will be popular enough to win. In the Senate there are a few Independents, but they always vote with one party or another.

 

[Jntg4]

wow

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Today, its mostly about who has the loudest voice and well I can see who has the loudest voice in this country. When the news is full of tea party this and Glenn Beck that..you know who is controlling the airwaves. The country is in a huge polarized state and I dont really know what the hell brought it on. It was polarized as hell back in the 2000 Election, but 9/11 temporarily saved that...Then the Iraq War happened and the country went back to very divided. Sites like DailyKos and RedState do nothing but further help to divide the country and really it just becomes a screaming fest. And its sites like that that just demand that both of their parties cleanse their parties or any moderate politicians and you just end up with two extremes.

I agree we need a third party. Just a few weeks ago I pretty much decided that I will now vote for mostly third party candidates with some hope that someday one will be popular enough to win. In the Senate there are a few Independents, but they always vote with one party or another.

I decided a long time ago that I will never vote for an incumbent. Ever.

 

[cubsneedmiracle]

Today, its mostly about who has the loudest voice and well I can see who has the loudest voice in this country. When the news is full of tea party this and Glenn Beck that..you know who is controlling the airwaves. The country is in a huge polarized state and I dont really know what the hell brought it on. It was polarized as hell back in the 2000 Election, but 9/11 temporarily saved that...Then the Iraq War happened and the country went back to very divided. Sites like DailyKos and RedState do nothing but further help to divide the country and really it just becomes a screaming fest. And its sites like that that just demand that both of their parties cleanse their parties or any moderate politicians and you just end up with two extremes.

I agree we need a third party. Just a few weeks ago I pretty much decided that I will now vote for mostly third party candidates with some hope that someday one will be popular enough to win. In the Senate there are a few Independents, but they always vote with one party or another.

We just need a moderate party.

 

[payton 34ever]

We just need a moderate party.

If/when that day comes, that will be the day my faith in this country as a whole is restored - and it can't be some phony "3rd party" that's just a faction of the donkeys or elephants, but a truly moderate party that shuns those extremists who think they have to label themselves. Let's make it happen!

 

[tbo41fan]

We should just become a socialist country

 

[Scoot26]

We should just become a socialist country

Sarcasm or not...We already are:

Socialist goods and services:
* Social Security
* Medicare/Medicaid
* State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)
* Police, Fire, and Emergency Services
* US Postal Service
* Roads and Highways
* Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)
* The US Railway System
* Public Subways and Metro Systems
* Public Bus and Light-rail Systems
* Rest Areas on Highways
* Sidewalks
* All Government-Funded Local/State Projects
* Public Water and Sewer Services
* Public and State Universities and Colleges
* Public Primary and Secondary Schools
* Sesame Street
* Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children
* Public Museums
* Libraries
* Public Parks and Beaches
* State and National Parks
* Public Zoos
* Unemployment Insurance
* Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services
* Hospitals or Clinics that receive funding From Local, State or Federal Government (pretty much all of them)
* Medical Services and Medications that are created or derived from any government grant or research funding (again pretty much all of them)
* Duct Tape and Velcro (Invented by NASA)
* Use of the Internets. email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking
* Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops that were grown with Federal subsidies
* Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) that were grown with government subsidies
* VA benefits
* Government run museums (Statue of Liberty, everything in D.C. etc.)

 

[tbo41fan]

Not sarcasm.

I am a firm believer in socialism working IF in right hands.

And call me anti-american or whatever else you want to, but in the right hands Communism is a great system of government

 

[Scoot26]

Not sarcasm.

I am a firm believer in socialism working IF in right hands.

And call me anti-american or whatever else you want to, but in the right hands Communism is a great system of government

I believe a certain bread of socialism can work...However true communism will never work in humanity. Someone is always striving for power.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Not sarcasm.

I am a firm believer in socialism working IF in right hands.

And call me anti-american or whatever else you want to, but in the right hands Communism is a great system of government

Do you happen to have an example?

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

Sarcasm or not...We already are:

Socialist goods and services:
* Social Security
* Medicare/Medicaid
* State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)
* Police, Fire, and Emergency Services
* US Postal Service
* Roads and Highways
* Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)
* The US Railway System
* Public Subways and Metro Systems
* Public Bus and Light-rail Systems
* Rest Areas on Highways
* Sidewalks
* All Government-Funded Local/State Projects
* Public Water and Sewer Services
* Public and State Universities and Colleges
* Public Primary and Secondary Schools
* Sesame Street
* Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children
* Public Museums
* Libraries
* Public Parks and Beaches
* State and National Parks
* Public Zoos
* Unemployment Insurance
* Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services
* Hospitals or Clinics that receive funding From Local, State or Federal Government (pretty much all of them)
* Medical Services and Medications that are created or derived from any government grant or research funding (again pretty much all of them)
* Duct Tape and Velcro (Invented by NASA)
* Use of the Internets. email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking
* Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops that were grown with Federal subsidies
* Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) that were grown with government subsidies
* VA benefits
* Government run museums (Statue of Liberty, everything in D.C. etc.)

Socialism and Capitalism is more of a spectrum than it is just black-and-white. It's more like shades of grey. But, if I were to "label" the United States as either "Capitalist" or "Socialist," I would definitely define us as a capitalism. After all, the U.S. is still the most open market soceity there is out of all the other nations in the world- please correct me if I'm wrong. I can't think of a nation that exhibits more pro-privatization/anti-government-control nation in the world than our's does.