Thoughts on Today's Political Landscape

[tslust]

Originally Posted by smc

You have to adopt a different way of thinking about this country in order to understand the answer. We grow up in the United States being told that it is "the richest country in the world." That's true. The problem is how those riches are spent. In general, spending protects the interests of the ruling rich, with some social spending at a level deemed minimal to maintain social peace. But imagine a different set of priorities. Do you really think that this country cannot afford a first-class education for free for everyone? Free healthcare? Government-paid jobs doing things that only governments do, such as infrastructure improvements (or, in the U.S. case, maintenance of infrastructure just before the coming collapse of bridges, etc.)?

As for the guarantee to a job, it is a matter of the polity adopting a perspective that puts human needs first, and then enforcing that perspective. I'm no big fan of Franklin D. Roosevelt, but a quote from a speech he gave in 1932, accepting the renomination as a presidential candidate, speaks volumes: "We must lay hold of the fact that economic laws are not made by nature. They are made by human beings."

Think "outside the box," instead of accepting the narrow box Americans have been put into by what we're taught, beginning in the earliest grades at school, about individualism. It's a ruse. It's designed to keep Americans from adopting the kind of social solidarity that created, in most of the world's other industrialized nations, a communal sense of social good that explains why people elsewhere are happier, healthier, and more gainfully engaged in work in larger percentages, without any illusions that the good fortune of social safety is somehow the destruction of their free will and opportunities.

Oh, and those are all capitalist countries.

I onderstand what you have to say, and see value in it. However, you must remember that I am a strong believer in State's Rights (thanks to my dad), I would like to see the Federal government scaled back to its constitutional limits.

[paladin68]

Originally Posted by tslust

I onderstand what you have to say, and see value in it. However, you must remember that I am a strong believer in State's Rights (thanks to my dad), I would like to see the Federal government scaled back to its constitutional limits.

Yes, it appears that the 10th amendment is being ignored, especially by the current administration.

[tslust]

Originally Posted by paladin68

Yes, it appears that the 10th amendment is being ignored, especially by the current administration.

Between the recently passed (I'm not sure if it's been signed into law yet.) National Deffence Authorization Act and the upcoming Stop Online Piracy Act, there's not much of the Constitution left.

[TracyCoxx]

Originally Posted by tslust

Between the recently passed (I'm not sure if it's been signed into law yet.) National Deffence Authorization Act and the upcoming Stop Online Piracy Act, there's not much of the Constitution left.

Yeah, well America had a pretty good run didn't she?

[tslust]

Originally Posted by TracyCoxx

Yeah, well America had a pretty good run didn't she?

A study of history shows that no power (nation) stays on top of the world forever. World power will always balance out, usually at the great misfortune of the former "superpower". We [the US] are not the exception to this rule.

[TracyCoxx]

Originally Posted by tslust

A study of history shows that no power (nation) stays on top of the world forever. World power will always balance out, usually at the great misfortune of the former "superpower". We [the US] are not the exception to this rule.

The sad thing is that there's no reason America can't continue its status. Apathy is our only downfall. Just plain old laziness.

[tslust]

Originally Posted by TracyCoxx

Apathy is our only downfall. Just plain old laziness.

That's the biggest reason for the fall of the Roman Empire. The people stopped caring. They didn't care about the political corruption, they didn't care about their declining economy, they didn't care about illegal immigration (yes, it was a problem back then too), they didn't care about maintaining the army, they didn't care about the rule of law.

It's amazing how little people learn from history.