Americans are dying from despair

[angeltrue]

Materialism -- "mammon" -- has become more powerful in our culture.

As a metaphor -- a kind of living deadness. Those under it are like 'living dead' -- metaphorically like zombies or vampires, which is why those metaphors became so popular in fiction.

This situation:
Ephesians 2 NIV

Yes money is the god of today. I wonder how - or if - we'll ever be able to change that.

 

[majj27]

No not N. Korea, but the America our parents knew - no drugs, predictability, sanity.

Except, if you look back at what was going on you find that things were equally bad or even worse in a lot of cases. Rose-tinged memories happen to pretty much all of us. The idyllic "when I was a kid" times usually were nothing of the sort except in wistful nostalgia.

 

[mala]

No not N. Korea, but the America our parents knew - no drugs, predictability, sanity.

i'm sorry... but at what point in US history has there been no drugs.... or even predictability for that matter... and as for sanity. what does that even mean?

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

You're exactly right. But how can we reach all these young Americans who are getting caught in the tentacles of drug use - we MUST stop the drug flow FIRST, so we can reach their hearts.

You will never be able to stop drugs. That's a persons choice. They will seek somewhere. You can make certain drugs in America.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

No not N. Korea, but the America our parents knew - no drugs, predictability, sanity.

Generation after generations have used drugs.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

There is an example of truly isolated wonder state. No immigrants charging over their borders, no narcotics smuggled in, no foreigners taking their jobs, no bad leftist left. Order, security, devotion.

US could really model themselves after North Korea to truly enjoy the fruits of protectionism.

I sure that's what Conservatives truly want.

 

[angeltrue]

Thanks for posting this...your first link is a great article about how illegals and immigrants "game" our welfare system. It's worth pointing out that unless there's widespread reform, this will only get worse. It's also worth pointing out that the way they manipulate the system to get benefits isn't something that the costs of can be easily measured. In all likelihood, we're paying hundreds of millions if not billions in welfare to illegals and poor, uneducated immigrants regardless of how long they've been in the nation. There's a lot of myths surrounding illegal immigrants/immigrants and one of the common myths is that they're "just looking for work"....many come here looking for a handout.

I'm less concerned about the ones who do work, pay taxes, and make an effort to integrate. I haven't seen any hard data showing that they steal jobs from minorities.
There are some very real problems with our welfare and immigration system that need unbiased bi-partisan efforts to fix. The left needs to stop looking at them as new votes, and the right needs to stop looking at them as just another issue to run on and actually do something instead.

I read a lot of how jobs are taken on Breitbart. You're right about the left looking at them as new votes - they don't really care about them. I wish they'd develop policies that would make people want to vote for them.

 

[angeltrue]

Except, if you look back at what was going on you find that things were equally bad or even worse in a lot of cases. Rose-tinged memories happen to pretty much all of us. The idyllic "when I was a kid" times usually were nothing of the sort except in wistful nostalgia.

Yes I guess we tend to think the past was better - but I think in many ways it was. Drugs weren't widespread in my school growing up. I wasn't exposed to the nasty shows coming out of Hollywood, and the music wasn't so hateful and degrading.

 

[majj27]

The funny thing is, when you look at the numbers, it's not that things are getting worse, it's just that we're noticing it more (internet, etc.) It *seems* like drug use has gone through the roof, but in actuality, it peaked around the 60s and has been declining since with one exception: opioids. That's a weird case, because those took off because of overuse of legal prescriptions as well as just plain illegal use.

Likewise, crime rates have actually been declining for decades. You get some variation, but the trend has been downwards and has not reversed.

I think every generation thinks that music and video "these days" is garbage compared to their generation's music and video. I'd be willing to bet a couple nickels that if you checked into it though, you'd find that entertainment back in the day had just as much junk in it, people just didn't notice it.

 

[Halbhh]

I read a lot of how jobs are taken on Breitbart. You're right about the left looking at them as new votes - they don't really care about them. I wish they'd develop policies that would make people want to vote for them.

We are fortunate in our congregation to have a range of incomes, races and viewpoints, even both 'conservative' and 'liberal' (politically) together -- and one of the most outspoken conservatives is especially a good friend of one of the most liberal; I know this first hand as I know both really well, and often join in talk with them as they are already enjoying their conversation -- and I can testify to you from first hand talking for hours now with many face to face that on both sides there is real faith in God and Christ risen, and that on both sides there are many that truly care about other people. Also, many who don't care much about politics that care a lot about people also. (so we have every kind here)

Because of this the only true testimony I can give, from first hand working and talking in various volunteer activities for years now, is that definitely politically liberal believers do care about people in need just as much as politically conservative ones, and act on that personally by helping them personally with their own time and money and personal care, and love too. I know this first hand.

In the last couple of years, I've begun to think the division of our nation into camps of 'liberal' and 'conservative' is from the enemy, the 'prince of this world', who we can overcome only by faith and following Christ.

I can give the very encouraging testimony that in our church we are hand in hand together across the political spectrum, and this division from the enemy has not been able to come into our church much, and we have defeated it mostly, often entirely. Praise the Lord. "Love one another."

 

[durangodawood]

Yes money is the god of today. I wonder how - or if - we'll ever be able to change that.

Up to a point, more money actually does correlate with happiness.

Being poor is incredibly stressful.

 

[majj27]

Up to a point, more money actually does correlate with happiness.

Being poor is incredibly stressful.

Up to about $75,000/year, which is high enough to alleviate most finanicial stress and allow for occasionally enjoyment of luxuries without risk to subsistence. After that it's just a way to get More Stuff.

 

[durangodawood]

Up to about $75,000/year, which is high enough to alleviate most finanicial stress and allow for occasionally enjoyment of luxuries without risk to subsistence. After that it's just a way to get More Stuff.

Thats number I heard too. But I suppose it depends where you live and how many dependents you're supporting.

 

[majj27]

Thats number I heard too. But I suppose it depends where you live and how many dependents you're supporting.

Yeah, I doubt there's some universal number, but if you're in that range (I'd assume per adult, not per household,) you're probably in pretty good shape as far as money based well-being goes.

 

[SolomonVII]

Does wealth make people happy, or is misery the underlying precondition that causes people to descend into poverty?
The Beatitudes suggest that unhappiness is the first step toward blessedness, (blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven).
Rich people are relatively happy compared to poor people, but they already have their reward. Poor people are more likely to be aware of our fallen condition, and seek out a truer source of happiness than money.
Despair is a necessary precondition to seeking answers. If the answer found is fentanyl, for sure people are going to die in big numbers.

 

[angeltrue]

You will never be able to stop drugs. That's a persons choice. They will seek somewhere. You can make certain drugs in America.

Yes but its out of control now. The epidemic has claimed something like 40,000 + lives. Why? Is it because drugs are too accessible now?

 

[angeltrue]

Does wealth make people happy, or is misery the underlying precondition that causes people to descend into poverty?
The Beatitudes suggest that unhappiness is the first step toward blessedness, (blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven).
Rich people are relatively happy compared to poor people, but they already have their reward. Poor people are more likely to be aware of our fallen condition, and seek out a truer source of happiness than money.
Despair is a necessary precondition to seeking answers. If the answer found is fentanyl, for sure people are going to die in big numbers.

That's interesting. Unhappiness is what drives us to God. What do you believe is the drive behind the epidemic? Is it lack of God?

 

[angeltrue]

Except, if you look back at what was going on you find that things were equally bad or even worse in a lot of cases. Rose-tinged memories happen to pretty much all of us. The idyllic "when I was a kid" times usually were nothing of the sort except in wistful nostalgia.

Yes in some ways. When I was growing up none of my friends used drugs but there were drugs in the high school. My son told me where we lived there was no one - not one - who wasn't using drugs. Is that what you have found - how prevalent they are now? I think it's also a sign of the end times.

 

[angeltrue]

The funny thing is, when you look at the numbers, it's not that things are getting worse, it's just that we're noticing it more (internet, etc.) It *seems* like drug use has gone through the roof, but in actuality, it peaked around the 60s and has been declining since with one exception: opioids. That's a weird case, because those took off because of overuse of legal prescriptions as well as just plain illegal use.

Likewise, crime rates have actually been declining for decades. You get some variation, but the trend has been downwards and has not reversed.

I think every generation thinks that music and video "these days" is garbage compared to their generation's music and video. I'd be willing to bet a couple nickels that if you checked into it though, you'd find that entertainment back in the day had just as much junk in it, people just didn't notice it.

I remember the 60's were bad - but I never used drugs, nor did people I knew. It didn't seem as prevalent - at least to me. I don't recall all those people dying - no one in my high school died - but in my kids high school they did.

 

[angeltrue]

i'm sorry... but at what point in US history has there been no drugs.... or even predictability for that matter... and as for sanity. what does that even mean?

Yes we had drugs but do you recall anyone you knew dying from them? I'm just wondering why so many are dying - are the drugs more powerful? More available?