Problems in America Survey-Thing

[Chany]

I do not intend this to be a debate. I simply want to research problems our country is facing today in my free time. Simply tell me what you think problems in America are: from specific to broad, unheard to popular, I want to here it. Please, however, stay away from specific people (I don't want to here how Romney and Obama are ruining our country with whatever incredibly biased articles you can find).

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mikey123]

Too many giveaways. When you give people things, you take away their ambition and self reliance.

 

[MikeK]

The lack of mobility in society. Too many roadblocks for the poor, too many safety nets for those of us who were lucky enough to be born into the right circumstances. I've done nothing remarkable, yet I am completely almost insulated from failure simply because of the parents I was born to and the things they gave me. We need mo rich screw-ups finding themselves in poverty and more poor stand-outs making it big. Withoutthat, the American dream is kaput.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

The concentration of wealth in the hands of an unspeakable rich plutocracy.

Redistrubute the wealth, you solve most of the problems.

 

[AMDG]

Too many giveaways. When you give people things, you take away their ambition and self reliance.

I'll second that.

I also believe that we have gotten away from God (The Creator--even president Adams said that our Constitution was made for the religious and moral and I know that even up until the 1960s public school children would start each day with prayers that would be all encompassing prayers--all Christians and Jews would have no problem with them). And I believe we have gotten away from morality. I see that as a major problem connected perhaps with the self-reliance of people.

 

[Fish and Bread]

Problems:

-Too little compassion for people. Some are far too quick to dismiss other people's problems and call them "entitled" or some such instead of giving them the benefit of a doubt and realizing that everyone should feel entitled to pursue the best life they can for themselves, and have the right to feel the way they feel (Even if it isn't always optimistic).

- Fighting hard for the rights of the unborn, but complaining about government programs to feed, shelter, and provide health care for the already born (Not saying the former is wrong, but it makes no sense to protect the unborn if you're just going to let them die after they are born).

- Corporations are underregulated and are given too many tax breaks, at the expense of workers and consumers.

- Unions are not well enough protected by law, which means workers no longer have any real leverage to sit down at the level with their employers and work out fair compensation.

- The rich pay too little in taxes relative to the benefits they derive from society.

- Poor folks are becoming second class citzens.

- Too many ridiculous new traffic laws. Go back to the way things were 10 years ago.

- 4th amendment ignored

- Fox News.

- Things like paid vacations and pension plans are no longer as common as they used to be.

- Lack of work/play balance.

- People are too judgmental.

- People care more about someone's job and income than who they are as a person when seeking a romantic partner, a friend, or just plain old evaluating someone from a distance.

- Folks always think they know it all, but usually know very little.

- Increasing gap between the rich and the poor

- Violence

- Too many people in prison

- The death penalty

- Climate change denial-ism preventing us from addressing the issues that cause climate change.

- Churches being co-opted by conservative interests that don't share the values of Christ when it comes to the poor.

- Lack of appreciation of diversity.

- People who enjoy looking down on others.

- "Reality" shows.

- Jobs that don't pay a living wage and provide decent benefits.

- Mandatory overtime.

- 40 hour work weeks and two day weekends being replaced by 7 day 80 hour work weeks for less pay.

- The rising cost of everything.

- People who are nasty to strangers.

- People who like to stick their nose into everyone's business and tell them how they should be running their lives.

- Hatred of "the other".

- Lack of perspective.

- Breakdown of family bonds.

- Too much noise, too little peace and quiet.

- People presumed guilty until proven innocent.

- Too little consideration for others.

 

[MikeK]

The concentration of wealth in the hands of an unspeakable rich plutocracy.

Redistrubute the wealth, you solve most of the problems.

While this is certainly true, it is hard to do. There are few things more scary for the rich man than the idea of not being rich. Furthermore, you can't just take away and give away and expect things to get better. We have to figure out how to empower the poor to earn their way up. There is near zero incentive for today's urbanite to go to college. Business school, Law school, these used to be guarantees of a solid income (they also used to be denied to persons thought to be....undesirable), they really aren't anymore. If some 14 year-old kid from inner-city Milwaukee asked me how to make it big, I wouldn't know how to answer. I know how to get where I am from where I started, half way to the finish line. I have no idea how to get here from there.

 

[MikeK]

I'll second that.

You've called yourself "poor" on more than one occasion. Would you say that you're poor because of bad choices, because you received too many giveaways, or something else?

 

[Sarcalogos Deus]

Well there's abortion, gay marriage, the debt, slow job growth, and too few decent jobs for people without a degree.

Yes I am part of the crowd that believes God will actually punish a country for moral failings.

 

[TheOtherHockeyMom]

Well there's abortion, gay marriage, the debt, slow job growth, and too few decent jobs for people without a degree.

Yes I am part of the crowd that believes God will actually punish a country for moral failings.

Like by sending hurricanes and stuff?

 

[MikeK]

Like by sending hurricanes and stuff?

Oh, snap!

 

[Chany]

Like by sending hurricanes and stuff?

Too soon!

 

[Sarcalogos Deus]

Like by sending hurricanes and stuff?

Could be. Or it could simply be societal decay, erosion of families, and general moral decline. Really it could be any number of things.

God has punished nations before so I see no reason to think that we are above chastisement.

 

[Mikey123]

The concentration of wealth in the hands of an unspeakable rich plutocracy.

Redistrubute the wealth, you solve most of the problems.

No, you won't. All you do is create lazy people who expect things to be given to them.

 

[TheOtherHockeyMom]

No, you won't. All you do is create lazy people who expect things to be given to them.

So in countries where the wealth is even more unevenly distributed, is it because the poor are lazy?

 

[Mikey123]

I said that giving people things CREATES lazy people. Not what you said.

 

[Chany]

No, you won't. All you do is create lazy people who expect things to be given to them.

I'm sorry, I don't like the idea of having to dedicate my life to a political/social cause in order to have any effect against a guy who can write a check and control the world.

 

[Mikey123]

I'm sorry, I don't like the idea of having to dedicate my life to a political/social cause in order to have any effect against a guy who can write a check and control the world.

Then don't.

 

[Chany]

Then don't.

And let the world burn? Hurray for defeatism.

 

[Fish and Bread]

Personally, I think that hurricane at the site of the Republican National Convention at the exact same time it was supposed to be held is a sign of God's displeasure with the Republicans and their anti-poor agenda. Not really, but I plan to bring that up whenever anyone says such and such natural disaster is because of such and such liberal thing.

Maybe hurricanes are just part of natural weather patterns. If we're getting a few more of them lately, it's probably because global climate change has begun to alter the earth's weather patterns. Scientists saw this stuff coming years ago-- more and more unusual weather events and extremes, etc.. Our environment is a delicate balance.