The U.S. is Effed Up

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mlaug

Part of the Furniture Now
May 23, 2010
908
2
Iowa
This looks to be the updated version of this particular e-mail. Not all of those words are Reese's.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/reese.asp

 

toyman01

Lurker
Apr 2, 2011
26
0
mlaug, the Snopes version is from 1995. The posted version is from 2001 when he retired. It was also printed in 1985 and that version is a little different too.

 
Nov 14, 2009
1,194
2
Flowery Branch, GA
While I believe what Stacen said to be true, I cannot ignore the truth in the original article. From my own studies on history, I don't think our country's fathers intended any of what this government has become. George Washington himself strongly warned against political parties, saying it would divide the nation. Look at where we are now. Elections are getting closer and closer to a 50/50 divide than I ever remember.
We have a Constitution, yes. However, we see more and more trampling on our own liberties every year, with the notion that the new "law" is following the constitution, or that it's better for the citizens of our great country.
With the comments on sexism, I agree with what Kevin stated. IF this government wasn't obsessed with taking money from the people, I think most women would feel MORE empowered being able to truly make a choice for themselves as to whether they wanted a career or take care of their family. I've gotten to know more and more women who would love to be able to stay at home with the newborns until they're at least school age. I know I was close to the first generations who didn't see much of their parents because if both parents didn't work, the family wouldn't survive. And we still struggled growing up.
Now at the same time, I cannot say that the old days were truly any better. Based on websites like these (which many laws have been in practice for a very long time and never abolished from the books) things really haven't changed all that much. Racism still exists. Sexism still exists and now we have more taxes than ever. It's just finding a new avenue to keep people in order.
What I really pray and hope for is that we as a people can and would stand up, united, and say enough is enough.

 

pipetrucker

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 13, 2010
937
1
Following the white rabbit
I don't like the 555 and I am sure not leaving. I have for years advocated voting out all of the "professioinal politicians" and instituting term limits. Perhaps them we might start getting representatives who actually care about solving problems instead of creating them in order to have issues upon which to get re-elected over and over.

 

igloo

Lifer
Jan 17, 2010
4,083
5
woodlands tx
Stop the entitlement programs . Close the boarders . Term limits . If you do not own land you do not get to vote . Basic education . Flat tax . There that should make every one mad at me . Up before dawn , home after dark ,working my a.. off for people who wont do thier part .

 

stacen

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 23, 2011
170
1
"up before dawn, home after dark, workin my a** off" --- Have to respect that sir.

 

lagavulin92

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 20, 2010
120
0
Even though all the above is true, please remember that (as far as my opinion goes), America is still EASILY the greatest country in the world in which to live. Even though freedoms are constantly attacked, taxes and gov't get bigger and more oppressive all the time, The USA is still ahead of the pack of 1st world nations in terms of freedom and escape from taxation and big gov't. Not to mention that the individual states still have the power to create environments of freedom for thier inhabitants. To me the USA is only place I could even consider living long term.
Please note that I was not born in the USA and am not a citizen, but my work has caused me to literally spend time in over 90 countires and on all 7 continents. Fortunately my work now keeps me predominantly in the US and I am thankful for that every single day. I am thankful when I am able to smoke a pipe in a cigar lounge, when i am able to have the simple pleasures of tobacco and alcohol without it putting me in the poor house, or when i able to afford to put fuel in my vehicle, when i can make choices about how to live my life with out the intercedance of a "nanny state". The standard of living available to a man residing in the USA who is willing to put forth some effort simply cannot be matched in other countries, it still really is the land of opportunity. Please remember as you fight hard to keep your country great, to be thankful for the wonderful job that your forbears did in making it a great country, it is certainly something to be proud of!
Stacen, although quantitatively the US are better off than other countries, I also have to remind you to consider the context. Yes, the tax burden of American citizens may only be half as large as of European citizens, and the legal encumbrance US entrepreneurs have to face may be only half as severe as for their European counterparts, but when you consider it in the political context that the US are expected to defend their free market while Europe still has class notions and is known to be a stronghold of socialist ideas, the recent political development is frightening and very disappointing.

It's frightening because it shows that currently Americans lack the strength to uphold the worshipped ideals that shaped and protected their society from the very beginning. It's disappointing because I've always considered the US as the ideal working place of the honest, daring, and hard-working. This doesn't completely hold true anymore. I've always used the US as an example to why a liberal market prevails over a controlled market against a legion of arch-socialist degenerates. These arguments seem hardly tenable right now. The US isn't so free anymore with Obama and the rest of the gang and clearly most politicians are a mixture of incompetence and corruption.

 

unclearthur

Lifer
Mar 9, 2010
6,875
5
Do as we are doing in Wisconsin. Fire 'em . We Have four members of our legislature facing recall and more to go.

 

juni

Lifer
Mar 9, 2010
1,184
12
The US isn't so free anymore with Obama and the rest of the gang and clearly most politicians are a mixture of incompetence and corruption
Obama screwed the country over? :lol:

 

duncan

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 28, 2010
576
0
New Jersey
I support the Mom stays home theory. I wife is a stay at home Mom and so was my Mother. My mother raised 3 kids and we are all doing well for ourselves. My wife raised my eldest daughter on her own since I was always away defending this Country while in the Navy, and she is a great Kid with a kind heart and Straight A's. I feel for my Youngest now that I am home. :twisted:

The idea of just land owners voting is kinda funky, so we just want the rich people to vote? This Countries rules were build for the Robber Baron mentality. The more money you have the more land you can buy from the little guy and the more money you make. If we want to go to the extremes on limiting voting, then make it only people that are or have served in the Military vote. Why leave only the rich to decide on our country, let the ones that contributed to the protection of it's people decide on it's fate. In no way am I being an elitest for those who have served, but those who did not or will not are the ones voting the people in to send our Servicemen and Women to War.

Just my 2 cents!

 

juni

Lifer
Mar 9, 2010
1,184
12
then make it only people that are or have served in the Military vote
Yes, we need people voting who are good at following orders and not so good at individual thinking.
I am not in any way putting down veterans, of course. I think we need informed people voting, but that is never going to happen with all the propaganda out there.

 

daveinlax

Charter Member
May 5, 2009
2,011
2,743
WISCONSIN
SPAM, like the crap that my neighbor sends me. He's one of those rock-ribbed conservative tbag types who collects a "disability" (my back hurts too) check, is on the tax payer funded Badger Care medical plan and in the same breath bitches about high taxes and how he pays NO TAXES. 8O

 

duncan

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 28, 2010
576
0
New Jersey
good at following orders and not so good at individual thinking
You Sir must never have been in the Military. Yes we are good at following orders, also when you think outside of the box to complete a task you are rewarded even more. Did you know that if a Soldier or Sailor can figure out a better way to do something and save time and money they get a 1% check of the savings!?! SO yeah I guess if you do not like money you just follow orders.
 

juni

Lifer
Mar 9, 2010
1,184
12
I actually did serve in the military. Most of us were just following orders with not much room for individuality.

 

forsooth

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 18, 2011
151
0
Kevin, your post was very timely. These guys also had a similar message back in the day...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWAl5V-SiKQ

 

duncan

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 28, 2010
576
0
New Jersey
Sorry Juni, and thank you for your service. I must have been sheltered in the Submarine Community. We always believed that without individual thinking we would still be on the surface. When I started out scrubbing shitters in 96 when I got to my first Boat I was always taught to remember these moments. In 2005 when I made E-6 and was given my own division I finally understood that. I feel that were the military is about following orders it is also the free thinkers that make the right orders. The way I was taught in 96 was not the way I taught in 05. I improved upon the lessons with my own mistakes and triumphs to better my men. To me that was free thinking. I still keep in touch with a few of my old shipmates and the younger ones laugh about the old days when I was a hot headed SOB, bucking the system and pissing off the officers. They also understand it now , that they are in what was my shoes leading their own Divisions. That is just one small way of seeing it. On a larger scale look at the Army's Tactics. We do not just stand in ranks shooting at each other anymore. Some person noticed how the Native Americans were getting the job done and adopted that into our own Military.

 

juni

Lifer
Mar 9, 2010
1,184
12
I was in the infantry and we had a mixed bag of soldiers ranging from stupid to smart. Being in communications did require some thinking of our own and some creative thinking. However, I would never support voting for only people who have done the army. In fact, I would fight for the right for everyone of age to vote.
I think the biggest problem with the 555 is how they fight each other, stopping anything good ever passing. Seems like the number one priority is to the party, not the country.

 
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