America: The Grim Truth-----WOW!
 

http://americathegrimtruth.wordpress.com/

I don't know how to respond to this, directly. Mainly because I do love my country. However, I have to admit, it's FULL of thoughts that have passed through my mind many times over my fifty years in this world.

I will say that I have visited a few countries that I definitely would not rather live in than America. That being said, I have seen the decline over my 50 years. Decline that is nothing short of shocking. And, I have visited countries that seemed a whole lot more livable than we have been led to believe.

I watch as powerful people, in both government and business, make promises of better days and every idea they feed us only seems to lead to more polarization, more disparity and more misery.

To my mind, the greatest lie of them all is that if we just give them whatever they want, that they will reciprocate in kind. In reality, if we make them another hundred million bucks, they give us a t-shirt, a pat on the back, a decrease of benefits and a reminder of how "fortunate" we are to have a job. Or, in other words, we're only "fortunate" that they don't screw us out of what little we have left. "Smile for the camera, folks and tell it how much you love us. Or we'll put you in the unemployment line. No, no.....Don't even think about standing up for yourself, 'cuz then everybody will think you're just a whining pussy. We've seen to that.;)"

I find it disheartening that so many of my fellow Americans still think this is how it's supposed to be. That "True Patriots" bust ass for chump-change and die penniless. Fools......All of them.

America in 2014- Double Plus Good with Belly-Feel, eh?

Dave

His assessment is a bit harsh and sometimes counterfactual (70% of taxes used for the DoD budget???), but there's certainly a ring of truth to much of it. Having lived overseas for 11 years and visited over 60 countries, I'll be the first to say that there are a lot of countries that do a number of things better than we do. However, unlike the author, I also think there are also a number of things we do better.

There are certainly aspects of the northern European social-democratic model that I prefer to ours though. From healthcare to primary education to crime rates to vacation time to the quality of basic foodstuffs, they do a lot of things better than we do. South of the Alps is a different story though (except for the food, which is even better than northern Europe). The "haves" in our country have it as good or better than their northern European counterparts. However, the "have-nots" here aren't even close to having it as good as their northern European counterparts, and our system seems to create a lot more "have-nots" than theirs. What's amazing is that there are so many "have-nots" in the GOP base. Limbaugh, Hannity and O'Reilly must be real good at what they do.

That's pretty much what I was thinking, Pat. America is my home and always will be for better or worse. But, that doesn't mean I don't see what's going on.

Dave

As Finn noted it was a bit harsh but much depends on what part of America you are living in. In manystates the police are getting out of hand, we just had a recent case in Charm City of a 'volunteer' sergeant gottin way out of hand.

Having travlled extensively I have see a good many of the other countries first hand and would be perfectly at home in any of the ones I have visited. The funny part of this is that we were discussing what Florence should do and my advice is sell out and move to Canada near our son Brian. If she should go first I will be out of here like a shot.

I could see myself, back at that sidewalk café overlooking the beach in Cannes with a bottle of wine, some fruit and a block of cheese watching les belles jeunes femmes stroll by. I could do that every day until I drop dead.

Dave

I get what he's saying, but don't let the door hit'im on the way out.

Pete

I am staying here but if I was young and going to be raising any children it most certainly would not be here in the USA. Maybe if we got the big one and it shook my house down then I probably would go elsewhere.


Carl

To late Pete he has already left.

As far as I am concerned our heathcare system by itself automatically disqualifys us from first world status.

Yes, he left.

Again, I agree that the article is over the top, but there is truth to be found in it and I'm pretty sure we all know it. In fact, I believe that's what all of the fuss is about, these days. We're arguing over how to fix it, is all.

Is this not the case?

Dave