America: The Grim Truth-----WOW!

[BlueStreak]

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

[finnbow]

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.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by finnbow

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.

Not just primary education. Their universities are excellent and there you get paid to go to college. Here you go into crushing debt and spend the first half of your working life paying it off...... if you can find a job.

South of the Alps is a different story though (except for the food, which is even better than northern Europe).

My daughter, in the Alps rather than south of them, has gone from thinking about returning to the States to planning to open a business in Merano (Meran - in the Sud Tyrol - to you Germanophiles).

John

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Not just primary education. Their universities are excellent and there you get paid to go to college. Here you go into crushing debt and spend the first half of your working life paying it off...... if you can find a job.

Unquestionably so, but our university system is still excellent, if overpriced. Also, university studies there (at least in Germany and the UK) are a lot more formal than here with a lot of dry lecturing and less give-and-take with the professors.

My daughter, in the Alps rather than south of them, has gone from thinking about returning to the States to planning to open a business in Merano (Meran - in the Sud Tyrol - to you Germanophiles).

John

Südtirol (aka Alto Adige) is one of the most beautiful and enjoyable places on the planet. Great food, great wine, beautiful scenery and fantastic skiing and windsurfing. What's not to like? When I lived in Augsburg, my best friend lived in Vicenza. We'd frequently met halfway to ski, windsurf at Lake Garda, or just eat and drink wine. We met there a few times during "Toerggelen" times in the Fall. Good fun, though full of German tourists at that time.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Südtirol (aka Alto Adige) is one of the most beautiful and enjoyable places on the planet. Great food, great wine, beautiful scenery and fantastic skiing and windsurfing. What's not to like? When I lived in Augsburg, my best friend lived in Vicenza. We'd frequently met halfway to ski, windsurf at Lake Garda, or just eat and drink wine. We met there a few times during "Toerggelen" times in the Fall. Good fun, though full of German tourists at that time.

Thanks for the spell check.

At this point, I've lost any hope of things ever improving here in "The Land of the Free". We seem to have reached a tipping point, at every level, of governmental corruption, indifference and lawlessness. I don't see a way back or even a way to halt the decline. A revolution would just be a way for the government to eliminate those of us "surplus to requirements".

I hope I'm wrong but I've decided to start learning Italian.

John

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Thanks for the spell check.

At this point, I've lost any hope of things ever improving here in "The Land of the Free". We seem to have reached a tipping point, at every level, of governmental corruption, indifference and lawlessness. I don't see a way back or even a way to halt the decline. A revolution would just be a way for the government to eliminate those of us "surplus to requirements".

I hope I'm wrong but I've decided to start learning Italian.

John

One of the advantages of having a linguist for a wife, she speaks Spanish, Italian, Portugese but her Japanese is getting a little rusty. I could always bone up on my French I suppose. Andalusia seems like a nice spot. Of course I still have no end of cousins in the UK. But New Brunswick is a lot closer, or Nova Scotia or the Island

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Thanks for the spell check.

At this point, I've lost any hope of things ever improving here in "The Land of the Free". We seem to have reached a tipping point, at every level, of governmental corruption, indifference and lawlessness. I don't see a way back or even a way to halt the decline. A revolution would just be a way for the government to eliminate those of us "surplus to requirements".

I hope I'm wrong but I've decided to start learning Italian.

John

If you're hoping to find better governance in Bella Italia, good luck with that. They change governments about as often as I change my underwear. The wine, food, people and sights are awesome though.

[BlueStreak]

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

[merrylander]

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.

[BlueStreak]

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