Seems like this country is going down the drain.

[steppinthrax]

Haven't really posted in a while, but with all the recent events and news, it just seems generally crazy. Every facet of American society seems to be targeted. No one can agree or come to a consensus on anything. I guess the Cold War period was worse, I just hope this spills over and dosen't result in a far worse outlook for this country.

 

[Jaepheth]

Haven't really posted in a while, but with all the recent events and news, it just seems generally crazy. Every faucet of American society seems to be targeted. No one can agree or come to a consensus on anything. I guess the Cold War period was worse, I just hope this spills over and dosen't result in a far worse outlook for this country.

They're targeting our faucets now? Hell no!

They can have my faucet over my cold, dead, clean hands!

 

[steppinthrax]

They're targeting our faucets now? Hell no!

They can have my faucet over my cold, dead, clean hands!

Thanks, you got me there. Yeah I was actually meaning the bathrooms LOL.

 

[MajinCry]

It's always been like that.

America ain't exactly a peaceful country.

 

[hal2kilo]

It's always been like that.

America ain't exactly a peaceful country.

That's because we loved bringing in all the Scots and Irishman to kill Indians. They seemed to have a passion for it. I'm part Scots Irish by the way. And the parts of the country where their ancestors are in great majorities seem to be the more red necked parts of the country.

Now I'm going to get it.

 

[buckshot24]

It's always been like that.

America ain't exactly a peaceful country.

Have you ever been here? Or do you get this from the news?

 

[MajinCry]

That's because we loved bringing in all the Scots and Irishman to kill Indians. They seemed to have a passion for it. I'm part Scots Irish by the way. And the parts of the country where their ancestors are in great majorities seem to be the more red necked parts of the country.

Now I'm going to get it.

Jus' like ol' gran'pappy Ted-Pres gon' said, tha only good beloved patriot's a dead'un siryessireee!

 

[buckshot24]

Jus' like ol' gran'pappy Ted-Pres gon' said, tha only good beloved patriot's a dead'un siryessireee!

Yup, you're clueless.

 

[IronWing]

That's because we loved bringing in all the Scots and Irishman to kill Indians. They seemed to have a passion for it. I'm part Scots Irish by the way. And the parts of the country where their ancestors are in great majorities seem to be the more red necked parts of the country.

Now I'm going to get it.

The Scots Irish aren't Irish. They just passed through Ireland on their way to hell.

As far as disagreeing on everything, unthinking political tribalism is destroying our social cohesion. Good ideas are good ideas and bad one are bad but tribalism shuts off reasoning so the good, the bad, and the ugly are supported or destroyed based on no other criteria than who presented the idea.

 

[MajinCry]

Yup, you're clueless.

‘I don’t go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians, but I believe nine out of ten are, and I shouldn’t like to inquire too closely into the case of the tenth.’ - Theodore Roosevelt

 

[PokerGuy]

We're all getting a front row seat to the decline of a great country, just like every other great society / civilization has crumbled at some point in the past. The things that made this country great (freedom, individualism, success based on merit, economic mobility) are quickly being eroded and replaced with collectivism, political correctness, surveillance, moral relativism etc.

It is undeniable that we're spending more and more of our resources on overhead (incarceration, government, legal costs, policing etc) instead of on things that add value for the future. That's a sure indicator that things are heading the wrong way.

 

[IronWing]

We're all getting a front row seat to the decline of a great country, just like every other great society / civilization has crumbled at some point in the past. The things that made this country great (freedom, individualism, success based on merit, economic mobility) are quickly being eroded and replaced with collectivism, political correctness, surveillance, moral relativism etc.

It is undeniable that we're spending more and more of our resources on overhead (incarceration, government, legal costs, policing etc) instead of on things that add value for the future. That's a sure indicator that things are heading the wrong way.

This is what happens when the oligarchs hoard resources and the masses kill each other over the scraps. The retreat from a production based economy back to a rent based economy impoverishes all but the most wealthy.

 

[MajinCry]

'Tis a good point, it's the natural decay of the empire. America's huge and got a military all over the place, same gig that Britain, Spain, France, Italy, etc. had. And look at 'em now; much smaller and benign.

Rise 'n' fall, 'tis how it goes.

 

[hal2kilo]

The Scots Irish aren't Irish. They just passed through Ireland on their way to hell.

As far as disagreeing on everything, unthinking political tribalism is destroying our social cohesion. Good ideas are good ideas and bad one are bad but tribalism shuts off reasoning so the good, the bad, and the ugly are supported or destroyed based on no other criteria than who presented the idea.

Yea, I'm quite aware of who Scots Irish are. Where did I say they were Irish.

I was sort of poking it at our resident Scot in a friendly way.

 

[MajinCry]

I was sort of poking it at our resident Scot in a friendly way.

ya havin' a go ya wee bastard??? fockin fite me n my bulldog ya ruddy scouser if ya think yer so bloody tough, have ye ken im tha fockin apex 'n' pinnacle o' bloody manhood o' tha north ya bam

 

[feralkid]

To be honest, I never expected the fall of civilization to be so amusing

 

[Subyman]

Seriously people, everyone here is fed. Has a place to live. Likely has a job. The issues dividing us are mostly social. By most metrics Americans are doing fine. This wanting things to be bad is really weird. It's like people miss wallowing in the same self pity they did after the 2008 financial collapse. Let's keep things in perspective.

If Trump wins then Americas need to feel down trodden would have won.

 

[PokerGuy]

The "good ol' days" are not nearly as "good" as everyone always likes to imagine, most tend to view the past through rose colored glasses.

We need to remind ourselves of the racism, oppression of certain groups, discrimination, sexism that existed and how it impacted many in society.

That said, the pendulum has now swung to the point where everyone is a special snowflake, nobody can get their feelings hurt and we have to be attentive and supportive of every nutcase with a delusion.

 

[PokerGuy]

Seriously people, everyone here is fed. Has a place to live. Likely has a job. The issues dividing us are mostly social. By most metrics Americans are doing fine.

Compared to many around the world, Americans are indeed doing fine.... but that's not the measuring stick, nor does a current snapshot necessarily tell you where we are heading. Gen Y and subsequent generations are worse off than their parents economically. That's a first for this country, every previous generation in this country did better than their parents. That's no longer the case. We have more on welfare, foodstamps and other forms of assistance because they are unable to provide for their families than ever before.

So yes, it's not like America is equivalent to Somalia all of a sudden, but is it heading up or down. By just about every metric it's going in the wrong direction.

This wanting things to be bad is really weird. It's like people miss wallowing in the same self pity they did after the 2008 financial collapse. Let's keep things in perspective.

I don't know of anyone who wants things to be bad. Seeing things going in the wrong direction and wanting to take corrective action doesn't mean you want things to be bad.

If Trump wins then Americas need to feel down trodden would have won.

Regardless of which of the idiots wins, we lose. I think hildebeast would be the bigger loss of the two, but either way we lose.

 

[Sonikku]

Haven't really posted in a while, but with all the recent events and news, it just seems generally crazy. Every facet of American society seems to be targeted. No one can agree or come to a consensus on anything. I guess the Cold War period was worse, I just hope this spills over and dosen't result in a far worse outlook for this country.

It's only getting worse for 99% of Americans. For the rest of Americans times have never been better.

 

[nakedfrog]

Have you ever been here? Or do you get this from the news?

I realize you're buckshot and all, but are you seriously trying to dispute the statement "America ain't exactly a peaceful country"?

 

[hal2kilo]

ya havin' a go ya wee bastard??? fockin fite me n my bulldog ya ruddy scouser if ya think yer so bloody tough, have ye ken im tha fockin apex 'n' pinnacle o' bloody manhood o' tha north ya bam

Hey maybe if I get another chance to go to Scotland we can pick up this argument over a pint of 1880 or some cider.

 

[boomerang]

Haven't really posted in a while, but with all the recent events and news, it just seems generally crazy. Every facet of American society seems to be targeted. No one can agree or come to a consensus on anything. I guess the Cold War period was worse, I just hope this spills over and dosen't result in a far worse outlook for this country.

This won't make you feel better. But there is a huge importance in understanding who your true enemy is.

The American Left is Beneath Contempt

I have had firearms in my possession for virtually my entire life, as I have been fortunate to live in the one nation on earth that has embedded in its founding documents the right to bear arms.

However, I also recognized that this right is, in many ways, the foundational basis of preserving and protecting freedom of speech, religion, assembly and private property ownership. In order for the American Left to establish a socialist oligarchy that foundational basis must be dramatically eroded along with individual freedom.

Those ego-centrics that self-identify as progressives, leftists, fascists, socialists or Marxists, have one overwhelming trait in common: they are narcissists who believe they are pre-ordained to rule the masses too ignorant to govern themselves. In order to achieve that end, no tactic is beneath consideration and no crisis can be allowed to go to waste as they make certain an ever-increasing percentage of the population becomes permanently indentured to the government they intend on controlling in perpetuity.

 

[woolfe9998]

Compared to many around the world, Americans are indeed doing fine.... but that's not the measuring stick, nor does a current snapshot necessarily tell you where we are heading. Gen Y and subsequent generations are worse off than their parents economically. That's a first for this country, every previous generation in this country did better than their parents. That's no longer the case. We have more on welfare, foodstamps and other forms of assistance because they are unable to provide for their families than ever before.

I think we're seeing some evidence that, for the time being, we have plateaued economically while the rest of the world catches up (i.e. through off shoring). Decline in actual real wages is quite small, and we did just come out of a terrible recession. Certainly there has been an increase in income inequality, but statistics show that it is more to do with the rich getting richer while the rest of us stay about the same.

So yes, it's not like America is equivalent to Somalia all of a sudden, but is it heading up or down. By just about every metric it's going in the wrong direction.

I think that's a bit over alarmist.

I don't know of anyone who wants things to be bad. Seeing things going in the wrong direction and wanting to take corrective action doesn't mean you want things to be bad.

I think Subyman is essentially correct. We are obsessed with apocalyptic scenarios, be they economic, biblical, or natural. This has been true in every generation. For example, people as far back as the 70's were predicting hyperinflation and total economic collapse. I'm almost 50 and I can remember as far back as when I was a child, hearing adults complaining that "this country is going to hell in a hand basket." We're always predicting one form of doom or another. It's an American tradition.

Perhaps it is because when you're on top, the perception that there is no where to go but down. Also, those who have are always obsessed with losing what they have. And we are victims of over-inflated expectations, fantasies of wealth and power projected by popular culture and Madison Avenue. Hence, as adults we are are bound to be disappointed and cynical.

 

[Vic]

We're all getting a front row seat to the decline of a great country, just like every other great society / civilization has crumbled at some point in the past. The things that made this country great (freedom, individualism, success based on merit, economic mobility) are quickly being eroded and replaced with collectivism, political correctness, surveillance, moral relativism etc.

It is undeniable that we're spending more and more of our resources on overhead (incarceration, government, legal costs, policing etc) instead of on things that add value for the future. That's a sure indicator that things are heading the wrong way.

I'm certain that your argument here would carry greater weight if it wasn't for the fact that your political faction, led by a wannabe Mussolini, is currently engaged in a full scale collective assault on anything and anyone that they do not consider to be 'real' Americans (gays, Muslims, liberals, etc), while it was Reagan's war on drugs that directly led to the increase in overhead costs you mentioned.