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America is still the greatest country. However, it has fallen from its previous stature.
Why isn't it as great as it was?
We lose wars, we are too dependant on government, our politicians lie to us and spend too much money. We betray our allies and kiss our enemies asses. We hardly manufacture anything ourselvee anymore, we stopped going into space on our own, our president runs around apologizing to other countries. Our borders are porous and our laws are ignored. Our education system is in ruins and our children are getting less and less educated. More and more people are out of work, our debt is so high it may never get repaid. All of the progress we made in race relations has been wiped out.
And a large portion of the population are so ignorant, so lacking in education and critical thinking that they are actually concidering a socialist for president.
I don't know if I would specifically put a date on it. Just a continual slide to mediocrity and below. I mean look at where we stand educationally. The population in this country seems to have lost it's drive or something. I notice it glaringly in hiring. Five years ago I would have told you that I couldn't remember even considering hiring some one under 25. Now it would be 30. They seem bothered to have to be there(in an interview), have no interest in anything I say or the job, can barely read, consider math a foreign language, are dressed like a bums, are disrespectful and rude. There just seems to be a different attitude and not for the better. The response to every problem is "what is the govt going to about it".How about when we stopped being able to pay the bills without other countries sending us money? Or maybe when it became impossible to start a business without 3 lawyers and 4 ex-govt officials? Maybe when some genius decided it was a schools job to teaching morality and ethics instead of critical thinking? I could go on.Donald Trump's major talking point is that America is no longer great- so why do Conservatives believe America is no longer great?
When do Conservatives believe America stopped being great?
Please do- when exactly did the scales tip so you now no longer think of the United States as a great country?
I don't know if I would specifically put a date on it. Just a continual slide to mediocrity and below. I mean look at where we stand educationally. The population in this country seems to have lost it's drive or something. I notice it glaringly in hiring. Five years ago I would have told you that I couldn't remember even considering hiring some one under 25. Now it would be 30. They seem bothered to have to be there(in an interview), have no interest in anything I say or the job, can barely read, consider math a foreign language, are dressed like a bums, are disrespectful and rude. There just seems to be a different attitude and not for the better. The response to every problem is "what is the govt going to about it".How about when we stopped being able to pay the bills without other countries sending us money? Or maybe when it became impossible to start a business without 3 lawyers and 4 ex-govt officials? Maybe when some genius decided it was a schools job to teaching morality and ethics instead of critical thinking? I could go on.Donald Trump's major talking point is that America is no longer great- so why do Conservatives believe America is no longer great?
When do Conservatives believe America stopped being great?
Please do- when exactly did the scales tip so you now no longer think of the United States as a great country?
Subjective, anecdotal, irrelevant, and devoid of merit.I don't know if I would specifically put a date on it. Just a continual slide to mediocrity and below. I mean look at where we stand educationally. The population in this country seems to have lost it's drive or something. I notice it glaringly in hiring. Five years ago I would have told you that I couldn't remember even considering hiring some one under 25. Now it would be 30. They seem bothered to have to be there(in an interview), have no interest in anything I say or the job, can barely read, consider math a foreign language, are dressed like a bums, are disrespectful and rude. There just seems to be a different attitude and not for the better. The response to every problem is "what is the govt going to about it".How about when we stopped being able to pay the bills without other countries sending us money? Or maybe when it became impossible to start a business without 3 lawyers and 4 ex-govt officials? Maybe when some genius decided it was a schools job to teaching morality and ethics instead of critical thinking? I could go on.Donald Trump's major talking point is that America is no longer great- so why do Conservatives believe America is no longer great?
When do Conservatives believe America stopped being great?
Please do- when exactly did the scales tip so you now no longer think of the United States as a great country?
Subjective, anecdotal, irrelevant, and devoid of merit.I don't know if I would specifically put a date on it. Just a continual slide to mediocrity and below. I mean look at where we stand educationally. The population in this country seems to have lost it's drive or something. I notice it glaringly in hiring. Five years ago I would have told you that I couldn't remember even considering hiring some one under 25. Now it would be 30. They seem bothered to have to be there(in an interview), have no interest in anything I say or the job, can barely read, consider math a foreign language, are dressed like a bums, are disrespectful and rude. There just seems to be a different attitude and not for the better. The response to every problem is "what is the govt going to about it".How about when we stopped being able to pay the bills without other countries sending us money? Or maybe when it became impossible to start a business without 3 lawyers and 4 ex-govt officials? Maybe when some genius decided it was a schools job to teaching morality and ethics instead of critical thinking? I could go on.Donald Trump's major talking point is that America is no longer great- so why do Conservatives believe America is no longer great?
When do Conservatives believe America stopped being great?
Please do- when exactly did the scales tip so you now no longer think of the United States as a great country?
People have been whining about how 'awful' everything is for thousands of years.
Hypocrite...............Change we can believe in by the one your side elected now.............Donald Trump's major talking point is that America is no longer great- so why do Conservatives believe America is no longer great?
When do Conservatives believe America stopped being great?
When I could no longer buy lawn darts or a gas can that works. Seriously, when it became clear that every single aspect of my life in now over-regulated by some bureaucrats. Throw in agendas and agencies with unending power like the EPA.
Dude! Who the heck are you? Where do you live? What in God's name are you trying to do? Sure from time to time I encounter a government regulation that is an irritant, but is "every single aspect of my life in now over-regulated?" Not even close. How could I not think America is a great place? I've:
I think some folks just sit around looking for stuff to gripe about and upon finding it infer that the whole nation has gone to hell in a handbasket. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The U.S. has its problems, that's for sure, but not great, not by a long shot!!
- Paid my taxes and have money left to enjoy life.
- Raised three kids who've never wanted for thing.
- Been educated in some of the best schools and universities on the planet.
- Enjoy a rewarding and interesting career, one that is entirely of my choosing.
- Bought/built homes in four states.
- Have access to among the best health care to be had.
- Travel the country and the globe weekly.
- Eat a variety of foods from burgers and fries to delicacies from around the world, all in the U.S.
- Party like it's 1999 and 1979 at will.
- Walk America's streets in fear of nobody and nothing.
- Bitch and moan about nearly every injustice I see, and neither I nor my family suffer legally, socially or politically for it. (other than headaches and sadness from the BS I see on this site)
- Have never been wrongfully accused of a crime.
- Not once had to worry about the horrors of war, pestilence or famine happening in my backyard.
So in your view this country is doing fabulously? Our infrastructure is a shambles, our fiscal position is a nightmare, our educational system has serious problems, our healthcare system is over priced and performing poorly as far as outcomes,Subjective, anecdotal, irrelevant, and devoid of merit.I don't know if I would specifically put a date on it. Just a continual slide to mediocrity and below. I mean look at where we stand educationally. The population in this country seems to have lost it's drive or something. I notice it glaringly in hiring. Five years ago I would have told you that I couldn't remember even considering hiring some one under 25. Now it would be 30. They seem bothered to have to be there(in an interview), have no interest in anything I say or the job, can barely read, consider math a foreign language, are dressed like a bums, are disrespectful and rude. There just seems to be a different attitude and not for the better. The response to every problem is "what is the govt going to about it".How about when we stopped being able to pay the bills without other countries sending us money? Or maybe when it became impossible to start a business without 3 lawyers and 4 ex-govt officials? Maybe when some genius decided it was a schools job to teaching morality and ethics instead of critical thinking? I could go on.Donald Trump's major talking point is that America is no longer great- so why do Conservatives believe America is no longer great?
When do Conservatives believe America stopped being great?
Please do- when exactly did the scales tip so you now no longer think of the United States as a great country?
People have been whining about how 'awful' everything is for thousands of years.
America is still the greatest country. However, it has fallen from its previous stature.
Why isn't it as great as it was?
We lose wars, we are too dependant on government, our politicians lie to us and spend too much money. We betray our allies and kiss our enemies asses. We hardly manufacture anything ourselvee anymore, we stopped going into space on our own, our president runs around apologizing to other countries. Our borders are porous and our laws are ignored. Our education system is in ruins and our children are getting less and less educated. More and more people are out of work, our debt is so high it may never get repaid. All of the progress we made in race relations has been wiped out.
And a large portion of the population are so ignorant, so lacking in education and critical thinking that they are actually concidering a socialist for president.
In which alternate dimension have you been living wherein the U.S. loses wars?
In the entire history of the U.S., which includes over 100 wars and/or armed conflicts, one can count on one hand the number of them we've lost, and not one of them was recent and one of them wasn't even our war:
Given that we can see you are willing to apply irrelevant historic events to make a point pertaining to current events, one must ask to what extent your other conclusions and assertions reflect additional inferences and extrapolations based upon equally gaping disconnects with germane reality?
- Red Cloud's War (1866 - 1868)
- Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)
- Vietnam War (1965 - 1973)
- Russian Civil War (1918 - 1920)
America is still the greatest country. However, it has fallen from its previous stature.
Why isn't it as great as it was?
We lose wars, we are too dependant on government, our politicians lie to us and spend too much money. We betray our allies and kiss our enemies asses. We hardly manufacture anything ourselvee anymore, we stopped going into space on our own, our president runs around apologizing to other countries. Our borders are porous and our laws are ignored. Our education system is in ruins and our children are getting less and less educated. More and more people are out of work, our debt is so high it may never get repaid. All of the progress we made in race relations has been wiped out.
And a large portion of the population are so ignorant, so lacking in education and critical thinking that they are actually concidering a socialist for president.
I would say that the people who are most lacking in critical thinking capability are those who are voting for a bombastic carnival barker who has no real ideas for solving problems but is claiming he will make America "great again". Do you believe that there is a country in the world that is currently "greater" than the USA? If so, what standards do you apply to make that determination?
If you had bothered to read my post, you would have already seen where I stated that we were the greatest country in the world. I just pointed out that we once were greater.
I might agree that Trump supporters need to put forth a little critical thinking.
Do you have any specific metrics that would show that America is less great than it was?
I listed them. Did you not read my post AT ALL?
I have much the same personal experience as you. Unfortunately, I don't see this for the next generation. I mean go down your list.
It's not that country is now a horrible place, just heading in the wrong direction really, really fast .
- Paid my taxes and have money left to enjoy life.
- I'm watching families with 2 college educated parents struggle to pay the bills.
- Raised three kids who've never wanted for thing.
- Those same families struggle to provide healthcare for their kids.
- Been educated in some of the best schools and universities on the planet.
- Those same families not even considering the best schools because they can't afford it.
- Enjoy a rewarding and interesting career, one that is entirely of my choosing.
- Often finding a job is a major victory, I recently read a report stating that 50% of college grads are working at jobs that don't require a college degree.
- Bought/built homes in four states.
- Home ownership at levels not seen since the mid 60s.
- Have access to among the best health care to be had.
- If you can afford it. More and more less likely.
- Travel the country and the globe weekly.
- If you can afford it. More and more less likely.
- Eat a variety of foods from burgers and fries to delicacies from around the world, all in the U.S.
- If you can afford it. More and more less likely.
- Party like it's 1999 and 1979 at will.
- If you can afford it. More and more less likely.
- Walk America's streets in fear of nobody and nothing
- . Depends on where you live.
- Bitch and moan about nearly every injustice I see, and neither I nor my family suffer legally, socially or politically for it. (other than headaches and sadness from the BS I see on this site)
- That remains the same.
- Have never been wrongfully accused of a crime.
- Agrred
- Not once had to worry about the horrors of war, pestilence or famine happening in my backyard.
- Agreed
So Nixon.Seriously, when it became clear that every single aspect of my life in now over-regulated by some bureaucrats. Throw in agendas and agencies with unending power like the EPA.
So Reagan.How about when we stopped being able to pay the bills without other countries sending us money?
You forgot the War of 1812.In the entire history of the U.S., which includes over 100 wars and/or armed conflicts, one can count on one hand the number of them we've lost, and not one of them was recent and one of them wasn't even our war:
- Red Cloud's War (1866 - 1868)
- Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)
- Vietnam War (1965 - 1973)
- Russian Civil War (1918 - 1920)
You forgot the War of 1812.In the entire history of the U.S., which includes over 100 wars and/or armed conflicts, one can count on one hand the number of them we've lost, and not one of them was recent and one of them wasn't even our war:
- Red Cloud's War (1866 - 1868)
- Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)
- Vietnam War (1965 - 1973)
- Russian Civil War (1918 - 1920)
But even with it you still only need one hand!
I have much the same personal experience as you. Unfortunately, I don't see this for the next generation. I mean go down your list.
It's not that country is now a horrible place, just heading in the wrong direction really, really fast .
- Paid my taxes and have money left to enjoy life.
- I'm watching families with 2 college educated parents struggle to pay the bills.
- Raised three kids who've never wanted for thing.
- Those same families struggle to provide healthcare for their kids.
- Been educated in some of the best schools and universities on the planet.
- Those same families not even considering the best schools because they can't afford it.
- Enjoy a rewarding and interesting career, one that is entirely of my choosing.
- Often finding a job is a major victory, I recently read a report stating that 50% of college grads are working at jobs that don't require a college degree.
- Bought/built homes in four states.
- Home ownership at levels not seen since the mid 60s.
- Have access to among the best health care to be had.
- If you can afford it. More and more less likely.
- Travel the country and the globe weekly.
- If you can afford it. More and more less likely.
- Eat a variety of foods from burgers and fries to delicacies from around the world, all in the U.S.
- If you can afford it. More and more less likely.
- Party like it's 1999 and 1979 at will.
- If you can afford it. More and more less likely.
- Walk America's streets in fear of nobody and nothing
- . Depends on where you live.
- Bitch and moan about nearly every injustice I see, and neither I nor my family suffer legally, socially or politically for it. (other than headaches and sadness from the BS I see on this site)
- That remains the same.
- Have never been wrongfully accused of a crime.
- Agrred
- Not once had to worry about the horrors of war, pestilence or famine happening in my backyard.
- Agreed
Red:
That rings to me like two people with college degrees who have overlooked or failed to avail themselves fully of the opportunities they had and are now paying the consequences for it. I'm not at all suggesting that there are not families who experience the "hard time" or "misfortune" you've identified. I'm not saying that "sh*t doesn't happen" for it does, but I am saying the U.S. provides a safety net for folks to whom it does. I am saying that good fortune occurs at the intersection of preparation and opportunity.
I'm not going to sit here in judgment of every single individual who is or who considers themselves to be struggling. I am going to sit here and say that being in that position is the exception, not the norm. And I'm going to say that exceptions and norms are based not on absolute quantities, but rather on the rates at which things occur within a given population. Seeing as in the U.S., the overwhelming majority of folks socioeconomically are middle class or higher, that struggling you identify is the exception, not the norm. Moreover, to the extent that those exceptions are evenly distributed among the population, I think there is nothing going on that rises to the level of the nation "heading in the wrong direction real, really fast."
Yes, I see structural failures in the fabric of our nation that results in "things" going on well for certain groups, and I think those things need to be fixed, especially as I don't believe in allowing "the good to become the enemy of the best." However, I also don't ascribe to the "Chicken Little" way of qualitative analysis and concluding.
College Degree and Struggling:If you do play around with that tool, you'll find exactly what I stated above: folks who get a college degree are, regardless of race or age, generally middle or upper class (economically). So if individuals fitting that demographic profile are struggling, I'm inclined to believe that is their experience either because "sh*t happened" or because they failed to make the most of the opportunity(s) they have had. You and I both know calamity doesn't happen to most folks most of the time, thus making that possibility the exception, and the nation's greatness or lack thereof is not a function of what are the exceptions, it's a function of what is the norm.
There's a nifty little tool on Pew Research's site that you can use to see how the country's citizens fall based on a few high level dimensions. I encourage you to check it out, most especially for folks in the 30-64 year old age groups and having a bachelor's degree or higher. When one looks at folks in the 18-29 year old cohort, one finds a slightly higher rate of being lower class (economically), but that should come as no surprise seeing given the age one must reach before completing a bachelor's degree or higher.
If you can afford it:
I've not directly addressed the items of which you stated "if you can afford it" because that depends on the stuff I have addressed. If one fails to avail oneself of one's opportunities, it's no surprise one can't afford "this or that."
When I could no longer buy lawn darts or a gas can that works. Seriously, when it became clear that every single aspect of my life in now over-regulated by some bureaucrats. Throw in agendas and agencies with unending power like the EPA.
Donald Trump's major talking point is that America is no longer great- so why do Conservatives believe America is no longer great?
When do Conservatives believe America stopped being great?
