Why is America so screwed up?

[Unkotare]

Half of all American school children are living in poverty.

50 million are on food stamps.

Half of us do not vote.

More than 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese.

We are trillions of dollars in debt.

We are more divided than ever.

Politics has turned into one big reality show.

The Washington elites don't give a damn.

When will this madness end? Is America the 21st Century equivalent of Rome? How did we get to this point?

Many problems but name one country better

i'm not saying you're wrong. but really, have you lived elsewhere?

Here we go. The shameless, pretentious douchebag patrol has arrived.

 

[Iceweasel]

Do the hilarious social commentators who have posted "socialism" and claims of far left leadership as an answer to the question by the OP actually believe that shit? I mean really? Or are they just using a joke which kinda lost its edge half way through the current CINC's first term?

Firstly America is about as far from left wing as it is able to be in this world no matter who is in charge and secondly if you look to the genuine left leaning developed countries in europe they all seem top be doing a hell of a lot better in terms of obesity, national debts and mass shootings (but then they're not allowed guns to do it with)

Countries that are top dog fall because they become complacent but this trend tales decades rather than years and it doesn't matter if Dems or Reps are in charge, the trend is the same and has been for a long time. Chinese simply work harder on average for less pay and so are hoovering up the world's money in a way that the USA did in its hayday. Romne didn't fall overnight and neither will the USA, but it is on its way down as the global superpower. No partisan political whining will stop this and both political parties will do their all to slow it as much as is possible.

That was hilarious. Even moreso since you pretended to be unbiased while making the charge. We are only as liberal as we can be in the modern world? And you dare question others' judgment?

Europe has big problems too, that doesn't make ours better but 19 trillion in debt is inexcusable. And it's those liberal social policies that are running us into the ground. Entitlement spending is way out of control. Regulations way out of control. The size and scope of government way out of control. Education is often not much more than government programming young minds to be good little socialists. Individual responsibility and self determination are swept away in favor of politically correct group think where nothing is more important than feelings.

We are turning into a nation of dependent pussies because America is guided by a media driven agenda to make government our masters.

 

[initforme]

The decline of unions is a sure sign of decline. Reagan started the anti worker agenda. Its been gaining momentum ever since.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

The decline of unions is a sure sign of decline. Reagan started the anti worker agenda. Its been gaining momentum ever since.

Really? So outside of the air traffic controllers, what unions did Reagan bust? How is it his fault? I don't remember any executive order disbanding all unions.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

Corporate powers and wall street controlling legislation to their advantage. Crony capitalism a close second. Its all intertwined. Greed is the overall culprit. That and jobs that pay $10, even $12 per hour.

The jobs that only pay $10.00 to $12.00 per hour are only worth that much. What's your complaint? Should industry overpay their workers because you think it's the right thing to do? How about the worker making themselves worth more money than the government making them worth more money?

 

[initforme]

I agree. $12 an hour means no paycheck. But people stay on those jobs. Why? Those jobs hurt people yet they stay on.

 

[Redfish]

The decline of unions is a sure sign of decline. Reagan started the anti worker agenda. Its been gaining momentum ever since.

Unions declined because they became corrupt and were no longer needed. We now have laws to protect workers from the abuses that unions originally were formed to prevent.

your bullshit rhetoric about Reagan and unions is just that---------bullshit

 

[initforme]

Yes workers need to create demand for themselves and use that against employers.

 

[Redfish]

I agree. $12 an hour means no paycheck. But people stay on those jobs. Why? Those jobs hurt people yet they stay on.

do you have any idea how stupid that post is? "no paycheck" "jobs hurt people". Are you insane?

 

[initforme]

As unions go away we need to keep adding laws and harsher punishments to employers who break those laws that protect workers. Really make em hurt.

 

[initforme]

An adult making $12 an hour.... You cannot call that a job.

 

[Redfish]

As unions go away we need to keep adding laws and harsher punishments to employers who break those laws that protect workers. Really make em hurt.

those laws already exist. what new laws would you pass?

 

[initforme]

Staying in a job that pays $12 an hour can hurt no doubt.

 

[initforme]

Harsher punishments on those who break the laws. Stricter protection laws with chemical exposure.

 

[Redfish]

An adult making $12 an hour.... You cannot call that a job.

is that person better off on welfare that amounts to $8/hour?

If you aren't happy with your pay, do something to make yourself more valuable to employers, learn a trade, get some education. Stop whining, the govt does not owe you a living.

 

[Redfish]

Harsher punishments on those who break the laws. Stricter protection laws with chemical exposure.

generalities-------------we already have such laws. Why isn't the Obama admin enforcing them?

 

[Iceweasel]

Yes workers need to create demand for themselves and use that against employers.

Huh? You have it all ass backwards, Sport. Workers don't create demand, they fulfill it, or they need to go. What lefties don't get is that employment gets better as the economy improves. Only then can wages and benefits improve. This country is moving away from being business friendly, especially small business. Big business can afford to play the game, small operators can't.

 

[Iceweasel]

As unions go away we need to keep adding laws and harsher punishments to employers who break those laws that protect workers. Really make em hurt.

Yeah! Let's put em out of business, that will show them!

What laws are being broken anyway?

 

[NightFox]

Half of all American school children are living in poverty.

FYI this is Incorrect, the 21% of American School Age Children living below the federal poverty line is not HALF.
One in five U.S. schoolchildren are living below federal poverty line

50 million are on food stamps.

IMHO A combination of bureaucratic incompetentence when it comes to weeding out the scamsters from the deserving and the fact that the distribution effects of inflation take an enormous bite out of the buying power of the lower ends of the economic ladder (thanks Fed Printing Presses).

Half of us do not vote.

Thank the duopoly which continuously produces nothing but empty promises, division and more problems than solutions, is it any wonder that apathy is so wide spread? Couple that with the two large tribes of lemmings (aka the partisan "base") that think that they can change everything by changing the letter behind some politicians name; wake the fuck up it's THE SYSTEM that is broken and no matter who you send it isn't going to make difference until the system is dismantled and rebuilt.

We are trillions of dollars in debt.

Thank the gub'mint worshippers and warmongers that always want more at the expense of future generations, good job assholes.

Politics has turned into one big reality show.

Agreed, BREAD AND CIRCUSES

When will this madness end? Is America the 21st Century equivalent of Rome? How did we get to this point?

You hit the nail on the head, welcome to Rome V2.0 and it will end when it ends, just like Rome V1.0 did. We got to this point the same way the Romans did; History repeats itself because human nature hasn't changed, we're still a bunch of greedy, violent, foolish assholes that believe we should reap the benefits of good decisions while foisting off the consequences of bad ones on others.

"Now, there's one thing you might have noticed I don't complain about: politicians. Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from? They don't fall out of the sky. They don't pass through a membrane from another reality. They come from American parents and American families, American homes, American schools, American churches, American businesses and American universities, and they are elected by American citizens. This is the best we can do folks. This is what we have to offer. It's what our system produces: Garbage in, garbage out. If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're going to get selfish, ignorant leaders. Term limits ain't going to do any good; you're just going to end up with a brand new bunch of selfish, ignorant Americans. So, maybe, maybe, maybe, it's not the politicians who suck. Maybe something else sucks around here... like, the public. Yeah, the public sucks. There's a nice campaign slogan for somebody: 'The Public Sucks. Fuck Hope" -- George Carlin

 

[initforme]

If you are a worker that has skills that are in demand, you use those skills as a chip against your employer. Simple economics. Work smarter, not harder. Be on the lookout for better jobs constantly. Make your employer nervous you might walk away at any time.