The Decline of the American Civilization

[Papasito]

Who said this: ??

We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom — symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning — signifying renewal, as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three quarters ago.

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe — the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.

Some radical Right Wing Republican?
A bigot? A bible pusher?
One of those God lovers pushing their faith on you?

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.

What's this?
A leader who expresses Americans should be great and not depend on Government for every little thing?
What is this madness?

What this is is portions of John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961. By today's standards he would be considered a Right Wing Radical, but in reality he was our last American President who was able to make his own decisions, and gave his life for for having the audacity to do so.

http://www.ushistory.org/documents/ask-not.htm

[Papasito]

[rb336]

By today's standards he would be considered a Right Wing Radical,

Cut taxes on the wealthiest Americans? Check
Get us into a war based on lies? Check

The rest of it? not so much

[Papasito]

Cut taxes on the wealthiest Americans? Check
Get us into a war based on lies? Check

The rest of it? not so much

The Democrat Party of JFK

• Country Before Political Party? Check
• Promoting American exceptionalism? Check

• Promoting a booming economy? Check

Today's Democrats?

• American patriotism = offensive

• A booming economy = too harmful to the environment! Let's let the rest of the world make energy and goods, and make the mess over there where we can't see it!

• American exceptionalism = no way. America needs knocked down a few notches. this country has been too pompous for way too long. it deserves to collapse!
• Political Party Before Country = that's right, we'll show those no good Republicans. Let the nation crash and burn and then the people will see that it's the Republican's fault!

And that's the modern Democrat party.

And this post is in no way supportive of Republicans. They suck too.

[Papasito]

Another Example of What's Destroying Our Culture

[rb336]

The Democrat Party of JFK

• Country Before Political Party? Check
• Promoting American exceptionalism? Check

• Promoting a booming economy? Check

Today's Democrats?

• American patriotism = offensive

• A booming economy = too harmful to the environment! Let's let the rest of the world make energy and goods, and make the mess over there where we can't see it!

• American exceptionalism = no way. America needs knocked down a few notches. this country has been too pompous for way too long. it deserves to collapse!
• Political Party Before Country = that's right, we'll show those no good Republicans. Let the nation crash and burn and then the people will see that it's the Republican's fault!

And that's the modern Democrat party.

And this post is in no way supportive of Republicans. They suck too.

Those are your ideas. but then I guess YOU wouldn't mind if fracking gave you flammable water, or if an oil pipeline burst near your property.

50 years ago, the largest employer in the country paid its workers the equivalent of $50/hour in today's money. Today, the largest employer doesn't pay its workers a living wage. American exceptionalism once existed. 30 or so years ago, our students were still tops in math, science and engineering, we had the fewest children living in poverty in the developed world, we had the wealthiest middle class in the world. Since then, we have had policies that marginalized our schools, a constant assault on the wages of working men and women at the same time that they were tripling their productivity increasingly lower taxes on the wealthy, public funds getting sucked dry by "privatization." What happened 30 or so years ago? Reaganomics became the dominant philosophy, the religious right developed a stranglehold on one party, bribing elected officials became essentially legal, etc. etc. THAT is what can be empirically shown to have precipitated the decline of American civilization.

[canuck]

Those are your ideas. but then I guess YOU wouldn't mind if fracking gave you flammable water, or if an oil pipeline burst near your property.

50 years ago, the largest employer in the country paid its workers the equivalent of $50/hour in today's money. Today, the largest employer doesn't pay its workers a living wage. American exceptionalism once existed. 30 or so years ago, our students were still tops in math, science and engineering, we had the fewest children living in poverty in the developed world, we had the wealthiest middle class in the world. Since then, we have had policies that marginalized our schools, a constant assault on the wages of working men and women at the same time that they were tripling their productivity increasingly lower taxes on the wealthy, public funds getting sucked dry by "privatization." What happened 30 or so years ago? Reaganomics became the dominant philosophy, the religious right developed a stranglehold on one party, bribing elected officials became essentially legal, etc. etc. THAT is what can be empirically shown to have precipitated the decline of American civilization.

Ronnelled Reaggin'. Sounds like a proper vehicle, running on jelly beans and brylcreem. Not the greatest moment in US history.

[oladub]

Ronnelled Reaggin'. Sounds like a proper vehicle, running on jelly beans and brylcreem. Not the greatest moment in US history.

The chart below is adjusted for inflation. Peak income for the middle quintile in the US was 2000. Reagan was President from 81-89. Clinton was President from 93-01. Both Clinton and Obama had a Democratic House and Senate during their first two years in office. I would suggest that there were other factors in play even though Reagan ran up the debt substantially and gave amnesty to most illegal aliens in return for the Democrats promise to seal the border. Clinton, for instance signed NAFTA and no President has seriously attempted to end illegal immigration. There is no way US workers can demand a larger slice of the national economic pie as long as their jobs are allowed to be taken by cheaper foreign labor at home and abroad. Blaming everything on Reagan though falls a bit short.

[rb336]

here ya go:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewir...nger-democracy

[Jimaz]

here ya go:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewir...nger-democracy

A new study from Princeton spells bad news for American democracy—namely, that it no longer exists....

... over the past few decades America's political system has slowly transformed from a democracy into an oligarchy, where wealthy elites wield most power....

The researches note that this is not a new development caused by, say, recent Supreme Court decisions allowing more money in politics, such as Citizens United or this month's ruling on McCutcheon v. FEC. As the data stretching back to the 1980s suggests, this has been a long term trend, and is therefore harder for most people to perceive, let alone reverse.

Emphasis mine.

That's the scarey part. It's more difficult to reverse the change back toward democracy.

It also explains why nobody gives a damn anymore about respecting voters or getting caught abusing power.

[rb336]

Emphasis mine.

That's the scarey part. It's more difficult to reverse the change back toward democracy.

It also explains why nobody gives a damn anymore about respecting voters or getting caught abusing power.

Not really a new idea, nor should it be a surprise. This has been a fairly self-evident trend for at least 30 years, if not more. For a more in-depth view, pick up Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the 21st Century"

[Jimaz]

... For a more in-depth view, pick up Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the 21st Century"

DetroitYES Home » Non Detroit Issues » Thom Hartmann » Brunch with Bernie - April 18, 2014

[Hermod]

Not necessarily related but in the 20th Century, Democrats twice instituted the draft and the Vietnam war and Republicans ended them.

Three times:
Woodrow Wilson in 1917
Franklin Roosevelt in 1940-41 [[forget which year, but before Pearl Harbor)
Harry Truman in 1950 [[which took us through Korea and Vietnam)

[Hermod]

[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]That is half-correct. While the GI Bill put more people in college, unions were garnering higher wages for their employees, elevating the “factory poor” to middle class wage levels. Actually, that started prior to WWII and prior to the Great Depression.

Post WWII:
1. Tremendous pent up consumer demand for automobiles, appliances, and furniture which was unaffordable during the depression and unavailable during the war [[war production took priority). Plus all of the war workers had money saved that they couldn't spend during the war.

2. Labor shortages starting with the immigration restrictions enacted in the twenties and the very low birthrate 1929-1941.

3. No competition as the manufacturing capabilities in Europe and Japan were destroyed by the war.

[oladub]

4. Federal policies allowing or encouraging shipment of US jobs overseas and allowing legal and illegal aliens to compete for remaining jobs creates a supply demand imbalance for hiring US workers damaging the ability of unions to demand higher wages and otherwise destroying the bargaining power of non-governmental unions.

5. The 1% is otherwise writing its own oligarchic self-serving laws as you previously pointed out.

[RaumVogel]

This whole "baby boomers are at fault" thing is BS.I've heard plenty of 20 somethings on Reddit try to argue the same point.

/Clueless

[old guy]

This whole "baby boomers are at fault" thing is BS.I've heard plenty of 20 somethings on Reddit try to argue the same point.

/Clueless

Thank you. The baby boomers weren't perfect. I can't think of a generation that was. I do think we did some good things that made the world a better place to live in.
I'd love to see the next generation change the world and make it a great place to exist in. Do more than we did x 10. Make us look poor in comparison to your generation. That would be the best thing that could happen.
P.S. It isn't easy.

[old guy]

One more thing from a baby boomer. Fracking is bad. It really is. Drinking water for you and your kids and their kids is good. You might want to start there if you're concerned about being a better generation.

[Papasito]

There wouldn't be a fracking boom if developing accessible oil was made legal in the USA

[Papasito]

It doesn't take much research to see signs of what's
wrong with our modern society . . .

[rb336]

There wouldn't be a fracking boom if developing accessible oil was made legal in the USA

What accessible oil might that be?

[rb336]

interesting article

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-pol...titutional-era

[Papasito]

FREE TRADE = BAD FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

The president’s call follows on legislation introduced earlier this month to grant him fast-track authority as a way of forcing Congress to speed up its consideration of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation pact with Latin American and Asian nations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/30/op...drum.html?_r=0

When the US has free trade with another country, what does that mean?
It means that the US takes another step toward being equal to the nations we are trading freely with. If it's a 3rd world country, the equalization of trade brings up the standard of living with the 3rd world country, and brings down the standard of living of Americans.

It also means these nations stop paying trade tariffs.
Do you think that the US Government reduces spending to compensate for this reduction in revenue?
The answer is clearly - NO.
Who do you think makes up for this tax revenue shortfall?
YOU DO.

That's right - The American People make up for any tax revenue shortfall.

Every free trade agreement = Tax Hike.

[rb336]

you pretty much nailed it

[MizMotown]

America Declining Same Warp Speed That's Minting Billionaires...

http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/how-quickly-america-declining-same-warp-speed-thats-minting-billiionaires-and