What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
Jun 13th 2012, 8:21 pm
#152
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
Why does it have to be abject poverty in order to make you feel good? Couldn't you just have a better house/car? Really don't get this mindset at all.
Jun 13th 2012, 8:46 pm
#153
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
And then look at the attitudes to free trade - protectionist policies that keep non-US cars, trains, planes, white-goods out of the US, failed businesses such as United Airlines, GM, allowed to survive through archaic bankruptcy laws, but US-ownership of foreign companies is seen as a right that must be exercised. One rule for us, one rule for them. If Branson or Stelios or Ryan Air were allowed in to the US at 100% ownership, can you imagine the effect on the airlines !!!! You'd see rapid drop in prices, far fewer people standing around doing sweet nothing and a much better services. I suspect they'd even give SouthWest a run for it's money. But, no - that would be un-American. So, meantime, there is gross over-employment with people doing meaningless jobs and that costs everyone.
Jun 13th 2012, 8:50 pm
#154
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
Bzzzt... wrong! The primary role of the state is to protect it's people from within (police, fire, etc) and from without (army, etc).
If you truly believe what you wrote, then you're nothing more than a communist.
One of the ways I measure my success is that the guy on the next street lives in abject poverty! I'm doing great by comparison... and I don't much care how he lives.
Ian
If you truly believe what you wrote, then you're nothing more than a communist.
One of the ways I measure my success is that the guy on the next street lives in abject poverty! I'm doing great by comparison... and I don't much care how he lives.
Ian
Not much to be said about the different outlooks to life, government and society.
Jun 13th 2012, 8:55 pm
#155
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: West Sussex - did 3 years in the US...
Posts: 577
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
That, just summaries this whole thread really doesn't it.
But, the ian-mstm folk shout SO loud that the effect is to polarise the entire conversation into the us-vs-them.
It is about high-time that the silent moderate majority in this country flexed their muscles.
Jun 14th 2012, 2:02 am
#156
Democracy advocate
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 12,460
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
Nope - disagree. There are PLENTY of states that exist without a military, or with less militaristic civil defence. The police exist to enforce the laws set by the government - the goals of the government are set by the people. "Protecting from within" has a nasty Kafka-esque ring to it, quite frankly.
I think the French mantra "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" sums it up nicely - the state exists to PROTECT those three things, but there is a balance between all three. You cannot have unbridled liberty if it breeds inequality because we are all "brothers." Likewise, over-bearing kinship cannot lead to denial of equality or someone else's liberties.
That seems to be very much the model that most European states have adhered to post WW2.
As for being a communist, I do not believe in the ownership of all goods and services by the state as a communist would. Neither do I believe in a totalitarian state as a communist would.
But I do believe that there are some things that are above simple market economics such as education and healthcare, and that as a society we need to work together to provide those and talk of money in those areas is demeaning. That probably makes me a socialist in the true European socialist model.
Well, I hope that you've never set foot in a church/temple then, because your minister/pastor/rabbi would have strong things to say about that attitude. Or at least should unless they are a total hypocrite......
I think the French mantra "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" sums it up nicely - the state exists to PROTECT those three things, but there is a balance between all three. You cannot have unbridled liberty if it breeds inequality because we are all "brothers." Likewise, over-bearing kinship cannot lead to denial of equality or someone else's liberties.
That seems to be very much the model that most European states have adhered to post WW2.
As for being a communist, I do not believe in the ownership of all goods and services by the state as a communist would. Neither do I believe in a totalitarian state as a communist would.
But I do believe that there are some things that are above simple market economics such as education and healthcare, and that as a society we need to work together to provide those and talk of money in those areas is demeaning. That probably makes me a socialist in the true European socialist model.
Well, I hope that you've never set foot in a church/temple then, because your minister/pastor/rabbi would have strong things to say about that attitude. Or at least should unless they are a total hypocrite......
We don't want our hard-earned money being taxed and wasted by government giving it away to no-goods and ne'er-do-wells who are too lazy and feckless to pay for their own healthcare.
Jun 14th 2012, 2:07 am
#157
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
* apart from paying for military, police and fire service. They're proper manly like.
Jun 14th 2012, 2:20 am
#158
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,526
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
You need to take your commie-loving nanny-state back to Europe with the rest of the poofs. Socialists are just commies without the backbone.
We don't want our hard-earned money being taxed and wasted by government giving it away to no-goods and ne'er-do-wells who are too lazy and feckless to pay for their own healthcare.
We don't want our hard-earned money being taxed and wasted by government giving it away to no-goods and ne'er-do-wells who are too lazy and feckless to pay for their own healthcare.
Jun 14th 2012, 7:23 am
#162
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Joined: Jul 2011
Location: Oakland, California
Posts: 400
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
The not so great American invention of suburgatory. Moving to a cookie-cutter community from a chavtopia as someone transitioning from childhood, I can honestly say I was better off not living in a cheaply made, highly priced, stucco-clad, charmless crap hole.
The whole safety thing is a farce, too, if it just made me want to lock myself indoors for a few years until I left for college. But yeah, I really dislike suburban developments.
Oh, the Religious Right, too. Whilst it is sometimes fun to laugh at the expense of birthers, tea baggers, and creationists that believe in a 6000 year old Earth where Adam & Eve would play fetch with their pet triceratops, they do actually make me worry about the power they have in this otherwise decent country, and ipso facto, the planet. Not to mention potentially my quality of life with their absurd demands that are backed with a degree of popularity.
The whole safety thing is a farce, too, if it just made me want to lock myself indoors for a few years until I left for college. But yeah, I really dislike suburban developments.
Oh, the Religious Right, too. Whilst it is sometimes fun to laugh at the expense of birthers, tea baggers, and creationists that believe in a 6000 year old Earth where Adam & Eve would play fetch with their pet triceratops, they do actually make me worry about the power they have in this otherwise decent country, and ipso facto, the planet. Not to mention potentially my quality of life with their absurd demands that are backed with a degree of popularity.
Last edited by SalopianFunk; Jun 14th 2012 at 7:32 am.
Jun 14th 2012, 7:32 am
#163
Joined on April fools day
Joined: Apr 2012
Location: 30 miles from a decent grocery store.
Posts: 10,642
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
The not so great American invention of suburgatory. Moving to a cookie-cutter community from a chavtopia as someone transitioning from childhood, I can honestly say I was better off not living in a cheaply made, highly priced, stucco-clad, charmless crap hole.
The whole safety thing is a farce, too, if it just made me want to lock myself indoors for a few years until I left for college. But yeah, I really dislike suburban developments.
The whole safety thing is a farce, too, if it just made me want to lock myself indoors for a few years until I left for college. But yeah, I really dislike suburban developments.
Jun 14th 2012, 7:34 am
#164
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2011
Location: Oakland, California
Posts: 400
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
Were those subdivisions in Oakland and Modesto? Could explain it. I grew up in a couple middle class suburbs in Southern California, Every 3rd house had a pool, dead end streets, large driveways with hoops in most. Good active teen years without being surrounded by trouble, lots of fun. Not everyone's experience i suppose.
Jun 14th 2012, 7:44 am
#165
Joined on April fools day
Joined: Apr 2012
Location: 30 miles from a decent grocery store.
Posts: 10,642
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
Neighborhood's change, the couple I've mentioned from 35 years ago I wouldn't want to raise a kid in now. And yes from what I've seen and heard about Oakland, most areas are nearly unlivable.
