I live in the greatest country in the world! Land of the free! (dial up warning, pics! Graphic!)

[SomethingFishy]

Last edited Sun Feb 3, 2013, 02:23 PM - Edit history (1)

This is where I live.

This is my house:




This is where my kids go to school:




This is where I work:



These are my streets, where I walk, ride, and drive:




When I need to go far, this is how I travel:




This is the new place in Utah where the government monitors all my phone calls, my e-mails, my texts and tweets.



And mind you, all this "freedom" comes at a cost:













Let's check in with Lee Greenwood:




From the lakes of Minnesota,

to the hills of Tennessee.

Across the plains of Texas,

From sea to shining sea.


From Detroit down to Houston,

and New York to L.A.

Well there's pride in every American heart,



and its time we stand and say.
That I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.


Well, I hope we all enjoy the "freedom".... because it's expensive. Really, really expensive....

















Rant over.

[gtar100]

1. Truth out. n/t

[Lifelong Protester]

2. All I can say is I agree.

The whole 'free' concept, not quite understood by all...

[ChisolmTrailDem]

3. America, the Myth. eom

[Egalitarian Thug]

4. But it's a price we're happy to pay. American Freedumb Rawks!

Is there anything on TV?

& R Thanks for posting this.

[Brigid]

10. I think the Khardasians are on.

Maybe something on about aliens or UFOs -- or maybe a top news story about some singer lip-synching to her own voice. You know, important stuff.

[AverageJoe90]

47. Yup.

Oh, look, American Idol is on! I mean, who cares about life? We can't do anything about drones blowing up kids! We can't stop the continued revival of the Patriot Act! We can't stop more illegal wars! We can't save Social Security! We shouldn't oppose the NRA! We shouldn't question media or the government! It's not our place! And we can't do anything about climate change, either, because our doom, too, is inevitable! Civilization will collapse, and humanity will go extinct! It's our destiny! Embrace our inevitable doom! Embrace the police state! Humans are parasites! We are insignificant to the universe! Bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL........*Laughs maniacally*

(What you just saw was a parody of the various undercurrents of indifference, realized or not, to the problems that we face today, from the nuttiness of the followers of climate doomsday prophets to absolutist gun nuts and those who support bombing Iran without provocation, and lots of other things in between!)

[arcane1]

71. "Democrats through Socialism/Marxism/Communism"?

I must have missed that

[hrmjustin]

75. If you don't like both parties who did you vote for?

[arcane1]

76. I'm stuck trying to find all these Democrats who promote Marxism

Without them, I cannot accept your premise.

[Brickbat]

5. That's not a Minnesota lake, as far as I can tell.

[SomethingFishy]

9. Yeah.. I fixed it..

I tried to cheat, hoping no one would catch it... changed the pic...

[Brickbat]

12. Oh God, not the Lake Superior barrels!

Those barrels, while junky, have so far not been found to have anything environmentally harmful in them.

[SomethingFishy]

22. Holy shit dude, are you missing the point?

Or just fucking with me? Ok you don't like the one fucking picture... gimme a break..

[snappyturtle]

118. I'm a MN lover and heading back there when I can. However,

do not delude yourself that lakes have not been polluted. Polluted enough so that the MN Dept. of Health issues fish eating guidelines. http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/fish/eating/genpoplakes.pdf

I think these guidelines are most important to residents eating a lot of fish. The point remains though that the overall lake quality has declined over time.

[Brickbat]

147. Believe me, living here, I know what kind of pollution is in our lakes.

As an overly precise pedant, I object to using dire but inaccurate images to make a point.

[AverageJoe90]

48. Okay, and this matters how, exactly?

[truebluegreen]

6. Word.

[nonoxy9]

7. One of the best I've seen. Powerful...

Thanks for sharing.

[L0oniX]

8. Top rant of the year ...I am right there with you. Excellent!

[tama]

101. The way money is created and controlled

it's very purpose is to create artificial scarcity and hunger.

[indepat]

11. Your photos are starkly graphic and reveal, imo, what a right-wing-soused society

we have become, fully accept, and live in, all seemingly making a mockery of Lee Greenwood's anthem which we frequently joined with the crowd in singing at Opryland in the early '90s.

[prole_for_peace]

78. It took Bush and his cronies 8 years

to fuck up this country. Obama should get 8 years to try and fix it.

Also the House is run by obstructionist Republicans so no, the Democrats have not been in power for the last 4 years.

[xtraxritical]

79. By "in power" you mean Dems. have the Executive Branch? Do some deeper think, I think you should.

[WillyT]

13. K & R !!!

[Ian Iam]

45. Echoed!

[siligut]

14. What is that place in Utah called?

Does it have a name or is it just called "The stupid US government built a spying facility, in the big cult state, that employs cultists who can monitor anyone's communications"?

[Comrade Grumpy]

16. It's the NSA's Utah Data Center. Read more here:

www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/

[SomethingFishy]

83. There is an actual name for it...

Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center.

Where do they come up with this stuff?

[kenny blankenship]

126. "Minitru Disney"

[siligut]

132. Paradise for paranoid data crunchers.

The data stored in Bluffdale will naturally go far beyond the world’s billions of public web pages. The NSA is more interested in the so-called invisible web, also known as the deep web or deepnet—data beyond the reach of the public. This includes password-protected data, US and foreign government communications, and noncommercial file-sharing between trusted peers. “The deep web contains government reports, databases, and other sources of information of high value to DOD and the intelligence community,” according to a 2010 Defense Science Board report. “Alternative tools are needed to find and index data in the deep web … Stealing the classified secrets of a potential adversary is where the [intelligence] community is most comfortable.” With its new Utah Data Center, the NSA will at last have the technical capability to store, and rummage through, all those stolen secrets. The question, of course, is how the agency defines who is, and who is not, “a potential adversary.”

All this in the state of the senator who wanted to create a virus that could destroy the hard-drives on computers that attempted to illegally download music.

[Demo_Chris]

15. This thread should be sticky! Well done! (nt)

[arthritisR_US]

17. Some would say that is just the price of

freedom

[20score]

18. Well done!

[skydive forever]

19. Wow

So sadly true.

[riverbendviewgal]

20. i am thankful to live to live in Canada

No more will I go visit the USA? Europe is my destination of choice.

[Buzz Clik]

27. I am thrilled to live in the United States.

We make our choices.

[BlueCaliDem]

58. Yeah. Sure, we do.

The choice to go broke or get health care.

The choice to be unemployed or get a slave wage for a slave's work.

The choice to pay our taxes or get grabbed by the IRS.

Give me a fucking break.

[riverbendviewgal]

63. you are so correct

I wintered in Florida 4 winters 2009 -2012. I met many people. I had conversations with many. I found most people who worked had no health care. The retired Americans were OK because they had medicare. I spoke with one nice fifty year old woman who worked in a museum. She had to give up her health insurance because it was raised to $900 a month. For me that is so unbelievable.

You see my 24 year old son and 53 year old husband were diagnosed two months apart with cancer. They were in perfect health until that year. They had every treatment possible. No denials from our government one payer health insurance. We pay for it through our taxes. There were no medical bills.

My son had the same treatment ted kennedy had. They both had the same kind of brain tumor.
And we all had psychotherapy, individual and as a family. They both were in palliative care in the hospital.

I got $2300 each from my government towards their funerals.

I met people from wealthy Florida gated communities who were birthers and hated Obama because he is black. I saw guns in many places and did not feel comfortable with them and the many confederate flags.

The last stay was getting very uncomfortable. I met only one person who lived there that thinks like us on DU.

My older son moved to England and I visited him last Fall for six weeks.There is a big difference from America . The Brits think more like Canadians.
My Canadian taxes are about 25%. I don't mind this. I got my peace of mind that I have good health care. priceless!

[xtraxritical]

80. May I come live with you please, please, please, pretty please?

[riverbendviewgal]

87. sorry i am leaving for England

To visit my son.
Work on getting universal health care, it makes a country better. Canada has had it since the sixties. And there was resistance at first but now any politician that wants to take it away loses his seat.

[eppur_se_muova]

84. Expect a large package to be delivered to your front porch soon.

Please do not block the air holes.

BTW, I will probably be thirsty when I arrive.

[riverbendviewgal]

86. it is minus thirty celcius today

Wear warm clothes, very warm clothes.
. lol

[amuse bouche]

115. 'We make our choices"

The kool-aid must be delicious

[Buzz Clik]

116. OH SNAP!

[4Q2u2]

56. Europe

Europe has ten times the surveillance we do in America. Canada living free off the American people. You get the benefit of living next door to the 900 lb Gorilla that no one would screw with. Canada should be paying some of our defense budget.

[BlueCaliDem]

60. Europe is ten times better for their people than North America is for our people.

Europe is ten times better than Freedumb-luvin' 'Murica in health care, health insurance, hourly wage (living wage IS the minimum), paid vacation, dental care, vision care, unemployment, senior care, pensions (they'd laugh at the minuscule social security benefits) and 100% paid hospitalization - just to name a few.

As a true DUer, you would know that.

[4Q2u2]

93. European Health Care

I miss the point in my post where I said American Health care was the best and European health care was lousy. I missed the point where I said a lot of the things you are implying.

As a true DUer, you would know to base a response on what was written and not on what your mind was implying to you.

[BlueCaliDem]

106. You missed the point I was making - PERIOD.

Before you go and dis Europe while belting out "America the Beautiful", consider the superior care most European gov'ts have for their citizens compared to the U.S. If you believe, for one single second, that the U.S. Gov't isn't spying on you more than European gov'ts, you're only deluding yourself, and maybe you should stop singing and waving that American flag broad and wide and have a look around you.

As a true DUer, you'd know exactly what I meant with my initial response to your uneducated post, and you wouldn't have needed me to explain it to you.

[4Q2u2]

109. OMG I have seen the Light

You have made such a compelling insult that I have changed my mind entirely. I see that to be a true DUer I need to ignore the actual written statements of people, insult them into submission and trample free speech and expression. Thank you for such a valuable lesson.

So I guess then Having control of 2 of the 3 branches in Government by Democrats will do nothing to change what we are doing in this country.

America is Beautiful, full of good honest people who are trying to make this a better place. Working to restore our Freedoms, protect our natural beauty, and enhance all Americans rights. Are we perfect, no, I never claimed that. Is it so easy to dismiss them and this country in its struggles for good that anything American is bad and anything European is good. Maybe you should look around before you dis America. That is your friends and family as well as people on this site, as well as where you live. If you can not find any beauty with in those places then I really do not need you to explain anything to me.

[BlueCaliDem]

117. No, you're still pretty much in the dark.

If being truthful to you is considered insulting, well, that's your problem and I'm sure when ObamaCare is finally implemented, they'll have a solution to help you with that thin skin, too. Don't worry. You'll eventually see the light.

That said, I know the beauty of America and her potential. I love this country. But when you love something you don't turn a blind eye to the ugliness (Republican party and some Dems who support them) that's infesting it and destroying it while dissing countries that respect their residents FAR more and treat their people far better than here.

America is FAR from perfect (although you had tried to make the case in your initial post that America is exceptional). FAR from it. But when I'm taxed at 43% (Fed + State) and still have to pay for my own health care and dental insurance and still have to pay for vision and medicine while countries like Holland, where I was taxed at a 40% rate and paid $128 p/mo for a family of four that included 100% unlimited doctor's visits, unlimited specialist care, bi-annual dental care, medicine, vision, and 100% hospitalization (they don't know what co-pays are) while the lion's share of my dollars here go to the MIC and ingrate "Red" states so they can stay afloat, then there is something effing wrong with this country that needs to be fixed and I don't appreciate "America uber alles" blind Americans dissing Europe and not knowing what the hell they're jabber-jawin' about.

[4Q2u2]

139. Again

You are trying to put words in my mouth. Never once did I say American Exceptional ism. My post was a simple post. I was responding to someone from Canada saying how lousy we were and that they were never going to visit anymore, and Europe was now their destination of choice. So it was the Canadian that started the disrespect thread with a Holier that Thou act. I just responded with the same level of Class that they showed. The only other thing I mentioned about Europe was the amount of surveillance cameras they have vice us. I then was talking about if Canada had to spend more on their defense that their social programs would probably suffer as well. No hidden agenda, no mention of ObamaCare or love it or leave it talk. If I was going to say something about a topic, I would have used the exact words to describe said topic. You called my post uneducated but who is the one that is trying to put words in another persons mouth. I never stated, implied, or even hinted at European halt care, taxes or social programs. That all came from you.

and I don't appreciate "I know what you are implying and I do not like it" blind righteous indignation. So the only jabber jawin going on here is you in your head.

BTW we here in the North East do not call it "Jabber Jawin", and California is second in the Nation in receiving defense spending.

[hunter]

62. Nobody should be paying "some of our defense budget," not even us.

If we slashed 90% of the defense budget and quit our oil habit we'd be a stronger, more secure nation.

Instead we're the paranoid neighbor with a house full of weapons. Dangerous and unpredictable, yes, but strong and secure, no.

[4Q2u2]

94. Budget Cut

Yes our budget needs to be cut. Is not the Presidency and the Senate controlled by Democrats. If we can not trust them, why vote for them. How are we now the paranoid and dangerous neighbor. I was merely point out that Canada is afforded some relative protection by proximity and it would be nice for American tax payers to get a break from the Defense budget, it is killing all of us literally and figuratively.

[mbperrin]

131. All revenue bills must start in the House. That's in the Constitution.

Now let's see, who controls the House? Think, think, think. Why, I do believe it's the Orange John gang and his sidekick "Turtle Mouth" McConnell!

The US spends 50% of all the money spent on military on the globe! We have bases in all but 10 countries in the world. Yes, we're the crazy neighbor nobody wants to tick off. What's the only country in the world to ever use nuclear weapons on another? Yes, us. Why did we drop two? That's all we had.

Canada is in danger by living next door to an armed camp, and we are in danger by killing and murdering all over the planet for the dollars we perceive we make or lose, depending on what day it is.

The budget needs redirected. We have infrastructure, health, retirement, education, and other human needs. But as long as corporations pay 10% of all the taxes, and people pay 90%, and as long as 1% of those people own 70% of all the wealth and pay only half the taxes, nothing will change.

And no, I do not trust any politician and never have (yes, all my grandparents are immigrants with a long history of abuse by various governments), but someone has to be chosen from the grab-bag we're handed every election, and some are better than others. Obama is certainly preferable by galaxies to Mittens, and to McCain as well, but could it be better? Yep.

[datasuspect]

64. fuck that

we should invade "America, Jr."

they have our goddamn water!




































































































joking - 4Q2u2 - ur doing it wrong.

[4Q2u2]

95. Irony

Here are plans from both sides to invade.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_Scheme_No._1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Plan_Red

[paleotn]

65. ten times?....

Unless you've got some verifiable evidence to back that up, I'd file that one in my folder labeled "Wing Nut Delusions." It's a rather thick file, by the way.

As for Canada living off the crumbs tumbling from the America's economic table, once again, evidence please? Seems the Canadians have a rather vibrant economy of their own, thank you very damn much. I just wish it didn't lean so heavily towards resource extraction.

Rather than a 900 lb gorilla, I'd say we're more like a bull in a china closet. If our foreign policy didn't consist of royally pissing off most of the rest of the world, combined with wide spread paranoia, maybe we wouldn't feel it necessary to spend more on defense than the rest of the world combined. Seriously, last I checked, Canada hadn't needlessly invaded any foreign nations...like...ever!

Now, why don't you go practice your yeehaw, Amuruca, eagle fetish someplace else.

[4Q2u2]

91. See post 32

How about a guy that lives there. I never said America was perfect, I was just being as classless as the perfect Canadian.
I also never said one word about their economy, but not having to fund a military goes along way. Why do you think they do not have to?

As for our Defense Budget, I am confused? Where did I say we should not cut it?

Nice use of the First Amendment, I do not like what you have to say so take a hike. Such an open mind.

Now, why don't you go pracitce your yeehaw, supreesion of speech, know it all fetish someplace else.

[Nevernose]

70. So you're saying that if it weren't for us...

The Canadians would be under imminent threat of invasion? Whom, pray tell, are we protecting them from? And whom are we spending a trillion dollars a year protecting ourselves from?

[4Q2u2]

96. No

They are afforded some relative security by having us as a buffer on their West and South. Post War Russia would have love to come across the Sea. Would they have to spend up to the crazy amounts of money we are throwing away now, no. There is no doubt though they would have to increase spending if we were not there. Just for border protection alone would increase. As for protecting ourselves, FDR said it best. "All we have to fear is fear it's self." We are seeing a lot of bogeyman everywhere and it is costing us a fortune.
What I find amazing though is that people would not stand up for their fellow Americans from a snide comment from an outsider. Do you not know any good Americans, friends family? What country is perfect? It was so much easier to attack me, do we hate this country that much? Some else down the threat had a nice rebuttal, I think I will look at that one again. The one with the beauty of this countries landscape and people. I can not and do not believe were are nothing but a bad country. There are too many good people I know that are trying to make this country a better place.

[Democracyinkind]

98. Ah... Ahistorical bullshit.. Gotta love it.

----History lesson: "Post War "Russia" " wanted to, but did not, invade Canada - for fear of the Americans.----

I love people who "feel" history - rather than reading it. Makes for interesting conversations.

[4Q2u2]

104. ?

I did not say Russia wanted to invade Canada. I stated that Russia would have loved to cross the sea into North America. If he could have defeated America, do you think he would have just walked away from Canada with a have a nice day.

Gotta love someone who ignores empirical data that Stalin was such a peace loving Statesman with no designs on Military aggression or World Dominance. Makes for interesting conversations.


http://www.yale.edu/opa/arc-ybc/v28.n7/story17.html

[Democracyinkind]

123. The Soviet Union never had the capabality, nor any short-term plans for invading North America.

I don't think Stalin was all that peace-loving. But he knew very well that "World Dominance" was not an option for the Soviet Union after 1945. As did all his successors. Military aggression against the US continent was not an option. Engaing US interests around the world was, though. Facing the fact that the Soviet Union's capabalities were severly limited after the Second World War is not the same thing as saying that "Stalin was a peace loving statesman".

Of course, there was a long term goal of "winning against capitalism". As the US wanted to win against communism. This does not mean that invading the USSR was ever a realistic option, even though it was strategically studied for contingency reasons, as is true vice versa. That's very far from planning an invasion, though.

Sorry for for the tone of my post, but I strongly disagreed with the content. Could have stated that more mildly, for sure.

[4Q2u2]

138. I Thank You

A good debate with info and sharing is something that I try for. Looking at a lot of info about this, most people believe that Russia usually and historically directly acted only on one front when they could. Stalin definitely had his crazy dreams though.

I was in defensive mode as you can see, lots of people want to try and tear me apart for Loving our country in this post. Neither place is perfect but the self hate for this country just seems too much. It seems we can do no right and Europe can do no wrong here on DU sometimes. I find that a little troubling because I know we have good, conscientious people in this country fighting for it. To bash them, or mainly my rebuttal to let some outsider play holier that thou just rubbed me the wrong way.

Have a good night.

[newthinking]

136. Yep, cultures are complex, and we tend to view other cultures and events

through a very narrow lens.

[newthinking]

81. Britain does, not all Europe. Britain is more like us but with some social programs

Also, most European countries have serious restrictions and laws to protect privacy. They have very strong protections against predatory lenders and their credit reporting is very different, it can't be used the same way ours is to lock people into a debt system.
Europe is still very different than us.

[4Q2u2]

92. No Place

No Place is going to be perfect. Just pretty lousy to have someone else tell you your sister is ugly. Pretty funny to watch me be attacked for saying something "bad" about Canada. Not many stood up for their fellow Americans, maybe that is what is really wrong in this country. How can things change when there is such self loathing, hating and vitriol. As bad as those photos are, we all know good people, places and actions that out number those photos. Are we perfect, no. Do we need change, yes. Do we need other people and countries saying how superior they are, no. When they do that, they are insulting good honest people who are friends and family of me and of you. People who are trying to make change for a better America and world.

[tblue37]

100. We should have a MUCH lower defense budget! nt

[4Q2u2]

103. Agree

It was jab at the Canadian, but kind of tongue in cheek way to lessen the burden on us. We need relief from Defense spending some how.

[juajen]

121. Well, that is a bunch of BS!

[4Q2u2]

141. Thank you

Such a wonderful post. I guess since you said it, it must be true.

[Arugula Latte]

127. Our military very, very rarely plays the role of "defending" us.

Instead it is used to invade other countries to further our corporate interests, and to generate gargantuan profits for the corporations that supply it. Meanwhile our tax dollars are poured into the bottomless maw of funding the military, and we can't afford healthcare or education for our kids.

[4Q2u2]

140. Agree

I agree totally, I was just responding in a totally classless way to a totally classless post by a Canadian. I was also trying to point out that if they had to spend more on their defense some of their social programs would suffer as ours do. Believe me, my family and I know all too well and have been mawed by this Gov't and Military misuse. We are permanently harmed by it.

[DakotaLady]

21. Sad ...

... poignant and a whole lot of other descriptive words but I'm very sad.

Thank you for this thread SF well done.

[zeemike]

23. Oh wow...a photo rant.

And a wonderful one at that...K&R so I can come back and steal those pictures if I want.

[plethoro]

24. You hit the target center-point. As a reality America may still exist. As

an idea, no; it's long gone.

[ReRe]

25. K&R

The price is too high...and it ain't even freedom.
We are hypnotized.
Brainwashed.
Zombies.
Brain-damaged.
Desensitized.
Numb.
Propagandized.
And embezzled.
Deranged cold blooded killers, and that's just state-side.

The only thing that makes us think we have a democracy is the ritual that we go through every 2 years, marching to the polls. Hell, half of the country are idiots voting against themselves, and in the process dragging the rest of the country down with them.

And we're paying for this, with our money, with the blood of our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers.

Dysfunction Junction. You nailed it, SomethingFishy.

[Buzz Clik]

28. You are hypnotized? A zombie? Brainwashed?

And you are aware of that?

How odd.

[ReRe]

30. No

you are...

[Buzz Clik]

31. I see. So your rant was meant for me, even though...

... it was in first person, and you and I have never met.

Odd.

[ReRe]

38. I looked back thru the thread and seen your..

...nice photos. But if you lift up the corners of your photos, you will find the ones of the original post underneath. Instead of Lee Greenwood, I distinctly hear you as Mack Davis,
singing "Everything is beautiful...in it's own way..."

[Buzz Clik]

39. You had it right the first time.

You are brainwashed. But it is not what you think. That's how brainwashing works.

[ReRe]

42. Look, youngin'

We is not I. Go back and read it again.

If you cannot understand what I wrote, why don't you just give it up? Save it. You'll understand it when you grow up.

BTW, this is the end of my discussion with you.

[Buzz Clik]

46. If you want a reasonable discussion...

.... don't start it off by telling something they are brainwashed.

Some people find it really annoying.

[tama]

102. Who find it annoying?

Those who are brainwashed to find mention of them being brainwashed annoying.

[Buzz Clik]

26. Me, too. But, I see other things, too.

[SomethingFishy]

41. I see those things too...

And when I haven't spent a week listening to the insane rantings of people who believe that freedom is the freedom to live behind bars with a loaded weapon in hand, then I'll post a fun America The Beautiful thread just for you. But not this week friend.

[Buzz Clik]

44. Your OP was pretty stark.

But I hear you.

[AverageJoe90]

50. I like this montage, too.

As for that "America the Beautiful" idea? Go for it!

[paleotn]

66. Nice, thanks....

....sometimes I like to think there's hope for my country. Other times I can't help but think we're all screwed.

[Festivito]

89. Your photos are like those from ANY country, the OP's are sadly our own.

Beautiful landscapes, rock carvings, flowers, children, working together, color, flight, serving. Any and every country.

Versus

Being free to fly into the US, but having to be invasively searched from inside this country -- for one.

It's sad.

[Martin Eden]

99. Mount Rushmore is a symbol of oppression to the Lakota

But yeah, there are many positive, joyous, beautiful people and places in our country.
America -- Love it and MAKE IT BETTER

[Heywood J]

145. I only saw one person of color in those pictures. (NT)

[Buzz Clik]

146. And?

[Buzz505]

29. OMG

This is where we live all right.

[Lenomsky]

32. Love it ...

We have more cameras than you do per head of population (like x100) but very few guns .. the shame oh the shame

Thanks for posting (UK-er).

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

33. It certainly puts to rest the "Home of the brave" and "peace loving" myths.

[BlueJazz]

34. Wonderful Post and so telling. We're the only country that consistently tells...

...the world how wonderful we are.

[DogPawsBiscuitsNGrav]

35. This is one of the best threads on this topic that I've seen on any of the forums I visit. Very Nice

[leveymg]

36. Only in America do consumers have such freedom of choice: AR-15, MAK-10 or 12-guage auto shotgun

or a Barbie gun for doll house defense.

Our cups truly runneth over. God Bless America.

[MFM008]

37. what has been seen can not be unseen

[OGKush]

40. Boom!

Truth bomb... (no pun intended)

[JDPriestly]

43. The stark reality v. the myth. Well done!

[AverageJoe90]

49. The tragic dark side of America.....n/t

[Whovian]

51. Kicking for a sad truth.

[Flying Squirrel]

52. Some posts are just impossible not to rec. n/t

[lpbk2713]

53. Lee Greenwood ... Mr One Trick Pony himself.

I wonder if they'll break him out and dust him off for the Super Blow.



Good job on the OP, BTW.

[joelz]

54. Glad I live in

Canada,last time I was in the states on a Fla. vacation we stopped for dinner at a cracker barrel on the va. n.c line and cnn was on in every corner of the place showing bombing of Baghdad all the customers were clapping and cheering it was sickening We finished 1/2 our meal and drove 13 hrs. to the border haven't been back since,now its Europe or Cuba for vacations

[blaze]

55. damn

had I been there with you... I would have joined you... if not for my US citizenship.

[4Q2u2]

59. Cuba?

Home of the free to risk you life getting to America.

[awoke_in_2003]

57. Why do they hate us?...

The last pic sums that up pretty well. Americans need to crawl out of their shells and see what is being done in our name. When it comes down to it, that last pic is pretty tame compared to what I have seen.

[Snarkoleptic]

61. And we do an AWESOME JOB exporting freedom!

[blkmusclmachine]

67. .

.

[tilsammans]

68. Thank you. K&R! n/t

[SunSeeker]

74. K&R

[lunasun]

77. 'None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free'

[Summer Hathaway]

90. None are more bereft of freedom

than those who are told that they are hopelessly enslaved - and choose to believe it.

[Egalitarian Thug]

125. Harriet Tubman (who knew a thing or two about slavery)

"I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves."

[Timbuk3]

82. Dude, I wish you would have ended your post with

...PARANOID rant over.

I like where I live. I have a house in DE, and I recently moved my work address from Alexandria, VA, to Ft. Washington, MD.

Are there ugly people in the world? Yes.

Are there DESPERATE people in the world? Yes.

But by and large, most of us go to work every day, maybe stop for some fast food or groceries on the way home, watch a little tube, then go to bed and do it again.

If we're lucky, we eat out on weekends.

Chill the fuck out.

[leveymg]

105. Fewer and fewer of us live a "normal" middle-class American life, and frankly, things suck.

Glad things are going well for you, though.

[RKP5637]

85. Ain't America Great!!! Go USA!!! Go USA!!! Go USA!!!

[wtmusic]

88. yeah some things about America really suck.

And they suck worse just about everywhere else.

[TomClash]

97. Freedom under the Empire

. . . is reserved for only the finest imperialists.

[Doctor_J]

107. See how the Second Amendment and all those guns have kept us safe from tyranny?

Good synopsis. DU rec

[valerief]

108. America--freedom for the 1%, a heavy price for EVERYONE ELSE in the world.

[heaven05]

110. great

sums up greed capitalism in a very realistic manner. at first glance I saw mittwit and annie on top there. thank god they lost. Saved this photo, will get blown up and distributed. All the rah rah americans hopefully will take a close look at the reality of our system and what it generates in the misery of the photos shown in this OP. Haven't been asleep since my tour in Vietnam. thank you!

[valerief]

111. Just do a search on Pyramid of Capitalism. There are a lot of versions of this 1911

Industrial Worker poster.

[heaven05]

112. thank you

I shall. rah rah americans need to wake up!!!

[treestar]

113. There is such a thing as crime and we will always have it

People putting bars on their doors when they live in high crime neighborhoods doesn't mean they aren't free. You are not talking about political freedom, but about freedom from crime - it's too bad there are bad people in the world and it does cause us to do some things to avoid their activities, but that is not so pessimistic as you make out. I'd don't fee that bad going through airport security if there's a small chance it keeps someone from going on with a gun. Aren't we freer from hijackers than we were in the days when we had no metal detectors, and hijackers with guns boarded and hijacked planes.

[Jamaal510]

119. +1

"I'd don't fee that bad going through airport security if there's a small chance it keeps someone from going on with a gun. Aren't we freer from hijackers than we were in the days when we had no metal detectors, and hijackers with guns boarded and hijacked planes."

[SomethingFishy]

124. So you think "crime" is the reason there is a

data collection center in Utah built to monitor all your phone calls texts, and e-mails? You think crime is the reason we are flying drones over Pakistan?

Yes it's a pessimistic post. It was a long week of listening to crazy people talk about how their guns make us all free. Free is a relative term as I have shown here.

Sorry if you were offended, as I said to Buzz Click, when I have a better week I'll do an America The Beautiful thread.

One more thing, you are in the minority in your opinion. This thread got more recs and has stayed up longer than anything I have ever posted. I must have touched on something.

[treestar]

142. The first few photos are of things done to deter crime

What's so bad about that? It doesn't mean the people aren't free. Just a bit practical.

I'm for gun control.

The drones are to my mind better than outright war - at least this way we target specific baddies, unlike say Hiroshima. Whether we really need to take these people out is another question but some of them are surely planning attacks on us. Can't we fight back?

I don't know what the data is all about, but do you have anything other than cynicism to support the idea it is for sinister purposes? Has anyone ever been prosecuted for anything as a result of it? The IRS all by itself has impressive records on practically all income. Did you find that oppressive or just for the enforcement of the tax laws.

[SomethingFishy]

143. What's so bad about having camera's on every street corner,

in the workplace, at malls, in stores and government buildings, if you have to ask then we will never agree about it. I don't like people watching everything I do and I really don't like people recording everything I do.. But this is the world we live in.

My problem with drones? Killing with no emotion or contact. Too easy to pull the trigger. My problem with us using drones to kill "the bad guys"? Those kids in the picture didn't look like "bad guys" to me. We kill an awful lot of "suspected insurgents.

Can't we fight back? Sure all fucking day long. Not going to solve the problem. Terrorism is a weed, you cut it down and 3 more grow in it's place. You need to pull it out at the root, and that is something we are not willing to do. We are too busy patting ourselves on the back to see that we are as much a part of the problem as they are.

The data collection center is not functioning yet. So no they haven't caught any terrorists with it. There is a ton of info out there about it. There is no paranoia about it, the government admits what it is for. It's a data collection center for all branches of security. DHS, FBI, CIA, this is the new place where they monitor every phone call, every text and every e-mail looking for "key words" to determine if you need to be investigated.

If you think you are surprising me with your "info" about the IRS get real, I know for a fact everything we do is monitored. There is no privacy left. If someone wants to investigate you, they can tell within a few hours what you have been doing, spending money on, who you have been talking to, what groceries you bought, how much you owe how much you have, who you are friends with on FB, what you posted on DU.

You seem happy to live like this. Hey, more power to you. Personally, I like some semblance of privacy. I'll never see it again but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

[Egalitarian Thug]

129. There is indeed, and we keep committing them in the name of Democracy.

We commit the crime, we create the bad guys, and then we steal from those we claim to represent in order finance more crime.

Quite a game.

[amuse bouche]

114. A truly stunning pictoral

Yes we're number 1 at number 2

[Bennyboy]

120. I'm Proud To be An American! (the TUBES melt your face!)

[juajen]

122. WOW, that was powerful. Thank you.

I am one of the elderly. I am very careful about going outdoors in my neighborhood; not, that I am afraid of my neighbors, but am afraid there will be an intruder of some kind, who wants what I have. I hate looking over my shoulder all the time. If only we had jobs, so that we didn't have people wandering this country, hungry and cold. If only..............

[liberal N proud]

128. 1984

[loudsue]

130. That needs to be turned into a YouTube slide show with the music.

Everyone should see that.

[LWolf]

133. .

[SomethingFishy]

135. I can't wait for the next season of Newsroom..

In spite of all the critical bullshit I thought it was a great show!

[LWolf]

137. I don't see it often, since I don't have HBO.

That clip is worth watching, at least.

[Carolina]

134. K&R

Powerful post and the awful truth about this country

[HiPointDem]

144. I got a post hidden for showing two pictures of dead children much like yours. I wonder why

some posters are dinged for things that others are allowed to do.

[woo me with science]

148. HUGE K&R