Why do I feel so down on my country?

[Presidentcokedupfratboy]

Why do I feel as if the USA has lost it's way? over the last five years we have seen our once great country slip into what can only be termed as Bushitis. The symptoms include: lack of faith in our government to do the right thing; Disregard for the values included in the Bill of Rights, especially the First Amendment; and a growing pride in ignorance of other countries and cultures.

America used to set the bar for the rest of the world. Now, the world looks upon us with hatred and disdain. It didn't have to be this way.

[Carolab]

1. As Howard Dean said recently, during the ACLU speech I attended

"we've lost our moral authority"--he said he's never seen America "in such bad shape in my lifetime".

Indeed.

[Presidentcokedupfratboy]

3. Nothing will ever be the same again

Once we've gone through eight years of the worst the GOP has to offer, the USA will never have the fair but strong reputation in the world. All we will be known as are global bullies, picking on weaker countries with no threats (Iraq) while allowing others to cow us and undo years of hard negotiating (North Korea).

[Presidentcokedupfratboy]

14. We need someone like Dean

To keep calling out the GOPologists whenever and wherever their brand of hypocrisy is allowed to grow.

[leftofthedial]

2. You feel that way because that's how it is in Murka now

WAY fucked up.

[jobycom]

4. Yeah, but think of the party the world will throw in January 2009

Or sooner, if we're lucky.

[snot]

5. Our biggest sin is working too hard & otherwise being sorta comfortable

So most folks just aren't paying quite enough attention.

Not huge. But leaves us susceptible.

[VOX]

6. Because *everything* we were taught as kids is now a grim joke. Seriously.

All those life-lessons delivered from parents, school, clergy, and service organizations about about fair play, about not starting a fight, about making peace, about considering the needs of others, about doing what's best for the greater good, about not being greedy, about telling the truth, about extending kindness to all and helping out others less fortunate, etc., etc. Where are these lessons in action today in our current government? :grr:

The right wing has made an total mockery of these absolute basics of decent human behavior. This is no small deal -- because either what we were taught as kids was all wrong, or the right wing and its leaders are utterly insane.

I go with the latter scenario. And it sickens me. And I want it to stop, but reality dictates that it will continue until most people have had a bellyful of it.

[Carolab]

7. Insane or just plain greedy?

I think both.

[Karenina]

12. A foul mockery is indeed being made

of our childhood training.

http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm

[Lexingtonian]

8. We're run by

a government and a majority of the electorate that doesn't actually believe in the project that is in the Constitution. The governance is just abusive; it's the resentment and fear of the future and the changes it means, in the electorate, that makes the present what it is.

This country is going to de-Christianize during the next century. It's going to become utterly unEuropean during that timespan: racially integrated, and nonwhite, by Latino people intermarrying all non-aboriginal ethnic groups. The present revolt is about a lot of people mostly white and middle-aged or elderly disagreeing with this, and a lot of their betters seeing an opportunity in the discord to profit unduly. Unfortunately for them, they have no meaningful 'solution'- so it's all a dreary and painfully stupid ego and ego-therapeutic trips and convulsions and living in the past.

'Heartland' America has been a medieval European serfdom/feudal society, piety and aristocracy and de facto lawless and all, up to the present- and that's how it is behaving: rejecting everything preceding the Enlightenment. And now we're watching them, as they hold almost all the national power, revisit and rethink and re-undergo one bit of the evolution from that state as it arrived on American shores in 1618 after another. Be that indentured servitude (aka bankrupcy 'reform'), plundering the natural resources and beating up on Indians (aka ANWR), land acquistion/corporatism (the estate tax killoff), theocracy (Schiavo and 'nuclear option' and 'man of God' Tom DeLay). Don't forget that in American history a lot of such behaviors and institutions are first created and, when they have turned into problems and no longer serve as solutions, destroyed again.

Look, they've already reconsidered the central issues of the whole 17th century Settlement in 3-4 months. At this pace they'll be up to something like the present in about a year. And then they won't have anything left to do, in some sense.

It's being called a Culture War, and they pretend it's all about 'extremism' on our side. At this point it's all about themselves and a kind of reinventing the wheel in political things.

[Presidentcokedupfratboy]

13. Yes, I would have to agree with you.....

Our once-great country is being run by a one-party state (the GOPologists) based on fear and avarice.

I think it was in Sweeeney Todd that Stephen Sondheim wrote that "Those above feed on those down below." That is exactly the way the Busliars want it.

[Carolab]

18. Excellent synopsis. n/t

[leesa]

9. Because your government and it's media are betraying you.

[Gyre]

10. Cough. I think you answered your own question.

Sucks, but you nailed it.

Gyre

[marions ghost]

11. a necessary step...

to confront the reality of what's going on...feeling depressed is part of it. We have a long way to go from here. A lot of people are in the denial stage but at least we aren't. People have to be concerned enough to demand something better--it's the only way change will come.

[ChiciB1]

15. I Often Try To Think.... KARMA!

But these days I seriously wonder if it's working. You know what you put out you get back??

They've been putting out so much BUSHIT and it doesn't seem to be coming back. I also keep saying "Nothing Goes On Forever", but again we've been hijacked!

Something has to BREAK soon or we are DOOMED!

[Arugula Latte]

16. Few of these "morans" who think the US should tell the world to fuck off

realize that our time as Numero Uno is fading fast. China, India and Europe are going to start kicking our booty more and more.

They'll see what it feels like to be subjugated by another power.

[googly]

17. We (Dems) ran the country from 1960 thru 1994.

We had the absolute power in congress. We even had white house
half the time. Now, it is their turn. Looks like the pendulum
swings back and forth. After 30 or 40 years of the right wingers
domain, the country shall again return to progressivism. The
unions will get strong again, we shall tax the heck out of imports
to help the working American. We shall reduce military down to a
token force. We will stop all drilling for oil, cutting of trees,
and other plundering of natural resources. We shall raise the
water standards so high, all bottling companies will disappear.
Minorities will get preferential treatment in all jobs until
they reach equal levels in pay and employment rates. Abortion will
be available on demand and paid by the government/tax payers. We
shall tax the rich so high, they will no longer be "rich".

I can't wait!!!!

[jmcon007]

19. I'm not trying to be religious or anything, but

Jesus said (roughly paraphrasing) in order to be king (ruler), we have to be servants (sacrifice). I believe there is a lot of truth to this and I believe that's what America was before the neonut bulls got control of the china closet.
America served the world and was a guiding light for so many countries by being giving, compassionate and tolerant, not by threatening and bullying.
I believe the scripture is in Proverbs that says if a person is in right relationship with God, this person will even cause his enemies to be at peace with him. Doesn't sound much like the Bushistas, does it?

[Presidentcokedupfratboy]

21. The "Christian Right" won't admit it

But if you look at what Jesus preached, they would discover that Jesus was a liberal.

Love thy neighbor, render unto Caesar, do unto others, and especially Blessed are the peacemakers, are concepts that we have let these people pervert.

[BlueManDude]

20. There's no such thing s the truth anymore

There's the truth - then there's the conservative version of reality.