If we're "the greatest", why are tens of millions of us suffering so much?

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

Our country produces tens of millions of improverished people, has oppressed democratic ideals for power by every means possible, has an embarassing rate of domestic and child violence, imprisons more of its population than any other on the face of the earth, is more in debt than numerous countries combined, has waged more wars than any nation, has created refugees with no war on its territory, has an infant mortality rate below its condemned enemy (Cuba), has destroyed most entrepreneurs' chance of survival, has weakened its own people by enslaving foreign human beings,...

I don't know?

:shrug:

Maybe, we're just fabulous at making pain and struggle and suffering,..."look good" (I am);

OR, maybe, we are particularly determined to HIDE the pain and struggle and suffering;

OR, could be, we are too proud to confront the pain and struggle and suffering;

Or, we simply HAVE to survive as best we can through the pain and struggle and suffering;

OR, our pain and struggle and suffering isn't acknowledged so it doesn't matter;

OR, pain and struggle and suffering has no place in "the greatest" realm;

OR, who cares?



I want to know how people reconcile the differences between what's real and what's fiction. Those defense mechanisms could be helpful,...to all of us.

[Deja Q]

1. Because we're surviving all this?

:shrug:

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

6. ,...and believe each of our struggles are 'exceptions' rather than common?

:shrug:

[msongs]

2. one wonders why so many people are trying to get here & so few leaving? nt

[143tbone]

26. More people are leaving than we're aware of, evidently.

Sorry, I can't produce the article but someone decided to do a study on how many Americans have left the country and how many are in the process of leaving. A lot more than you would think.

[flvegan]

3. Those that say "we" normally chop off everything below a set point.

It's a convenient filter.

[Warpy]

4. One of my favorite political cartoons from the last couple of years

featured a fat, cigar chomping exec behind his desk confronting a scrawny female worker, "Living wage? Why, you are alive, aren't you?"

That sums it all up.

[Angry Mollusk]

5. It's because the right wing are staunch Social Darwinists- and feel only the strong should survive

The radical right are Social Darwinists and feel only the strong should survive. They have no interest in helping anyone but themselves.
They feel we are the greatest nation because ours is a nation who favors the wealthy, and mechanisms are in place to keep the poor and the disenfranchised oppressed, and thus out of their sight.

And this makes me wonder- why do these right wingers profess to worship Jesus- since Jesus spoke of compassion and engaged in charity- which are all the things the right wing hates?

America is a nation that has great potential to be the greatest nation, but has never reached it's full potential.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

7. I definitely think there is a separation between the RW economic wing and RW profit-televangelists.

Their drives are different, albeit with common threads: one is purely profit/power-mongering via "style of living" manipulations, the other seeks power through religious/moral impositions.

Jesus would (DID) condemn both as has all religious/spiritual figures, all of whom would be oppressed or imprisoned, assassinated or sentenced to death in modern times.

But, so what?

OURS was a country founded by those seeking to FREE THE PEOPLE FROM BOTH the foregoing oppressors.

Here we sit in the hive of both.

Yet, neither of these historically-proven EVILS OF MAN are getting their asses chaffed, AS THEY DESERVE.

[Diclotican]

28. Angry Mollusk

Angry Mollusk

Have the right wingers of this world, don't remember their history?. When oppressed people get enough, to stand together, it is revolution in the air. And even that the right wingers would have the POWER, they may loose what they have when people are getting enough about this bad thing that US are standing for now...

US have absolutely the potential to be a great nation, but have wasted allot of it... But I HOPE the next president would do something about that... To restore what US once was.. If the next president DEAR to wake up all the trolls who are sleeping under the brigde..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[blues90]

8. I don't feel we are the greatest country any longer

we had a chance but we blew it . I see what's going on , always have . I just try to survive in this madness . I care and it hurts to care when I can't do anything to change the suffering . If there is anything I can do to help with what I have I do so but I don't have much at all .

As long as people put others on pedestals for entertainment we are lost forever .

[robert yates]

9. Sad but probably true

Sad as it is, this country probably is still the freest, least oppressed on Earth. I read recently that Greece is now the country whose government garnered the highest rating regarding respect for it's citizens' privacy rights, but I'm not sold on the Greek governments respect for its citizens political and economic freedoms.

The only reason the US hasn't devolved into all-out totalitarian fascism is precisely because the foundation for the Rule of Law and limited government was laid so strongly here over 200 years ago. Its taken a couple of centuries for the ruling class to deteriorate that foundation and to indoctrinate the public to the extent we are now, but I don't think hope for freedom can hold up much longer. We're quickly approaching that dangerous stage; I would say right about now we're at where the German society was in late 1920's -- right on the edge, and with an entire society preparing to take a leap into complete disaster, willing and ignorant.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

13. I am glad you are here, at DU, to "figure" and think.

:hi:

We are neither the most free or least oppressed on earth, DEPENDING UPON what you define as "free".

Most pro-democracy advocates define "FREE" as freedom from ALL oppression: social, economic, religious, racial, gender,...

"Democracy" has been violated with other definitions by those who are consumed with interests hurting and killing not only human beings but also,...life in/about/above this planet.

[marmar]

22. Canadians might disagree, n'est-ce pas?

:think:

[ConcernedCanuk]

10. IN the question lies the answer: - ya ain't the "greatest" - it that's simple!

.
.
.

[Jeffro40]

11. Ever seen some of the OTHER countries?

We ARE the greatest - as sad as that is.

MOST of the world sees us as Disneyland - and they're right.

Even supposed "1st world" countries like Spain, countries in S America, etc are far worse off than we are - and have worse governments. Yes, we can do better - and we could do a whole lot worse.

[marmar]

23. What are you smoking?

What South American countries are considered "First World." And have you been to northern Europe or Canada? They've got us beat on the quality of life issue. .... And I've been to Spain, and disagree strongly that they have a "worse" government than ours.

[Jeffro40]

24. Ever tried to interact with the government there?

Impossible. How about the tent cities in Sevilla, Barcelona, and Toledo full of Gypsies. Lot's of those in the US eh?

An Rio is pretty darn nice. Have you ever really traveled?

[marmar]

25. Yup. Been to Seville. And Barcelona. And Toledo. And Madrid......

And Granada, Rome, Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Berlin, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Cologne, Toronto, Montreal.....Your argument is bullshit.

[leftofthedial]

12. the "greatest" what?

:shrug:

[ConcernedCanuk]

20. Warriors since the Vikings?

.
.
.

and where are they now?

[Diclotican]

29. ConcernedCanuk

ConcernedCanuk

Don't leaf about our Viking heritage, it is a place of proudness for us:evilgrin: Ye we are not that militant anymore.. But er at peace with everyone else, even the Swedish... And our northern part of Europe have been as stable as it get, since late 1700s.. So I guess we have doing something right here..

And for the welfare. If the american public was to known that it exist a system who everyone can get help, rich or poor and where health care is almost free. They would have revolted just to try to get something like that... In a rich country like US, where 42 million people are without Health care insurance... Well I would not be proud about that...

But then, I am just a "european socialist who proudly pay my taxes, and get health care when needed":P:sarcasm:

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[Xenotime]

14. People suffer because of the rich who tell us we are the greatest

Then they demand more money.

[rucky]

15. Things Conservatives say make alot more sense...

if you add "...if you're rich" to the end of every sentence.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

17. ,..."you CAN BE RICH",...at the end of every sentence.

Our country has been living on "fairy tales" while being SLAUGHTERED when asking facts,...for quite some time.

I swear,...the only way we have survived on the scant dish we've been served is platitudes and delusions and dreams and,...surviving as best we can.

It's pitiful how the upper "survivors" believe themselves in an echelon they can NOT wrap their minds around,...while treating those "below" them PRECISELY as those ABOVE THEM treat them.

I'd be frustrated except I know the workings.

I know why Obama rises and does so by the nature of his being.

[sepulveda]

19. these are not fairy tales

sure, there are plenty of things wrong with this country, but despite all this talk of the poor being oppressed - look at our income quintile mobility. it is astounding. the truth, not a fairy tale, is that it is possible, and quite common for people of little means to make it big here. sure, with the great opportunity also comes great opportunity to fail, and that's why we need a strong social safety net.

this is a great country, that's why people try to get in.

http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/reports/incomemobilitystudyfinal.pdf

[NMMNG]

16. Selective perception?

Cognitive dissonance?
Reaction formation?
Just-world hypothesis?

etc, etc.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

18. Creating meaning out of tragedy.

The survivors of the Holocaust proffered an explanation.
The Germans who participated proffered the SAME explanation.

They created "meaning" out of tragedy.

One created from a position of OPPRESSOR, the other from a position of being OPPRESSED.

Both created "meaning" from their lot in life under the RULE of power.

I suppose we will "mean" more than those who DE-mean us,...at some point.

[OwnedByFerrets]

21. Anyone who thinks we're the greatest any longer hasnt been

paying attention or has been drinking the koolaide....or both.

[143tbone]

27. We are not the greatest nation.

Any nation that thinks they are better than everyone else has a major problem right there. We've been the luckiest nation. We have not been the smartest nation.