It boggles my mind that America doesn't learn from its mistakes

[Ardent15]

The government deregulated Wall Street in the 1980s, resulting in the largest redistribution of wealth in American history from the lower classes to the wealthy, the Saving and Loans crime, among which one of the criminals was George H. W. Bush's son Neil, and what do we do? We elect George H. W. Bush President!

There's a recession in the early 1990s caused by Reaganomics, and so what do we do? More deregulation of Wall Street, headed by Greenspan, Summers, and Rubin! Another recession occurs, and people vote for the guy they'd rather have a beer with-and a member of the well-known Bush crime family-TWICE! (Yes, I know he stole the election, but millions of people voted for him both times).

And after the greatest robbery in American history, which occurred by the big banks of Wall Street in the 21st century, what does our new Democratic President do? He appoints two of the people most responsible for this calamity, Tim Geithner and Larry Summers!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who recognizes this pattern of insanity. It's just plain demoralizing.

[annabanana]

1. Sadly, there is no one to point this out to the vast majority of Americans,

our compromised media being such as it is.

[nightrain]

2. the monied are in control

[HowHasItComeToThis]

7. IF YOU WORK REALLY HARD, YOU TOO CAN BE RICH

[nightrain]

16. huh? maybe that's the common lie... Being rich has never been one of my goals.

[blues90]

3. When you look back all these years.

Once the industrial revolution took off which was not that long ago we got into this. Even well before this we always stole others resources.

If perhaps the truth would be placed in history books and passed on from generation to generation we might have learned.

It's difficut to say. Things change so fast with all the distractions piled on that perhaps this was enough to steer the population into this mindset.

Other countries much older than us have not learned , they have thigs ahead of us in certain respects but when it comes to empire building , well all is up for grabs.

The people never did really matter if they did we would not have these golden cities all over the globe who seem to control everything.

[Dogmudgeon]

4. Tim Geithner and Larry Summers are "good soldiers"

They take orders; perhaps too well. So let them soldier for Obama.

They are bright guys, sure, but even the most intelligent of people can act to carry out the will of the "Alpha Dog". And they are two of the best bean-counters to have ever burned the midnight oil while simultaneously enabling some crook to burn lots of people. In this case, about 300 million (just for starters).

This description may not assuage your anger, and that anger is quite rational. We need to seriously address the "Yes-Man Culture" that has once again gripped our society -- especially since that for every craven fool like GWB, there are ten craven fools in training for that position.

--d!

[bobbolink]

5. When you're always #1, what's left to learn?

:shrug:

[Joe the Liberal]

6. I also find it mind boggling. n/t

[Bitwit1234]

8. Especially Virginia

Every time a republican gets to be governor he screws the state up terrible. Then the elect a democrat who fixes it...they sure don't learn because they then turn back to a stupid republican. I am at a lost to understand.....why don't most republicans know how to govern? Does anybody know.

[Ardent15]

9. Republicans don't know how to govern...

..because good government is contrary to their ideology of big business welfare and corporate cronyism.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. We are in the second Era of Robber Barons

We need a new progressive populist movement to clean house. Sad to say, some people (not me) thought Obama was a progressive populist. Not even close.

[Gabi Hayes]

11. none of what you've mentioned were mistakes. they were done with purpose, and with

the complicity of both parties, ostensibly 'elected' to represent our interests

what's happening now is merely a continuation of what's gone before

the past is prelude, and all that crap

[moondust]

12. Don't forget the lessons of Vietnam.

Remember the Powell Doctrine?

The Powell Doctrine states that a list of questions all have to be answered affirmatively before military action is taken by the United States:

1. Is a vital national security interest threatened?
2. Do we have a clear attainable objective?
3. Have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed?
4. Have all other non-violent policy means been fully exhausted?
5. Is there a plausible exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement?
6. Have the consequences of our action been fully considered?
7. Is the action supported by the American people?
8. Do we have genuine broad international support?

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

Did George and Dick just forget about it? Nobody around to remind them?

[Fumesucker]

15. Even Colin Powell forgot the Powell Doctrine..

When it became inconvenient to the powers that be..

Recall his performance at the UN.

[HughBeaumont]

13. America and human beings are similar in this regard.

You can probably count the number of people on one hand who learn from the mistakes of others and not make them completely on their own. America and human beings also like playing "kick the can" a great deal too. I guess that's what happens when one thinks they're invincible. I guess they don't think the debt or the drugs (be it heroin or corporo-militarism) will ever affect them.

You want to yell "TIMBER" or should I?

[AllentownJake]

14. To be fair

We ran some pretty inept candidates and campaigners (with the exception of Al Gore) against these fellows for 3 of those elections.

We went back to MA twice looking for another Kennedy.

[lostnfound]

17. "The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting."

I forget who said it but the statement made a lot of sense to me.