yes ier…the new leader has to fight with ideas and no money…she can do it…you cant fight money with money and go anywhere…
we need to get back to the ideas of our early presidents…
Thought this quote was appropriate.
“Dark is not Opposite of Light. It is just the Absence of Light. Similarly, a Problem is the Absence of an Idea. Not Absence of a Solution”
I share your concerns about the US.
I believe that there are many reasons for this state of affairs.
I am old enough to lived through the 70’s, so I have some context.
I believe we have lost our sense of purpose. We are not trying to achieve anything
as a country unlike even the 60’s or 70’s, where we were trying big goals like space and
silly goals like controlling communism in Vietnam. There were goals at least and we have
nothing like that today.
Too many of our decisions today are made with fear in mind. We are a fearful society.
Fear drove the remarkable stupid decision to invade Iraq and Afghanistan.
Fear drives the police to routinely shoot and kill citizens
(granted mostly black but fear of the blacks have driven our history before)
We live in a police state because of fear. we act in ways that would have been unthinkable
a generation ago. We routinely monitor all communications made by American citizens.
We torture people in the hope they might have information. We bomb foreign countries
to prevent the rise of Islamic organizations. all these actions unthinkable 20 years,
are done routinely today and all done from fear. Individually and collectively,
our primary motivator is fear. I cannot remember a time in our country that this was true.
Another factor is we are no longer proactive, we are reactive. We react to event after they
happen instead of thinking about preventing them in advance.
Today people are talking about secession. 20 years even talking about it, was unthinkable.
Even if they joke about it, it is still in the air and that was impossible 20 years ago.
We have this group engaging in this action and this group engaging in this action and
this group doing this and there is no unity or thought in common.
Every man or group for himself or their self. No one seems to think or care about
society or the whole or even the majority.
As far as the leadership issue goes, there hasn’t been any leadership in this country
in a long, long time. I would say not since raygun and he was leading us the wrong way…
However I would put the time of where it began to go wrong, to the 70’s. Not as a whole,
but by bit and pieces. Watergate was the first chink in the armor. People who were not
born then, don’t understand what a profound influence Watergate had on America.
You could easily put this action as the first action in the long story of our losing our soul.
As the years passed with each action, the weight of actions began to weigh heavier and heavier.
think of it like a flat roof. With each passing year the roof fill up with water. Now in any given
year the roof might not fill up too much, but it doesn’t need much to fill up. Day to day the roof
has more water on it. The roof still looks fine and trustworthy but every single passing day
the weight grows more and more and more until one day, the roof collapses. The weight of the
water becomes too much and the roof gives way. We are at the point where the roof is about to give
way. America of the past would have gotten together and try to alleviate the collapse but today,
people will just run and hide trying their best to avoid or escape the falling roof and in that on
image, we see what America has become today. Personally I consider America a third world country
today. I don’t think we can escape our coming fate. It would take leadership I just don’t see
anywhere in America today. (I actively hate Obama’s leadership style by the way)So what is next?
That is the question no asks anymore. What is next?
Kropotkin
Excuse me???
Bullshit.
Every country had/has bits and pieces of other countries and ideas within it.
The USA had a unique Constitution and pride of its very own.
And mindsets like PK’s is what destroyed it - presumptuous.
Thanks for this post, was a great one. What do you think about the private ‘federal reserve’ being put into play as well, that is a huge factor as well right? Or do you not agree?
You presume that usa had a soul to begin with, did she?
You cannot lose what you never had before.
It’s time to develop the spirit and soul of usa, to plant the seeds of spirituality.
What is the spirit and soul?
How and where is it planted?
How is it fed, nourished, and raised?
What are the fruits of such labor?
I disagree, James. Stats do not support that.
Europeans started coming at USA in bulk quantities not before 1600. Colonization started in 1700 but USA started to build as a nation only after 1800. These dates are approximate, not exact, give and take 20-25 years.
So basically, USA is a nation of having ahistory of merely two or maximum two and half centuries. This time is not simply enough for true amalgamation.
And, no matter how good its constitution may be, it takes time to permeate into the subconscious of the citizens. A nation takes many generations to form its unique character, its soul. But, USA started losing that before it was completely formed.
The constant inflow of immigrants is also one of the reasons.
with love,
sanjay
Upon further reflection, I have another theory to offer.
think of a game, say baseball. Now baseball has its rules.
You have a team of players and nine get on the field at one time,
you have a batting order and players who play set positions.
You also have rules and what happens if you violate those rules.
If you argue ball and strikes too vigorously, you get ejected by
those who job is to enforce the rules. If you use an illegal bat, you
get ejected and fined or suspended by more people (the league) who
are in the business of enforcing the rules. Any game played is played like
this, you have a game and rules and someone enforcing the rules.
Now we have a society, think of it as a game, we have rules and those
who are in charge of enforcing those rules.
If you break the rules, you have those who job it is to enforce those rules
come and enforce those rules. We have police, judges, district attorneys,
and places like jails, similar to hockey and the penalty box where those who violate
the rules spend X number of minutes. If the rule violation is severe enough, they kick
you out of the hockey game and they you get fined.
In life if you violate the rules and you might get punished by spending time
in jail (penalty box) for X number of time, hours, days, weeks, months and years.
Just like in hockey.
Now what happens if those in charge of the rules, where to selectively enforce the rules.
For example, what if say, Lebron could double dribble or travel when he feels like it.
If certain players or certain teams had a competitive advantage such as Lebron had, then the
competitive advantage of the game is destroyed. What if in life, certain players or teams have
a competitive advantage such as enjoyed by LeBron. They violate the rules and they are lightly punished
or not punished at all? So I break the rules, (law) and I am sent to jail for rule violation that
someone entitle doesn’t get jail for or even punished for? This competitive advantage destroys
the game, (life, society) just the same way it destroys a game like basketball or baseball.
Why does every sport severely punishes those who gamble, and play in or judge that sport?
Because it can create a situation where the gambling interest or the gambler himself may
try to change the game enough so they/him can win their bet. that act of compromising
the game to win the bet or money, destroys the game. This is what happens in life/society,
when forces change the game to give them a competitive advantage. They destroy the game
by giving a competitive advantage to certain players or teams. This is what has happened to America
today. We have given certain players and teams a competitive advantage with selective
enforcement of the rules. Rules by those who are suppose to be impartial judges have given us rules
such as citizens united giving certain teams an decisive advantage.
the point of impartial judges is to give us impartial rulings on laws/rules that apply to
everyone. When they fail to give impartial rulings, it destroys the integrity of the game/society.
I believe this failure to judge rules/law impartially has been very detrimental to the game/society.
One way we have lost our soul, is because the rules are applied selectively in America.
American citizens has seen crimes/rule violations go unpunished because of wealth, color,
creed and that has severely damaged the American citizen trust in the rule makers and the rule
enforcers. If I can’t trust the rules will be apply fairly and honestly, why play? We have lost
soul (in part) because the government has applied rules selectively and allowed certain teams and
players to have an unfair advantage. (which negates the idea of free market system which is nothing
more than a game and unfair rules and negates the idea of an invisible hand that is suppose to
allow the market freedom to act)
Americans trust in the government and its institutions are at an all time low and the reason (one of)
is the fact that americans see their government and institutions selectively enforcing the rules
and that has help the path toward americans losing their soul.
Kropotkin
100% agree, James!
Soul can be born in an instant, forged over a common purpose, developed over centuries. It is not a one-dimensional term.
This “country” once had spirit, and the sense to do what is right for itself. Now we jump into affairs that aren’t even our own, while our own citizens and “country” suffer. If the spirit of the people breaks, so does the countries. Because the people make the country.
Well said. And I agree with what you were saying earlier about a lack of leadership.
Ego-centric or selfish?
Like FDR was wrong to jump into WW 2.
With great power comes great responsibility.
Relax, China will soon take over your responsibilities.
Yeah like having an awareness of what constitutes a psychologically strong and healthy society. We don’t seem to understand what improves or damages this.
The reason I said itself, is because we are a figure for other countries to follow. It’s influence. If we are the best, other countries follow, because they want the best as well.
Whatever more or less knowledge of US I have, it seems to me that basically US was formed on the basis of entrepreneurship, innovation and liberty; the premise of Manifest Destiny.
This was supposed to be the soul of US, as perceived by its founders and forefathers. It was not a bad aim at all and its suited its citizen too, because most of those were risk takers and migrated from different European countries in the hope of better future. And, US also moved along with these lines.
This continued till the advent of Lincoln and civil war and US changed its course slightly; the concept of equality was included in the earlier premise of manifest destiny. From here on, the whole of US started moving in a particular direction as a nation.
It paid huge dividends in the term of prosperity and technical developments. This continued throughout the 19th century, which i think was the golden period in the history of US ever. US successfully established its leadership over the world in almost all verticals of the life by the starting of 20th century. All went well till some decades of the 20th century too, even first world war did not caused any harm to US. On the contrary, it helped US economy as it created the huge demand.
Then, the first real change in the course was caused by feminist movement. And, it was immediately followed by the great recession of the thirties. These two things joined together to reshaped the soul of US, which was manifest destiny by the large, till then.
After thirties, US left the premise of manifest destiny, which made it world leader in merely two centuries. That was the effect and evidence of not having completely formed soul. A difficult period of one decade forced US to change its perception and it slowly started moving left; depending on establishment for everything.
It lost its guanine spirit of fighting with odds and steer its way through difficult circumstances. The sense of personal responsibility was lost and only personal liberty was left, which is more or less the same till now.
But, by then, riding on benefits of the past developments, the sense of superiority complex started permeating in the mindset of an average US citizen. The victory of WW-2 and nuking Japan nourished it. The success of landing on the moon also added something to it.
The US pride took the first beating in Vietnam. For the first time, US establishment realized that it cannot achieve all that it wants. After fighting many years in Vietnam, US finally recalled it army in 1975. But, the damage was done already.
But, in spite of all this, US was still considered as different and better country by its citizens, by and large.
There was some pride left but the incident of 9/11 in 2001 sucked it completely. For the first time in the history of US, its citizens came with the terms of this reality that they are living that very would, where others also use to live, and as vulnerable to dangers as any other citizen any country may be. The following recessions added insult to that injury
So, that pride is also gone now, and in the name of soul, they are now left with the premise of personal liberty only.
Fellow members should understand my poupose is not to praise or demean any country. It is my undestsnding of US, whether right or wrong, and open to be challenged too.
with love,
sanjay
Genocide of indigenous people, child labor, monopolies, slavery, etc. etc. When did the USA have a soul?