Remember what is was like to be proud to be an American? (pic heavy)

[bluestateguy]

The US economy was a job producing machine, with rising standards of living.



We had balanced budgets.




We were respected in the world as a leader, not a bully





A president who took natural disasters seriously



Safer streets, less crime.



A real commander in chief, who respected the lives of the people who wore the uniform.





I remember how proud I felt to be an American as I watched our athletes march into the stadium in Atlanta in 1996.

[ourbluenation]

1. how did we get from there to here????

The last 6 years just blow my mind...wake me up when its over.

[Goblinmonger]

4. I've been pinching myself

for the last 6 years so that I could wake up others, but it isn't working. I do remember some dream about a guy offering me a couple pills...

[Coastie for Truth]

7. How did we get from there to here.

Read "What's the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America" by Thomas Frank

*We were conditioned to hate and fear gays.

*We were conditioned to hate and fear choice. We were conditioned to hate and fear science (including Darwinian evolution, stem cell research, and even a "simple" explanation of global warming and intensifying hurricanes based on human activity).

*We were conditioned to hate and fear Muslims. We were conditioned to hate and fear "Eastern Elites" (did you know - Bush is Andover, Yale, Harvard Business School, family money comes from slave trade, financial services, trading with Nazis, deal making with House of Saud?).

*We were conditioned to accept trashing the Constitution as the price of "freedom" and as a sign of patriotism.

[FreedomAngel82]

12. Stealing an election also comes into play....

[Coastie for Truth]

13. The election has to be close enough to steal

(I worked at the Election Protection phone bank in 2004 - Ohio "may have been" close enough to steal).

But the Republican machine on the ground - and campaign of lies - and Swifties - brought it close enough to steal.

[Im with Rosey]

2. That trip down memory lane was inspiring

Thank You

[YOY]

3. Why can't 1/2 of the nation see that???

Or roughly 40% as the case may be.

When the worst thing to happen was the president lying about his personal affairs.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Seems like a lifetime ago

Will we ever return to days like that?

[gumby]

6. Fascism is Fun

You get to puff out your chest, strut around, smirk, and be better than anyone else in your rugged individualism.

You're in the best country.
You're part of the best race.
You practice the best religion.
You practice the best gender roles.

Why heck, YOU are simply the BEST!!!

[OhioChick]

8. Ahhhhhh........

The good old days. :)

[txindy]

9. I can barely remember those times.

There's not much to be proud of these days, no doubt about that. Once the CIC (Criminals In Charge) are imprisoned, though, we may get back to those days, eventually.

[FreedomAngel82]

10. I miss those times

And notice also that Clinton didn't play dress up either like Bushie does. *sigh* :(

[IndyOp]

11. Don't read my response if you just want a feel good thread...

I miss Bill a whole, whole lot, too and * is a nightmare for the US people of previously unimaginable proportions - no doubt.

The US imperialistic trajectory began, however, long before * and continued through Clinton. During Bush I and 8-years of Clinton 500,000 Iraqi children died needlessly from starvation, lack of medicines, and environmental contamination from the Gulf War. Iraq infrastructure was bombed weekly throughout the 8-years of Clinton under the guised of maintaining a 'no fly zone'.

There have been over 250 Military and CIA interventions since World War II. There is not a single modern American president that does not have blood on his hands from using the military to support the interests of US corporations - and that includes Presidents Clinton and Carter. See http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1567512526/104-9493292-4855910?v=glance">Killing Hope by William Blum.

And each time the military is sent the story told to the US public is that 'they wanted to take away our very way of life' -- code words for our prosperity, our nice houses, cars, TV's. Our prosperity - which the OP waxes poetic about in the first few graphics - has been built on the backs - and graves - of people around this world.

I refuse to judge the state of our nation solely on how well our citizens are doing -- we must also take responsibility for knowing how our actions are impacting peoples all over the world. How are they doing?

I don't just want the Iraq war to end - I WANT THE WHOLE DAMNED IMPERIALIST HOUSE OF CARDS TO FALL. It must. To save our planet, we must stop using the military to control resources, markets, people.

:kick:

[Political_Junkie]

16. I know I'm a little late catching this thread, but

since no one else responded to you. May I just say, Bravo. My thoughts exactly.

[IndyOp]

20. Thanks - It helps to know someone read the post and approves.

I don't post responses like this to rain on anyone's parade - there are BIG important differences between Rethugs and most Dems.

*, however, did not come from no where: Leaders DO reflect the will of the people (although the ones who steal elections do so to a lessor extent).

* reflects the will of the US people who want to maintain their 'very way of life' and who believe that the only way to be 'secure' is to have the worlds biggest military. The Project for the New American Century (the Neo-con bible), is packed with ideas that have been at the core of the American psyche since the moment the US freed itself of the UK.

We've got to get very, very realistic about who we have been and who we want to be to make a real change.

:kick:

[T Town Jake]

14. I completely agree - definitely a better time, with much superior...

...leadership than now.

Just wonder, though, how long it'll take the first asshat to show up and start accusing Bill Clinton of being a "DINO."

If recent experience is any indicator, it probably won't be long.

[MissWaverly]

15. I too had tears in my eyes

I remember when Clinton visited a Italy doing the Pope's funeral, they
were booing Bush from outside the church, but people were running up
to Clinton while he walked through the streets. Another thing I realized is, you notice your shots are all long shots, that's because
these are shots of a "working" president, most of the shots of Bush
show him staring directly into the camera, he's giving a speech, which
is probably 90% of the photos of him in office, either speaking or getting on and off the plane, or walking his dog, or "vacationing."

[leeroysphitz]

17. Don't remind me...

I wish I was dead.

[SammyWinstonJack]

21. It is depressing.

:-(

[AuntPatsy]

18. Today's march proves all is not lost.

[Mr_Spock]

19. Has the elevator stopped on "Hell" yet?

I can't believe we have gone down SO FAR in just 5 years. GWB is the worst President in the history of this country. He should be impeached before it's too late...

[Robeysays]

22. damn. damn. damn.

i was barely old enough to remember those earlier years, but if they were as good as the later ones... i miss 'em bad.