What the hell is wrong with Americans who believe that wanting

[Thtwudbeme]

decent health care for everyone is a bad idea? That companies should pay a living wage...even if it means less profit for the owners or shareholders?

Why do Americans think affordable dental care for everyone equates to "Socialism?"

Good public schools in all neighborhoods are a horrible thing?

Why is Castro so horrible? What about de Lula, and Chavez terrify Americans?

And finally, why is it that believing that the creation of Isreal in it's location was a really short-shorted, stupid freaking idea based on myth instead of reality that we are Anti-Semetic?

What the HELL is up with this dumbassed country?

[BlueJac]

1. There are so many fools around....

we have the money if we spent it right for a change.

[malaise]

5. Good questions

Daily I am shocked by the level of conservatism on both sides of the US political spectrum. The rest of the world forms alliances even where there are differences to further agendas. Sadly I'm coming to the conclusion that the big Dems have lost much of their roots.

[trotsky]

2. When you figure it out, let me know.

The same thing drives me crazy.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Nations morals measured by their care for lowest levels not their highest.

[madokie]

11. As you can judge a person by the way he or she treats their pets.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. as for chavez

he is on a path to rid his nation of abject poverty - to the detriment of some Neocons' best friends. They are following the lead of Cuba as to access for medical care; the land redistribution is being cheered by millions; and he is standing up to the biggest, baddest ass in the hemisphere. And lots of nations are noticing.

I seem to recall that Bush was promoted as being the best friend for central and south america. except when it came to practicing what his PR staff preached. He has back-stabbed, under-cut, embarrassed, lied to, misled and made fools of those who took Bush's words, promises and handshakes at face value. Several of them have felt it at home too, seeing tht Bush is even less popular with their citizens than he is with Americans.

[madokie]

12. I have nothing but good things to say about Hugo Chavez

I have yet to see or read anything that may change that.
:toast:

[Missy M]

6. Because many Americans believe what they are told by their.....

so called leaders. They are afraid all the above would be communism or socialism, yet they go along with the Patriot Act with the argument that it is OK to give up their freedom for their safety. They believe that capitalism is the only way and eventually it will benefit everyone, which is not true. They believe poor people are poor because they sit around all day drinking beer and taking drugs and don't go out and work. They can't think for themselves and figure out that no one can survive on minimum wage alone. They believe there is no racism and affirmative action is unfair. There is no explaining the way they think as it is not rational, but that is what they think anyway.

[sui generis]

7. it goes back to "values"

if your values are that the world exists to serve you, and that you are the chosen one, and that anyone who experiences misfortune and misery deserves it, then of course your values would lead you to claim that public healthcare is wrong, that taking care of your neighbor is wrong, that people who aren't as asshat conservative and selfish as you are, are evil.

But if your values say to treat your neighbor as you would yourself be treated, to do no harm, and to have respect for the world and creatures in it, to strive to make things better for yourself and even for people you don't know, then patent selfish self-interest is at odds with our philosophy.

I am willing to pay taxes more wisely and spend money more effectively if it means that people get a chance to be healthy, to acquire a higher education, to make a wage and pursue happiness.

Your question is better expressed as "What the HELL is up with the other dumbass half of this country?"

The short answer is, half of us were raised in fear, fear of black people, fear of white people, fear of poverty, fear of wealth, fear too much or too little freedom, etc., and that clearly cuts across all parties.

The other half is raised on hope, and real values, and cooperation, and genuine kindness and compassion and not crocodile tear sentimentality.

The fear/scared guys are really good at panic, and staying in a permanent state of panic, and getting other people to panic with them. WE have to get better at spreading hope, and spreading positive values and building strength based on humanity and human decency and giving a damn about people we can't see and the world around us and the creatures that live in it.

[Qibing Zero]

8. Those people think it's all about 'choice'.

Funny how that doesn't apply to personal freedom for them, huh?

Here's the deal:

People think health care for all means that they can no longer choose what doctors, medicines, etc to use. They can't relate to anyone whatsoever, so they don't understand that a good portion of the country doesn't have a choice AT ALL. They think 'each according to his own' and that they deserve anything they want if they can afford it.

It all ties into the bullshit social darwinistic beliefs that people without money/resources are lesser than people with it.

[melody]

9. We're raised by bullies with a paranoid terror of the world

Anything that smacks of unity scares them.

[Coyote_Bandit]

10. My theory

is that you can trace everything evil back to a lust for money. And those evil deeds are either the result of fear or greed.

So either Americans are afraid of losing what they have or they think they have to have more than the guy next door. Take your pick. They both are true.

Anything that can't be traced directly to a financial motive can be traced to some belief that the individual needs to "submit" to some authority figure. And if you look at that authority figure you will find a financial motive. Even the crazy frickin fundies can be understood in this context (say professional pastorate dependent upon the financial contributions of the more well to do members of their congregation).

Call me a cynic.

Edit spelling

[mwb970]

13. We are becoming a nation of fools.

I read in the paper this morning that 45% of Americans believe that humans were created in their present form less than 10,000 years ago. 45%. What kind of country can you make out of citizens like that?

[RagingInMiami]

14. Castro is a dictator who imprisons dissidents

There is no free press in Cuba. And yeah, they might have healthcare, but they barely have anything to eat in Cuba.

But I don't understand what is so bad about national healthcare. I'm all for that.

[Thtwudbeme]

17. I am trying to find a link for you to disprove this myth

However, I can tell you without looking that the people I have met from Cuba (who still live there-not Miami Cubans) while I was in the Carribean looked pretty healthy to me.

Don't believe the myths that you read about Cuba; remember, everyone else in the world with money vacations there. If there were widespread starvation, we would hear about it from Canadians.

You haven't heard anything from Canadians, have you?

[RagingInMiami]

18. I have a friend who just returned from Cuba

He is Chilean, but lives in Miami. He is not caught up in the Miami Cuban drama.

He told me the Cubans were not allowed in any of the hotels. He told me he met a family of Cubans that were very nice, but very poor. That they had one chicken for the whole family to last them for a month.

Before he left, he gave them a bunch of his clothes because they hardly had any clothes or shoes.

There are constantly Cubans fleeing Cuba for Florida by any means possible. These are not the old-school Miami Cubans who've been here for years, but people who have lived under a communist dictatorship for several decades.

My uncle, who is Colombian, went to Havana for his honeymoon. He reported the same thing. He said most Cubans are afraid to talk about it because they never know who is listening or who is a spy.

It's not all negative news coming from Cuba. There is a positive spirit there. A lot of family unity. But there is repression.

So no, I "haven't heard anything from Canadians", but I have heard things from South Americans who actually speak Spanish and decided to venture outside their hotels and mingle with the people.

I would imagine it's tough to see the repression from the comfort of your poolside lounge chair in your luxury hotel.

Just cause I say Castro is a dictator doesn't mean I support the embargo because I don't. And it doesn't mean I'm against a national healthcare system.

I just think Cuba is the wrong model. I rather look at European countries or Canada as a successful model.

[Thtwudbeme]

19. OK that's fair enough

Did you have fun in DC?

[RagingInMiami]

20. I had a blast

It was very impressive, refreshing and empowering. I can't wait to do it again.

[Thtwudbeme]

22. It was fun meeting you at the H and D

That night was a blur!

I was so excited over NSMA, and MisU that I could barely act like an adult! In fact, I didn't!

[RagingInMiami]

23. That night was a lot of fun

I don't even think I got to meet NSMA, but I did have a very constructive conversation with MisU. And the night for me was also a blur.

I hope I didn't stick my foot in my mouth too many times.

[blindpig]

24. the repression must be pretty well hidden

I stayed in the Bay of Pigs/Zapata Swamp area and Pindar del Rio for a week while birdwatching and saw less signs of repression than I've seen in Peru or Guatemala. Yes, the people are poor but we know the primary reason for that, the embargo. And yes, there is a positive spirit. How could that be maintained in the face of 40 years of repression? Not saying that everything is or was perfect, only that it is nothing like the propaganda which we are fed.

I had a long discussion with our guides concerning Fidel's inevitable departure from the temporal plane. The nut of it was that there will be changes but not too many as they thought their system worked for them. Mostly they wanted more consumer necessaries which are very hard to come by.

I am a better person after having visited Cuba.

[RagingInMiami]

25. I'm all for lifting the embargo

Not only is it a failed strategy, it's a hypocritical one as well considering we openly trade with China.

[damntexdem]

15. Support for universal healthcare was a majority position in 1992.

The rightwing, in part through Harry & Louise commercials, tried to change that. Harry & Louise was very deceptive, starting out saying 'we all support universal healthcare' and then moving, in a totally-scripted campaign, toward attacking it. The rightwing succeeded in taking the momentum out of support for health reform, but the support for universal healthcare did not decline much. What DID change was that antigovernment sentiment increased greatly. Over a decade later, the erosive effect of conservative ideological hegemony has likely taken its toll on support for universal healthcare; but I woiuld still like to see a poll on the topic. I suspect that support is still high.

[geniph]

16. Follow the money, honey, follow the money

What's one of the most profitable shell games in the history of mankind - getting anyone with money to ante up protection just in case they might become sick and making hospitals for-profit entities? That's right - private insurance megacorporations. Of course they'll fight anything that threatens their obscene, inflation-proof profiteering over the bodies of the sick. 90% of the anti-health-care propaganda out there is funded by the insurance companies.

Ditto the socialistic governments - look who's most frightened of them and who stands to lose if those governments maintain control of their national resources, instead of being nice little puppet governments for us - the global multinational oil companies.

[PowerToThePeople]

21. I have this to say to them...

[Nay]

26. Because the American public is mainly composed of SHALLOW

IDIOTS who think school, reading, and introspection are BORING. They want to watch TV, shop, and gossip about their friends. They want to look at cars, clothes, and stereo equipment. Only when those things disappear, along with food, water and shelter, will they look up and notice.