Germany's past, our future?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

Can Germany's not so distant past and America's near term future be glimpsed in this one image? If not, someone please tell me how we're to avoid it. Do we possess the stuff revolutions are made of? Do we really?

[TankLV]

1. Only time will tell.

Sure gets closer every day, doesn't it!

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

4. Like the Mack truck bearing down...

...on you in a bad dream and your legs don't seem to work for some reason. You wake up in a sweat with a fast pulse as you were just about to be smashed. Now that Mack truck's got the smirking chimp's face on the grill, it's getting close, and this ain't no dream.

[NMMNG]

2. True story

I was at the Green Festival on Sunday. I was at one of the booths looking at anti-Bush stickers and buttons and a middle aged woman spied one that had a picture of Hitler on the left and Bush on the Right. It said Same Shit, Different Asshole. She commented in a distinct German accent on how true it was and we ended up having a long conversation about how horrible the Bush administration is for America, and how similar it is to Hitler and the Third Reich. When she stated that it frightened her how so many people seemed to not see this I told her about the rally and march the previous day. She was pleased to discover that there were indeed people out there who knew as she did that Bush was evil, and were doing something about it. It was a great conversation.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

5. That sounds like a great conversation...

...and a great time. Thanks for sharing it.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. What do you mean by "future"? Don't look now, but we reached that....

...point in December 2000.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

7. I guess I think of the...

...stolen 2000 presidential election as the beginning, but it's probably closer to the truth to say it's when I really became frightened by these people and started paying attention. I won't argue the point of whether we're already there, you may be right. McClellan's press briefing today was absolutely chilling---listening to him use the phrase "automatic trigger." They clearly intend to govern the states with the iron fist of Bushco's militia. That's how Hitler ran things inside Germany.

[Rodger Dodger]

6. Always look on the bright side of life!

As bad as it might seem today. Things will get better: just as it has in Germany.

Look at their Dutch Mark vs the US dollar. Last time I checked it was 1.43 Euro for one American dollar. Germany has come a long way in the past 50 years.

There'll be no quick turnaround in conditions here in the US: after all Germany has been around a few hundred years longer that the US.

We, like them, will learn by our mistakes and believe me we have made many. Take health-care for instance. Don't listen to the pendants! I've had to waite for over a month and a half to get an appointment to see a doctor.

Capitalist Governments love debt(though they preach otherwise); they thrive on it. They realize debt will inevitably bring about inflation. They borrowed huge sums of money:and the federal reserve let them barrow as much as they want. Greenspan let the money flowed like water, and they built houses and remodeled and upgraded their businesses. Banks set out billions of credit cards to tempt the unsuspecting to barrow themselves into bankruptcy.

They intend for the tax payers, pay of the debt with inflated dollars. The people will pay more, for goods and services, and get less for their money. Open your eyes and see how the food cartons and cans have been downsized. It's as simple as that.

Permit me an aside: My father was born in germany. One day I came home with a large bag of potato chips. He was furious. He took them from me and brought me into the kitchen...took a rolling pin and crushed them into powder. When he was finished the powder hardly filled a teaspoon.

He told me I had bought air not good food. And he didn't want to see me do such a stupid thing again. What a lesson I learned that day 70+ years ago.

I was in Germany two years ago, visiting my relatives, and was astounded while making a purchase in a small grocery store. A women had a quart of milk and requested the check out girl open it up and pour the milk into her a container, she had brought with her. When I told my cousin we wouldn't do anything like that in America; he just smiled and said "eventually you will. We learned a lot since the war. We conserve everything we can. He told me that when they purchase a case of beer they return the bottle "with the bottle cap on it," Nothing is waisted that can be used for a good purpose.

They've learned that you must have a certain amount of socialism to off set capitalism. They believe in hard work, and every job important and is respected.

Those of us who've lived through the depression of the 1930s understand. You young folks will learn soon enough :and it will be a had lessen indeed.

They believe you a persons is as wealthy as what he can do without. That's the direction we are heading but it will take many years before we become thrifty with our cash and resources.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

8. How I'd love to have...

...the mental capacity to stay positive during these times. It's certainly true that despair solves nothing. Thanks for the wisdom, I'll work on it.