Whats the bottom line driving force behind this nation being so fucked up?

[mtnsnake]

Seriously, it's almost surreal. It's as if we're living in a nightmarish movie, only this is for real. Something this bizarre and crazy in the good ol' USA just CAN'T be real, but it is.

So what's the cause? Is it money or the lack of? Is it personal or corporate greed? Is it religion gotten out of hand? Is it a fear of dying at the hands of an enemy? Is it brainwashing? Is it the Idiot Dust they drugged half the country with? Is it something as simple as sheer stupidity?

There's gotta be some underlying cause for a once-great country gone rotten and half the people walking in lockstep like overdosed zombies. Any ideas what happened?

[lectrobyte]

1. I don't know. I think peak oil is playing a part, and it could well be

just the natural arc for any empire.

[Donnachaidh]

2. Theocratic and Corporate Greed

They want to dar us back to the Dark ages, when the Church ruled alonside the wealthy landowners.

[magellan]

3. Power and money

The two are entwined and always lead to bad shit. Which is why the Repugs are particularly at fault.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

4. Greed

Greed for money, greed for power. The moneyed want more money and the powerful want more power, so they steal it from the rest of us.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. H.L. Mencken provided the answer years ago.

“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” - H.L. Mencken

[hatrack]

6. Apathy, Ignorance, Greed - pick your poison

nt

[Armstead]

7. Materialism run amuck

We have basically allowed the ultra-pragmatic materialistic view repress all otehr social and individual values. There is no longer a balance.

"If it mnakes money it's good. If it dfoesn't it's bad." That's the mantra.

This effects every aspect of life. It also makes individuals feel helpless against larger economic forces.

Although I totally disagree with them, I believe most Chjristian Fundamentalists are reacting against that too. Their complaints about the nation's moral fiber are actually a backlash to the same materialism.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

11. That's what my Fundy born-again boss says

moral decline since the 50's.

Of course, then I edjumaketed him on the 20's. :evilgrin: that was fun.

[yurbud]

53. GOP's fall back propaganda for disgruntled righties: a pox on both their

houses.

"The Democrats are bad too. Blah, blah, blah..."

That's what my racist, paranoid dad says too. The problem is there are enough corporatist Democrats and critical issues when they marched lockstep with the GOP to make the point credible. It's a tough sell to say there aren't as many bad democrats and they aren't as bad.

[anarch]

8. complacency

I think the majority of Americans are allowed to have just enough comfort and convenience that they won't take to the streets when their rights are stripped away, while at the same time being beholden to their jobs or whatever else so that there is a nearly equal amount of fear involved--fear of losing the comfort that they have now, I mean, if anything in their personal situations were to change drastically. But I think mostly just complacency.

[mtnsnake]

28. Yup, makes one go hmmm...

Complacency can lead to lots of problems. Whether or not it's responsible for what's going on is arguable, but it certainly is food for thought.

[Subdivisions]

37. Complacency is the reason they got us.

You're both right. We have become comfortable and we don't know what it means to fight back against our government.

We got too comfortable and now we're paying for it.

[kineneb]

47. bread and circuses

just like the Romans... keep the plebeians placated with cheap food and plentiful entertainment... they won't notice that the empire is being driven into the ground... until it is too late...

(anyone see that guy named Dieter?)

[demnan]

9. I'd like to take a "What's the Matter with Kansas" approach

If you've read that book the author observes that people have the sense that the culture of the left is not for them. As the middle and working class people in Kansas get more and more impoverished, they increse their voting for the Republicans, thus voting against the interests of their pocketbooks. I think we need to find a way to reframe some of our stances on things so they'll see the left as everyday people. Clinton could do that, Kerry, though he has many fine qualities, could not. The next successful Presidental candidate will not be the ideal candidate of the left. He/She will be a candidate of the center who can reassure people he's like them. I see this taking hold in Virginia now. Webb is almost there, but Webb is not your typical Democrat. We need to find more principled people from the Center to join us and run. Don't despair yet, I think we have a chance to work our way out of this, but we just have to work hard.

[mtnsnake]

24. Perception

Good and interesting post from an angle I wasn't thinking of.

When I first read your post I thought you were answering the wrong question. Then I read it again and realized you (or the author of that book) are pointing out a vital point that perception can rule over anything, even reality. We've kind of failed in recent times as coming off as Average Joe American, haven't we. That perception needs to be changed so Average Joe can be reassured that Democrats are for him, not against him.

Part of the blame is on ourselves for this perception issue. Yup, a little bit of reframing the issues sure would go a long way in benefitting ALL Democrats in the future, be they from the left or center. It's all about perception, and in recent times, there are so many people who have a perception of Democrats that doesn't jive with their way of thinking. We need to change that perception for sure, as opposed to letting rightwing neocons like Rush frame the way they want Democrats to be perceived.

[lumberjack_jeff]

31. It's possible to be populist and liberal - especially economically n/t

[peekaloo]

10. Apathy and Irony

no not that McCartney/Jackson song. :hide:

too much of the former and not enough recognition of the latter.

[Armstead]

14. Actually, I think irony is part of the problem

Don't get me wrong. I love irony.

But I think it has gotten out of hand. Taken to its' extreme the fatalism that drives irony leads to inaction and cynicism.

I think part of the underlying problem raised by the original post is that instead of the (perhaps misguided) sincerity and idealism of the 60's got rechanneled into the irony that has prevailed since the 70's.

The left half of the spectrum thus disengaged and retreated into smirking, detached irony, while the right wing became more sincere and dedicated to their pursuit of their own goals.

Thus, they were working, while we were amusing ourselves.

Today we see it in peograms like the Daily Show. I love the Daily Show. But the underlying message is "Laugh but don;t get involved because everything is F***d up."

[peekaloo]

15. Excellent point.

:thumbsup:

[The2ndWheel]

16. Not enough irony in our diets

I think the organized pursuit of ever increasing power by anyone is the actual problem.

[Armstead]

25. But too much irony helps that by diffusing opposition

Again I'm not against irony. But like any otehr nutrient, too much irony is bad for the body politic.

[mtnsnake]

27. "Thus, they were working, while we were amusing ourselves"

Oh, for sure that's part of it. Part of the blame falls on us for goofing off and lagging behind. We never dreamed what might happen.

[The2ndWheel]

12. We're too successful

That's what happens with every civilization/empire. That success then leads to one of two endings; you crash into another expanding center of power that is more successful than you, or you turn in on yourself because you're the only expanding center of power left.

Since there are no nation-states left that we can go to war with, and there is currently only one way of living on this planet, we fall into the 2nd category.

[spanone]

13. 6 years of neocon fascist policies with no oversight.

Government of, by and for corporate profits. Fuck the people.

[malaise]

17. Madison Avenue diversion

via network and cable TV - consumerism gone mad. Add a useless educational system to that and the nation has been dumbed down and numbed down.

[leftofthedial]

18. apathy.

a tiny percentage bothers to vote.


and ignorance.

an even tinier percentage knows the slightest thing about what's going on.

[kentuck]

19. Lies

and the people's desire to believe them.

[Bluerthanblue]

20. "Control freaks" think about it...

.. why do fundies demand that women be forced to bear children that the same fundies refuse to share the responsibility to care for? And why do men make up the vocal majority among them?

How in the WORLD does homosexual marriage 'threaten' traditional marriage?????

Curse words are forbidden, but the self same moral 'leaders' can say hate filled, personal attacks on others which are FAR more harmful than saying someone is full of excrement- aren't we all?

Money when you reduce it to it's basic value is the ability to CONTROL

Power, weapons, threats, imprisonment, ridiculous laws, and secret tribunals are all simply ways to wrest CONTROL from individuals-

Spreading 'democracy' is nothing more than a ruse for destroying governments that refuse to let others have 'control' of the people it governs, and leave them vulnerable to "OUR CONTROL".

The control freaks have landed--- and these little men (and women) will eventually control this planet straight to hell- or self destruction.

Self determination is a threat to those who need to have everything 'just so' in order to feel 'safe'- individuality, diversity, and tolerance is too frickin scary... cause what if "I'm not who I'm supposed to be?"-

People who have no self confidence, or true convictions will destroy anyone and everyone in their pointless, frantic, pursuit of 'control'-

[raccoon]

39. Great post. A lot of it is about control.

"How in the WORLD does homosexual marriage 'threaten' traditional marriage????? "

Homosexual marriage is a threat to a patriarchal society. Or, some people perceive it as a threat. They think in a marriage, the man should be the boss and the woman subordinate. If two men marry, or two women, who's going to be the boss?

[treestar]

72. I think that is true

If one thing goes wrong, they are out there wanting to make rules for everybody to prevent it from ever happening again. The next thing goes wrong, they want more rules. They are obsessed with preventing things from going wrong and spend all their time on that, leaving no time for things that might go right.

They want rules for themselves to follow, too, so they can say they followed them and not be responsible for any results.

[smirkymonkey]

77. Insecurity, I think is at the root of all of it.

If we were secure, in our worth as human beings, in our spirituality, in our masculinity or femininity, in our ability to secure food, clothing and shelter even during hard times, etc....we would not be constantly grabbing for more and trying to destroy others in the process of "measuring up."

We are taught in this society that unless we are number one, we are worthless. Only "winners" are wanted. Since we can't all be winners, that makes us insecure and fear for our survival in this culture. Most people have this underlying anxiety if they let down their guard for a minute, they will be destroyed or others will surpass them. Therefore we are a nation of strivers, never content with what is and constantly needing more to prop up our weak, terrified little egos.

[John1956PA]

21. The wasteland of cable TV programing which displaces reading.

There are many other distractions with which intellectually lazy people are preoccupied. Such distractions include the over-hyped NFL, the annual Christmas frivolity, and insipid local TV news programing. The inability of most Americans to exercise critical thinking leaves them open for brainwashing by the propaganda of right-wing talk radio. Just yesterday, I got an email admission from a right-wing talk show host who finally admitted to me that, on his show a few days ago, he wrongly asserted that Richard Clarke's job had not been downgraded by Condelizza Rice in January 2001. However, I doubt that he took to the airways to retract said erroneous on-air remark. Add to said right-wing radio propaganda the religious propaganda emanating form the churches, and the sum is an uninformed, brainwashed electorate.

[tbyg52]

38. Hi John1956PA!

Welcome to DU! :hi:

Yep, the lies get out on the mass media, and get retracted in whispers, if at all.

[One_Life_To_Give]

22. Feeding Christians to the Lions

Opiates for the Mases

Americans have given up on paying more than token attention to anything of consequence.
Most are only focused on just enough to get thru their day and the current Opiate du jour, baseball, nascar etc.

[omega minimo]

23. RONALD FUCKING REAGAN

WHY DON'T YOU PEOPLE GET THAT YET?

"Seriously, it's almost surreal. It's as if we're living in a nightmarish movie, only this is for real. Something this bizarre and crazy in the good ol' USA just CAN'T be real, but it is."

This "nightmarish movie" began in 1980. It's called "The Big Lie." Some of the older folks fell asleep and some of the young ones were too little to remember. The "historic" version they learn is crafted to catapult the propaganda.

"There's gotta be some underlying cause for a once-great country gone rotten and half the people walking in lockstep like overdosed zombies."

That's when the American people started "walking in lockstep like overdosed zombies."


Listen to Thom Hartmann. He'll explain it to ya'll. :hi:

[omega minimo]

45. This answer encompasses all the others. Please learn your history.

:hi:

[bunkerbuster1]

57. Yeah, firing the air traffic controllers was the first step.

When that happened with very little public outcry, I think the bad guys realized they could get away with practically anything.

[omega minimo]

69. "the bad guys realized they could get away with practically anything"

........................
.............
............
.........................
and here we are........................................

[Beelzebud]

26. Too much faith, too little education.

[Tyo]

29. We thought the US could run on auto-pilot....

while we shopped and watched mindless crap on TV. We were sitting ducks in 2000. The Rethugs took us to the cleaners then and have been consolidating their power ever since. The great majority of Americans out there is only now starting to realize that, yes, the Rethugs really are THAT bad.

[cally]

44. I agree with you...few talk about politics or think about it

We bought into the lie that all politics is a waste of time, all politicians are the same, and government affairs are not important. This mindset started under Reagan and became a mantra of our time. Most went off to live their lives and thinking buying the latest gadget, knowing the latest Hollywood scandal, and the intricacies of professional sports was much more important than knowing who their politicians were and how they voted. When you go to parties, almost noone brings up politics or discusses values and governmental actions. We run on autopilot and try to only discuss things that are not controversial. I am starting to sense a change. Many bring up politics to me now and want to discuss it.

[Tyler Durden]

30. THE PEOPLE.

We can blame rePukes or the Pig Bush or Reagan...but it comes down to: THE PEOPLE.

Who's fault is this?

If the populace is stupid...
THE PEOPLE vote for and support schooling.

If the populace believes stupid lies and propaganda...
THE PEOPLE are lazy and listen to entertaining "propaganda" like it's truth.

If idiots and poltroons get elected to public office...
THE PEOPLE either voted for them, or the ones who didn't support them didn't vote in enough numbers.

If the air sucks or the water sucks or housing sucks or cities suck...
THE PEOPLE are the greedy and selfish BASE for the greeding and selfish elected bastards who do it.

If the nation's elections are illegal and stolen...
THE PEOPLE have redress under the constitution; they're just too lazy to use it.

If state-sanctioned evil abounds...
THE PEOPLE are responsible at the bottom line; they DO SOMETHING about it, or silence implies agreement.

When it all comes down to it, if the Government is Stupid, Evil, Illegal, or any of many other myriad ills, who is finally responsible?

THE PEOPLE.

[mtnsnake]

33. True & as some previous posters implied, part of the blame is on us people

...yes, we Democrats, for lagging behind and letting Republicans frame the issues and frame how Democrats should be perceived.

As we sit here today wondering what went wrong, our Democratic leaders are still lagging behind with an identity crisis. We're still failing to get people to perceive us in the manner we want them to perceive us. That aspect has to change, and hopefully it will if our think tanks wake up and address this problem.

[BlooInBloo]

32. The stupid, bigoted American public.

[mtnsnake]

34. Yes but if they're that stupid then we've failed to take advantage of them

while Republicans have mastered the art of fooling the ignoramuses. We need to give the repukes some competition.

[BlooInBloo]

36. That's one way to look at it.

[Skidmore]

35. Things. Stuff. Do you have enough stuff? If you buy a lot of stuff

you make jobs. Once you get a lot of stuff, you need to protect your stuff. And if you want stuff belonging to someone else and they won't give or sell it to you, then you take it by force. The Great God of Stuff is worshipped on altars of all sizes, from corporate conference rooms to trailer countertops. How many and what kind of clothes does one person need? How fast do you need to travel? Do you really need to be available and reachable every minute of the blessed day? How many electronic doodads with digital clocks in them do you need? How much stuff do you need to decorate your nest with? What stuff do you put in your refrigerator and your cupboards? And now services have assumed the role of stuff too. How much goes into making all that stuff? Bottom line is we want our stuff in this nation, at any cost--dollarwise or in blood.

[Bluerthanblue]

48. stuff, food, drugs, habits, busy ness, obsessions. religious fanaticism...

are all just props, things we use, or do to fill that void that exists in all of us-

That yearning that is there, and (I believe) is SUPPOSED to be there in order to keep us from just becoming blobs... or complacent, uninspired, robotic machines.

The 'angst', the curiousity, or restlessness is something we have been taught, or learned to think is to be avoided, or supressed asap. And society is the lesser for it. We fill our lives with 'things' our time with 'busy-work' our minds with 'crap disguised as entertainment' to avoid feeling the stirring of change and growth that disrupts our 'comfortable numbness'.

And we are the losers. Ask an Afghani who has fed their family grass to survive, to describe the delicious taste of an apple, the feeling of laying down to sleep without hunger pangs contorting your tummy- how it feels to have shelter that keeps the winter cold and weather off your children as they grow. - What a joy it is to walk after months in a cast-- despite the discomfort, to be FREE to walk on your own....

Our basics are 'over-met' in the US- and so that yearning is not quieted by the simple struggles that we win- like surviving till tomorrow- and we seek more and better ways to

"get that satisfaction".

We don't really want the 'stuff' we want our yearnings to be met-

[Skidmore]

50. We live in a nation where capitalism is the religion and

where any discussion of sharing wealth in any way to better all is greeted with hysteria by people worried that the "godless communists" are going to take over. Since WWII, we have been steeped in this idea that buy and selling in the market place is paramount. I don't think it is about wanting or yearning anymore. It more derives from a culture that has been encouraged here. Most people in America have little idea about the experiences of daily living beyond their immediate village or town or county. They are pretty parochial in their worldview. The void is to certain degree manufactured because we are bombarded with images and messages that tell us that we will only be satisfied if we have this or that gadget, shoe, food item, car, toiletry item. I would wager that more often than not people don't desire those things until confronted with an image and told that everyone else wants and needs it. We are also discouraged from believing that satisfaction can be found in simple things or things well done, or that any experience of pleasure must necessarily come with a price tag.

[Bluerthanblue]

55. I could be wrong

but I believe we are born with yearning built in. Succoring at a mothers breast quiets the yearning- being held when lonely or afraid does too- as we grow our yearnings are still there, and seek fulfillment, but the more we meet them with meaningless stuff, the greater the search for what will do the trick.

I've known yearning, and felt fulfillment in simple ways. A rest well earned. A thirst quenched. Another winter weathered without death or injury. When these daily challenges aren't valued, how do we meet that 'yearning void'?

And that is where the greed, overconsumption, escapism, and lusting come from.

money is necessary in this country- but needs can be met by gleaning the cast-offs of the 'rich'. And unless pride gets in the way, the yearning for basic needs can be well met, even with little $. With the important exception of 'health care'. And that is a 'killer one'. Been at the poverty level and below all my adult life- I've also had some of the richest experiences I could ever imagine.... its been a long strange trip... and I only regret the chances I had to be more caring and gentle- because that fills my yearning in the most positive of ways....

peace

[burythehatchet]

40. fundamentalism

[blm]

41. Fascism - and those pushing it bought control over most newsmedia.

What has been the historical obstacle for fascists - the newsmedia. So they bought control of it FIRST and it only took them 20 years to do it.

[mtnsnake]

42. Yes, to an extent they have, but at the same token, we've sat by idly and

let it happen...and most of our leaders have not been vocal enough about it. You're right, though. They got to the media first.

Just the same, in the wargame of politics, Republicans have handed our asses to us on a silver platter. Some serious catching up and fighting back needs to happen, and I think it will. It's just a matter of time, but our people can't let much more time run out. They have to fight back, and they have to figure out how they want Democrats to be perceived, and then they have to make that perception happen.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

43. It's because human beings have the potential for great evil and venality

within us. We also have the potential for great charity, creativity, generosity and kindness.

Which potentials are explored depend on choices that individuals make, the influence of leaders, and a lot of historical luck and accident.

America is entering a "perfect storm" scenario of a complacent population that has had decades of relative prosperity, combined with the effect of half a generation worth of propaganda, and now a ruthless leadership with full control over the government, fully able and willing to exploit what was a narrow advantage to the fullest extent. Add to this a feeble, ineffectual and essentially irrelvant opposition party and a corrupted, consolidated corporate media, and you have the elements necessary for the slide we are experiencing.

History seems to give examples that show where all this may end.

[Greyhound]

46. It is our in character, it has always been thus. From the very beginning,

those that came over on the Mayflower viewed themselves as the pinnacle of God's creation. With the certitude that is only possible with the indoctrination of religion, they knew they were superior to the core of their beings. They, and we, have no compunction about stealing from, lying to, or even killing, their hosts because they are the anointed of God and the others are subhuman savages, and therefore, there is nothing wrong with doing whatever is deemed necessary or desirable to them.

This national inculcation lead to the acceptance of slavery, broken promises and treaties entered into, with no intention of carrying them out, with the natives, and even genocide. It fosters the firm belief in such obscene fictions as Manifest Destiny, a classless society, and equality. It created the mythic perception of individual freedom, unless your accent is unfamiliar, your skin is too dark, or you lack a penis. It created an environment where it is legitimate to forcibly take the land from even our own citizens to turn it over to cronies in favor, to use state-controlled military to force workers to labor in dangerous and difficult work for no compensation to the exclusive gain of said cronies.

What we are seeing today is simply the inevitable result of acculturated national bigotry. It is so deeply rooted in our culture that we have become its victims as well as its perpetrators. We have watched, and even cheered, as our rulers have used murder and terrorism to enforce our will on our own citizens, as well as the hapless residents of other nations.

We have been witness to the degradation of "the American Dream" from one of liberty to that of "owning a home", or mere consumerism. Where the average citizen concludes that rich people and large companies shouldn't have to support the very system that made their wealth possible, that the poor and sick are simply lazy shirkers and deserve to die in the streets if they cannot improve their situation by themselves.

There is nothing "un-american" about what is happening today, quite the opposite.

[StellaBlue]

49. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Greedy oligarchs propped up by uneducated, irrational, sheepish theocracy-craving maniacs.

[yurbud]

51. Oil companies. Read THE PRIZE by Daniel Yergin

the degree of influence they have on our government dwarfs pro-choice, pro-life, the NRA, Cuban Exiles, and the Israel lobby combined.

Have you noticed that we invaded the country with the world's second largest oil reserves and that is never seriously mentioned in the US as a cause, even though it was all over the BBC News?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

52. Ignorance and obliviousness

To paraphrase the title of Neil Postman's book, we've been "amused to death."

Listen to any garden variety conversation out in public. What are people talking about? The majority of times it's either pro sports or something that was on TV last night or fashions or the sexual exploits of some celebrity.

How often do you hear people people seriously discussing politics?

People have been made to feel that it has nothing to do with them, and quite often, they're right.

[telegonus]

54. Stupidity mostly but also religion

Last Sunday when First was asked if he thought waterboarding was a form of torture, he replied that answering that question would only help the terrorists. And when he said this, I'm sure many Americans were shouting at George Stephanopoulos for being a liberal-pinko-commie terrorist symphathizer -- just because he asked Frist something tantamount to: Senator Frist, do you think being a bachelor amounts to being unmarried?

It's absurd that "if I answered that question, I'd only be helping the terrorists" is an acceptable answer for a politician in this country, and it's only acceptable, I think, because of the overwhelming stupidity of the average American.

Religion plays a role too, but I don't think it would be as dangerous if the average American wasn't so stupid.

[Kickin_Donkey]

56. At its most fundamental level ...

I think it goes back to the "city on the hill" thing, that America is special, that it's a shining beacon of freedom and democracy, that it's somehow different and thus better than any country in the world. That mindset, along with its vast size and geographic isolation, leads to an insulated, ignorant view of the nation itself and of the world.

This mindset, coupled with secondary maladies that others have mentioned -- bread and circuses, corporate greed, Christian fanaticism, hyper-materialism, bigotry, oligarchy -- has created a citizenry that says "it can't happen here," that by and large doesn't question the government, that overlooks the invasion of an innocent country because one "must support the troops," that's in denial about the nation's descent into fascism, that our security it paramount but thinks nothing of killing thousands in a foreign country in a "shock and awe" demonstration.

It leads to mythologies that it's a nation of bounty where anyone can pick themselves up by their bootstraps, meanwhile ignoring the vast poverty and people dying because they can't get health insurance. It allows them to gloss over the genocide of Native Americans ("manifest destiny"), the assassination of foreign leaders (Allende), the napalming of little girls, the torture of "terrorists," that our soldiers are golden boys even though they can act savagely and cruelly like any soldiers from any country in any war.

This feeling that American is special and unique and virtuous puts blinders on us and slants our whole view of ourselves and the world, thus affecting our actions within and without.

[brook]

68. "the city on the hill"

being presented as a fait acomplii instead of an ideal to continously strive toward.

May be the reason for some of the "Love it or Leave it" rhetoric, eh?

Thanks to all - lots to think about in this thread. DU at its best.

[PassingFair]

58. The poor, and the religious, those with their "lumps in the bed"

next to them, those who are scared of "racy stuff"
and "ideas" on TV, the anti-intellectuals,
the hypocrites; the disenfranchised, racist,
rural masses are getting their own back.

They got served in the 60's and 70's.
Now they're having their revenge.

GET USED TO IT.

[TWiley]

59. It is a blend

Religion, Conservative Politics, Extreme Patriotic Nationalism, and Militarism.

[earth mom]

60. GREED, GREED and MORE GREED!

Rampant, unchecked greed is at the center of the destruction of this country.

Hell, even churches in this country are GREEDY to the point of putting ATM machines in their lobbies! WWJD? Certainly not that! :eyes:

[Jcrowley]

61. Perhaps it's only the mask being removed

Without going into a litany of the wars, the hypocrisy, the continuous violation of "inviolate" principles", the promotion of democracy in name only, the instant reversion to police state methods at the slightest touch, etc.... is all of this really so far fetched?

In a word, I'm not sure that what we see isn't the actual face of America, now returned to "normalcy"... just as the right-wing has claimed.

Having lived on an Indian reservation I assure you there are few illusions there about this "once great nation."
Perhaps nothing "happened" except for more people waking up to what is right before them.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

62. Ignorant people who fall for propaganda or aren't paying attention.

This will keep on going on until people say enough and also when the media starts doing theri jobs.

[EstimatedProphet]

63. The people are spoiled, and some of them are mean

The citizens have been taught that freedom means the same thing as an expensive standard of living. They now associate all the good things about America in terms of consumer goods, and that talk about how great a country this is because of all the gadgets you can own. Meanwhile, there is a solid group of meanspirited shitheels here that get off on the power trip of bombing countries and hurting foreigners. it's entertainment to these people to hear about how we're torturing people and killing innocent civilians in Iraq. We can never get too vulgar or vicious for them - they will always want more, so long as they don't have to risk thier own hides.

[Cleita]

64. About half the population is racist, sexist and homophobic.

These are the baits that the power hungry right wing use to bring that part of the population to their side. I need not even bring up the race baiting that is done, however, the sexist is more subtle, framed in the abortion and stem cell research issue. It has nothing to do with being pro-life. If it were we wouldn't be at war. It has everything to do with keeping women in their place. Then there is the homophobic part, gay marriage and other divisive issues that are thrown out to the gullible so that the real issues never see the light of day.

[omega minimo]

70. Well put. They foster IGNORANCE

[kerry-is-my-prez]

76. bingo! And a media that spoonfeeds b.s to them also.

[pitohui]

65. religious and ideological hysteria

religion for those who can't think at all, libertarian anti-gov't claptrap for those who think they are "logical" but are actually not capable of very deep thought

simple answers for simple minds

like the great dan quayle said and who should know better, half of all americans are below average

[The Stranger]

66. NEOCONSERVATIVES AND NEOCONSERVATISM.

[Marr]

67. The concentration of wealth in too few hands.

It's anathema to representative government. When one person can buy more representation than the next, the problem snowballs. Media consolidation is one symptom of this problem.

[A wise Man]

71. Stealing elections was just a test

once they got away with stealing the presidential election in 2000 the next focus was the Governorships, house and congress across the land, the finale was the 2004 which placed the icing on the cake. Once they figured that we weren't going to do anything but complain without action they figure they can do as they please. The coup' was in place. There you have it!!!

[alarimer]

73. The Christian Right

and Republicans in general but mostly the fundies and their enablers.

[TheFarseer]

74. All problems stem from one thing:

Money is corrupting politics. Our government would not make nearly such stupid decisions if someone was not paying them to. It's that easy.

[omega minimo]

75. RONALD FUCKING REAGAN

[Generator]

78. Denial, and appeasement-like all betrayal

But I think what we've had (or thought we've had) at least for a good majority of the people in this country for fifty years is an anomaly. That's right-how many middle class Democracies really exist in the world-and how long have they been at it? Europe has-and they already had their kings, fascism, revolutions and war, war,war.

Americans know nothing of history and why should they? Life here is (for most-white anyway) easy. At least it was. Even here in always liberal Portland, Oregon it was and now I know the difference. $500,000 bungalows. Condos for $350,000 in areas where I used to rent for $225 a month. Cheap living is coming to an end. The middle class experiment was nice. But it cannot last. Our leaders (ALL of them) are nothing new. ME first, they say. My pockets first. And the people are yes-lied to and they accept it. Bread and circuses. I know, T.V. is the enemy! I love T.V. and always have-but I have always known propaganda when I see it. And after a long day at slogging at some shit job, you want to deny me my entertainment and beer? WHY? So I can storm the bastille? They tried that in the 60's and what happened-society changed but everything since is a backlash to that. And "they" aren't going to let it happen again. No draft. A new Pearl Harbor, and no dissent allowed because we watched death happen on live T.V. to people who did nothing but wake up and go to their shit jobs.

Maybe I gathered a little history along the way. Oh, and expect the worst of humanity, you will never be disappointed. GOOD LIFE in America is coming to an end. It's not anything new. WE let it happen, slowly. The fear created by 9/11 was just the coup de grace, the icing on the cake. We believed we were better. We believed we were different. We believed the constitution would protect us. And so we sit, mouths agape, watching it all happen like a horror movie. How did this happen? Like every pound on you, one calorie at a time. One little compromise in congress at a time. One MORE uncontested election that defies logic.

Oh, and some delusions that you weren't really THAT fat, and it couldn't happen to you-you who have always been trim. D. E. N. I. A. L.

And George W. Bush is sure as hell right about one thing, the Constitution is just a piece of paper. Without people willing to give their lives to defend something, that's all any idea can ever be. America will be just another third world hell hole for the majority-not a Democracy, only low paying service jobs and torture if your resist.

When the conservative George Will said the inauguration of 2005 of Bush looked like a banana Republic, I think that was our clue. Congress should have walked out in mass-every one that calls himself a Democrat YEARS ago. Those in power lie. They deceive. They hide and the lie some more. And those that represent us allow this to be NORMAL, acceptable by affirming it with their presence.

One betrayal, one thing at a time. It's been five years. Imagine another five. Or better yet-pray.