Without a doubt, greed is what will bring this country down.

[IsItJustMe]

Everybody is looking in the wrong direction. Many seem to believe that terrorism or some other form of external threat should be our major concern.

But from where I sit, the answer is self evident. Chrysler will fail because of the greed of hedge fund operators who are betting against its success, and thus Americas success.

Because of our banking systems influence over our congress, effective corrective action to fix the current financial crisis is out of the question. So we will continue to poor billions of dollars of tax payer money into a broken system, thus ensuring the short term wealth of a few over the long term health of everybody else.

And to top it all off with, a person could very easily come to the conclusion that it is the Military Industrial Complex that is now driving our foreign policy rather than the true needs of safety and security of the American citizenry.

Obama is a prisoner of the system he has inherited. I sense that he has wisdom, and I am glad that he is in the drivers seat as our president in such times.

However, it seems to me that in order for real change to come about, something will have to occur that will release the president and congress from the chains and shackles of powerful money interests that now have a strangle hold over this country.

I could be wrong, just my opinion.

[RagAss]

1. We are down. It already happened. This is the last dance of our death right now....nm

[cali]

3. we'll see. most predictions of that sort

don't bear out. My dad was constantly making predictions like that- 40-years ago. Of course in the long run societies do fall, but how imminent that fall is, is anyone's guess.

[RagAss]

12. So was my dad...I hope my kids are saying the same about me 40 years from now.

[seabeyond]

2. lack of integrity. i think. greed is a part of that, but i dont think all our problems

would be from greed alone. there is a lot of problems that are equal ..... and i think it is a lack of integrity. sometimes it means a person decides to actually not do something, because it hurts us individually or as a whole

[defendandprotect]

4. No ... elitism and their system of capitalism . . .a ridiculous "King-of-the-Hill" system . . .

intended to move the wealth and resources of a nation from the many to the few.

Unregulated capitalism is merely organized crime.


Granted Fed is part of that system --

and MIC is part of corporate take over of our lives --

Making bombs is better for the elites than building libraries --

education/knowledge/information is dangerous to them when others possess it!

[dgibby]

5. Greed, global warming, torture, lack of accountability,

it's a toss up as to what will get us first.

[OHDEM]

6. The perfect storm of stupid? nt

[glitch]

7. They do say the love of money is the root of all evil.

But I think the thing causes greed is the root of all evil.

[flvegan]

8. I'd say ego, of which greed is a part.

[IDemo]

9. Lack of basic human empathy is the father of all other evils

When an individual or a nation can commit grievances against another without regard for the welfare of those they injure, there is no remaining impediment for things like greed and vengeance.

[RagAss]

14. Good point...empathy took a hike....once they controlled the religious message...

you knew it was just a matter of time before they killed the basic human gift of the soul that is empathy.

[IDemo]

15. "the basic human gift of the soul that is empathy"

I like it. Nicely said. :thumbsup:

[blindpig]

10. Rampant greed is a result of capitalism.

Sure, greed is a potential behavior in any human, but when you have an economic system which actively promotes and rewards such behavior then that's what you're going to get. An economic system which emphasized cooperation would get different results. I doubt that greed can ever be eradicated, but it can be relegated to a distasteful anomaly, rather than the monstrous, killing thing it is today.

[sohndrsmith]

11. have to agree with Rag and seabeyond - but I think both greed

and lack of integrity are secondary to the blatant dismissal of empathy. The pervasiveness of selfishness and rejection of empathy and community, or giving as a meaningful endeavor in and of itself has bred the relentless greed and the marginalization of the concept of integrity.

I guess empathy and integrity go hand in hand, though, don't they? Whatever the catalyst, none of it is hopeful. But the human spirit is an amazing thing. The fact that anyone is questioning these concepts is a signal that the goodness of this ethic exists, however stomped on it may be at the moment...

The idea that there has been a growing tendency to ignore the fact that we are dependent on a social, basically cooperative, integral community with both conflict and grace, capitalism and generosity (and everything else in between) in some manic effort towards personal gain at the cost of the very things (and others) we need, whether we "get" that or not - is just really, really stupid.

It's scary to think that integrity has become not just less than optional, there seem to be far too many who view it as irrelevant. That's just frightening but it seems to be a reality.

Yikes..

I frequently wonder that those who have this mindset must have never suffered from a crisis or misfortune or loss, or perhaps worse: weren't able to acknowledge the support of others. We aren't built to be completely self-sufficient in such solitary extremes. Even if we manage to amass a lump of stuff or riches, we can't survive in isolation - whether removed from "society" or in it under pretense. One wouldn't have such a plan unless he/she was hell bent on self-destruction.

Oh.

It does seem like there are a bunch of us who actually are that idiotic. In fact, they seem to be intent on publicizing their self-obsolescence every time the reasonable people pause for a moment. Right now this group seems to be in the curious effort of persuading the rest of us that they are suddenly something new. Man, they're scary...

[salguine]

13. Abraham Lincoln said it best, 171 years ago:

"At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth in their military chest, with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide. —Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois, January 27, 1838

[cherish44]

16. Amen, brother!

You nailed it

[cherish44]

17. Amen, brother!

You nailed it