Thread: What is wrong with America

What are you guys...republicans or independents? Dems vote early and often. Alas, I only have one vote as well guys. So that's 3 so far.

For 2016,, I'm headed to "Find A Grave" & pull up my dead relatives & get them a votin,,,

On side note, I don't know who said it but it rings true to the OP and on so many issues, "There's never enough time/money to do the job right the first time, but there is always enough for the second or third time."

Hey Pixel,, I hope you realize that this thread will be in full flames an hour or two after our European Brothers wake up ,,, that OP is going to start a feeding frenzy,,,

I'm going to keep an eye on this tread.........

What's wrong with America? Good post idea.

Many of the problems mentioned so far in my opinion, are symptoms of a larger and deeper crisis. Atheists and non-religious will most likely roll their eyes or dismiss the following, but objective truth is dead in America. Morality in America is now relative and truth is subjective.

We in America are in large part stupefied by our own hypocrisy. We snuff out any mention of God like a spent cigarette butt but in the same breath scoff with "moral" or politically correct superiority at what we think is "wrong" about another's actions. You can't be amoral and claim morality at the same time. I'm in sales and have the opportunity to talk to many people one on one. It's a great part of my work. Many many times in the last handful of years people I talk to bring up some shocking and heinous news bit or other things that could fit in the category of the degradation of our society and end rhetorically with: "What is going on with the world today?" and a shake of the head....

Sure some will argue something like: "Society can be civil without objective truth/religion. Humans know the difference between "right" and "wrong" innately. Our system of laws, although flawed in many ways, overall is sufficient in being the framework of our "morality" and society evolves. Majority rules."

Humans don't know the difference between right and wrong innately. Ask any cop that has to deal with people who are literally devoid of a conscience daily. If laws are the highest form of morality in a society then we're all just a bunch of animals. I actually don't mind the concept of majority rules in theory; unfortunately humans en masse are manipulated all too easily and are too easily convinced that the the ideas they share with most others are their own.

I believe we're on a fast track of degradation as a culture. We can't be offended by or call each other out on most any type of behavior now. My truth is not your truth and vice versa. If we are going that way, let's at least please stop as a culture with pseudo-morality. That's like an old man standing on the sidewalk shaking his fist and yelling at hoodlums to "get off his lawn" when in reality he has no lawn or no home to claim any longer.

Chris L

In the great USA, we need to quit voting in career politicians, and start voting in public servants, the way it was designed to be!! We also so need more educated voters as well, but the problem with that is the news media is where most of us are getting our info,from papers, news, magazines and the like, and they don't just report the news anymore. They report news with a spin that helps promote their own agenda, be it conservative, or liberal. We can't just write our congressmen any more because we don't have as much money as the lobbing groups!! Politicians just don' listen to the people that they represent any more!!

Originally Posted by ChrisL

I believe we're on a fast track of degradation as a culture.

I guess it depends on what one considers moral and immoral. One hundred years ago it was immoral to marry outside of your ethnic group. A hundred and fifty years back it was moral to own other human beings and treat them as property (a view endorsed in the Bible).

Icons of American capitalism made their wealth and moved this country forward by leaps by stealing and cheating.

When I compare to the past I don't see moral degradation, I see that the current generation are in some ways better people than the past ones, in other ways they are exactly the same just expressed in a different form.

Originally Posted by gugi

A hundred and fifty years back it was moral to own other human beings and treat them as property (a view endorsed in the Bible).

The admonition by the Apostle Paul for slaves to obey their masters was to demonstrate the love of Christ within them and the transforming affect it has on the believer. Not to endorse the system of slavery that had been in effect since time immemorial.

Ephesians 6:5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

The admonition applied to the masters, if they were believers, as much as it did to the slaves. There being no point in trying to direct an unbeliever's behavior, as the Gospel is "Spiritually discerned, and foolishness unto him."

YTMV
I am in favor of personal thought about a subject and these are only my personal reactions to society as I see it.

Watching local small town politics over the last 50+ years; I now see the third and fourth generation of these guys.
Where the ancient was a bit shady, each generation, it seems, has less ethics. Seems each of the generations get away with more than the last because there is no strong deterrent in the family structure.

I have no opposition, personally, to a spiritual position. Watch the old WWII Victory at Sea" or " War In the Pacific," or "The Army at War," or similar real documentaries. You see faith in action and non-denominational Chaplains to be of service first, to their men, and then their country. As it is said, there are few atheists in foxholes or watching a suicide aircraft coming toward their ship.

That said, many of the patriotic persons get slaughtered in any war and the shady guys find ways to get deferred. I came out of service in the 60s and re-entered college. I watched the folks that babied out or went to another country and those who got deferred by becoming teachers..Yup! They are the administrators of our schools and public systems. And the politicians in the Service seem go higher while the worthy guys get out and back to family and friends.
After retirement the Generals are hired immediately by Mega Corp and are past masters at manipulation of the politicians they lobby.

Just some of my thoughts, because I still believe this country can be turned around by local understanding of politics.
and thoughtful voting. The local guys are the ones that go up the ladder and may actually do some good for a school system or local needs.
As I say, Your Thoughts May Vary; put yours to use locally!
~Richard