Posted on Nov 18, 2015
Americans aren't sure anything in america works anymore.
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I don't understand why Americans would say our best days are behind us. They must not realize what our country has been through the past 17 years. If the good days are behind us, I shudder to think what the future holds for us. Our "Best Days" are not behind us at all. The past three administrations have been through hell, but there are always optimistic leaders out there that think they can do better. Those doubters ought to take a knee and thank God they are Americans. Our country wasn't built on what happened before our time. It was built on what we can all do now to make it better.
A new survey finds rising numbers who say the deck is stacked and our best days are over.
Here's a brief, non-exhaustive list of things that a new poll says Americans don't have much faith in: the government, businesses, the economy, the power of their vote and the future of the United States.
The overall mood of the country is one of "anxiety, nostalgia and mistrust," according to the 2015 American Values Survey, which was released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute.
"Fear is not an emotion that you see often in public opinion polls, but it was clearly there in the fall of 2008 and early 2009" after the economic collapse, said Karlyn Bowman, of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, during a Tuesday panel discussion of the survey. "Americans aren't confident that we've fixed what went wrong."
Many, in fact, see the country as on the decline. The poll found that 53 percent of Americans say the nation's culture and way of life have changed for the worse since the 1950s. Forty-nine percent now say America's best days are behind it, up from 38 percent who said the same in 2012. Democrats remain more bullish, while Republicans and tea party members are the most pessimistic.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/america-future-survey_564bae1de4b045bf3df193bd?ir=Politics%253Fncid%253Dnewsltushpmg00000003
A new survey finds rising numbers who say the deck is stacked and our best days are over.
Here's a brief, non-exhaustive list of things that a new poll says Americans don't have much faith in: the government, businesses, the economy, the power of their vote and the future of the United States.
The overall mood of the country is one of "anxiety, nostalgia and mistrust," according to the 2015 American Values Survey, which was released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute.
"Fear is not an emotion that you see often in public opinion polls, but it was clearly there in the fall of 2008 and early 2009" after the economic collapse, said Karlyn Bowman, of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, during a Tuesday panel discussion of the survey. "Americans aren't confident that we've fixed what went wrong."
Many, in fact, see the country as on the decline. The poll found that 53 percent of Americans say the nation's culture and way of life have changed for the worse since the 1950s. Forty-nine percent now say America's best days are behind it, up from 38 percent who said the same in 2012. Democrats remain more bullish, while Republicans and tea party members are the most pessimistic.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/america-future-survey_564bae1de4b045bf3df193bd?ir=Politics%253Fncid%253Dnewsltushpmg00000003
United States
Government Administration
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Future
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 10
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I know what works. I've seen it. I've studied it. Individual liberty.
I know what doesn't work. I've seen it. I've studied it. Centralized control.
We the People have surrendered individual liberties for centralized control. Why? Are we collectively that dumb?
I know what doesn't work. I've seen it. I've studied it. Centralized control.
We the People have surrendered individual liberties for centralized control. Why? Are we collectively that dumb?
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Capt Seid Waddell
CPT Jack Durish, I think one fundamental problem is with those that run our educational system. The kids today are not being given the fundamental civics that used to be taught; many schools have become indoctrination centers for the left, which looks to the government for support instead of personal responsibility for one's life. This leftist indoctrination selects for the kind of representatives we have been electing.
This does not speak well for the future of our culture, IMHO.
This does not speak well for the future of our culture, IMHO.
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MSgt Marvin Kinderknecht
CPT Jack Durish - I am not part of the "we". I liked Obama at first but, the more he talked the more came out BS. P.S. I did not vote for Hilary either.
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CPT Jack Durish
MSgt Marvin Kinderknecht - I never "liked" Obama for President (or Hillary) and never voted for either. Still, I am one of We the People and must accept responsibility. After all, did I do all that I could to help elect someone better. Honestly, no. I never much cared for or about politics. I didn't want anything from the government beyond its constitutionally limited functions and, thus, didn't pay enough attention to it. I suspect that many Americans shared the same boat with me, and were similarly surprised when we looked up one day to discover this cancer growing in Washington.
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Good question.
Is it legitimately worse now than fifty years ago or just different?
A "simpler time" with "obvious" problems like the Soviets and blatant racism versus our modern "complex world" without a clear enemy to hit and hidden societal ills.
Can it be a case of the "older i get, the better I was?" And as we get further away from that time the more we idealize it and whitewash the problems of the time.
Or is it a lack of faith? Not in God but in our fellow Americans. Because that's what it takes to destroy a country. You can survive bad or incompetent citizens and leaders, but you can't survive not having faith in that they love their country as much as you, albeit in a different way our with a different vision.
Is it legitimately worse now than fifty years ago or just different?
A "simpler time" with "obvious" problems like the Soviets and blatant racism versus our modern "complex world" without a clear enemy to hit and hidden societal ills.
Can it be a case of the "older i get, the better I was?" And as we get further away from that time the more we idealize it and whitewash the problems of the time.
Or is it a lack of faith? Not in God but in our fellow Americans. Because that's what it takes to destroy a country. You can survive bad or incompetent citizens and leaders, but you can't survive not having faith in that they love their country as much as you, albeit in a different way our with a different vision.
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SGT (Join to see)
SPC (Join to see), I think it's a lack of faith with our government. All this Democratic and Republican turmoil going on doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling for our future leaders. It's past time for them to mend the fences and start using some common sense to pull themselves and our country together. I have to admit, over the past 17 years I have not felt as safe in my homeland, as I did prior to 9-11. I have felt even less secure in the past 4 years with our lack of strong leadership. If you don't feel safe with your CO, due to lack of knowledge, or leadership, you're liable to get killed in combat. IMHO, the same goes for here at home. I have had a lump in my chest since ISIS has gained so much momentum over the past two years, and other than air strikes, and guessing if you killed an ISIS stronghold, ISIS continues to wreak havoc and grow, as we saw last week.
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Capt Angela Brees
I think you are asking the right questions. We've tackled a lot of the "low-hanging" fruit when it comes to societal changes, but now we are down to the more nuisanced issues. For example, women are more educated and out in the workforce in higher percentages than anytime in our history. Now, we have to face how and why women are paid less than men. We've minimized and marginalized the existence of organizations like the KKK, but we now have to address the more behind-the-scenes, institutional racism. Just these two examples do not have a simple, quick fix. The work will be hard, and take years to address.
There is also a lot of discussion around the "good ole days" syndrome, where we picture the past as a simpler, happier time. Each and every generation is subject to that as we age. Here is one article I found after a quick search: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-neurochemical-self/201107/the-good-old-days-were-awful
I think, as a country, we are stuck in a transitional phase right now as we grow and evolve as a society into our next iteration. I, for one, am optimistic we will come out the other side okay, and maybe even a little better for it.
There is also a lot of discussion around the "good ole days" syndrome, where we picture the past as a simpler, happier time. Each and every generation is subject to that as we age. Here is one article I found after a quick search: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-neurochemical-self/201107/the-good-old-days-were-awful
I think, as a country, we are stuck in a transitional phase right now as we grow and evolve as a society into our next iteration. I, for one, am optimistic we will come out the other side okay, and maybe even a little better for it.
Why the grass seems greener in other centuries
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Capt Angela Brees
Capt Angela Brees - Oops - it should read "nuanced" not "nuisanced" issues, although the issues are most definitely annoying to some. :)
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MSgt Marvin Kinderknecht
SGT (Join to see) - I feel POTUS does not want to hurt his buddies. Let's just do a little bit to keep the people happy. Same with illegal's. We don't want to stop them, we just want the American people THINK we are. I still think the B-52 and a few tons will either cure the problem or at least scare the hell out of them.
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Well if our government does not start doing better VERY soon we are going to be fighting for our lives and freedom on our own soil.
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SGT (Join to see)
SSgt David Tedrow, and MSG Brad Sand, if that happens, it won't be a conventional war. It will continue to be smoking out the cowardly and crazy terrorists, and eliminating them one by one. It will be akin to a civil war, fighting our own who have gone to the other side. It's going to take more than our military. It's going to take ever more vigilant private citizens watching out for each other.
I think, after the dust settles in France, and as time goes on, it will be like 9-11, and after a period of time, most Americans will forget about it and continue to be spoiled rotten and let someone else worry about it.
I think, after the dust settles in France, and as time goes on, it will be like 9-11, and after a period of time, most Americans will forget about it and continue to be spoiled rotten and let someone else worry about it.
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MSG Brad Sand
SGT (Join to see)
When was the last time we fought a truly conventional war? With declarations of war and both sides following conventions? I guess the Gulf Wars...kind of but really.
When was the last time we fought a truly conventional war? With declarations of war and both sides following conventions? I guess the Gulf Wars...kind of but really.
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SGT (Join to see)
MSG Brad Sand, I would have to say WWII. Pretty much anything after that has been fighting against terrorism and communists, with no clear defined front line.
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MSgt Marvin Kinderknecht
SGT Bodine. I interpet "more vigilant privates citizens" to be--better start packing. We have more crazies than ever. A man shoots his wife and kids and it is the guns fault. A guy gets fired and shoots up the office, guns fault again. We don't know who our enemy is or where he will show up. He has already been in schools, resturant movies, and every highway in the US. I blame a lot on the old song: Let's go out in a blaze of glory. Sort of like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid. I still say, if they don't know Roger Staubach or Jerry Bradshaw--shoot them!! They are not Americans.But, hell what do I know. I am just a dirt farmer from Kansas.
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