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A new Gallup poll suggests pride in America is waning. Currently ranked #33? While some of the research terms are subjective, and who cares what USA Today says, what do you think?
Are our best years behind us or ahead of us? Are we shaping a better tomorrow or is the American Dream dying?
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/americans-are-down-on-america-190304928.html
Are our best years behind us or ahead of us? Are we shaping a better tomorrow or is the American Dream dying?
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/americans-are-down-on-america-190304928.html
Posted in these groups: 
Pride
United States
Pride United States
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 45
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The dream is alive and available to those willing to pay the price. It is much less likely to be achieved by those waiting for it to come to them.
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The Dream is Still Alive - Many have to WAKE UP from their Current reality - and see what is going on around us. Many are so in debt that they cannot stop to think about what is going on - the Pressures that we are under are SOO Heavy - we keep our heads down - Moms & Dads both work - so we get up before the kids are off to school, drive in Congested traffic - to work for someone else's Dreams and Profits - Do our time - and probably watching our Co-Workers - and Friends Get Laid off - and the person left in the Shop has to assume a Heavy work load - then we get back into our Cars - sit in traffic - and return home - get dinner, homework, and hopefully some quality time with our families... This CYCLE Must stop.
We must work on the foundation of our families - I left Corp America and opened my own businesses - 3 Franchise locations - I thought the more I grow - the better my family will be - I was never taught to be a Business Owner - we teach our children to be workers - and to WORK Hard - and you will get what you want - I Worked Hard - My daughter was 5 when we opened our 1st store - she use to Stand on a Milk Crate to ring up our customers & nap under the register station - Who Knew what was coming... The Great Recession - we were able to hold it off for 3 years - 2010 my world crumbled - what I did not Learn was what was Assets - and what was Liability - 3 stores - House on the water - multiple rental property - nice cars - The only asset that I had was my 1997 Dodge Van - After going through the process of closing our books - we realized that we we focusing our energy on the wrong things - need to FOCUS on Faith - Family - Finances - our Future and then FUN - we currently manage a business from our Home - We have now have a Plan - a Path to reach our American Dreams - which include leaving a Legacy for our Grandchildren.
I am PROUD to be an American - I am Glad that I can hit the RESET Button - and today is a NEW Day.
We must work on the foundation of our families - I left Corp America and opened my own businesses - 3 Franchise locations - I thought the more I grow - the better my family will be - I was never taught to be a Business Owner - we teach our children to be workers - and to WORK Hard - and you will get what you want - I Worked Hard - My daughter was 5 when we opened our 1st store - she use to Stand on a Milk Crate to ring up our customers & nap under the register station - Who Knew what was coming... The Great Recession - we were able to hold it off for 3 years - 2010 my world crumbled - what I did not Learn was what was Assets - and what was Liability - 3 stores - House on the water - multiple rental property - nice cars - The only asset that I had was my 1997 Dodge Van - After going through the process of closing our books - we realized that we we focusing our energy on the wrong things - need to FOCUS on Faith - Family - Finances - our Future and then FUN - we currently manage a business from our Home - We have now have a Plan - a Path to reach our American Dreams - which include leaving a Legacy for our Grandchildren.
I am PROUD to be an American - I am Glad that I can hit the RESET Button - and today is a NEW Day.
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SSgt (Join to see)
You missed what I said. I didn't disagree with anything that you said. There is nothing past the last line. lol
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I think Brad Pitt's line from Fight Club best summarizes my point of view.
"God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."
The American Dream used to be "come to America for a better life." However, to quote some more, the opening scene of the pilot episode of the TV show The Newsroom, "We’re seventh in literacy. Twenty-seventh in math. Twenty-second in science. Forty-ninth in life expectancy. A hundred and seventy-eighth in infant mortality. Third in median household income. Number four in labor force and number four in exports. We lead the world in only three categories: Number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending, where we spend more than the next twenty-six countries combined, twenty-five of whom are allies."
We used to be a people that aspired for more. We put a man on the moon when people thought it was a pipe dream. But, somewhere along the line we got complacent. The American Dream is not dead, but it is dying. We can bring it back if we try hard enough.
"God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."
The American Dream used to be "come to America for a better life." However, to quote some more, the opening scene of the pilot episode of the TV show The Newsroom, "We’re seventh in literacy. Twenty-seventh in math. Twenty-second in science. Forty-ninth in life expectancy. A hundred and seventy-eighth in infant mortality. Third in median household income. Number four in labor force and number four in exports. We lead the world in only three categories: Number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending, where we spend more than the next twenty-six countries combined, twenty-five of whom are allies."
We used to be a people that aspired for more. We put a man on the moon when people thought it was a pipe dream. But, somewhere along the line we got complacent. The American Dream is not dead, but it is dying. We can bring it back if we try hard enough.
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SSgt (Join to see)
The newsroom summation as it is has truth but it also has that undercurrent of this nation was never great and coming from a guy who is full of himself.
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I think the American Dream is slowly dying as it becomes strangled by a throw away culture of selfishness & irresponsibility.
Don't like what your spouse has to say? Don't work it out, just get a divorce.
Forgot to use protection and got pregnant? It's not your fault, just have the child aborted.
Tired of working for things? Quit and get on welfare, you can do drugs, & find places that allow you to abuse your usage of the welfare system.
Why be informed about government and politics? You're not going to use your right to vote anyways.
Our country is in a bad way right now as we slowly hand over our rights in the name of fairness, in the name of safety, in the name of best interests.
Don't like what your spouse has to say? Don't work it out, just get a divorce.
Forgot to use protection and got pregnant? It's not your fault, just have the child aborted.
Tired of working for things? Quit and get on welfare, you can do drugs, & find places that allow you to abuse your usage of the welfare system.
Why be informed about government and politics? You're not going to use your right to vote anyways.
Our country is in a bad way right now as we slowly hand over our rights in the name of fairness, in the name of safety, in the name of best interests.
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Since we're talking opinions here, here's mine. I don't believe pride in America is wanning. I think more and more of the country is becoming tired or what is going on with this Administration. This Administration came on board with a strong favorability rating with the promises of a better "Change" for America. Unfortunately it has taken almost 6 years for more and more Americans to wake up and face that what has happened and is happening has NOT been a change for the better. A Congress that is unwilling to work out differences and has caused more hardship for citizens; Then we have Obamacare, IRS, Benghanzi, Syria, Russia/Putin, ISIS, US-Mexico Border, Iran/Nuclear issues, selective enforcement/delays of parts of laws by executive order (illegal), the Presidents refusal to deal or negoiatate with Republicans, his own party pulling away from him, Iraq back in the forefront, and the beheading of journalist James Foley, and the Presdent's lack of involvement, his appearence to fanning the flames of racism in local issues, failing to accept responsibility for Administration failures, failure to hold anyone accountable. Many see his actions during this second term as him being on an extended vacation at tax payer expense until time for him leave office. With all this I think American Pride is still there, however, Americans and are becoming more frustrated with the way the rest of the world views us, the lack of respect the rest of the World now views the USA. The President appears to the rest of the World leaders as a chior boy invited to a gang fight. Not going to get in it, don't know what to do about it, and just runs away from it. I still have pride in America, but I'm pissed at the black and fat lip this Administration has given us, and we're gonna get hit a few more times over the next two years. It will take years and new leadership in the White House and Congress to put the Country back on the right path back to being the USA, Leader of the free world and for us get the respect again that goes along with that. Americans have pride, that's why we're becoming more and more a pissed off nation with the way things are. This is just one old First Sergeant's opinion as he sees it.
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The dream is dying because of our culture.
Our values are totally out of calibration.
Hard work is not valued. Sacrifice is not valued.
Successful, hardworking and educated people who might impart good traits on their children are not reproducing, or are starting late and barely hitting the replacement level (2 kids).
People who believe that they are owed something are raising children dependent on the government who grow up feeling entitled to a job, healthcare, a funded education (should they decide to pursue it) and food and money from the government coffers.
No one is listening for opportunity to knock, they are too busy watching American Idol.
Young people are raised with an indifferent and fatalistic view of politics and are more concerned with keeping up with their favorite reality show than learning a thing about this nation or its history.
We are the alcoholic with liver disease or the smoker with lung cancer...
Short attention spans, laziness and materialism are a cancer.
We are infected.
And no one is willing to quit the vices that are killing us.
If we don't wake up there won't be a 'dream' left to save.
Our values are totally out of calibration.
Hard work is not valued. Sacrifice is not valued.
Successful, hardworking and educated people who might impart good traits on their children are not reproducing, or are starting late and barely hitting the replacement level (2 kids).
People who believe that they are owed something are raising children dependent on the government who grow up feeling entitled to a job, healthcare, a funded education (should they decide to pursue it) and food and money from the government coffers.
No one is listening for opportunity to knock, they are too busy watching American Idol.
Young people are raised with an indifferent and fatalistic view of politics and are more concerned with keeping up with their favorite reality show than learning a thing about this nation or its history.
We are the alcoholic with liver disease or the smoker with lung cancer...
Short attention spans, laziness and materialism are a cancer.
We are infected.
And no one is willing to quit the vices that are killing us.
If we don't wake up there won't be a 'dream' left to save.
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1LT Shawn McCarthy
No sir,
I believe that in our value system in our culture, which I point out is out of calibration, hard work is not valued.
I thought that was evident.
I apologize if it wasn't.
I believe that in our value system in our culture, which I point out is out of calibration, hard work is not valued.
I thought that was evident.
I apologize if it wasn't.
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SSgt (Join to see)
Yes but what hard work? ATMs are replacing tellers, Bots are taking minimum wage jobs from McDonald's cashiers and what are the new technologies going to be? Who will train them and who will hire them? The problem is low-skilled workers will become further marginalized and so it goes. We need to be honest and start providing opportunities that went away with coal factories, steel mills and so on.
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Suspended Profile
I don't think hard work need to be solely physical, or even at all. Man's ability to use reason is his key to success. I'll use a brute as an example, with a brute being a human without reason/intellect/etc.
No matter how much it wants, or how hard it tries, no matter what application of mindless effort and force, a brute could never turn a rock into iron, iron into steel, steel into a car. A brute cannot create value. There is no inherent value in force. It's our minds which are key to creating value.
It's a person's ability to use reason to figure out how to extract iron from iron ore, and to recognize that combining iron with carbon creates steel. And it takes the brilliant power of the mind to invent the concept of a car, then to transform that concept into reality.
Physical force/manual labor/etc are necessary to manipulate reality in the manner prescribed by one's intellect, but it's not the source of value. Eventually, we can have robots doing all the physical portions, and even have robots build our robots. Sure, there will be times when minimal amounts of physical input are required by a person, but that is not where the value comes from. Truly valuable hard work is ultimately mental, not physical.
And I think if we remove or minimalize the incentives to remain a low-skilled worker, then we will always have a problem of there being too many low-skilled workers. The market does not incentivize having little or no skills, it's gov't which does that. The market rewards the production of value, which over time seems to require more, or at least ever changing skills. It is not the market's responsibility to reward the lack of value, the market gives you what you earn. It's up to individuals to do what they need in order to earn enough, or to earn more.
And I don't think the advent of increased and eventually total replacement of human physical labor with mechanization means there will be less jobs. I think it means there will be different jobs. Back in the Industrial Revolution, people were panicking about how all the jobs were going to disappear because mass production and the resultant new machinery and methods were too efficient. But the Industrial Revolution ended up producing more jobs than it replaced. I think we will see the same thing again, and if people don't want to be marginalized or be out of a job, then they need to find a new way to make themselves productive.
No matter how much it wants, or how hard it tries, no matter what application of mindless effort and force, a brute could never turn a rock into iron, iron into steel, steel into a car. A brute cannot create value. There is no inherent value in force. It's our minds which are key to creating value.
It's a person's ability to use reason to figure out how to extract iron from iron ore, and to recognize that combining iron with carbon creates steel. And it takes the brilliant power of the mind to invent the concept of a car, then to transform that concept into reality.
Physical force/manual labor/etc are necessary to manipulate reality in the manner prescribed by one's intellect, but it's not the source of value. Eventually, we can have robots doing all the physical portions, and even have robots build our robots. Sure, there will be times when minimal amounts of physical input are required by a person, but that is not where the value comes from. Truly valuable hard work is ultimately mental, not physical.
And I think if we remove or minimalize the incentives to remain a low-skilled worker, then we will always have a problem of there being too many low-skilled workers. The market does not incentivize having little or no skills, it's gov't which does that. The market rewards the production of value, which over time seems to require more, or at least ever changing skills. It is not the market's responsibility to reward the lack of value, the market gives you what you earn. It's up to individuals to do what they need in order to earn enough, or to earn more.
And I don't think the advent of increased and eventually total replacement of human physical labor with mechanization means there will be less jobs. I think it means there will be different jobs. Back in the Industrial Revolution, people were panicking about how all the jobs were going to disappear because mass production and the resultant new machinery and methods were too efficient. But the Industrial Revolution ended up producing more jobs than it replaced. I think we will see the same thing again, and if people don't want to be marginalized or be out of a job, then they need to find a new way to make themselves productive.
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WHEN YOU THROW PEOPLE MONEY AND THEY BECOME DEPENDENT AND GIVE THEM WELFARE AND SSI THEY HAVE NO DIGNITY AND PRIDE AND THEY HAVE NO INCENTIVE AND VETERANS EARNED It IT IS NOT AND ENTITLEMENT AND THEY DESERVE AND UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF RESOURCES INCLUDING COMPENSATION
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LTC (Join to see) It's all in one's mind and vision. Being Russian-born, I still talk to a lot of Russians who are optimistic about their country's future. They live happy lives with optimistic attitude. Growing up for most of my life here in US, I've come across quite substantial number of people who are disappointed about US government. Most of whom have no other experiences with foreign governments and they do nothing but gripe and complain most of their lives.
Like underdog Detroit Lions or New York Jets, there are teams (and countries) that go through such down times. But I guarantee you that you can find quite a bit of both die-hard Lions and Jets fans hoping one day their teams will revive and rebound.
AND I'M A DIE-HARD AMERICAN DREAM FAN TILL THE DAY I SEE MY MAKER!
To all who voted other than dream is alive: why are you still in the service? Are you not defending American Dream? Or are you just defending your paycheck?? Sorry if that sounded too harsh or confrontational, but there's no need to stay in the service or continue to 'exist' in America without the dream.
PS: It's one thing what you observe and what you hear and see on the news, it's another to look above that. Remember what JFK said back in his 1961 inauguration: Ask not what the country can do for you...ask what you can do for your country
Like underdog Detroit Lions or New York Jets, there are teams (and countries) that go through such down times. But I guarantee you that you can find quite a bit of both die-hard Lions and Jets fans hoping one day their teams will revive and rebound.
AND I'M A DIE-HARD AMERICAN DREAM FAN TILL THE DAY I SEE MY MAKER!
To all who voted other than dream is alive: why are you still in the service? Are you not defending American Dream? Or are you just defending your paycheck?? Sorry if that sounded too harsh or confrontational, but there's no need to stay in the service or continue to 'exist' in America without the dream.
PS: It's one thing what you observe and what you hear and see on the news, it's another to look above that. Remember what JFK said back in his 1961 inauguration: Ask not what the country can do for you...ask what you can do for your country
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Folks just have to make better choices about where they choose to invest and spend their money, invest their time for charity, etc. in this day and age. IMHO over the last 14 years, Americans have learned the meaning of thrift in their spending habits and choices. Americans as a whole are better educated/equipped about the political, environmental and moral/ethical agendas of institutions and companies as a whole and realize that dollars spent with that entity further a specific cause, etc. The American population is also better equipped to check voting records for their state and federal congressional and senatorial leaders to ensure that at election time (or through petitions, letters, etc.) those folks either stay or are "released from duty" :) What I see happening in this day and age is the marginalization of the American people to vote for laws to be implemented at the state and federal level and then have the wealthy left to lobby and get these majority rule decisions overturned at the federal court level. IMHO controversial decisions voted into law by the majority that are up for vote in a state/county, etc. election should be honored- not marginalized and up for debate and overturn at the federal and Supreme Court level- in my humble opinion. That is the only "freedom" I believe is slipping away with every overturned decision in the courts that was properly voted into law by the majority.
S/F- Jeff
S/F- Jeff
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LTC (Join to see)
The impact of legislation by the bench is often overlooked, thanks for raising an important point.
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Capt Jeff Quinn
Thanks for enacting the art of brevity and simplifying this concept for the broader audience CPT LaFlame. I do get wordy at times. S/F- Jeff
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LTC (Join to see)
Jeff,
That me be the first time I have ever been accused of brevity! I think RP is lucky responses are typed or I would be droning, on and on. Appointments in recess is another great way to defraud the voters.
That me be the first time I have ever been accused of brevity! I think RP is lucky responses are typed or I would be droning, on and on. Appointments in recess is another great way to defraud the voters.
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