America's future

[slick]

The founders of this country were children of the European enlightenment: this was the idea that if we lay aside superstition, ignorance, and petty tribalism, and instead embrace reason, science, and education, there is no limit as to how far humanity can progress. These ideas were first born in Europe, but the US was the first place they could be implemented- because we didn't have the kings right here. It was easier to cast off their yoke and start something fresh. But eventually, over the course of the next century or so, these ideas were implemented in Europe as well. The results have been dramatic: the western world, where these ideas were implemented, grew exponentially economically and scientifically, and have become very happy and prosperous places to live- where now lots of people from the rest of the world long to live as well.

Those ideas of the enlightenment on which this country was founded are now under siege in the west, but especially here in the US. Very worrisome.

Interesting! I somewhat agree

When the founders wrote "all men are created equal" they meant equality as aspirational. All men then
& now are not created equal. Their new upgrade of thought provided was that all men
were endowed with unalienable rights, life, liberty & persuit of happiness.
No one can literally believe Jefferson ever thought for a second "all men are created equal"

In Britain the most forward thinking country in Europe at that time the three pillars
of conservatism were 1) the monarchy 2) the established church 3) the aristocracy.

In creating & structuring the new nation Washington & the founders:
In a stroke of enlightened progressive genius they managed
to eliminate the first two pillars but it did seem that the aristocracy
remained although minus the snobby titles. Our extraordinary founding documents
were imitated for decades by fledgling countries in South America
although with hardly as successful implementation, that’s another story
for another day!

In fact in Jefferson's letters to Adams he relates just that:

In Jefferson's letters to Adams he dwells on a natural aristocracy among men.
Thomas Jefferson, on Aristocracy - letter to John Adams
Jefferson as did Adams & their peers saw themselves as the aristocratic
elite to whom the new country was best entrusted. And who can really say
they were not correct.

In Jefferson's letters to Lafeyette he doubles down writing that not only are there
superior men there are superior peoples ' 'The yeomanry of the US are not the canaille of Paris’

LOOK AT US NOW, LOOK
Who just came into office & for starters look who he apparently
has hand picked for his cabinet & even worse look at the new VP.
These 'ham & eggers' are pretenders barely mediocre & surely not the elite
to whom this divided country will be best entrusted.

 

[Artymoon]

Attack? Please. The 'national debt', especially in perfervid metallist or neo-antigreenbacker phantasmagorias, is a wholly imaginary concept, and used mostly as a moral cudgel to try to shame other idiots into thinking that the real capital of the people and federal government of the US is just like a meager, two earner household budget.

Lol. I have never heard of the national debt being explained as an imaginary concept. Are you’re going to tell me my personal debt and the basics of budgeting are imaginary too.

 

[Jacksprat]

What scares you the most about America's future?

Simple enough question.
Everyone seems to think the U.S. is going into the toilet, either because of extremism on the Right or the Left or because of climate change or wokeness or civil discourse or the threat of civil war. Simply, EVERYONE has a beef. And everyone predicting it is getting worse. So, in your humble opinion, what scares you the most about America's future?

Choices above in the poll section.

If none fit, what else scares you about America's future?

Trump's violent coup on Jan 6 goes unpunished. It is already too late and I find AG Garland to be incompetent.

 

[Gatsby]

Trumpism and democracy failing.

I was going to vote for "the radical right" also, but since that's a separate category from Trumpism, I assume that's not what you mean. If the radical right refers to sovereign citizens and white nationalists and survivalists playing pretend-army in their backyards, I'm not worried about them. At most they might pull off the occasional mass shooting or terrorist attack, but in the grand scheme of things they aren't a major threat to America's wellbeing.

 

[KevinKohler]

I had to think about this one for a moment. Climate change, yes...but it's my belief that there are other things that'll kill america prior to climate change. I though, civil discourse, but then, that's a SYMPTOM. Ultimately, I'm going to go with the radical right. Our nation is founded on our ability to compromise with each other. It was LACK of compromise that drove people to this land in the first place. And the radical right has proven that they are incapable or unwilling to compromise, even a little.

 

[Loulit01]

Interesting! I somewhat agree

When the founders wrote "all men are created equal" they meant equality as aspirational. All men then
& now are not created equal. Their new upgrade of thought provided was that all men
were endowed with unalienable rights, life, liberty & persuit of happiness.
No one can literally believe Jefferson ever thought for a second "all men are created equal"

In Britain the most forward thinking country in Europe at that time the three pillars
of conservatism were 1) the monarchy 2) the established church 3) the aristocracy.

In creating & structuring the new nation Washington & the founders:
In a stroke of enlightened progressive genius they managed
to eliminate the first two pillars but it did seem that the aristocracy
remained although minus the snobby titles. Our extraordinary founding documents
were imitated for decades by fledgling countries in South America
although with hardly as successful implementation, that’s another story
for another day!

In fact in Jefferson's letters to Adams he relates just that:

In Jefferson's letters to Adams he dwells on a natural aristocracy among men.
Thomas Jefferson, on Aristocracy - letter to John Adams
Jefferson as did Adams & their peers saw themselves as the aristocratic
elite to whom the new country was best entrusted. And who can really say
they were not correct.

In Jefferson's letters to Lafeyette he doubles down writing that not only are there
superior men there are superior peoples ' 'The yeomanry of the US are not the canaille of Paris’

LOOK AT US NOW, LOOK
Who just came into office & for starters look who he apparently
has hand picked for his cabinet & even worse look at the new VP.
These 'ham & eggers' are pretenders barely mediocre & surely not the elite
to whom this divided country will be best entrusted.

All true. However, in defense of the Founding Fathers, they did eliminate the concept of the male heir of a noble's entitlement to a hereditary seat in the House of Lords. No one voted for them. They did not need to have a position on issues, intelligence, integrity, or anything else. It was an inherited appointment to a powerful governing body.

For example, the House of Commons voted several times for an Irish Home Rule Bill that the House of Lords knocked down several times.

 

[jpevans]

Are they? Because a Rightie will tell you Democracy is failing because of Socialists, Liberals, Woke, BLM, George Soros, Globalists, the FBI and the DOJ, and because of liberal SNOWFLAKES.

& your not even an American.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

& your not even an American.

Maybe the U.S. is failing because of Canadians

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

Trump's violent coup on Jan 6 goes unpunished. It is already too late and I find AG Garland to be incompetent.

PATIENCE. It took years to prosecute the Mafia bosses, now everyone wants instant gratification?

 

[Jacksprat]

PATIENCE. It took years to prosecute the Mafia bosses, now everyone wants instant gratification?

One and a half years hardly qualifies as "instant gratification."

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

One and a half years hardly qualifies as "instant gratification."

I know I know, but still, PATIENCE. If nothing done by the end of Biden's 1st term, then I will agree with you. Hell, my wife went to sue a driver that sideswiped her and it took 5 years to get to court. Frustrating, yeah, unexpected, no.

 

[Jacksprat]

I know I know, but still, PATIENCE. If nothing done by the end of Biden's 1st term, then I will agree with you. Hell, my wife went to sue a driver that sideswiped her and it took 5 years to get to court. Frustrating, yeah, unexpected, no.

Every time some demands others be patient it is because they know nothing is going to be done.
PS--next time, hire a competent lawyer for a car accident.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

Every time some demands others be patient it is because they know nothing is going to be done.
PS--next time, hire a competent lawyer for a car accident.

See, I disagree with you, and you HAVE TO throw in a snarky reply. Real grown up.

 

[Jacksprat]

See, I disagree with you, and you HAVE TO throw in a snarky reply. Real grown up.

I was dead serious. I had an accident and collected in months. I had a competent lawyer.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

What scares you the most about America's future?

Simple enough question.
Everyone seems to think the U.S. is going into the toilet, either because of extremism on the Right or the Left or because of climate change or wokeness or civil discourse or the threat of civil war. Simply, EVERYONE has a beef. And everyone predicting it is getting worse. So, in your humble opinion, what scares you the most about America's future?

Choices above in the poll section.

If none fit, what else scares you about America's future?

I can't honestly say that civil war SCARES me and here's why:

1. I am sixty-five years old.
2. I've BEEN shot at, on three separate occasions, miracle I am even here.
3. I doubt I have more than maybe ten years left if I am lucky and life's been very good to me overall, despite even my own stupidest life mistakes.

So if civil war comes, I'll just make sure that if it comes to my own door, and it's clear I have no chance, I'll just make my exit as costly to them as possible, as painful as possible.
If my last act on Earth winds up costing a Proud Boy their life and I get killed in return, I'll know I did my best.
That's as much as an old bald fat man with crappy eyesight and worse hearing can do, and I'll do it secure in the knowledge that I'll never see a courtroom or a prison before I go.

Civil war does WORRY me however, because I have a disabled wife and two kids, one of whom is also disabled.
I'll do what I have to do in the hopes that millions of others like me will do the same in their last moments, and that it will add up.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

I can't honestly say that civil war SCARES me and here's why:

1. I am sixty-five years old.
2. I've BEEN shot at, on three separate occasions, miracle I am even here.
3. I doubt I have more than maybe ten years left if I am lucky and life's been very good to me overall, despite even my own stupidest life mistakes.

So if civil war comes, I'll just make sure that if it comes to my own door, and it's clear I have no chance, I'll just make my exit as costly to them as possible, as painful as possible.
If my last act on Earth winds up costing a Proud Boy their life and I get killed in return, I'll know I did my best.
That's as much as an old bald fat man with crappy eyesight and worse hearing can do, and I'll do it secure in the knowledge that I'll never see a courtroom or a prison before I go.

Civil war does WORRY me however, because I have a disabled wife and two kids, one of whom is also disabled.
I'll do what I have to do in the hopes that millions of others like me will do the same in their last moments, and that it will add up.

Don't worry, those proposing civil war will hide in their basements and let others do the fighting for them, OR like the rioters on Jan 6 will stop for photo ops and then turn each other in to get lesser charges against them.

 

[Noodlegawd]

What scares you the most about America's future?

Simple enough question.
Everyone seems to think the U.S. is going into the toilet, either because of extremism on the Right or the Left or because of climate change or wokeness or civil discourse or the threat of civil war. Simply, EVERYONE has a beef. And everyone predicting it is getting worse. So, in your humble opinion, what scares you the most about America's future?

Choices above in the poll section.

If none fit, what else scares you about America's future?

All of the above and more. Most of these problems can be boiled down to increasing attention given to extremism on both sides of the aisle, the lack of a strong voice for the rational middle ground occupied by most people in this country, and the general empowerment of shockingly stupid people across the political spectrum.

 

[mrjurrs]

Scares? Not my lens for events.

But I think we are path-dependently doomed to immiseration, ecological niche collapse, fascist minority rule and balkanization.

Showoff!

 

[gbg3]

I chose one which is quite worrying to me (more violence) but my biggest worry is and has been for some time now (even prior to the raid on Trump's home) - a dual system of justice applied unevenly and unfairly.
Losing the ability to be able to depend on fair and equal treatment turns this great country into something entirely different. I think that trust has been lost, and it's been lost for a valid reason. We now already have a dual system of justice and without fair justice, a controlling party is free to destroy any person or group of people they choose to. I pray there are eyes very wide open all across this nation, people who are willing to say no to this new country. Because it's a corrupt one.

 

[bomberfox]

I can't honestly say that civil war SCARES me and here's why:

1. I am sixty-five years old.
2. I've BEEN shot at, on three separate occasions, miracle I am even here.
3. I doubt I have more than maybe ten years left if I am lucky and life's been very good to me overall, despite even my own stupidest life mistakes.

So if civil war comes, I'll just make sure that if it comes to my own door, and it's clear I have no chance, I'll just make my exit as costly to them as possible, as painful as possible.
If my last act on Earth winds up costing a Proud Boy their life and I get killed in return, I'll know I did my best.
That's as much as an old bald fat man with crappy eyesight and worse hearing can do, and I'll do it secure in the knowledge that I'll never see a courtroom or a prison before I go.

Civil war does WORRY me however, because I have a disabled wife and two kids, one of whom is also disabled.
I'll do what I have to do in the hopes that millions of others like me will do the same in their last moments, and that it will add up.

I love this sentiment.

 

[reinaert]

Showoff!

I just don't like the magico-religious connotations of 'fated'.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

I chose one which is quite worrying to me (more violence) but my biggest worry is and has been for some time now (even prior to the raid on Trump's home) - a dual system of justice applied unevenly and unfairly.
Losing the ability to be able to depend on fair and equal treatment turns this great country into something entirely different. I think that trust has been lost, and it's been lost for a valid reason. We now already have a dual system of justice and without fair justice, a controlling party is free to destroy any person or group of people they choose to. I pray there are eyes very wide open all across this nation, people who are willing to say no to this new country. Because it's a corrupt one.

OMG! Reading that tripe, I have to wonder where your priorities lie. IF you or I had taken documents NOT belonging to us we would be in jail by now. YES, that includes YOU. But when Trump does it, it's justice applied unevenly or unfairly? REPEAT: YOU and I would be in jail by now. THAT is the unfair part. The problem is, because of your blind partisan loyality to Trump, YOU don't see it!

 

[slick]

What scares you the most about America's future?​

'Too Many Illegals' got my only vote

The America of Eisenhower & Kennedy was a country of 160 to 180 million with a European Core
and a culture all its own. We were a united people then! Nowadays I here some prefer what’s happened since leading
to 2050 when actuaries expect a stew of about 450 million of every creed, color & culture, from every
country on earth with every little subset vying for their piece of the pie. The best one can hope from
that imagined scenario would be a Balkanized land mass or geographical location of which no sane
human would desire to immigrant towards!

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

What scares you the most about America's future?​

'Too Many Illegals' got my only vote

The America of Eisenhower & Kennedy was a country of 160 to 180 million with a European Core
and a culture all its own. We were a united people then! Nowadays I here some prefer what’s happened since leading
to 2050 when actuaries expect a stew of about 450 million of every creed, color & culture, from every
country on earth with every little subset vying for their piece of the pie. The best one can hope from
that imagined scenario would be a Balkanized land mass or geographical location of which no sane
human would desire to immigrant towards!

Replacement theory, it is a bugger!

 

[slick]

Replacement theory, it is a bugger!

December 2009 a USA network report found that only 25% believe diversity
is an advantage for this country while 55% feel otherwise.
More than half in this country say we are excessively divided especially on
ethnic lines. Do Americans love this newly found 'Beautiful Mosaic'?
NO!

1) Is Britain stronger now that London is Londonistan than it was in the days of
'Hope & Glory' now than Mullahs defend Muslim bombers
2) Israel does not wish to build a multiethnic society refusing to allow palestinians back who once inhabited the lands
3) Diversity certainly was not the wish of French Canadians when Quebec tried to secede in 1980
4) Has diversity in the Balkans ever been anything but the cause for troubling times
5) The divide between Christians & Muslims in Lebanon is not a success for diversity
6) No countries cringed when they heard the word 'nationalist' especially
not in Europe when after WWI they created Czechoslovakia where 500,000 Ruthenians,
800,000 Hungarians, 150,000 Poles, 3.6 million Germans & 2.5 million Slovaks. All resented being forced in a nation
dominated by 7 million Czechs. Czechoslovakia proved to be the saddest representation of
how toxic a multi-ethnic diverse experiment can be.

After WWII they did not make the same mistake.Europe from Eire to the Elbe consisted of all homogenous states.
'The drive of ethnic groups to separate and create nations in which there own unique culture, language & faith are
dominant is among the most powerful drive of mankind.' You're swimming up
stream not to acknowledge the power of ethnonationalism.

Rarely in history has diversity been anything but trouble