What Is Americas Biggest Problem?

[Pozessed]

Obviously this a very broad question. I think that is because everyone may have a broad answer. In your opinion what is Americas biggest problem?

 

[Chomsky]

Money in government.

Money in politics.

The dissemination of misinformation for political gain.

[O.K., that's three - but they're all kinda' related to money juicing the political & democratic process]

 

[Fearandloathing]

Obviously this a very broad question. I think that is because everyone may have a broad answer. In your opinion what is Americas biggest problem?

One simplistic answer?

The political system itself. It's not just broken, it's a rusty hulk being propped up with billionaire's money through unethical lobbyists.

 

[Ockham]

Societal disintegration.

 

[scatt]

Obviously this a very broad question. I think that is because everyone may have a broad answer. In your opinion what is Americas biggest problem?

The voters.

 

[a351]

Pessimism.

 

[Chomsky]

The voters.

Pft!!

EDIT:

I suppose I should've been more descriptive.

Are you objecting to the voters themselves, or those that are misinformed?

 

[Fearandloathing]

Societal disintegration.

That's everywhere.

The text generation is isolated, arrogant, over knowledgeable, resentful and paranoid according to sociologists.....we no longer make eye contact, let alone speak to one another. The result is we become objects to one another, and giving a seat to a disabled person simply doesn't register.

But that's wherever there is wifi

 

[Pozessed]

One simplistic answer?

The political system itself. It's not just broken, it's a rusty hulk being propped up with billionaire's money through unethical lobbyists.

This sums up how I feel. Your speculation seems spot on. But I think the collective apathy that allows the system to exist in such a way is more so the problem.

 

[joG]

Obviously this a very broad question. I think that is because everyone may have a broad answer. In your opinion what is Americas biggest problem?

That we have not installed a reliably robust general supranational security structure

 

[Guy Incognito]

Obviously this a very broad question. I think that is because everyone may have a broad answer. In your opinion what is Americas biggest problem?

The Republicans. The second-biggest problem, by a pretty wide margin, is the Democrats.

Fix those two problems and we'll be golden.

 

[Paschendale]

Our biggest problem is that we are destroying the environment in which we and our descendants have to live. Corruption, racism, trickle down destroying the middle class, all of that can honestly be ignored compared to how we are destroying the world. But too many Americans are ignorant buffoons and think it's a hoax like moon landing deniers.

 

[catch22]

Political polarization

 

[Fearandloathing]

This sums up how I feel. Your speculation seems spot on. But I think the collective apathy that allows the system to exist in such a way is more so the problem.

Ah, speculation it is not....

And it is not apathy. It was 20 years ago, it is apathy here where things are reasonably well run, but the US runs on animosity, elections have become television warfare. You don't campaign on positives, it takes demonizing and paranoia, fear of that horrible demon other guy to generate votes at the polls.

No, votes in America come from anger over the past and fear, not hope for the future.

 

[a351]

Ah, speculation it is not....

And it is not apathy. It was 20 years ago, it is apathy here where things are reasonably well run, but the US runs on animosity, elections have become television warfare. You don't campaign on positives, it takes demonizing and paranoia, fear of that horrible demon other guy to generate votes at the polls.

No, votes in America come from anger over the past and fear, not hope for the future.

:roll: Oh boy. Pleas spare us the comically romantic view of Canadian politics.

 

[Chomsky]

The Republicans. The second-biggest problem, by a pretty wide margin, is the Democrats.

Fix those two problems and we'll be golden.

I think this is spot-on. (even though I picked 'money in politics')

But yes, get rid of political parties (and legal bribery), and our (so-called) representatives will be forced to represent the people once again.

 

[Fearandloathing]

:roll: Oh boy. Pleas spare us the comically romantic view of Canadian politics.

Why not give up trolling and spare us ignorance and horse**** posts?

 

[opendebate]

greed

 

[Mithrae]

Ah, speculation it is not....

And it is not apathy. It was 20 years ago, it is apathy here where things are reasonably well run, but the US runs on animosity, elections have become television warfare. You don't campaign on positives, it takes demonizing and paranoia, fear of that horrible demon other guy to generate votes at the polls.

No, votes in America come from anger over the past and fear, not hope for the future.

I would say that's the biggest problem not only for America, but for all democracies and for the world as a whole. It becomes particularly pronounced and vicious in a two-party system of course, but it is almost always the fundamental impediment to improving our species. Can't get rid of the nukes because of the Russians and Chinese. Can't democratize the UN because of the Indians and Chinese. Can't protect the environment because of the Brazilians and Chinese. Can't raise wages because of the Africans and Chinese.

We're still weighted down with the labels and loyalties of political parties (we needed them a century ago perhaps, but now redundant relics) and nation-states (necessarily a much more gradual transition; but too few people look forwards). There'll always be differences between folk of course, some of them very important ones, but as we're going it's far too easy for us to be led around by the nose; coherent thought pushed aside by a few labels and catch phrases.

 

[Goshin]

Politics is, to a large degree, a reflection of society.


If our political system is messed up, it is a reflection of a messed up society. Granted, the stranglehold of the Big Twin parties on elections and campaign funds doesn't help any, nor does the capacity of billionaires and large corporations to use vast sums of money to buy influence.


But it's more fundamental than that. Society has lost its rudder and its compass, and no longer knows where it is going or how to get there. Divisiveness and factionalism are dissolving our cohesion as a people; we lack a sense of community and purpose.

Although the upheavals of the 60s and 70s were necessary (institutional racism needed to go away, and the excessively rigid society of the 50s needed to be loosened), in the process we threw out the baby with the bath water. We stopped teaching any kind of morality first in schools, and then in most homes... and now most young folks have none. The only things they learn is that there are no absolutes, no one can tell you whether anything is wrong or right but yourself, except that any kind of absolute standard is Intolerance and the only thing we're allowed to hate is anything labeled Intolerance.

We no longer have any solid definition or even description of what it is to be American. Our history and our founders are denigrated and despised, not looked back upon with pride and respect. Our "founding myths" may have been more myth than fact, but deconstructing a society's foundation and underpinnings has consequences, even if your criticism of it has some validity.

Today we have a large minority of Americans who apparently hate America. They hate our history and our founders, they hate the government, they hate business.... there's very little about America they don't hate, except apparently living here.

What kind of country do you have when so many of its citizens apparently hate everything about it? Except living here and bitching about everything.


There is a lack of vision for America's future. Greatness? Hah. Nearly half the voters disdain "greatness" and think we are unworthy of it. They hate that America is the most powerful nation on the planet and want that to end. They haven't adequately thought through what that would mean for the world. Most of them don't remember the Cold War.



What does a self-hating country do? It self-destructs...



What's the answer? I don't know that I have one. I suspect we're too far gone and we're going to have hit bottom before we find out if we bounce back or not.



I sincerely, truly hope I am wrong.

 

[MMC]

I couldn't say what is the Biggest problem.....but one of them is the MS Media, its in bed with government. No matter which party is in control.

 

[Pozessed]

Politics is, to a large degree, a reflection of society.


If our political system is messed up, it is a reflection of a messed up society. Granted, the stranglehold of the Big Twin parties on elections and campaign funds doesn't help any, nor does the capacity of billionaires and large corporations to use vast sums of money to buy influence.


But it's more fundamental than that. Society has lost its rudder and its compass, and no longer knows where it is going or how to get there. Divisiveness and factionalism are dissolving our cohesion as a people; we lack a sense of community and purpose.

Although the upheavals of the 60s and 70s were necessary (institutional racism needed to go away, and the excessively rigid society of the 50s needed to be loosened), in the process we threw out the baby with the bath water. We stopped teaching any kind of morality first in schools, and then in most homes... and now most young folks have none. The only things they learn is that there are no absolutes, no one can tell you whether anything is wrong or right but yourself, except that any kind of absolute standard is Intolerance and the only thing we're allowed to hate is anything labeled Intolerance.

We no longer have any solid definition or even description of what it is to be American. Our history and our founders are denigrated and despised, not looked back upon with pride and respect. Our "founding myths" may have been more myth than fact, but deconstructing a society's foundation and underpinnings has consequences, even if your criticism of it has some validity.

Today we have a large minority of Americans who apparently hate America. They hate our history and our founders, they hate the government, they hate business.... there's very little about America they don't hate, except apparently living here.

What kind of country do you have when so many of its citizens apparently hate everything about it? Except living here and bitching about everything.


There is a lack of vision for America's future. Greatness? Hah. Nearly half the voters disdain "greatness" and think we are unworthy of it. They hate that America is the most powerful nation on the planet and want that to end. They haven't adequately thought through what that would mean for the world. Most of them don't remember the Cold War.



What does a self-hating country do? It self-destructs...



What's the answer? I don't know that I have one. I suspect we're too far gone and we're going to have hit bottom before we find out if we bounce back or not.



I sincerely, truly hope I am wrong.

Hopefully people want to treat others as they want to be treated, and aren't comfortable with people hurting other people. So long as that is the absolute moral standard of society, nobody would be directly hurt by another. The only problem after that would be education of indirect harms, and enough empathy in the social norm to evade those harms.

If that were achieved. you should have no worries IMO.

 

[Lutherf]

Fear of pain.

We have been going to greater and greater lengths to fend off the potential for pain that we have forgotten how to cope with and overcome pain. We are treating government like its a magic aspirin that we can take to clear up our hangover and when it doesn't work right away we just take more of it.

 

[OrphanSlug]

Obviously this a very broad question. I think that is because everyone may have a broad answer. In your opinion what is Americas biggest problem?

Continually looking to the government to solve some problem only to later realize they either caused the original problem and/or caused a dozen or more new problems for someone else down the road to have to deal with.

 

[opendebate]

Politics is, to a large degree, a reflection of society.

If our political system is messed up, it is a reflection of a messed up society. Granted, the stranglehold of the Big Twin parties on elections and campaign funds doesn't help any, nor does the capacity of billionaires and large corporations to use vast sums of money to buy influence.

But it's more fundamental than that. Society has lost its rudder and its compass, and no longer knows where it is going or how to get there. Divisiveness and factionalism are dissolving our cohesion as a people; we lack a sense of community and purpose.

Although the upheavals of the 60s and 70s were necessary (institutional racism needed to go away, and the excessively rigid society of the 50s needed to be loosened), in the process we threw out the baby with the bath water. We stopped teaching any kind of morality first in schools, and then in most homes... and now most young folks have none. The only things they learn is that there are no absolutes, no one can tell you whether anything is wrong or right but yourself, except that any kind of absolute standard is Intolerance and the only thing we're allowed to hate is anything labeled Intolerance.

We no longer have any solid definition or even description of what it is to be American. Our history and our founders are denigrated and despised, not looked back upon with pride and respect. Our "founding myths" may have been more myth than fact, but deconstructing a society's foundation and underpinnings has consequences, even if your criticism of it has some validity.

Today we have a large minority of Americans who apparently hate America. They hate our history and our founders, they hate the government, they hate business.... there's very little about America they don't hate, except apparently living here.

What kind of country do you have when so many of its citizens apparently hate everything about it? Except living here and bitching about everything.

There is a lack of vision for America's future. Greatness? Hah. Nearly half the voters disdain "greatness" and think we are unworthy of it. They hate that America is the most powerful nation on the planet and want that to end. They haven't adequately thought through what that would mean for the world. Most of them don't remember the Cold War.



What does a self-hating country do? It self-destructs...


What's the answer? I don't know that I have one. I suspect we're too far gone and we're going to have hit bottom before we find out if we bounce back or not.

I sincerely, truly hope I am wrong.

That's a pretty bleak forecast G. I'm a little more optimistic.

I don’t think that our political system is a reflection of a messed up society. I think it’s a reflection of a messed up system that has empowered the money and power hungry to take control away from us while we comfortably flipped through 115 channels on TV. We haven’t slipped into complacency but we have slipped into inaction and I think this next generation will change that trend because of the very things you complain about here. They don’t hate America, they hate what we’ve done to it. Wherever we as nation take ourselves next or allow ourselves to be taken we will never settle into a place as a society that is seamless or without discontent. It is a byproduct of our freedoms and our freedom of speech and those same freedoms will empower us to find our way out of the new mess and into the next in line.

IMO getting away from the idea that we can so easily and narrowly define what is and is not moral is a good thing. Tolerance is a good thing. Accepting more of the grey, is a good thing. I think it’s difficult for anyone who grew up with things a little more black and white than that to see these changes as positive but for generations we have fought and argued and killed over stupid subjective **** that we all would have been best served by accepting instead.