America no longer exists

[B-Man]

 

America no longer exists

 

  "There it is"

 

 

 

[SoCal Deek]

17 minutes ago, B-Man said:

 

America no longer exists

 

  "There it is"

 

 

 

OK…THIS made me laugh! 😂😂😂

[oldmanfan]

17 minutes ago, B-Man said:

 

America no longer exists

 

  "There it is"

 

 

 

Our country is in serious trouble.  And you think it’s funny.

[B-Man]

Just now, oldmanfan said:

Our country is in serious trouble.  And you think it’s funny.

 

 

No.

 

I don't.

 

I post well thought out articles every day about the multitude of serious problems facing this country.

 

and you are fine with dismissing them.

 

So pardon me if I made a little joke about your ridiculous thread title.

 

May I suggest that you get out more and talk with people, there is a big wonderful nation full of honest loving people if you just stop to look.

 

 

America No Longer Exists

 

Well, bullsh*t is my answer to that.

 

 

*(not copied and pasted)

 

 

 

 

[Doc Brown]

11 hours ago, SCBills said:

Fwiw, many would feel America no longer exists when a coronavirus vaccine is mandated by local/federal governments, either directly or indirectly, on citizens to simply participate in society.  
 

As far as our decline… it’s obvious.  I’m in my 30’s, but I can tell that our younger generations - mine included - have no idea about the outside world.  Hence, such a hyper focus on petty identity issues that only a decadent society (as posted above) can have the luxury of worrying about.  

We’re not a serious country anymore. 
 

Way to prove his point.  LOL.

 

I applaud oldmanfan for his idealism but it reminds me of when my eight year old self found out Santa wasn't real.

[SoCal Deek]

8 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

Our country is in serious trouble.  And you think it’s funny.

Old man…. you REALLY need to step back. There’s been a lot of nasty posts lately. While we engage in banter here, it’s all supposed to be in good faith and fun. I sincerely hope everything’s OK with you. 

[716er]

6 minutes ago, B-Man said:

I post well thought out articles every day about the multitude of serious problems facing this country.

 

29 minutes ago, B-Man said:

 

 

 

[B-Man]

10 minutes ago, 716er said:

 

 

 

Your post doesn't show what you hoped to.

 

 

Unlike you, I post a variety of things,

 

Articles on the issues of the day, tweets (both serious and not, and political cartoons.

 

The majority of yours seem to be forgettable snark about other posters.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2021 by B-Man

[Big Blitz]

54 minutes ago, Governor said:

I like Angus King. I also like NC Governor Roy Cooper.

Yeah, I think we’re way beyond that. The once normal Republicans are retiring and the crazy opportunists are coming in.

 

There’s nothing left to save. It’s gone.

 

 

 

 

 

[Doc Brown]

3 minutes ago, Big Blitz said:

 

 

 

 

 

Australia.  LOL.  What's wrong with you?  Ask these people which country they prefer....

 

Australians seeking to flee from Kabul reportedly met with gunfire, smoke bombs

[Governor]

I just want the country music to stop. That was never cool and it definitely isn’t cool now.
 

You can determine the health of a country by it’s music and culture and we’re at an all-time low.

 

I don’t see any fixes listed. You do these things and all of old mans issues go away.

 

1. Regulate the internet. It’s time. Put strict laws in place that eliminate the present social media  business model, etc.
 

2. Reinstate an updated version of the Fairness Doctrine. Corporate news, talk radio, fake internet news and propaganda can no longer exist. 
 

3. Move to a public financing political system. No more private money in elections.

 

4. Ban Lobbying from private business.

 

5. Ban country music. You gotta stop it.

Edited August 20, 2021 by Governor

[Chef Jim]

1 hour ago, Doc Brown said:

Way to prove his point.  LOL.

 

I applaud oldmanfan for his idealism but it reminds me of when my eight year old self found out Santa wasn't real.

WHAT??  Get out!  I hate you. 😡😡😡

50 minutes ago, Governor said:

 

You can determine the health of a country by it’s music and culture and we’re at an all-time low.

 

Man you guys really need to get out of your bubbles. There is some phenomenal music out there. Pop music has pretty much always sucked. 
 

And culture?  Weren’t y’all celebrating our increased diversity just this week?
 

You’re all a bunch of confused mother effers. 

[Governor]

6 minutes ago, Chef Jim said:

WHAT??  Get out!  I hate you. 😡😡😡

Man you guys really need to get out of your bubbles. There is some phenomenal music out there. Pop music has pretty much always sucked. 
 

And culture?  Weren’t y’all celebrating our increased diversity just this week?
 

You’re all a bunch of confused mother effers. 

First offense is a 60 day suspended sentence, 1 year probation, and culture counseling, fines, etc.

[oldmanfan]

2 hours ago, B-Man said:

 

 

No.

 

I don't.

 

I post well thought out articles every day about the multitude of serious problems facing this country.

 

and you are fine with dismissing them.

 

So pardon me if I made a little joke about your ridiculous thread title.

 

May I suggest that you get out more and talk with people, there is a big wonderful nation full of honest loving people if you just stop to look.

 

 

America No Longer Exists

 

Well, bullsh*t is my answer to that.

 

 

*(not copied and pasted)

 

 

 

 

You post stuff from obscure right wing sites because it agrees with your views.  Some of those are killing our country, as are some from the left wing fringe.  I talk to plenty of people and the serious ones care about this country and how it has declined under different administrations from different political factions.

2 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

Old man…. you REALLY need to step back. There’s been a lot of nasty posts lately. While we engage in banter here, it’s all supposed to be in good faith and fun. I sincerely hope everything’s OK with you. 

Sorry but I won’t do that.  I am OK personally but my country is not.  I respect your opinions on things greatly, but our country is gone.  And that is not something to joke about in my opinion.  I’m tired of the jokes and the blatant hypocrisy of so many.

 

I am hoping for the Bills to win it all, so I’ll be spending a lot more time on that side on the board!
 

[Dr.Mantis_Toboggan]

We need separate countries, it seems inevitable to me.  I just don't know how the other country survives without New York or California but I can't wait to find out. 

 

I personally don't care about the vaccine, I believe it's a personal choice, especially since it isn't FDA approved and the limited testing time for side effects, regardless of where you stand there, the entire mask debate is a weird hill to die on.

 

Regardless of what YOU think, Covid, the pandemic, it's all real, I promise.

 

I got Covid, guess what happened... nothing, I had scratchy throat.

 

My 32 yr old wife also got Covid back in March 20 when nobody knew anything about the virus...  She suffered a collapsed lung, was sick about two months couldn't even get a test, let alone proper treatment. She's anything but overweight, was healthy, and in the age group where nothing was supposed to happen. Then there was the Post Viral illness, aka "long covid" lead to hair loss, lung scarring, POTS, chronic fatigue, brain fog, and last but not least, a stroke...  I'm not looking for pity, I'm looking for idiots to stop politicizing a pan freaking demic.  

 

Stop acting like a bunch of felines when it comes to masks... What is the big deal???  It's a small piece of cloth that helps other people maybe not die... These gun loving dolts are so tough but can't be bothered to cover their ugly faces at wegmans so grandma and grandpa don't die a horrible, painful lonely death.

 

If past generations could see what's become of this country today I doubt they would make the same sacrifices all over again, since so many can't even "sacrifice" covering their stupid faces.  You don't think your kids should mask, then homeschool them.  Can't do that?  Then move to a school district that doesn't require teachers to be alive in order to teach your snot nosed kids.

Edited August 20, 2021 by Dr.Mantis_Toboggan

[Buffarukus]

1 hour ago, oldmanfan said:

You post stuff from obscure right wing sites because it agrees with your views.  Some of those are killing our country, as are some from the left wing fringe.  I talk to plenty of people and the serious ones care about this country and how it has declined under different administrations from different political factions.

 

sorry to interject but your exhibiting alot of bias right here. after all that's been hindsighted i think it would be in your best interest to stop thinking alternative information is "right wing fringe" maybe its you that looks for things that confirm your bias.

 

many examples but did you think lab leak was "right wing fringe" until the non fringe said it was ok, you may now consider it, be honest.  

 

maybe you should read some of his posts with a clear open mind and consider just because its not echoing through the news cycle it is not true. the media is supposed to be a watch dog for the people. right now right wing fringe is the only thing holding this administration accountable and id expect the reverse when a republican is president. what you dont see is most news is left. its why hunters NEW labtop made zero news. Afghanistan is unavoidable cluster f. probly why it has hit you so hard. its a story that has no choice but to be presented honestly and honesty is how we come together. 

 

 

Quote

Sorry but I won’t do that.  I am OK personally but my country is not.  I respect your opinions on things greatly, but our country is gone.  And that is not something to joke about in my opinion.  I’m tired of the jokes and the blatant hypocrisy of so many.

 

blatant hipocracy? to say that somehow at this point and time one side is not more adhered to spiting on anything resembling traditional american values is something. yet you sure seem to emphasize the right as the ones in the op. yes you included both but there is a slant. example, americans should care more about there country then themselves. ie mask and vax. heres a reverse way to look at the same subject. this country was founded on personal freedoms and liberty. you vax great! you can buy a n95 great! you want to stay in and avoid it all? great! notice how that stance does not include force, no mention of discluding you from anything? no mention of anything being your fault. making you the enemy. strange how it aligns more with what you want. a unified america. thats a recurring theme if you look at it from "right wing" perspectives aka traditional Democrat positions.

 

ill make this as simple as possible. the american flag is seen as a racist symbol of hate by some. loving THE symbol that stands for this country is a basic start to what you say is lost yet, that seems to be the side you lean? 

 

Quote

 

I am hoping for the Bills to win it all, so I’ll be spending a lot more time on that side on the board!
 

 

they will. after they play a different national anthem that is meant for other americans that divides countrymen and women into groups.

Edited August 20, 2021 by Buffarukus

[Buffarukus]

i wrote this awhile ago. this is not directed at the op but seems relevant when speaking about how this country values has changed. strangely it included age. username had nothing to do with it...i swear. 

 

are you old enough to remember when free speech was defended regardless if it was agreed with? when giant monopolies working hand and hand with government was a bad thing? when the goal was to judge others on the content of their character not color of skin was the accepted achievement for EVERYONE? when people knew this country was not perfect but had pride that it is still the greatest on the planet? when police were respected for putting their lives on the line knowing full well as in any profession reforms are always needed and bad people are in the fold? when every sitting president before the current one stressed strict border security because we agreed it is necessary? when people would never cheer on the government to arbitrarily take away others basic right to earn a living, patronize or run a buisness? when parts of our nation being openly destroyed by criminals were universally condemned instead of portraying the ones committing the crimes as the "victims" and allowing it to happen? when the same people demanding that black lives matter do not demand justice or air time when black victims including children are routinely ignored if the perpetrators are not of a different race? 

 

Edited August 20, 2021 by Buffarukus

[Doc Brown]

44 minutes ago, Buffarukus said:

 

ill make this as simple as possible. the american flag is seen as a racist symbol of hate by some. loving THE symbol that stands for this country is a basic start to what you say is lost yet, that seems to be the side you lean? 

You can apply the same thing to the slogan "Make America Great Again."  For some people it means going back to a time when America was respected and feared in the world.  Recapturing that American spirit. Bringing back blue collar manufacturing jobs and pushing back against political correctness.  A sort of populist slogan that lead to a movement to fight against "the swamp" in Washington.

For others it was viewed as a direct push back against the "browning" of America with a declining white population.  It was a campaign slogan for a guy who openly called for a Muslim ban on the campaign trail.  It was viewed as demeaning to hard working immigrants who had just moved to this country who already think America is great.  They see an American flag on the back of pickup trucks with a MAGA sign next to it and boom.....the flag instantly is associated with those feelings.

 

I'm sure there were other positive and negative interpretations on both sides.  Neither side really wants to understand the other side though so @Dr.Mantis_Toboggan may be right in that we'll eventually reach a point where certain states will start to secede. 

 

 

[oldmanfan]

3 hours ago, Buffarukus said:

 

sorry to interject but your exhibiting alot of bias right here. after all that's been hindsighted i think it would be in your best interest to stop thinking alternative information is "right wing fringe" maybe its you that looks for things that confirm your bias.

 

many examples but did you think lab leak was "right wing fringe" until the non fringe said it was ok, you may now consider it, be honest.  

 

maybe you should read some of his posts with a clear open mind and consider just because its not echoing through the news cycle it is not true. the media is supposed to be a watch dog for the people. right now right wing fringe is the only thing holding this administration accountable and id expect the reverse when a republican is president. what you dont see is most news is left. its why hunters NEW labtop made zero news. Afghanistan is unavoidable cluster f. probly why it has hit you so hard. its a story that has no choice but to be presented honestly and honesty is how we come together. 

 

 

 

blatant hipocracy? to say that somehow at this point and time one side is not more adhered to spiting on anything resembling traditional american values is something. yet you sure seem to emphasize the right as the ones in the op. yes you included both but there is a slant. example, americans should care more about there country then themselves. ie mask and vax. heres a reverse way to look at the same subject. this country was founded on personal freedoms and liberty. you vax great! you can buy a n95 great! you want to stay in and avoid it all? great! notice how that stance does not include force, no mention of discluding you from anything? no mention of anything being your fault. making you the enemy. strange how it aligns more with what you want. a unified america. thats a recurring theme if you look at it from "right wing" perspectives aka traditional Democrat positions.

 

ill make this as simple as possible. the american flag is seen as a racist symbol of hate by some. loving THE symbol that stands for this country is a basic start to what you say is lost yet, that seems to be the side you lean? 

 

 

they will. after they play a different national anthem that is meant for other americans that divides countrymen and women into groups.

Let me respond.  I think you make some good points here.  But the flag comments are a good example of where I think our country is lost.  As you say, the flag stands for our country, and our country stands for freedom.  Thus, people are free to protest and one of the ways some have done that is to not stand and honor the flag when the anthem is played.  Do I like it?  No.  But do I like that they have the freedom to do so?  Yes.  Yes you have the freedom not to get vaccinated.  But you should want to in order to help your neighbor, to help the kids who can’t be, because in a public health crisis we are in this together.  But you see the data.  We are more concerned with me than us, and that tells me we have lost something fundamental to the character of the nation.

 

My frustration is not just at one political side.  When I get frustrated with the posts from obscure right wing sites it’s because all they do is slant things in a particular direction to win some kind of battle in their mind.  Same for obscure far left posts.  No one cares about the country anymore, just playing political games. They will completely change positions if they feel there is some political advantage and that is where the blatant hypocrisy comes in.  Politicians and right wing folks did it daily withTrump, now the other side does it for Biden.  

Nero fiddled while Rome burned.  That’s how I feel right now.  

Edited August 20, 2021 by oldmanfan

[ComradeKayAdams]

21 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

Some will no doubt read this and say I am being idealistic.  To that I say, why not?  Why not hold up the ideals of this country?  Instead, the people of this country don't care about the ideals anymore.   They only care about themselves.  And that selfish instinct, and how it has affected our daily lives, our government, and our standing in the world, has led to an inevitable consequence.

 

America is gone.  We have let it slip away.  The only question now is whether we can ever get it back.  

 

oldmanfan,

 

So your thesis is that America since the mid-20th century has become more selfish, stupid, and uncaring? Do I have it right?

 

Unfortunately I don’t think I have the time this morning to provide a definitive answer, but here’s a sketch of how I might begin to deconstruct the argument:

 

ARGUMENT PROS:

 

1. Increase in scientific illiteracy and the related proliferation of conspiracy theories.

2. Melting pot friction from greater diversity that includes more non-whites and non-Christians.

3. Consolidation of corporate mainstream media.

4. Neoliberalism’s four-decade assault on the working class (NAFTA, union collapse, automation, attacks on social welfare programs, Wall Street deregulations, etc.), on upward socioeconomic mobility, and therefore on the American Dream.

 

ARGUMENT CONS:

 

5. Civil rights progress.

6. Foreign policy promoting American imperialism in Latin America and in the Middle East for the purposes of economic exploitation, not human rights.

 

NOT SURE:

 

7. Greater dependence on technology (phones, internet, social media) and how it impacts our interactions with other people and our perceptions of the world around us.

8. Declining religiosity in America, as well as its potential effect on volunteerism.

9. The age-old American philosophical battle of individual rights versus the will of the collective, and how/why outlooks may have changed over recent generations.

10. Respect for shared public lands and how well Teddy Roosevelt’s dream of environmental conservationism has fared from unrestrained “greed-is-good” capitalism, beginning roughly from the EPA’s founding in 1970 to the Paris Agreement.

 

EARLY MORNING HOT TAKE: I’m inclined to fail your thesis on point #6 alone, oldmanfan. You know my position already from my posts in the Afghanistan thread. America never had a particularly high moral standing in the first place, nor were its citizens ever enlightened and concerned with what the military and the CIA were actually doing to people abroad.

 

However, #4 does leave me intrigued. What has been the broader impact of our domestic economic policies on Americans, from a sociological and psychological perspective? Hmmm…deep thoughts with Commie Kay…