OT: What is wrong with America?

It works the OTHER way, too. Some of the worst atrocities in human history have been committed in the name of God. (By whatever name you want to use...)

All it takes is the belief that the 'something bigger than society' is on *your* side... and you get fanatics willing to do just about any kind of barbarism for your pet cause.

I meant to type "It is so much just...".

I agree. Still, I think I'd rather be in war against global warming than a war against Islamic extremists. Not that either is acceptable.

I fully expect the Republican party to reinvent itself and recover. I do think a lot of damage has been done to the US world image, and it will be easier to rebuild that image, starting with US political regime change, e.g. Democratic party control. Of course some would say we need Libertarian party control, like that could ever happen.

Why would you think it didn't happen in the past?

There was molestation of children by fathers, wife beatings by husbands and plenty of other antisocial violent behavior. There were different attitudes about things that happened behind closed doors back then and there wasn't TV or the internet to publicize everything.

The world was dysfunctional back in the fifties just like now. People just didn't hear about it and when they did they turned their heads and acted like it didn't happen. Remember?

Andrew

Where did I indicate that I did not think so? I asked a question.

No, ya git. I wasn't born then. I asked about people engaging in mass murder of schoolkids, not wife beatings and other 1 on 1 violence or other things behind "closed doors". TOTALLY different.

Also I asked about not just 50 years ago, but a century or more as well.

I also believe that there was a cultural bias to "keep things quiet" in the past. No one wanted to be associated with a place/person/event where terrible things happened.

Mark Palmer

Here' the thing that makes me sick, at the most basic level what do we have here with the school shootings, Foley and clergy? Public child abuse.

Is it more rampant now or is it just more publicized?

Ted Novak TRA#5512 IEAS#75

And if I'm not against "global warming" I'll get some of that smug superiority and be labeled barbaric, right?

As to Islamic extremism, I recommend a weekly cartoon in the European press, which evidently causes collective apoplexy leading to death by aneurysm.

Sure, everybody loves the US when we sit on our hands and open our wallets.

It could happen if everyone who fits the libertarian profile would actually vote that way.

Why didn't I ask the question like that?

I don't believe for one second that it's because we took God out of schools and give out condoms to promote safe sex and reduce teen pregnancy. I believe that it's because Americans are no longer accountable for their actions and are no longer held responsible when they or their children screw up.

Take for example, a lawsuit against Take Two Interactive, the makers of the Grand Theft Auto series. A 14 year old boy in New Mexico goes and kills three people, but families of the victims are suing the game developer, because "Had the kid not played the game, he wouldn't have done this.." See

But this is one of a million lawsuits that happen every year, because Americans are no longer responsible for their own actions. It is automatically someone else's fault. Recently it was congressman Mark Foley making headlines for being sexually explicit with an underage kid. In his own statement, he cites abuse when he was younger as the reason for his behavior. I'm sorry, but WTF does that have to do with your actions? He knew right from wrong, but did wrong anyway.

So if those aren't good enough examples, how about a case where a lawnmower manufacturer is now liable because some guy rolled over a kid, killing him, when the guy couldn't make it up the hill on his riding mower?

We have become a nation of in-accountability. That is what is wrong with America today. Not because we don't allow God in schools, and not because we pass out condoms. It is solely because no one is to be held responsible for the stupid s*it they do anymore.

While not a "school shooting" in the current sense, google "Bath School Disaster".

You might be surprised how long disgruntled nutbags have been targeting children.

Kevin OClassen

That is in the Wikipedia link I sent. Notice how few there are before the 60s.

Oh I did :(

Ted Novak TRA#5512 IEAS#75

I think it is a combination of our "gimme culture" and "the MTV symdrome". Far too may people in our society believe that they are "owed something" be it from the government, or "evil rich people". And people also want everything *now* (as in an immediate, three minute music video....followed by a loss of attention, and a forfeiture of personal responsibilty afterward). When they don't get what they are "owed", and don't get it "now"...they have been conditioned to behave like a "victim"...and therefore lash out.

Dang, that was supposed to be "It is not so much just..."

My angle to the subject has to with the kind of food you americans eat. I've been in the usa 3 times. Every time I was there I just could't believe the size of the people. Beached whales, on average. From experience I know that the kind of food one eats has an effect on the way a persons feels and thinks. People are no different from rockets in that sense. Build a rocket from junk that's not suitable for building rockets and the rockets won't fly as they should. Same thing with people. Wrong food and they don't look and/or think as they should. It's a subject I can go on and on about but the bottomline to me is food. I was always glad to leave the usa and go back to decent food.

My 2 bits, Roland

We are always glad when you leave, too. Little string bean, wouldn't even make a decent snack.

Gah, what a weak effort at a troll. Barely even registers on the troll- o-meter.

Hi Mark

Hope all is well with you. Jerry left because you weren't around anymore.

Phil Stein

troll? not to me. How come you think it is? What have you been eating lately? :)

Barely even registers on the troll-

That's what happens with nontroll posts Tweak. They don't register.

fly em high.

String bean foreigners with baby seal on the side.

Nontroll? Let us see:

Americans are beached whales. Always glad to leave the USA.

Would those statements fit this definition from Wikipedia? "The characterising feature of trolling is the perception of intent to disrupt a community in some way. Inflammatory, sarcastic, disruptive or humorous content is posted, meant to draw other users into engaging the troll in a fruitless confrontation"