Do you think Americans have lost their spirit?

[W2R]

For a young talented person there must be better options.

I'm sure there are. A young person is not likely to find a great high paying yuppie job here either, IMO. However, despite all this most young people here normally do not leave the city in which they grew up. Perhaps the same is true in Seattle? At any rate, there is no dearth of 21-year-olds here or anyplace of which I am aware. The artsy bohemian aspects here are a lot of fun for young people, too. If I was 21, I'd buy that house and share it with a half dozen friends to help me pay the mortgage. We'd have a ball and we'd love being 21 (which I believe was the point of my post).

 

[haha]

I guess we are still allowed to showcase different points of view? Clearly it depends on the 21 year old. Few 21 year olds who are interested in fun show up on this board. The kind of fun most here are interested in isn't really the same thing.

I certainly don't feel that what may or may not be suitable for an ambitious 21 year old has anything at all to do with an older person, particularly one who is already happily settled materially and socially.

Ha

 

[cb7010]

Great Topic For A Post

In recent months/years I have considered the very same thing and I think our country as a whole is losing its spirit.

We simply are not the same hard working, freedom loving, creative, entrepreneurial, independent people today that we were during the ascendancy of this country from its inception.

It's frustrating and discouraging to see this happen right in front of us. For me, there is nothing more inspiring than to see the human spirit perservere and I am afraid far too many people in our society are giving up and/or being born into a nanny state society where they never know any different.

So, I, like many others, am putting my head down and taking care of myself and my happiness; but, it's still a bit sad to think that dis-associating from the sinking ship is the best we can do. I'd love to be more hopeful, but there isn't much I see on a daily basis that inspires me.

 

[TromboneAl]

Interesting, we blame our politicians and they may deserve some of the blame (special interests money), but the polarization reflects the polarization in the electorate these days...

I'll bet that most of that polarization in the electorate is caused by the politicians (e.g. through negative ads), aided by the media (which thrives on controversy).

 

[ziggy29]

I'll bet that most of that polarization in the electorate is caused by the politicians (e.g. through negative ads), aided by the media (which thrives on controversy).

Yes, I agree. I think many of the media, business and political "powers that be" stand to gain a lot in protecting their fiefdom by turning half of "Middle America" against the other half. It reminds me of this cartoon.

Daffy Duck plays a traveling salesman who exploits the feud between Foghorn Leghorn and the dog and starts to profit off of both of them by getting them to buy stuff that hurts each other, escalating the hate and violence repeatedly over time. This scheme comes to an end when both Foghorn and the dog realize they've been played for chumps -- that Daffy profited (at their expense) from fueling their hatred for each other and taking it to new levels.

Daffy = the political/business/media elite; Foghorn and the dog (roughly) represent the average left-leaning American and right-leaning American (or any other common "division" you can think of). Though produced 55 years ago, I think this captures the current divide and conquer of the American middle class better than anything I've seen since:

The High and the Flighty - YouTube

But in our day and age, will we both come to a mutual realization that Daffy is pitting us against each other for Daffy's own benefit (and to our mutual detriment)?

 

[Purron]

Yes, I agree. I think many of the media, business and political "powers that be" stand to gain a lot in protecting their fiefdom by turning half of "Middle America" against the other half. It reminds me of this cartoon.

Daffy Duck plays a traveling salesman who exploits the feud between Foghorn Leghorn and the dog and starts to profit off of both of them by getting them to buy stuff that hurts each other, escalating the hate and violence repeatedly over time. This scheme comes to an end when both Foghorn and the dog realize they've been played for chumps -- that Daffy profited (at their expense) from fueling their hatred for each other and taking it to new levels.

Love this cartoon! Always been a huge Foghorn Leghorn fan. Here's another one. RUN-DMC versus Aerosmith. Rap versus Rock. They worked it out

RUN-DMC - Walk This Way - YouTube

 

[mh]

louis CK's take on (american) life today is funny here

Louis CK: Everything is amazing right now and nobody is happy - YouTube

i like the .. well i can't do anymore things.. part too.

 

[Midpack]

I'll bet that most of that polarization in the electorate is caused by the politicians (e.g. through negative ads), aided by the media (which thrives on controversy).

I wish I knew where it started. Just one example, we all grew up with three major networks who tried to report the unbiased news (relative to today at least) - remember Walter Cronkite?

And we didn't "know" so much about the personal lives of our leaders and politicians. Are we better off having them constantly picked apart over every little thing for political reasons that have nothing to do with governing? Is it any surprise our best and brightest aren't interested in public office?

Are we better off with MSNBC and Fox News, I'm not sure we are. We should be able to listen to both and draw our own sound conclusions, but it seems a majority can't or won't bother. So we pick a side and parrot what we hear including ready made rebuttals to the views of the other side, without ever actually listening to the other side and thinking ideas through for ourselves. I fault the electorate for that, not the media.

And I'm not sure I agree the media is responsible first. There are less biased sources of news, but they don't fare as well in the ratings, chicken or the egg?

I wish I knew how this happened and how it plays out. It sure is ugly and devisive these days, gridlock can be beneficial but I don't believe now is one of those times.

 

[TromboneAl]

During the last election, when McCain was ahead in the polls, it seemed that the media had more positive stories on Obama and negative on McCain and vice versa. That's all it would take, but I'm probably reading too much into it.

I'm hoping that it really has been like this all the time, and we're just more aware of it as we age and have more time for thinking.

 

[Birchwood]

I'm cautiously optimistic with my future. I'm more concern about the future of our children. I think they are in a rougher world just to maintain or meet the same standards we have attained for ourselves.

 

[ERD50]

During the last election, when McCain was ahead in the polls, it seemed that the media had more positive stories on Obama and negative on McCain and vice versa. That's all it would take, but I'm probably reading too much into it.

I'm hoping that it really has been like this all the time, and we're just more aware of it as we age and have more time for thinking.

I don't know. But maybe you just have to look for it:

Congress approves patent overhaul bill | Reuters

In a 89-9 bipartisan vote, the Democratic-led Senate passed the measure which had cleared the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives in June.

So I guess they can come together when the bill makes sense (I sure hope this one does!)?

-ERD50

 

[Chuckanut]

Yes, we have lost it. Years ago we went from barely being able to put an unmanned satellite into orbit to putting men on the moon in eight years. Today, the estimate is that even if Congress was willing to fund it, it would take 12-15 years to duplicate project Apollo. This is true despite all the advances in technology.

We lack leaders with vision. Vision other than getting reelected and getting more for their the Big Boys who have bought their vote.