A turn for the worse, Kennedy to now

[alan1]

John F. Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". Powerful words and you can see them here,
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLdA1ikkoEc]John F Kennedy 'Ask not' - YouTube[/ame]

Let us fast forward a few years and see a Kennedy generation child change those words into "How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs......?" It can be seen here, [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8rp-tlgqa4]1992 Ponytail Guy Presidential Debate - YouTube[/ame]

Every presidential political debate since Pony-Tail-Guy (I don't know his real name) has had questions about how the government is supposed to take care of people as opposed to how people take care of themselves or how people should control the government. A far distant or opposing position than Mr Kennedy held. And JFK was a liberal.

What the fuck has happened to this country? Why is it that some people somehow now think that the purpose of the federal government is to take care of them like some sort of nanny? Has the majority of voters decided that they want a "mommy" or "daddy" to take care of them? Vis-a-vis the federal government setting things like wages and health insurance mandates?

Grow up people, it's not the governments responsibility to make sure you have a home to live in, food on the table, medical care or anything else. It's your responsibility to provide for yourself and your family, not mine. Quit being fucking children.

 

[Bombur]

Things like UHC just make sense as a nation. Grow up and look at reality.

We live in a society where we all depend on one another. The biggest threat to America is not when we work together to provide things like UHC or food stamps but our narcissism which tears us apart and makes us selfish and short sighted.

 

[Wry Catcher]

John F. Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". Powerful words and you can see them here,
John F Kennedy 'Ask not' - YouTube

Let us fast forward a few years and see a Kennedy generation child change those words into "How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs......?" It can be seen here, 1992 Ponytail Guy Presidential Debate - YouTube

Every presidential political debate since Pony-Tail-Guy (I don't know his real name) has had questions about how the government is supposed to take care of people as opposed to how people take care of themselves or how people should control the government. A far distant or opposing position than Mr Kennedy held. And JFK was a liberal.

What the fuck has happened to this country? Why is it that some people somehow now think that the purpose of the federal government is to take care of them like some sort of nanny? Has the majority of voters decided that they want a "mommy" or "daddy" to take care of them? Vis-a-vis the federal government setting things like wages and health insurance mandates?

Grow up people, it's not the governments responsibility to make sure you have a home to live in, food on the table, medical care or anything else. It's your responsibility to provide for yourself and your family, not mine. Quit being fucking children.

What has changed? Two things come to mind: "It's your money" mentality has changed greed/avarice from a deadly sin into a virtue; and, Sears (for example) used to honor their Craftsman Tool for life and today wants to sell its customers an insurance policy to protect customers from a crappy product (in general business and industry have put profit over customer service).

Since Reagan Unions have been under attack and wages and benefits for the many have shrunk while salaries and benefits of the few have vastly increased.

Since Reagan compassion for the poor has been replaced by a "quit being fucking children" mentality, and assuming the poor are solely responsible for being poor (in other words, critical thinking and panoptic consideration for poverty are no longer part of problem identification).

 

[Againsheila]

John F. Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". Powerful words and you can see them here,
John F Kennedy 'Ask not' - YouTube

Let us fast forward a few years and see a Kennedy generation child change those words into "How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs......?" It can be seen here, 1992 Ponytail Guy Presidential Debate - YouTube

Every presidential political debate since Pony-Tail-Guy (I don't know his real name) has had questions about how the government is supposed to take care of people as opposed to how people take care of themselves or how people should control the government. A far distant or opposing position than Mr Kennedy held. And JFK was a liberal.

What the fuck has happened to this country? Why is it that some people somehow now think that the purpose of the federal government is to take care of them like some sort of nanny? Has the majority of voters decided that they want a "mommy" or "daddy" to take care of them? Vis-a-vis the federal government setting things like wages and health insurance mandates?

Grow up people, it's not the governments responsibility to make sure you have a home to live in, food on the table, medical care or anything else. It's your responsibility to provide for yourself and your family, not mine. Quit being fucking children.

Good post, although I will say that it's our country's responsibility to take care of the disabled and elderly. Able bodied people should be working and they should make a living wage.

 

[ron4342]

John F. Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". Powerful words and you can see them here,
John F Kennedy 'Ask not' - YouTube

Let us fast forward a few years and see a Kennedy generation child change those words into "How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs......?" It can be seen here, 1992 Ponytail Guy Presidential Debate - YouTube

Every presidential political debate since Pony-Tail-Guy (I don't know his real name) has had questions about how the government is supposed to take care of people as opposed to how people take care of themselves or how people should control the government. A far distant or opposing position than Mr Kennedy held. And JFK was a liberal.

What the fuck has happened to this country? Why is it that some people somehow now think that the purpose of the federal government is to take care of them like some sort of nanny? Has the majority of voters decided that they want a "mommy" or "daddy" to take care of them? Vis-a-vis the federal government setting things like wages and health insurance mandates?

Grow up people, it's not the governments responsibility to make sure you have a home to live in, food on the table, medical care or anything else. It's your responsibility to provide for yourself and your family, not mine. Quit being fucking children.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Nice of you to give one Kennedy quote, but how about some of his accomplishments?
-He was responsible for putting a man on the moon. Such a program today would be quickly voted down by the gop as a waste of money.
-He secured a limited test ban treaty with Russia. Should Obama try something like that he would immediately be called a Communist stooge and be condemned for not standing firm against Russia.
-He helped secure the passage of the Area Redevelopment Act which provided FINANCIAL assistance to states where people were suffering high unemployment. In other words, he promoted and passed a stimulus bill that would help the jobless. Once again, he would be soundly condemned by the gop of today for such an action.
-Under John F. Kennedy's administration, laws were put in place to end segregation in interstate travel facilities. Todays gop would object to such laws and complain they weren't needed.
The point is that JFK was concerned with promoting the "general welfare" of Americans. Today's gop wouldn't give a shit about the general welfare of Americans and it has shown this by working to destroy ACA and refusing to work for a jobs bill.

 

[Bombur]

The GOP of today would called Reagan a socialist for increasing spending and plunging the Federal government into debt.

 

[alan1]

John F. Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". Powerful words and you can see them here,
John F Kennedy 'Ask not' - YouTube

Let us fast forward a few years and see a Kennedy generation child change those words into "How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs......?" It can be seen here, 1992 Ponytail Guy Presidential Debate - YouTube

Every presidential political debate since Pony-Tail-Guy (I don't know his real name) has had questions about how the government is supposed to take care of people as opposed to how people take care of themselves or how people should control the government. A far distant or opposing position than Mr Kennedy held. And JFK was a liberal.

What the fuck has happened to this country? Why is it that some people somehow now think that the purpose of the federal government is to take care of them like some sort of nanny? Has the majority of voters decided that they want a "mommy" or "daddy" to take care of them? Vis-a-vis the federal government setting things like wages and health insurance mandates?

Grow up people, it's not the governments responsibility to make sure you have a home to live in, food on the table, medical care or anything else. It's your responsibility to provide for yourself and your family, not mine. Quit being fucking children.

Good post, although I will say that it's our country's responsibility to take care of the disabled and elderly. Able bodied people should be working and they should make a living wage.

If by "our country's responsibility", you mean individuals devoting their time, money and effort to help others, then I agree with you.
If by "our country's responsibility", you mean government determining who gets help, then I disagree with you.

 

[alan1]

We the People[/B] of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Ron4342, your large bold font doesn't make your foolish interpretation of those words correct, it is merely large bold font. "General welfare" meant something entirely different in the late 1700's than what "welfare" means today in the liberal vernacular.
Have you ever read The Federalist Papers? I suspect you haven't, otherwise you'd have a better understanding of what "the general welfare" means.

Nice of you to give one Kennedy quote, but how about some of his accomplishments?
-He was responsible for putting a man on the moon. Such a program today would be quickly voted down by the gop as a waste of money.
-He secured a limited test ban treaty with Russia. Should Obama try something like that he would immediately be called a Communist stooge and be condemned for not standing firm against Russia.
-He helped secure the passage of the Area Redevelopment Act which provided FINANCIAL assistance to states where people were suffering high unemployment. In other words, he promoted and passed a stimulus bill that would help the jobless. Once again, he would be soundly condemned by the gop of today for such an action.
-Under John F. Kennedy's administration, laws were put in place to end segregation in interstate travel facilities. Todays gop would object to such laws and complain they weren't needed.
The point is that JFK was concerned with promoting the "general welfare" of Americans. Today's gop wouldn't give a shit about the general welfare of Americans and it has shown this by working to destroy ACA and refusing to work for a jobs bill.

This thread isn't about Kennedy (or Reagan, as some others have tried to infuse into the conversation), it's about how we as a nation have abandoned self responsibility in favor of a government nanny. I cited the Kennedy quote as it pertains to the thesis, his other actions are irrelevant in the context of my statement.

 

[Antares]

John F. Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". Powerful words and you can see them here,
John F Kennedy 'Ask not' - YouTube

Let us fast forward a few years and see a Kennedy generation child change those words into "How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs......?" It can be seen here, 1992 Ponytail Guy Presidential Debate - YouTube

Every presidential political debate since Pony-Tail-Guy (I don't know his real name) has had questions about how the government is supposed to take care of people as opposed to how people take care of themselves or how people should control the government. A far distant or opposing position than Mr Kennedy held. And JFK was a liberal.

What the fuck has happened to this country? Why is it that some people somehow now think that the purpose of the federal government is to take care of them like some sort of nanny? Has the majority of voters decided that they want a "mommy" or "daddy" to take care of them? Vis-a-vis the federal government setting things like wages and health insurance mandates?

Grow up people, it's not the governments responsibility to make sure you have a home to live in, food on the table, medical care or anything else. It's your responsibility to provide for yourself and your family, not mine. Quit being fucking children.

What has changed? Two things come to mind: "It's your money" mentality has changed greed/avarice from a deadly sin into a virtue; and, Sears (for example) used to honor their Craftsman Tool for life and today wants to sell its customers an insurance policy to protect customers from a crappy product (in general business and industry have put profit over customer service).

Since Reagan Unions have been under attack and wages and benefits for the many have shrunk while salaries and benefits of the few have vastly increased.

Since Reagan compassion for the poor has been replaced by a "quit being fucking children" mentality, and assuming the poor are solely responsible for being poor (in other words, critical thinking and panoptic consideration for poverty are no longer part of problem identification).

"It's your money"

Wry?

Who's money is it?

[MENTION=20297]Wry Catcher[/MENTION]

 

[FJO]

Poor JFK, he never had any idea (though he probably should have) that he would be succeeded by someone who would start an unwinnable war on poverty, call it Great Society, and sow the first seeds of irresponsibility and dependence.

Kennedy's famous words invoke only smirks and derision, nowadays.

 

[alan1]

What has changed? Two things come to mind: "It's your money" mentality has changed greed/avarice from a deadly sin into a virtue; and, Sears (for example) used to honor their Craftsman Tool for life and today wants to sell its customers an insurance policy to protect customers from a crappy product (in general business and industry have put profit over customer service).

Since Reagan Unions have been under attack and wages and benefits for the many have shrunk while salaries and benefits of the few have vastly increased.

Since Reagan compassion for the poor has been replaced by a "quit being fucking children" mentality, and assuming the poor are solely responsible for being poor (in other words, critical thinking and panoptic consideration for poverty are no longer part of problem identification).

"Compassion for the poor" is bullshit. Compassion does nothing in and of itself. You are free to do whatever you think is best for the poor, the moment you demand my government tax dollars to support what you think is right I have become a quasi-slave to the government and to you. Let me determine where my compassion goes, and I'll respect your decision on where your compassion goes. Don't force your chosen compassion on me via government. That makes you naught but a dictator via proxy.

 

[Sunshine]

John F. Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". Powerful words and you can see them here,


Let us fast forward a few years and see a Kennedy generation child change those words into "How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs......?" It can be seen here,
Every presidential political debate since Pony-Tail-Guy (I don't know his real name) has had questions about how the government is supposed to take care of people as opposed to how people take care of themselves or how people should control the government. A far distant or opposing position than Mr Kennedy held. And JFK was a liberal.

What the fuck has happened to this country? Why is it that some people somehow now think that the purpose of the federal government is to take care of them like some sort of nanny? Has the majority of voters decided that they want a "mommy" or "daddy" to take care of them? Vis-a-vis the federal government setting things like wages and health insurance mandates?

Grow up people, it's not the governments responsibility to make sure you have a home to live in, food on the table, medical care or anything else. It's your responsibility to provide for yourself and your family, not mine. Quit being fucking children.

I saw the speech when he made it. I was in 8th grade. Truth be told, the current mentality was present in this country even back then, and hard working people like my parents were disgusted by it. I have never seen my mother so impressed with a presidential speech as she was that one. She believed it hit right in the gut of what was going on. She saw a lot of people as lazy, unwilling to help themselves. My folks were a little older than the parents of my friends because I was a late comer to the family. My parents were newly weds when the Great Depression hit. There was no dole, and they, both without even a high school education, had to make a go of things for their children. We lived in a small, clean little house which they paid off in 2 years, long before I was born. They never owed money on a car or anything else. They never lived beyond their means. The lessons I learned from them brought me through the difficult times after my husband's death until today. I thought they were SO un hip back in the day. Little did I know, then!

 

[Iceweasel]

I think the mentality has been there for a while, mostly due to our success and lifestyles well above that of most of the world. The turning point may have been when social security was instilled and people expected to be taken care of at retirement age. But in those days the average age past reirement was about 5 years. And about 30 working stiffs per recipient were paying into it. Now it's about 3 or less per recipient and we live much longer with technological advances and medicine. Which is very expensive.

Some of the most spoiled self entitled people I've met is when I worked in a retirement center.

 

[Pogo]

John F. Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". Powerful words and you can see them here,
John F Kennedy 'Ask not' - YouTube

Let us fast forward a few years and see a Kennedy generation child change those words into "How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs......?" It can be seen here, 1992 Ponytail Guy Presidential Debate - YouTube

Every presidential political debate since Pony-Tail-Guy (I don't know his real name) has had questions about how the government is supposed to take care of people as opposed to how people take care of themselves or how people should control the government. A far distant or opposing position than Mr Kennedy held. And JFK was a liberal.

What the fuck has happened to this country? Why is it that some people somehow now think that the purpose of the federal government is to take care of them like some sort of nanny? Has the majority of voters decided that they want a "mommy" or "daddy" to take care of them? Vis-a-vis the federal government setting things like wages and health insurance mandates?

Grow up people, it's not the governments responsibility to make sure you have a home to live in, food on the table, medical care or anything else. It's your responsibility to provide for yourself and your family, not mine. Quit being fucking children.

Did you watch your own video, Alan? The question guy's point was about the tenor of the political campaign. He's complaining that mudslinging personal politics rather than actual issues were dominating the campaign. As he says he's 'shy on camera' so maybe didn't pick the best phrase but by "our needs" he clearly refers to the issues of national import -- as contrasted to whatever personal dirty laundry issues were active in the election campaign of the time.

That's what the whole question was about. Watch your own video. What you're doing here is forcing a contrived issue by false interpretation.

 

[Richard-H]

As long as the private sector-capitalist system remains an economy of exclusion, the majority of the American people will elect a government which provides a social safety net.

If the private sector would be willing to provide jobs with reasonable salaries, wages & benefits, for all Americans, then there would no longer be a need for a government provided social safety net. They obviously have no intention of doing so.

It seems that the private sector becomes increasingly exclusive, while they politically maneuver to undermine the American people's ability to elect a government which represents the majority.

Their goals seem to be to create of government of the minority, to reduce the amount of jobs, reduce the salaries wages and benefits of the remaining jobs, and to destroy the government's social safety net.

Basically they are trying to drive the American people into a state of destitution.

 

[alan1]

John F. Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". Powerful words and you can see them here,
John F Kennedy 'Ask not' - YouTube

Let us fast forward a few years and see a Kennedy generation child change those words into "How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs......?" It can be seen here, 1992 Ponytail Guy Presidential Debate - YouTube

Every presidential political debate since Pony-Tail-Guy (I don't know his real name) has had questions about how the government is supposed to take care of people as opposed to how people take care of themselves or how people should control the government. A far distant or opposing position than Mr Kennedy held. And JFK was a liberal.

What the fuck has happened to this country? Why is it that some people somehow now think that the purpose of the federal government is to take care of them like some sort of nanny? Has the majority of voters decided that they want a "mommy" or "daddy" to take care of them? Vis-a-vis the federal government setting things like wages and health insurance mandates?

Grow up people, it's not the governments responsibility to make sure you have a home to live in, food on the table, medical care or anything else. It's your responsibility to provide for yourself and your family, not mine. Quit being fucking children.

Did you watch your own video, Alan? The question guy's point was about the tenor of the political campaign. He's complaining that mudslinging personal politics rather than actual issues were dominating the campaign. As he says he's 'shy on camera' so maybe didn't pick the best phrase but by "our needs" he clearly refers to the issues of national import -- as contrasted to whatever personal dirty laundry issues were active in the election campaign of the time.

That's what the whole question was about. Watch your own video. What you're doing here is forcing a contrived issue by false interpretation.

He said,
"How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs...?"

He declared himself as a child of the government. Heck, he declared you and I as the same. He asked how the government was going to meet his needs in that context.

The government is not my fucking parent. The governments role is not to be a parenting aspect. And ever since that debate occurred, every subsequent (media controlled) presidential debate has centered around how the government should take care of people. Propagated by the media that thinks the government should be a nanny. But then, most of the media thinks you and I are stupid people that need government control and assistance.

 

[Pogo]

John F. Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". Powerful words and you can see them here,
John F Kennedy 'Ask not' - YouTube

Let us fast forward a few years and see a Kennedy generation child change those words into "How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs......?" It can be seen here, 1992 Ponytail Guy Presidential Debate - YouTube

Every presidential political debate since Pony-Tail-Guy (I don't know his real name) has had questions about how the government is supposed to take care of people as opposed to how people take care of themselves or how people should control the government. A far distant or opposing position than Mr Kennedy held. And JFK was a liberal.

What the fuck has happened to this country? Why is it that some people somehow now think that the purpose of the federal government is to take care of them like some sort of nanny? Has the majority of voters decided that they want a "mommy" or "daddy" to take care of them? Vis-a-vis the federal government setting things like wages and health insurance mandates?

Grow up people, it's not the governments responsibility to make sure you have a home to live in, food on the table, medical care or anything else. It's your responsibility to provide for yourself and your family, not mine. Quit being fucking children.

Did you watch your own video, Alan? The question guy's point was about the tenor of the political campaign. He's complaining that mudslinging personal politics rather than actual issues were dominating the campaign. As he says he's 'shy on camera' so maybe didn't pick the best phrase but by "our needs" he clearly refers to the issues of national import -- as contrasted to whatever personal dirty laundry issues were active in the election campaign of the time.

That's what the whole question was about. Watch your own video. What you're doing here is forcing a contrived issue by false interpretation.

He said,
"How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs...?"

He declared himself as a child of the government. Heck, he declared you and I as the same. He asked how the government was going to meet his needs in that context.

The government is not my fucking parent. The governments role is not to be a parenting aspect. And ever since that debate occurred, every subsequent (media controlled) presidential debate has centered around how the government should take care of people. Propagated by the media that thinks the government should be a nanny. But then, most of the media thinks you and I are stupid people that need government control and assistance.

It appears you're picking on his semantics to make a point that isn't there. Look at the context -- the question itself is about the tenor of the campaign ... not the roles of government. It's right there in your own video. The question... and the answer... are about the mudslinging political campaigning. There's no way around that.

 

[alan1]

Did you watch your own video, Alan? The question guy's point was about the tenor of the political campaign. He's complaining that mudslinging personal politics rather than actual issues were dominating the campaign. As he says he's 'shy on camera' so maybe didn't pick the best phrase but by "our needs" he clearly refers to the issues of national import -- as contrasted to whatever personal dirty laundry issues were active in the election campaign of the time.

That's what the whole question was about. Watch your own video. What you're doing here is forcing a contrived issue by false interpretation.

He said,
"How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs...?"

He declared himself as a child of the government. Heck, he declared you and I as the same. He asked how the government was going to meet his needs in that context.

The government is not my fucking parent. The governments role is not to be a parenting aspect. And ever since that debate occurred, every subsequent (media controlled) presidential debate has centered around how the government should take care of people. Propagated by the media that thinks the government should be a nanny. But then, most of the media thinks you and I are stupid people that need government control and assistance.

It appears you're picking on his semantics to make a point that isn't there. Look at the context -- the question itself is about the tenor of the campaign ... not the roles of government. It's right there in your own video. The question... and the answer... are about the mudslinging political campaigning. There's no way around that.

So, you want to focus on that and I want to focus something different.
He still said,
"How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs...?'
And ever since that statement, the media has focused on the government care in presidential debates.

 

[whitehall]

JFK was good at "powerful words" when the liberal media was around but they were generally meaningless at the time he uttered them. JFK traveled to Germany and claimed "we are all Berliners" when the Russians were building the Wall and the liberal media raved at his eloquence and then he want home and ignored the "Berliners " who were shot in the back by the Russian tyrants.

 

[Bfgrn]

John F. Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". Powerful words and you can see them here,
John F Kennedy 'Ask not' - YouTube

Let us fast forward a few years and see a Kennedy generation child change those words into "How can we, as symbolically the children of the future president expect the the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs......?" It can be seen here, 1992 Ponytail Guy Presidential Debate - YouTube

Every presidential political debate since Pony-Tail-Guy (I don't know his real name) has had questions about how the government is supposed to take care of people as opposed to how people take care of themselves or how people should control the government. A far distant or opposing position than Mr Kennedy held. And JFK was a liberal.

What the fuck has happened to this country? Why is it that some people somehow now think that the purpose of the federal government is to take care of them like some sort of nanny? Has the majority of voters decided that they want a "mommy" or "daddy" to take care of them? Vis-a-vis the federal government setting things like wages and health insurance mandates?

Grow up people, it's not the governments responsibility to make sure you have a home to live in, food on the table, medical care or anything else. It's your responsibility to provide for yourself and your family, not mine. Quit being fucking children.

It would have helped if you first understood what JFK was saying when he uttered those words.

John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address inspired children and adults to see the importance of civic action and public service. His historic words, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” challenged every American to contribute in some way to the public good.

http://www.jfklibrary.org/~/media/a.../Ask not what your country can do for you.pdf