How is America Stacking up against the World??

[shintao]

I found these photos revealing, in that other countries children are be trained and driven, long before ours get off the bottle. What the hell have the conservatives done to America with their dumb down corporations of capitalism?? Think about this when the toys come crawling out from under the Christmas tree in the name of Christ and all that BS. Buy your kid weight set and start giving his Lil ass some discipline, get him in martial arts, etc.

The Perm police school is an educational institution that trains and educates future Russian policemen. It is the first and every important step for young boys and girls in becoming police officers.

How children as young as four are stretched in training to be China's future gymnasts

All Japan Children’s Aikido Training

American family exercising

 

[Avatar4321]

And by what standards are you comparing anything?

Our children don't have to learn war immediately. I think that's a blessing. They will learn it soon enough.

Though training the kids isn't a completely bad idea. But my guess is you want the government to oversea it.

 

[Agit8r]

Hey! We buy our kids video games so that they can learn how to blow up wedding parties with drones!

 

[Londoner]

Neoliberalism does not believe in the public sector. It is building a dystopia of disconnected private enclaves.

There is no America left to defend. Eventually the wealthy will live in walled neighborhoods with private security. Blackwater is the future.

We do not see children as a collective -- a national asset! -- warranting investment. We used to invest in the middle class. We used to invest in public education, so our children had a context for growth.

That's all socialism now. Children are left to the fickle temperament of the market.

.....abandoned to McDonald's and World of Warcraft, wherever profit can burrow its way into their soul and feed on their flesh, making them stupid consumers.

In China they build gymnasts and scientists. In America they build consumers who go into crippling debt buying shiny plastic objects.

Who convinces them that they need the shiny plastic object?

The market.

Freedom! Ain't it grand.

(passt: the government won WWII, took us to the moon, and invented the computer. This is when we used to see children as an asset to invest in. Each child was seen as a piece of glorious potential - perhaps the next Einstein or inventor of post-oil energy. Poverty was seen as destroying that potential. So we did something about it - we taxed the fortunate at a higher rate so more poor children could become educated and lead productive lives*. That's over now. Reagan convinced us that those children were just welfare queens. So we stopped investing in them, hoping the market would magically save them. Who knew the market would just sell them sugar and make them fat. "Freedom"! It's working out well for us.)

* Ronald Reagan's father was saved by a New Deal work program, which was paid for by progressive taxation. America invested in Ronald Reagan. It wasn't a handout. We didn't call Reagan a welfare queen so we could justify letting him rot. We used to treat children as valuable assets. That's all socialism now.

 

[Avatar4321]

Are you smoking something?

 

[Blagger]

As attractive a concept it may seem, these 'acadamies' in Russia are hangovers from the cold war that feed propaganda and rhetoric into an impressionable mind that should be focused on playing and exploring basic social skills; not being drilled and intimidated by possibly damaged or unstable adults. And the gymnastics schools you've noted are few and far between in China. Only a select few are accepted into what can turn-out to be a life-long commitment.

I'll grant you, evidence suggests that America and the western world is voluntarily sliding into the jaws of consumerism at an alarming rate, and that this trend should be curbed; but why must the government take responsibility and provide bootcamps for lazy and disinterested youth. No, the owness is on the parents. There's nothing wrong with allowing a son or daughter to spend time chatting online or playing computer games, but it should be regulated by their parents and their parents are morally and duty bound to provide an alternative. For example, and forgive the stereotype, what about taking their son camping. I remember my father teaching me to shoot, skin and cook a rabbit when I was a child, why not pass-on that valuable skill? Basically, if the parent can be bothered, the opportunities are boundless. But if all they want to do is drink a six-pack when they get home from work, then what kind of message is that passing-on to their children?

If you want an ideal miltary model children can take part in, then look no further than the British Army's Cadets programme. It's part funded by the British military, is run by former Army personnel, is entirely voluntary and once the cadets have crossed over onto the cadet base, they're immediately and officially under British military law. In return for subjecting themselves to what can be harsh military discipline, they're given the opportunity to take-part in live firing exercises (remember, firearms aren't nearly as available in the UK as they are in the US), travel all over the UK and make some great friends. The added bonus is that they get to go home at the end of the day.

 

[Cuyo]

I took Karate classes at about the age of those chillin' in the picture... And they gymnastics/sports machine cult in the U.S. is not terribly different from abroad.

I don't think the divide is as great as you make it seem.

 

[Jarhead]

I took Karate classes at about the age of those chillin' in the picture... And they gymnastics/sports machine cult in the U.S. is not terribly different from abroad.

I don't think the divide is as great as you make it seem.

I agree. I, too, can cherry pick some photos of American Children engaging in athletics, martial arts and such at an early age.

I was a gymnast at the age of 4....and able to perform giants on the H-bar at the age of 6. My first still iron cross on the rings...held for 5 seconds....was at the age of 9.

My wife was deemed an olympic hopeful at figure skating at the age of 13.

We have hundreds...thousands....of collegiate athletes that compete and match up to, and frequently outperform the world in every sport.

And the differecne? Most of them do it by choice...or, at the very least, by choice of their parents. (That is another debate for another day).

And I wont even get into the superiority of our military personnel...again, all in the military by choice.

 

[The Rabbi]

I found these photos revealing, in that other countries children are be trained and driven, long before ours get off the bottle. What the hell have the conservatives done to America with their dumb down corporations of capitalism?? Think about this when the toys come crawling out from under the christmas tree in the name of christ and all that BS. Buy your kid weight set and start giving his lil ass some disipline, get him in martial arts, etc.

The Perm police school is an educational institution that trains and educates future Russian policemen. It is the first and every important step for young boys and girls in becoming police officers.

Hmml lets see here.
Competition has been declared bad for children's fragile ego by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Contact sports have been deemed too dangerous and too prone to lawsuits by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Patriotism has been deemed bad by the Left so banned in most places.
The Boy Scouts have been deemed bad by the Left, so constantly facing persecution.

How has any of this been the fault of conservatives, who are all in favor of competitions and training for kids??

 

[Cuyo]

I found these photos revealing, in that other countries children are be trained and driven, long before ours get off the bottle. What the hell have the conservatives done to America with their dumb down corporations of capitalism?? Think about this when the toys come crawling out from under the christmas tree in the name of christ and all that BS. Buy your kid weight set and start giving his lil ass some disipline, get him in martial arts, etc.

The Perm police school is an educational institution that trains and educates future Russian policemen. It is the first and every important step for young boys and girls in becoming police officers.

Hmml lets see here.
Competition has been declared bad for children's fragile ego by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Contact sports have been deemed too dangerous and too prone to lawsuits by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Patriotism has been deemed bad by the Left so banned in most places.
The Boy Scouts have been deemed bad by the Left, so constantly facing persecution.

How has any of this been the fault of conservatives, who are all in favor of competitions and training for kids??

Every day is a new opportunity to further reveal what an ignorant, partisan hack you are.

 

[Mr. H.]

What are you talking about? I'm still on the bottle.

 

[Jarhead]

I found these photos revealing, in that other countries children are be trained and driven, long before ours get off the bottle. What the hell have the conservatives done to America with their dumb down corporations of capitalism?? Think about this when the toys come crawling out from under the christmas tree in the name of christ and all that BS. Buy your kid weight set and start giving his lil ass some disipline, get him in martial arts, etc.

The Perm police school is an educational institution that trains and educates future Russian policemen. It is the first and every important step for young boys and girls in becoming police officers.

Hmml lets see here.
Competition has been declared bad for children's fragile ego by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Contact sports have been deemed too dangerous and too prone to lawsuits by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Patriotism has been deemed bad by the Left so banned in most places.
The Boy Scouts have been deemed bad by the Left, so constantly facing persecution.

How has any of this been the fault of conservatives, who are all in favor of competitions and training for kids??

Interesting and good point.

I not only disagree with Shintaos preemise that we are falling behind physically...

But for him to blame conservatives is just outright partisan crap

 

[The Rabbi]

I found these photos revealing, in that other countries children are be trained and driven, long before ours get off the bottle. What the hell have the conservatives done to America with their dumb down corporations of capitalism?? Think about this when the toys come crawling out from under the christmas tree in the name of christ and all that BS. Buy your kid weight set and start giving his lil ass some disipline, get him in martial arts, etc.

The Perm police school is an educational institution that trains and educates future Russian policemen. It is the first and every important step for young boys and girls in becoming police officers.

Hmml lets see here.
Competition has been declared bad for children's fragile ego by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Contact sports have been deemed too dangerous and too prone to lawsuits by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Patriotism has been deemed bad by the Left so banned in most places.
The Boy Scouts have been deemed bad by the Left, so constantly facing persecution.

How has any of this been the fault of conservatives, who are all in favor of competitions and training for kids??

Every day is a new opportunity to further reveal what an ignorant, partisan hack you are.

Translation: Everything you say is true but I cannot allow that to pass.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

I found these photos revealing, in that other countries children are be trained and driven, long before ours get off the bottle. What the hell have the conservatives done to America with their dumb down corporations of capitalism?? Think about this when the toys come crawling out from under the christmas tree in the name of christ and all that BS.

What makes the U.S. unique is (or, was) our creativity. The idea that children need to be driven....before they're given the opportunity to play, and let their imagination run-wild....is counter-productive; anti-American. The idea that children or (worse, yet), adults plan a variable-free course-of-action to determine a child's future/occupation is a direct-result of laziness; conservatism. Orwellian would be another apt-description. How many people are there, to-date, who're absolutely-miserable, because they'd pursued a career that'd please their parents??

As-far-as conservatives/corporations go.....my best point-of-reference is my Generation; the Boomers. Too-many people suggest we were/are "too materialistic". When it comes to the Yuppie-faction (unfortunately, the majority), I can't disagree. My point is....our Generation was BRED TO CON$UME!!!! When Madi$on Avenue figured-out they could (actually) come into-our-homes (with this new T.V.-invention; especially during the '50s) and $ell to us, it was GAME ON!!!!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFbCGT_AWBI[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et0GocBFrKo[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXiZVOPOJZM[/ame]​

American family exercising

Several-years-ago, I was a designer in the playground-equipment industry. Priority 1, in that business (nowdays) is SAFETY!!! You ever see any merry-go-rounds, in playgrounds, anymore??? Probably not. ALL merry-go-rounds are (now) subject to speed-controll!!!! Their diameter determines what speed is allowed! Beyond a 5-foot diameter, they're required to have some-kind-of speed-limiter.

"We" have homogenized playground-equipment to the degree, where....it's no wonder children (now) get their adrenaline-fix from video-games!!!!

When we Boomers were kids, bumps/bruises/broken-bones/stitches were a fact-of-Life. I don't remember anyone who'd faced a debilitating/life-threatening condition, because the didn't wear a bicycle-helmet....but, I do see the value in wearing one....if a parent chooses-so. Also, we Boomers only had 3 major-networks (on T.V.), for our viewing-pleasure.

What kids NEED is the opportunity to be creative....without the creativity being done, FOR them. Imagination/creativity doesn't seem to be encouraged, much, anymore. Is it any wonder this Country hasn't moved (much) beyond the latest cell-phone enhancements?​

 

[The Rabbi]

I found these photos revealing, in that other countries children are be trained and driven, long before ours get off the bottle. What the hell have the conservatives done to America with their dumb down corporations of capitalism?? Think about this when the toys come crawling out from under the christmas tree in the name of christ and all that BS. Buy your kid weight set and start giving his lil ass some disipline, get him in martial arts, etc.

The Perm police school is an educational institution that trains and educates future Russian policemen. It is the first and every important step for young boys and girls in becoming police officers.

Hmml lets see here.
Competition has been declared bad for children's fragile ego by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Contact sports have been deemed too dangerous and too prone to lawsuits by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Patriotism has been deemed bad by the Left so banned in most places.
The Boy Scouts have been deemed bad by the Left, so constantly facing persecution.

How has any of this been the fault of conservatives, who are all in favor of competitions and training for kids??

Interesting and good point.

I not only disagree with Shintaos preemise that we are falling behind physically...

But for him to blame conservatives is just outright partisan crap

We probably are. The military revealed that some huge number of potential recruits are ineligble because of physical condition.
But you're right, blaming conservatives is partisan crap.

 

[Jarhead]

I found these photos revealing, in that other countries children are be trained and driven, long before ours get off the bottle. What the hell have the conservatives done to America with their dumb down corporations of capitalism?? Think about this when the toys come crawling out from under the christmas tree in the name of christ and all that BS. Buy your kid weight set and start giving his lil ass some disipline, get him in martial arts, etc.

The Perm police school is an educational institution that trains and educates future Russian policemen. It is the first and every important step for young boys and girls in becoming police officers.

Hmml lets see here.
Competition has been declared bad for children's fragile ego by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Contact sports have been deemed too dangerous and too prone to lawsuits by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Patriotism has been deemed bad by the Left so banned in most places.
The Boy Scouts have been deemed bad by the Left, so constantly facing persecution.

How has any of this been the fault of conservatives, who are all in favor of competitions and training for kids??

Every day is a new opportunity to further reveal what an ignorant, partisan hack you are.

Do you disagree that it is the left that seems to continually want to ban ROTC and military recruiting? And is it not the left that finds fault in competative situations?
Exactly how is it the fault of conservatives.....and I am not truly saying there is fault to anyone....but exactly why the right over the left if anyone at all?

 

[Cuyo]

Hmml lets see here.
Competition has been declared bad for children's fragile ego by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Contact sports have been deemed too dangerous and too prone to lawsuits by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Patriotism has been deemed bad by the Left so banned in most places.
The Boy Scouts have been deemed bad by the Left, so constantly facing persecution.

How has any of this been the fault of conservatives, who are all in favor of competitions and training for kids??

Every day is a new opportunity to further reveal what an ignorant, partisan hack you are.

Translation: Everything you say is true but I cannot allow that to pass.

You like your little "Translations," don't you?

That all you got, parasite?

 

[Cuyo]

Hmml lets see here.
Competition has been declared bad for children's fragile ego by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Contact sports have been deemed too dangerous and too prone to lawsuits by the Left, thus banned in most schools.
Patriotism has been deemed bad by the Left so banned in most places.
The Boy Scouts have been deemed bad by the Left, so constantly facing persecution.

How has any of this been the fault of conservatives, who are all in favor of competitions and training for kids??

Every day is a new opportunity to further reveal what an ignorant, partisan hack you are.

Do you disagree that it is the left that seems to continually want to ban ROTC and military recruiting? And is it not the left that finds fault in competative situations?
Exactly how is it the fault of conservatives.....and I am not truly saying there is fault to anyone....but exactly why the right over the left if anyone at all?

Dude... I'm 28. I was in high school 10 years ago.

We played football, and dodge ball, we were taught wrestling, track, and just about every other competitive sport there is.

A friend of mine is now a football coach at my high school, so I guess they're still doing sports. There's just no evidence for the accusations. I find them, in fact, laughable.

 

[The Rabbi]

Every day is a new opportunity to further reveal what an ignorant, partisan hack you are.

Translation: Everything you say is true but I cannot allow that to pass.

You like your little "Translations," don't you?

That all you got, parasite?

Translation: There is nothing on the merits I can say so I'll just be gratuitously insulting.

Thanks for making that clear, Clowno!

 

[The Rabbi]

Every day is a new opportunity to further reveal what an ignorant, partisan hack you are.

Do you disagree that it is the left that seems to continually want to ban ROTC and military recruiting? And is it not the left that finds fault in competative situations?
Exactly how is it the fault of conservatives.....and I am not truly saying there is fault to anyone....but exactly why the right over the left if anyone at all?

Dude... I'm 28. I was in high school 10 years ago.

We played football, and dodge ball, we were taught wrestling, track, and just about every other competitive sport there is.

A friend of mine is now a football coach at my high school, so I guess they're still doing sports. There's just no evidence for the accusations. I find them, in fact, laughable.

Your argument is that you were in high school 10 years ago? Really??? WTF???