CDZ The Sickness In American Culture

[MarathonMike]

not trying to make an insult but isn't this liberal culture not American culture.
guess you can say that they control more than conservative culture but still I don't like painting all of American culture as already lost.
perhaps I'm wrong?

I'm confused by your post. Isn't this liberal culture, not American culture. What does that mean?

I would suggest that American culture is lost. Now that doesn't mean it can't be redeemed, but right now it is in fact, very lost.

People are acting crazy, ending up with terrible lives, and trying to blame everyone else for the misery they feel.

And to some extent, I understand this, because they have been told all their lives, that anything goes and you can do what you want.

And while that is in fact true..... Being able to do what you want, doesn't mean there are no consequences.

Years ago, I had a roommate that was over 400 lbs. One day... (I am not making this up).... they came home with two chocolate cakes. They explained that they went to one store, and saw a chocolate cake. They decided they needed this chocolate cake. Then after they were done shopping there, they went to another store, and saw ANOTHER chocolate cake. They decided to buy that chocolate cake too....... that way they could eat them both.... and know in the future which store had a better chocolate cake.

Fast forward 3 years. I stopped at a restaurant to eat, and there they were. We sat together and talked.... apparently they have diabetes now. SHOCKING.....

What is my point? People today have no connection between actions and consequences.

They are self-centered, and have lost connection to family, friends, spouses. They demand what they want, and don't care about anyone else.

Doesn't matter if I have a penis... if I 'identify' as a girl, then I'm going into the girls rest room. What do the girls think? Doesn't matter. What I want, is what I should have.

Then they wonder why they are isolated, lonely, and LGBTQ people have the highest rates of suicide in the country. But it can't be because of their choices, it's because of society somehow.

And it's not a gay thing either. That's just the most obvious example. You look at relationships, and you see people screwing around, from person to person to person, and then they can't hold any relationship together. Wonder why? You see people marry, divorce, and remarry... only to divorce again.... wonder why?

I see people wasting their lives away on video games, drugs, alcohol, parties.... and they are 40 years old, act like they are 20, and have nothing to show for their existence.

Had a co-worker that is throwing their life away. Literally. Drinks himself drunk. Doesn't show up to work. Has a beautiful wife. Beautiful daughter. Has money, property, a future.

I have nothing, that he has. His wife is really sexy. Really attractive. His daughter is wonderful, smart, straight A student. Great future ahead of her.

And what's he doing? Destroying his whole life. Because he's not happy. Because he wants to drink. Because it's all about him. All about his life, and no one else matters.

This is the cancer of American Culture. We've lost something, that 30 years ago, we still had.

I think you've hit at the core of the problem. Individual responsibility. I remember having discussions with my Grandfather years before he passed away. I was in awe as he told me about his life, about lying about his age at 16 so he could get a job working on the railroad. He and my Grandma raised three sons literally on pennies a day. They did everything they could to survive but my Grandfather refused "handouts" from the government or anyone else. He viewed that as the ultimate failure.

He then got a better job at an oil refinery and often worked two shifts. He was nearly deaf from being around all the loud machinery all those years. But then he smiled at me and said "Mike after all that, your Grandma and I don't owe anybody a dime. This house is ours, the boys all have their own families and I can play all the golf I want."

Your life is your responsibility. When you shift responsibility to someone else, you have lost. That is what my Grandfather taught me and I hope that is what I've passed on to my sons.

 

[TNHarley]

porn? so regulate the internet then, Stalin.
Gay marriage makes strait people divorce?
What stupid things to complain about

 

[Lastamender]

People don't like to talk about America's culture for the same reason that a man who just had a heart attack doesn't want to discuss the double bacon cheeseburger he's eating. He knows what he's doing is killing him, but it's easier not to deal with it. We’re in the same boat.

* We treat success as an accident or a cheat while defending people who make bad decisions, who won't educate themselves or who won't work.

* We've allowed pornography to become so accessible that it's practically universally viewed, even among teenagers.

* We love victims so much that people actually fake hate crimes to claim victim status.

* We celebrate losers and deviants by giving them their own reality shows. Meanwhile, Hollywood regularly portrays businessmen, Christians and soldiers as the worst people on earth.

* More children have died because of Roe v. Wade than were killed during the Holocaust.

* Marriage is falling apart and we’re encouraging that by pushing gay marriage.

* Our universities reward Communists, terrorists and blatant anti-American sentiment with professorships. Those are the last people who should be teaching impressionable young Americans.

* There's a whole grievance industry full of people who make a living claiming to be "offended" by things.

* Religion and morality are denigrated while nihilism and immorality are considered cool.

* Legalism has superseded morality and what's "right" and "wrong" has become secondary to what's "legal" and "illegal."

* We're the greatest, most powerful, most prosperous and most virtuous nation that has ever existed and despite all of that, we obsess over our nations faults instead of our achievements.

* Americans across the spectrum are being encouraged to separate themselves off from the larger culture and nurse grievances that barely would have been given a thought a few decades ago.

Yet, we're told that we shouldn't worry about any of these things because people have always worried about our culture and things have turned out just fine. Even if that's so, have you ever considered the possibility that worrying about the culture and taking steps to keep it from getting out of hand is exactly what once kept it from going to the dogs?

John Hawkins - The Real Sickness At The Heart Of American Culture

Much of your post is in agreement with Islamic beliefs. Did you know that?

Did he say he was going to enforce those views with terror? Did you know that is what Islam does?

 

[Mac1958]

People don't like to talk about America's culture for the same reason that a man who just had a heart attack doesn't want to discuss the double bacon cheeseburger he's eating. He knows what he's doing is killing him, but it's easier not to deal with it. We’re in the same boat.

* We treat success as an accident or a cheat while defending people who make bad decisions, who won't educate themselves or who won't work.

* We've allowed pornography to become so accessible that it's practically universally viewed, even among teenagers.

* We love victims so much that people actually fake hate crimes to claim victim status.

* We celebrate losers and deviants by giving them their own reality shows. Meanwhile, Hollywood regularly portrays businessmen, Christians and soldiers as the worst people on earth.

* More children have died because of Roe v. Wade than were killed during the Holocaust.

* Marriage is falling apart and we’re encouraging that by pushing gay marriage.

* Our universities reward Communists, terrorists and blatant anti-American sentiment with professorships. Those are the last people who should be teaching impressionable young Americans.

* There's a whole grievance industry full of people who make a living claiming to be "offended" by things.

* Religion and morality are denigrated while nihilism and immorality are considered cool.

* Legalism has superseded morality and what's "right" and "wrong" has become secondary to what's "legal" and "illegal."

* We're the greatest, most powerful, most prosperous and most virtuous nation that has ever existed and despite all of that, we obsess over our nations faults instead of our achievements.

* Americans across the spectrum are being encouraged to separate themselves off from the larger culture and nurse grievances that barely would have been given a thought a few decades ago.

Yet, we're told that we shouldn't worry about any of these things because people have always worried about our culture and things have turned out just fine. Even if that's so, have you ever considered the possibility that worrying about the culture and taking steps to keep it from getting out of hand is exactly what once kept it from going to the dogs?

John Hawkins - The Real Sickness At The Heart Of American Culture

There are many - and it appears that they exist primarily on one end of the spectrum - who refuse to see the obvious cultural decay we've experienced over the last 50 years or so. The list of clear examples is long, indeed, it's growing and deepening all the time, but they will not admit to any of them.

So the question is why this is so. We can only guess, but I don't think it's a coincidence that the people who deny this decay are the same people who are so quick to regularly attack our Constitution, our Founding Fathers, call us a racist country, call us a greedy country, on and on and on. So this is not a coincidence.

This would lead me to believe that they feel great guilt over this and are happy to see us in decline, as if we're the only country that has a mixed past. For example, you don't see them attacking Germany, and in fact point to that country as a model now and then. All they know is that we need to pay for our sins, and a decaying culture is certainly an effective, powerful and permanent way to see to that.
.

I don't think that those who deny our cultural decline feel any guilt over their denial or their part in the decline either. Most people are pretty good at rationalizing their actions and laying off the guilt on someone else, and nobody does it better or more often than the politicians do. And of course the media types who support them. For many of them, I think it is their way if undermining this country as a means to get to a global gov't, which they see as a panacea for the world's ills. Or to support their politics and policies, cuz we're doomed if we don't do it our way.

Agreed. No doubt there are a few reasons they're fine with it, and surely they know that denying/ignoring it enables and exacerbates it.

Regardless of how ideology blinds, there's no way they don't see that.
.

 

[Picaro]

Pseudo-intellectuals want to sell the myth that it's those grubby white proles who caused all the problems, and the neurotics and Burb Brats like the sound of it, as it exempts them from suffering the consequences. Or so they think it does; now that the 'middle class' jobs are also being outsourced and shipped off, they now think we should all cry over their losses, and still blame those Deplorables for everything. Mostly raced based class warfare on the part of the neo-liberals and idiots who think mindless hedonism and whining is a real political philosophy.

Why pick on the Deplorables? Because it panders to pseudo-intellectual snobbery and bigotry, and they are the most patriotic and nationalistic demographic, a real pain in the ass to 'globalist' labor racketeering and Wall Street, and the Davos Set has no use for that sort of thing, and the media of course always panders to its pocket book, every day all day. They like being told they're 'intelligent n stuff' when they suck up to dumbass 'academicians' and billionaire types.

 

[Spare_change]

People don't like to talk about America's culture for the same reason that a man who just had a heart attack doesn't want to discuss the double bacon cheeseburger he's eating. He knows what he's doing is killing him, but it's easier not to deal with it. We’re in the same boat.

* We treat success as an accident or a cheat while defending people who make bad decisions, who won't educate themselves or who won't work.

* We've allowed pornography to become so accessible that it's practically universally viewed, even among teenagers.

* We love victims so much that people actually fake hate crimes to claim victim status.

* We celebrate losers and deviants by giving them their own reality shows. Meanwhile, Hollywood regularly portrays businessmen, Christians and soldiers as the worst people on earth.

* More children have died because of Roe v. Wade than were killed during the Holocaust.

* Marriage is falling apart and we’re encouraging that by pushing gay marriage.

* Our universities reward Communists, terrorists and blatant anti-American sentiment with professorships. Those are the last people who should be teaching impressionable young Americans.

* There's a whole grievance industry full of people who make a living claiming to be "offended" by things.

* Religion and morality are denigrated while nihilism and immorality are considered cool.

* Legalism has superseded morality and what's "right" and "wrong" has become secondary to what's "legal" and "illegal."

* We're the greatest, most powerful, most prosperous and most virtuous nation that has ever existed and despite all of that, we obsess over our nations faults instead of our achievements.

* Americans across the spectrum are being encouraged to separate themselves off from the larger culture and nurse grievances that barely would have been given a thought a few decades ago.

Yet, we're told that we shouldn't worry about any of these things because people have always worried about our culture and things have turned out just fine. Even if that's so, have you ever considered the possibility that worrying about the culture and taking steps to keep it from getting out of hand is exactly what once kept it from going to the dogs?

John Hawkins - The Real Sickness At The Heart Of American Culture

Much of your post is in agreement with Islamic beliefs. Did you know that?

.... and that should be a surprise to me, why? I would guess it's probably in agreement with Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, as well. Makes you think, doesn't it?

Do YOU have a problem with the tenets of Islamic religion, or do you have a problem with those who pervert the religion?

 

[Spare_change]

not trying to make an insult but isn't this liberal culture not American culture.
guess you can say that they control more than conservative culture but still I don't like painting all of American culture as already lost.
perhaps I'm wrong?

Not lost ... sick. Not dead ... ailing.

 

[Andylusion]

not trying to make an insult but isn't this liberal culture not American culture.
guess you can say that they control more than conservative culture but still I don't like painting all of American culture as already lost.
perhaps I'm wrong?

I'm confused by your post. Isn't this liberal culture, not American culture. What does that mean?

I would suggest that American culture is lost. Now that doesn't mean it can't be redeemed, but right now it is in fact, very lost.

People are acting crazy, ending up with terrible lives, and trying to blame everyone else for the misery they feel.

And to some extent, I understand this, because they have been told all their lives, that anything goes and you can do what you want.

And while that is in fact true..... Being able to do what you want, doesn't mean there are no consequences.

Years ago, I had a roommate that was over 400 lbs. One day... (I am not making this up).... they came home with two chocolate cakes. They explained that they went to one store, and saw a chocolate cake. They decided they needed this chocolate cake. Then after they were done shopping there, they went to another store, and saw ANOTHER chocolate cake. They decided to buy that chocolate cake too....... that way they could eat them both.... and know in the future which store had a better chocolate cake.

Fast forward 3 years. I stopped at a restaurant to eat, and there they were. We sat together and talked.... apparently they have diabetes now. SHOCKING.....

What is my point? People today have no connection between actions and consequences.

They are self-centered, and have lost connection to family, friends, spouses. They demand what they want, and don't care about anyone else.

Doesn't matter if I have a penis... if I 'identify' as a girl, then I'm going into the girls rest room. What do the girls think? Doesn't matter. What I want, is what I should have.

Then they wonder why they are isolated, lonely, and LGBTQ people have the highest rates of suicide in the country. But it can't be because of their choices, it's because of society somehow.

And it's not a gay thing either. That's just the most obvious example. You look at relationships, and you see people screwing around, from person to person to person, and then they can't hold any relationship together. Wonder why? You see people marry, divorce, and remarry... only to divorce again.... wonder why?

I see people wasting their lives away on video games, drugs, alcohol, parties.... and they are 40 years old, act like they are 20, and have nothing to show for their existence.

Had a co-worker that is throwing their life away. Literally. Drinks himself drunk. Doesn't show up to work. Has a beautiful wife. Beautiful daughter. Has money, property, a future.

I have nothing, that he has. His wife is really sexy. Really attractive. His daughter is wonderful, smart, straight A student. Great future ahead of her.

And what's he doing? Destroying his whole life. Because he's not happy. Because he wants to drink. Because it's all about him. All about his life, and no one else matters.

This is the cancer of American Culture. We've lost something, that 30 years ago, we still had.

Corporate culture and influence has as much to do with it; the change in American values begins there, not with 'leftists'; they merely widen cracks that already exist. The Boomer gens suffer from a form of affluenza complicated by an inferiority complex induced by what the 'greatest generation' achieved, hence the wild popularity of bashing them. Boomers look like a bunch of whiney Brub Brats, and themselves then raised generations of whiney Burb Brats on drugs and aggressive indoctrination with hate and intellectual infantilism.

We still 'had it' 30 years ago because many of the Depression and WW II generation were till around, and voting.

I don't know if I buy that premise. In fact, I don't even know what you are talking about, with "corporate culture".

You would have to explain that in more detail, because what I am guessing it refers to, sounds insane in my own mind.

Beyond that I don't buy any "affluenza' claims. I've seen the poorest people, with poor parents, and poor relatives, that also showed all the same symptoms as boomers who have everything.

It's a break down of the family, of morals, and a belief that something in this world, is bigger than yourself.

When people can't see anything more important than themselves in this world..... then their world is really really tiny.

 

[Andylusion]

porn? so regulate the internet then, Stalin.
Gay marriage makes strait people divorce?
What stupid things to complain about

Regulating the internet is not going to get rid of porn.

I doubt much of anything will.

Regardless, porn destroys people and marriages, makes men impotent, and some men are so ruined by porn, that they actually can't have real sex anymore. Talk about the height of pathetic. Men so damaged by fake pictures and fantasies of non-existent girls, yanking on themselves like monkeys... they end up being unable to do things that a rodent can do.

It's just really really sad.

A year or two ago, I went to a suicide help page, and saw the posts on the forum. Most were men... and most of those were "I'm 30. I sit at home alone, watching porn, and hating my life".

I was shocked by the shear number of posts that went that way. They never got a real woman, because they were too busy yanking on themselves and staring at photoshopped pictures in the dark.

Where I work, a group of guys from another part of the company stopped in and started talking. Somehow this moronic topic came up, and they asked me what porn I watch....
1. Who asks questions like that?
2. Why would you assume that I watch porn?
3. Don't you have any better, more worth while questions to ask in your life?

I told them none. I have never watched a porno, never bought a dirty magazine, never gone to a porn site, never downloaded videos, or pictures off the internet. They looked at me like I was crazy, laughed, and called me a liar. Which I found absolutely hilarious, and at the same time insane. Really? You people have nothing better to do with your time? Seriously? Ugh..... no wonder this nation is breaking apart.

Even more pathetic.... each and every single one of the guys that was asking me these moronic questions.... was single.... lonely... and miserable. One, just a week before "I keep waiting to find a girl!....." No wonder you can't find one. Yanking on yourself all night... who wants to marry that? Mid-30s, engineering degree, six-figure income, owns his own house... and he live all alone, all by himself, looking at his dumb pictures at night.

... can't fix stupid....

 

[Tehon]

"In the social production of their existence, men inevitably enter into definite relations, which are independent of their will, namely relations of production appropriate to a given stage in the development of their material forces of production. The totality of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation, on which arises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of social consciousness. The mode of production of material life conditions the general process of social, political and intellectual life. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness."

 

[Picaro]

I don't know if I buy that premise. In fact, I don't even know what you are talking about, with "corporate culture".

You would have to explain that in more detail, because what I am guessing it refers to, sounds insane in my own mind.

Corporate culture destroys real individuality, demands more conformity, and the mindless pursuit of wealth, and is not at all 'family friendly'; there is practically no difference between a corporate drone and a Stalinist era Communist Party member re labor viewpoints; all values is on economic service to the 'company'. Certainly morals take a distant place in the list of priorities, with the exception one is not supposed to lie to the 'company'; lying to customers and the like is encouraged more often than not, of course. Massive consumption is supposed to be a substitute outlet, and one's 'value' is determined by 'the marketplace'.

Beyond that I don't buy any "affluenza' claims. I've seen the poorest people, with poor parents, and poor relatives, that also showed all the same symptoms as boomers who have everything.

You don't have to buy it; it exists, and as moral standards and values decline, it becomes more and more prevalent; the poor merely 'follow the leader' in culture wars, they don't innovate independently, just via a smaller set of options available to them than for Burb Brats. Consumption is supposed to alleviate all ills.

It's a break down of the family, of morals, and a belief that something in this world, is bigger than yourself.

When people can't see anything more important than themselves in this world..... then their world is really really tiny.

And that is true on both wings of the 'culture wars'. Marxism and big business get along great, as long as the Marxists keep those uppity proles in line and working those 14 hour days 7 days a week for 2 cents an hour, less the usual fines for things like going to the toilet or getting sick.

 

[Andylusion]

I don't know if I buy that premise. In fact, I don't even know what you are talking about, with "corporate culture".

You would have to explain that in more detail, because what I am guessing it refers to, sounds insane in my own mind.

Corporate culture destroys real individuality, demands more conformity, and the mindless pursuit of wealth, and is not at all 'family friendly'; there is practically no difference between a corporate drone and a Stalinist era Communist Party member re labor viewpoints; all values is on economic service to the 'company'. Certainly morals take a distant place in the list of priorities, with the exception one is not supposed to lie to the 'company'; lying to customers and the like is encouraged more often than not, of course. Massive consumption is supposed to be a substitute outlet, and one's 'value' is determined by 'the marketplace'.

Beyond that I don't buy any "affluenza' claims. I've seen the poorest people, with poor parents, and poor relatives, that also showed all the same symptoms as boomers who have everything.

You don't have to buy it; it exists, and as moral standards and values decline, it becomes more and more prevalent; the poor merely 'follow the leader' in culture wars, they don't innovate independently, just via a smaller set of options available to them than for Burb Brats. Consumption is supposed to alleviate all ills.

It's a break down of the family, of morals, and a belief that something in this world, is bigger than yourself.

When people can't see anything more important than themselves in this world..... then their world is really really tiny.

And that is true on both wings of the 'culture wars'. Marxism and big business get along great, as long as the Marxists keep those uppity proles in line and working those 14 hour days 7 days a week for 2 cents an hour, less the usual fines for things like going to the toilet or getting sick.

I don't know anyone working 14 hours, 7 days a week, for 2¢ an hour. Big business usually pays better wages, than the average economy.

Corporate culture destroys real individuality, demands more conformity, and the mindless pursuit of wealth, and is not at all 'family friendly'; there is practically no difference between a corporate drone and a Stalinist era Communist Party member re labor viewpoints; all values is on economic service to the 'company'. Certainly morals take a distant place in the list of priorities, with the exception one is not supposed to lie to the 'company'; lying to customers and the like is encouraged more often than not, of course. Massive consumption is supposed to be a substitute outlet, and one's 'value' is determined by 'the marketplace'.​

Ok, that's kind of what I thought. There is no universal version of "corporate culture". There are many companies that are excessively family oriented.

I've actually worked at companies where they had a bring your family to work day. Very little got done, but people were encouraged to bring their kids, bring their wives, and husbands, and have a family day at work. They even complained at people who didn't bring their family to work.

They encouraged people to use all their vacation time. In fact.... we had a one manager that called the family of a particular man, to tell them he had 4 full weeks of vacation time saved up, and that he should use it. (special situation which I'm not at liberty to discuss here).

But the idea that corporate culture destroys real individuality is ridiculous. Just ridiculous.

I never met anyone, that said "I used to be an individual until I started my career at CultureCorp." And quite frankly, we have more individualistic people today than ever before.

If corporations had half as much influence on society as you claim, things would be improving, not getting worse.

For example: Most companies I have been in support family life, and discourage office romance. We had a guy where I work, that was messing with the girls, while he was married. The manager got wind of it, and laid off both of them. Screwing around at work, when you are supposed to be working, is not acceptable. He is gone, and so is the girl.

Tell me how much corporate culture is influencing society? We have more cheaters, and more family break down than ever before.

Another example: Every company I have worked for had strict rules on how to deal with disagreements. You don't get violent, or start trying to attack people. You work through problems, and find a solution. People that scream and yell, end up fired.

Tell me how much corporate culture is influencing society? Where is that in our society?

Another example: You tolerate people with differing opinions. You can support Bush, and I can support Obama, but you accept the fact, and move on. You tolerate the people have different opinions, and act in a professional manor. I have people I work with every single day, that outside of the job I would not associate, with for various reasons. But at work, I smile, I talk politely, and work with in a profession way.

Tell me how much corporate culture is influencing society? Where do you see that influence? Where is it? Where was it in Charlottesville?

I'll even give you the simplest example.... communication. Every company I have ever worked for discouraged cursing and swearing. In most cases it was grounds for a write up, or removal.

Where is that corporate influence in culture? Where do you see it on this forum?

I'm sorry, but if you want to make your case, then I want something specific. Show me a specific example, of how 'corporate culture' has any influence.

Because people want to buy stuff? People always want to have things. I was listening to an interview with a missionary to a central African tribe. They asked him what the single worst problem was in this isolated tribe. He said "greed and materialism".

The interviewer himself was shocked. How can people in a mud hut, in some isolated part of Africa, have a problem with greed and materialism?

The guy answered that if one guy gets a new pelt, others want a new pelt. If one makes a bigger crop, others want a bigger crop. If one makes a larger mud hut, everyone wants a larger mud hut. If one gets a better grass skirt, others want a better grass skirt. If one finds a bunch of feathers and weaves them into their hair, the others want feathers and weaved into their hair.

People being stuck in materialism is not caused by corporations, or corporate culture. It is a fact of the human condition, specifically the human condition when they lose sight of anything larger than themselves.

When you don't believe in G-d. Don't believe in a greater cause. Don't have anything in this world more important than "My, myself, and I".... then everything is all about what you want. Since you have nothing else to make you happy (because there is nothing else in your world more important than you), then naturally you crave stuff that you think will make you happy.

And that will happen whether you are in the deepest darkest isolated parts of the world, or in the middle of New York City skyscrapers.

Consumption is supposed to alleviate all ills.

While I agree that is what people act on... I don't see that as being something instituted by society.

I think it's more caused by left-wing ideology.

People are miserable because they have no morals and values. Because they have no morals and values, they also do poorly economically.

Meanwhile, people that have morals and values, often are happy. At the same time, they are also often successful.

The problem is, Left-wing ideology says that it isn't because you lack morals, character, values that you are miserable. No, it's rather because you don't have stuff. They then point to the happy people, that also tend to be successful, and do not connect their happiness to their values and character, but rather to the stuff they have, not realizing that the reason they have stuff is because of their morals and character.

They wrongly conclude the reason they are happy is because to of the stuff. The reason others are miserable is because of the lack of stuff. So the entire left-wing ideology is a greed and envy driven attempt to take stuff from those who have it, to give to those that don't, thinking that is the solution to their misery.

It is not.

 

[Moonglow]

People don't like to talk about America's culture for the same reason that a man who just had a heart attack doesn't want to discuss the double bacon cheeseburger he's eating. He knows what he's doing is killing him, but it's easier not to deal with it. We’re in the same boat.

* We treat success as an accident or a cheat while defending people who make bad decisions, who won't educate themselves or who won't work.

* We've allowed pornography to become so accessible that it's practically universally viewed, even among teenagers.

* We love victims so much that people actually fake hate crimes to claim victim status.

* We celebrate losers and deviants by giving them their own reality shows. Meanwhile, Hollywood regularly portrays businessmen, Christians and soldiers as the worst people on earth.

* More children have died because of Roe v. Wade than were killed during the Holocaust.

* Marriage is falling apart and we’re encouraging that by pushing gay marriage.

* Our universities reward Communists, terrorists and blatant anti-American sentiment with professorships. Those are the last people who should be teaching impressionable young Americans.

* There's a whole grievance industry full of people who make a living claiming to be "offended" by things.

* Religion and morality are denigrated while nihilism and immorality are considered cool.

* Legalism has superseded morality and what's "right" and "wrong" has become secondary to what's "legal" and "illegal."

* We're the greatest, most powerful, most prosperous and most virtuous nation that has ever existed and despite all of that, we obsess over our nations faults instead of our achievements.

* Americans across the spectrum are being encouraged to separate themselves off from the larger culture and nurse grievances that barely would have been given a thought a few decades ago.

Yet, we're told that we shouldn't worry about any of these things because people have always worried about our culture and things have turned out just fine. Even if that's so, have you ever considered the possibility that worrying about the culture and taking steps to keep it from getting out of hand is exactly what once kept it from going to the dogs?

John Hawkins - The Real Sickness At The Heart Of American Culture

You really shouldn't read my uncle's BS...But culture changes, we are not the same nation we were 250 years ago..Is it good, is it bad? Well...That's hard to say..

 

[Spare_change]

People don't like to talk about America's culture for the same reason that a man who just had a heart attack doesn't want to discuss the double bacon cheeseburger he's eating. He knows what he's doing is killing him, but it's easier not to deal with it. We’re in the same boat.

* We treat success as an accident or a cheat while defending people who make bad decisions, who won't educate themselves or who won't work.

* We've allowed pornography to become so accessible that it's practically universally viewed, even among teenagers.

* We love victims so much that people actually fake hate crimes to claim victim status.

* We celebrate losers and deviants by giving them their own reality shows. Meanwhile, Hollywood regularly portrays businessmen, Christians and soldiers as the worst people on earth.

* More children have died because of Roe v. Wade than were killed during the Holocaust.

* Marriage is falling apart and we’re encouraging that by pushing gay marriage.

* Our universities reward Communists, terrorists and blatant anti-American sentiment with professorships. Those are the last people who should be teaching impressionable young Americans.

* There's a whole grievance industry full of people who make a living claiming to be "offended" by things.

* Religion and morality are denigrated while nihilism and immorality are considered cool.

* Legalism has superseded morality and what's "right" and "wrong" has become secondary to what's "legal" and "illegal."

* We're the greatest, most powerful, most prosperous and most virtuous nation that has ever existed and despite all of that, we obsess over our nations faults instead of our achievements.

* Americans across the spectrum are being encouraged to separate themselves off from the larger culture and nurse grievances that barely would have been given a thought a few decades ago.

Yet, we're told that we shouldn't worry about any of these things because people have always worried about our culture and things have turned out just fine. Even if that's so, have you ever considered the possibility that worrying about the culture and taking steps to keep it from getting out of hand is exactly what once kept it from going to the dogs?

John Hawkins - The Real Sickness At The Heart Of American Culture

You really shouldn't read my uncle's BS...But culture changes, we are not the same nation we were 250 years ago..Is it good, is it bad? Well...That's hard to say..

Actually, it's not hard to say ... at all.

 

[Moonglow]

People don't like to talk about America's culture for the same reason that a man who just had a heart attack doesn't want to discuss the double bacon cheeseburger he's eating. He knows what he's doing is killing him, but it's easier not to deal with it. We’re in the same boat.

* We treat success as an accident or a cheat while defending people who make bad decisions, who won't educate themselves or who won't work.

* We've allowed pornography to become so accessible that it's practically universally viewed, even among teenagers.

* We love victims so much that people actually fake hate crimes to claim victim status.

* We celebrate losers and deviants by giving them their own reality shows. Meanwhile, Hollywood regularly portrays businessmen, Christians and soldiers as the worst people on earth.

* More children have died because of Roe v. Wade than were killed during the Holocaust.

* Marriage is falling apart and we’re encouraging that by pushing gay marriage.

* Our universities reward Communists, terrorists and blatant anti-American sentiment with professorships. Those are the last people who should be teaching impressionable young Americans.

* There's a whole grievance industry full of people who make a living claiming to be "offended" by things.

* Religion and morality are denigrated while nihilism and immorality are considered cool.

* Legalism has superseded morality and what's "right" and "wrong" has become secondary to what's "legal" and "illegal."

* We're the greatest, most powerful, most prosperous and most virtuous nation that has ever existed and despite all of that, we obsess over our nations faults instead of our achievements.

* Americans across the spectrum are being encouraged to separate themselves off from the larger culture and nurse grievances that barely would have been given a thought a few decades ago.

Yet, we're told that we shouldn't worry about any of these things because people have always worried about our culture and things have turned out just fine. Even if that's so, have you ever considered the possibility that worrying about the culture and taking steps to keep it from getting out of hand is exactly what once kept it from going to the dogs?

John Hawkins - The Real Sickness At The Heart Of American Culture

You really shouldn't read my uncle's BS...But culture changes, we are not the same nation we were 250 years ago..Is it good, is it bad? Well...That's hard to say..

Actually, it's not hard to say ... at all.

There has always been disgruntled folks and abuses of the system....Why 150 years ago many died over slavery and straying outside of social norms would get you lynched or driven out of the state...Yet the nation survived and continues to forge ahead, even with the distractions...

 

[Windparadox]

`
`
The decay that has enveloped the general US populace, has been very slow, spanning back many generations and is not so simplistic as to sum it up it's causes to just one or two reasons. The disease of self-righteous extremism, as portrayed by both the left and right, have become intransigent to a degree that neither side is rational.

 

[Moonglow]

`
`
The decay that has enveloped the general US populace, has been very slow, spanning back many generations and is not so simplistic as to sum it up it's causes to just one or two reasons. The disease of self-righteous extremism, as portrayed by both the left and right, have become intransigent to a degree that neither side is rational.

Damn if the US didn't ruin folks by becoming a superpower and rich..

 

[Spare_change]

People don't like to talk about America's culture for the same reason that a man who just had a heart attack doesn't want to discuss the double bacon cheeseburger he's eating. He knows what he's doing is killing him, but it's easier not to deal with it. We’re in the same boat.

* We treat success as an accident or a cheat while defending people who make bad decisions, who won't educate themselves or who won't work.

* We've allowed pornography to become so accessible that it's practically universally viewed, even among teenagers.

* We love victims so much that people actually fake hate crimes to claim victim status.

* We celebrate losers and deviants by giving them their own reality shows. Meanwhile, Hollywood regularly portrays businessmen, Christians and soldiers as the worst people on earth.

* More children have died because of Roe v. Wade than were killed during the Holocaust.

* Marriage is falling apart and we’re encouraging that by pushing gay marriage.

* Our universities reward Communists, terrorists and blatant anti-American sentiment with professorships. Those are the last people who should be teaching impressionable young Americans.

* There's a whole grievance industry full of people who make a living claiming to be "offended" by things.

* Religion and morality are denigrated while nihilism and immorality are considered cool.

* Legalism has superseded morality and what's "right" and "wrong" has become secondary to what's "legal" and "illegal."

* We're the greatest, most powerful, most prosperous and most virtuous nation that has ever existed and despite all of that, we obsess over our nations faults instead of our achievements.

* Americans across the spectrum are being encouraged to separate themselves off from the larger culture and nurse grievances that barely would have been given a thought a few decades ago.

Yet, we're told that we shouldn't worry about any of these things because people have always worried about our culture and things have turned out just fine. Even if that's so, have you ever considered the possibility that worrying about the culture and taking steps to keep it from getting out of hand is exactly what once kept it from going to the dogs?

John Hawkins - The Real Sickness At The Heart Of American Culture

You really shouldn't read my uncle's BS...But culture changes, we are not the same nation we were 250 years ago..Is it good, is it bad? Well...That's hard to say..

Actually, it's not hard to say ... at all.

There has always been disgruntled folks and abuses of the system....Why 150 years ago many died over slavery and straying outside of social norms would get you lynched or driven out of the state...Yet the nation survived and continues to forge ahead, even with the distractions...

The difference, of course, is one was a push toward better values - the better instincts of man, the more Christian values, if you will - while what we experience today is a flight FROM those very same values.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Same thing the islamic thugs over in the middle east think. Christianity really is as much of a disease as islam.

 

[Windparadox]

Damn if the US didn't ruin folks by becoming a superpower and rich..

`
I think it definitely contributed to it. The same can also be said for certain religious sects, including some versions of christianity.