Do Americans Deserve a Better Future?

[Night]

I have been wondering lately whether Americans actually deserve a better future. Do we? I honestly can't answer that question. A few years ago I would have automatically said we do, but now I'm just not so sure anymore. Today, Americans oppose any sort of tax increases, which is fine. But then these same people will also oppose major cuts in all major areas of spending, such as defense, Medicare/Medicaid, and more. And yet, these same people wonder why on earth the deficit keeps growing, and they blame Obama for it.

Let's face it, most Americans are flat out stupid. They can be convinced to vote for anything if you run enough TV ads. Americans are ignorant, arrogant, and downright gullible. For example, let's look at local politics, at a scenario that is repeated every election year many times. Candidate A is an independent, and candidate B is a corporate slimeball that will take money from anyone to get elected. Candidate A has a great start, but then candidate B floods the airwaves with attack ads, using all of his Citizen's United Super PAC money. These ads contain something like "Candidate A is a pedophile, he hates America and he is friends with Osama bin Laden". Guess who wins that election? It's the guy who spends more on TV ads. And he will win, every single time..

Americans will literally vote for whoever spends more money on TV ads, and that is a well known fact. It doesn't matter what the issue is, Americans would vote to invade Canada, if the Invade-Canada lobby bought enough TV spots between episodes of American Idol and Jersey Shore.

Let's face it. We're fat. We're becoming less educated every passing year. We're flat out stupid. We're ignorant. And worst of all, we're arrogant. Americans think they live in the best country on earth. We don't. The only remarkable things about America are the bad things, like our obesity rate, our defense budget, and our healthcare spending.

It's ridiculous. Unless Americans collectively gain a few IQ points in the next few years, our country can only slide further and further into crisis. We will continue to vote for lower taxes on the rich, and we'll try to pay for it by taking away health insurance from our poorest people. We'll continue to spend less and less on education, while spending billions more on the defense department every single year.

Our country is downright screwed, and we've got NO ONE to blame for it but ourselves. Hmmm....where's my passport?

[theophilus]

Hmmm....where's my passport?

Where would you go?

[crimethinker]

Reminds me a bit of the KMFDM song Dogma.

All we want is a headrush
All we want is to get out of our skin for a while
We have nothing to lose because we don't have anything
Anything we want anyway
We used to hate people
Now we just make fun of them
It's more effective that way
We don't live
We just scratch on day to day
With nothing but matchbooks and
Sarcasm in our pockets
And all we are waiting for
Is for something worth waiting for
Let's admit America gets the celebrities we deserve
Let's stop saying "Don't quote me
Because if no one quotes you
You probably haven't said a thing worth saying

Sex, drugs, God, cash
Sex, drugs, God, America
We need something to kill the pain of all that nothing inside
Sex, drugs, God, cash
Sex, drugs, God, America
We all just want to die a little bit

We fear that pop culture
Is the only kind of culture we're ever gonna have
We want to stop reading magazines
Stop watching TV
Stop caring about Hollywood
But we're addicted to the things we hate
We don't run Washington and no one really does
Ask not what you can do for your country
Ask what your country did to you

Sex, drugs, God, cash
Sex, drugs, God, America
The only reason you're still alive is because someone
Has decided to let you live
Sex, drugs, God, cash
Sex, drugs, God, America
We owe so much money we're not broke, we're broken
We're so poor we can't even pay attention

So what do you want?
You want to be famous and rich and happy
But you're terrified you have nothing to offer this world
Nothing to say and no way to say it
But you can say it in three languages
You are more than the sum of what you consume
Desire is not an occupation
You are alternately thrilled and desperate
Sky high and fucked
Let's stop praying for someone
To save us and start saving ourselves
Let's stop this and start over
Let's go out
Let's keep going

Sex, drugs, God, cash
Sex, drugs, God, America
This is your life
This is your fucking life
America
Sex, drugs, God, cash
Sex, drugs, God, America
We need something to kill the pain of all that nothing inside
America
America

Quit whining you haven't done
Anything wrong because frankly
You haven't done much of anything
Sex, drugs, God, cash
Sex, drugs, God, America
Someone's writing down your mistakes
Someone's documenting your downfall

Lyrics - Dogma

I may be overly optimistic, but I think the aging electorate will pass to a more youthful, and thus liberal, one, who will vote for politicians that will increase funding for education, possibly reforming it, and give us universal healthcare. I also don't see that this new generation is dumber. Jersey Shore is bad, yes, but didn't they have equally stupid things in past generations? I wouldn't know, because I wasn't there. On top of that, our average IQ has dramatically increased since even the 30s, so it's not as bad as all that. We just have more forms of "entertainment" inundating and pacifying us.

And the answer to your question, for me anyway, is an obvious yes. Just because we're stupid doesn't mean we don't deserve a better future. Dogs are pretty dumb, and go against their self-interest all the time, but I don't wish ill upon them. Just gotta help them on their way.

[ironeagle]

I keep saying similar things, Americans are lazy, fat, uneducated etc. The education problem isn't because there isn't free collge for people it's because the college students are often lazy, drop out, party,don't think they have to follow assignments, can't write a complete sentence without emoticons, slang, and made up acronyms. The obesity is not the food it's the price, good food is expensive, but it's also lack of self discipline, over eating, refusal to exercise, blaming anything in the book but themselves, failure to not give into to whinning children who want cookies and candies all day. Most people no NOTHING about law, or politics and are too lazy or angry to engage in any political debates or investigation. They are told "voting for a candidae that's not one of the duopoly picked by the elitist reps or dems is a waste of your vote and unpatriotic" they actually allow themselves to believe that and fail to vote for the candidate that actually reflects their values. You're right unlimited campaign contributions from corporations allows rich liars to get voted in because they have all the money and all the air time and all the resources. People don't want to be bothered they are too busy eating cookies and watching reality t.v. to learn anything. Most have never even read the Constitution and never will. They know they just want free stuff so they vote for who promises them free stuff. Or they vote for whoever they know won't make pay any taxes for the next four years. I think Americans definatley deserve better government, better politicians, better teachers, better schools, but there's a heck of alot riding on their own selves to wake up, grow up, put the ipod down, learn, listen, watch and then become active at leadt once in awhile in their own society. I found more often than not people I have educated about social and legal issues change their minds about the subject immediatley when they are educated to the actual truth of the issue and not the "paradise, red-herring, leave out the dirty details" version playe don Fox news. That's of the people willing to even engage in a grown up conversation. Most can't even hold a conversation at all and just want to yell, cuss or go lock themselves away because they can't "handle" thinking.