[quote]Heliotrope wrote:
Our popularity world wide has a relationship to isolationist sentiment at home, intended or not. Its only human nature.[/quote]
I find both quite shallow actually.[quote]
I commend your personal virtues but again human nature is that the majority can not be relied upon to be as disciplined as your self.
Sad but true but if an inflated entitlement economy and society is offered too many will accept. Eventually correction occurs and most will always be under prepared. Good for you if you are not one of them.[/quote]
I have a little more faith in humanity, as long as they are given a chance. The urge to follow the path of least resistance is the part of human nature that needs to be overcome.
The big problem I have with this is not the idea of helping people, it is with believing they are inferior, and need help even before they are given a chance. It is condescending, as well as counterproductive.
The whole welfare state works as long as there are wealthy people who are feeding it. If their numbers shrink, the whole system goes under.[quote]
Debt is a good analogous model. Available credit versus debt. Wars represent debt and standing uncommitted military force represent credit. I don’t think the US military is “maxed out” but we aren’t free and clear obviously and this diminishs our military as a political leverage point on the world stage.[quote]
I don’t think it fits, sorry. But I assume I have different ideas and perceptions about debt. If we were to pull out of Iraq, that would have severely diminished our political leverage. In fact it has been weakened just because of all the people saying pull out.
They said they will win because, “America has no stomach for war.” People did their best to prove them right.
Actually there is a change brewing. It is still small, but significant, and it is gaining converts every day. (Almost sounds like a cult.) I keep running into people who are not only getting out of debt, but considering it a terrible way to live.
As these people have been getting out of debt, they are showing others the benefits, and others are joining in. (Damn, it is a cult.) The point is, there is a change building, I am seeing it.[quote]
The platform is a simple one. A return to a more North American continental commodity market. We have become a nation of shady bankers instead of competitive disciplined developers of North American commodities.
Our commodity and local energy potential is there it is just being dwarfed by an inflated credit based economy destroying American competiveness in world production.
The correction will come and financial investments will burn and commodity traders and producers will prosper. A bull commodity market is coming and financials are going to mauled by the bear.[/quote]
The government is the big impediment to the market. They are the ones who set up the system, making it easier for the crooks to manipulate. They are the ones standing in the way of the US producing more energy. They stop the drilling, they stop the extraction of coal, they eliminated New-Q-Ler development in this country, putting us into the exact bind we are in.
Now they act like they are protecting the little guy when in fact they are bailing out the ones who screwed up.[quote]
Nothing to do with anything we do is a cop out explanation. Something a irresponsible person with a victim mentality says. [/quote]
Wait, victim mentality? That is the basis of all the complaints, the victim mentality. All of the worlds ills are “because of the fat Amaireekens”. I am not saying we have never done anything wrong, ever. What I am saying is that no matter what they will still blame us.[quote]
Of course cowards and lesser men are haters threatened by greatness in any form but acting like we can do and have done no wrong is just as stupid. [/quote]
And I have never said we have done no wrong. The problem is, we get blamed when we do right. We get blamed when others do wrong.[quote]
Some have expressed such sentiments in this thread. I stand corrected that you are smart enough not to be among them.
Being a political whore at the mercy of world sentiment is a ridiculous posture for America to adopt. We are a great nation with many strengths. That said popularity world wide is of value and a valid political issue and not something to be dismissed lightly.[/quote]
We should work with the world, definitely… as long as the world works with us. I have seen our government bend over backwards, (and forwards,) and still get shafted.
We should listen to legitimate complaints. But there are way too many illegitimate ones.
(Surprised nobody commented on my joke(s) earlier.)