Holy Diver

Interesting OP-ED about the global unrest, the problems in the US and how we generally are a bunch of panzies...

Frances Fox Piven and Glenn Beck: A call for protest ignites a call to arms - latimes.com

"Why are Americans such wusses? Threaten the Greeks with job losses and benefit cuts and they tie up Athens, but take away Americans' jobs, 401(k)s, even their homes, and they pretty much roll over. Tell British students that their tuition is about to go up and they take to the streets; American students just amp up their doses of Prozac."

There are all kinds of explanations for how Americans lost their grass-roots political mojo: iPods have been invoked, along with computer games and anti-depressants. And of course much of the credit goes to the so-called populist right of the Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck persuasion, which argues that the real enemy of the down-and-out is not the boss or the bank but the "liberal elite"

The Brandon Five

This whole Taco Bell thing might be the last straw.

(I kid).

Holy Diver

Humor might be the best remedy right now.

Are We Witnessing the Start of a Global Revolution?

[The] major world powers, new and old, also face a novel reality: while the lethality of their military might is greater than ever, their capacity to impose control over the politically awakened masses of the world is at a historic low. To put it bluntly: in earlier times, it was easier to control one million people than to physically kill one million people; today, it is infinitely easier to kill one million people than to control one million people.[1]



- Zbigniew Brzezinski

Former U.S. National Security Advisor

Co-Founder of the Trilateral Commission

Member, Board of Trustees, Center for Strategic and International Studies

The Brandon Five

I have been thinking about that paradigm a lot when it comes to China. Much harder to overthrow a regime that has nuclear weapons. It is amazing that the Soviet regime ever fell.

patsfan13

What we are seeing is the death of the modern socialist welfare state. Combination of the premise being an unsustainable pyramid scheme, and a rapidly aging population in industrialized countries due to abortion policies, the cost of raising a child in a high tax society and an assault on the family by the cultural elites.

__________________
"Some guys play in all-star games, some guys don't. I don't know who picks all those all-star teams. In all honesty, I don't know who picks the combine, for that matter," Belichick said. "How does (Miami-Ohio offensive lineman Brandon) Brooks not get invited to the combine? How did Vollmer not get invited to the combine? I don't know. We can't really worry about that. We just have to try to evaluate them the best we can."

Holy Diver

I believe its simple, to some extent. Revolution happens from within. The leadership of the United States didn't understand that following 9-11. We saw resistance in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Then you look at Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia and others, including Iran and Albania...the backlash against dictaorship is coming from the people. We still support dictators, because it serves our leadership in rols where our military is pouring resources into regime change and having little to no positive results. While we look all around the same area and see the revolution happening organically.

Are we upset as americans that we've wasted countless billions and thousands of american lives?

Nope.

Holy Diver

wow...this is pretty much the EXACT example of what our basic problem is.

none of what you wrote about is an actual problem. Since the Great depression, taxes have never been lower, (except from 1988-1992) and they have been that way for over a decade now. Raising those children who are now in 5th grade in an era of the lowest tax rates in US history has in effect been toxic to our economy. we now have a 13 trillion dollar deficit.

Our 4 trillion dollar execise in global forced democracy has seen it rise in nations whose dictatorship we support. We havent invaded a single one of the nations now under some form of revolution. Instead we build bombs, chasing ghosts.

The unsustainable pyramid scheme, I assume you mean Social Security? Which has never missed a payment in over 80 years? FAIL.

Abortion? WTF?





You chosing the issues you have chosen to be upsetg about is the exact reason for the OP-ED and the exact reason why we as Americans roll over, and have been doing so since the 70s....we are pacified, and pointed to be angry with the wrong things.


Not once do you mention the trillions stolen from you by wall street, bankers and bailouts. Not once do you mention defense spending (36-58% of our spending, depending on if you wish to include veterans benefits) Not once do you mention the failed policy of deregulation. Not once do you mention outsourcing labor, or our trade policies.....

Nope.

Its Taxes, Abortion, and Social Security...


roll-over....sit....STAY.

The Brandon Five

I am sure not happy about it.

The problem with favoring "stability" is that stability itself is an illusion.

The Brandon Five

Tax revenues as a percentage of GDP in the 1930's:

2000-present:

All-time high?

1944: 20.9

Source: White House

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/defa...s/hist01z2.xls

Holy Diver

What is the most eye-opening to me, is that we have been supporting dictaorships, while promoting democracy....

nobody seems to think thats an F'd up policy doomed to fail?