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America's beauty hasn't faded. Has its greatness?

17 Comments
By JAY REEVES and ROBIN McDOWELL

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Americans say they still believe in America, the experiment in democracy that the founders described as a place where the government should protect the rights of ordinary people to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. - article

The manufacturing of Government, Of, By and For the Corporation and Conglomerate has been replacing "We The People" since Eisenhower warned of the "military-industrial complex” and Congress' crucial role therein.

Political pressures in 1961 forced the striking of the reference to Congress.

Fifty years on . . .

"Military and homeland budgets now support millions of people in an otherwise declining economy. Hundreds of billions of dollars flow each year from the public coffers to agencies and contractors who have an incentive to keep the country on a war-footing - and footing the bill for war."

source: "Big Money Behind War: The Military-Industrial Complex"

While Congress is in the pocket of society's invisible hand of influence peddlers, the Fourth Estate is similarly owned by the owners of influence and it is little surprise the Citizen is bewildered, befuddled and betrayed at every turn.

Too many from the paragraph above are too happy to maintain this unhappy balance of interests. There's always a good buck in self interest.

Greatness isn't even in the mindset of the 'winners' given the 'losers' are only a means to an end and nothing is more important than wealth and its adoration.

The 2016 election isn't some panacea waiting to jump the scales in the favor of the Citizen. Claims of such are flip and falsely altruistic because the dynamic no longer needs the Citizen to participate in America; only not talk too loudly when wealth hasn't the time or interest in their petty concerns for food and shelter.

The answer to the imagined 'greatness' is either the top downs eroding foundations collapse all structures or the bottom up sustains a decade's long rejection of wealth's influence. That may be a great idea but no one has yet shown how it comes about.

Since Eisenhower's warning predicted the haves having no interest in the have-nots and technology has delivered the evil of selfish disgust of power to ignore and condemn the scramble to stay in the lifeboat, America's "greatness" is not only an insular delusion, it is a euphemism for a crushing wealth on the necks of every living being on the planet.

Rescue isn't in anyone's interest who actually matters because there's no profit in compassion.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

America is still great. Just depends what you focus on Bertie.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Americans are great. Just as Israelis are great, Palestinians are great, Iranians and Saudis are great.

The political paradigm - adversarial stalemate that hurts everyone - sucks.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

With the passage of time, all civilizations become corrupt. That is human nature. It has been going on in the US at least since Nixon. I think the US will split into several countries rather then just implode or break out in civil war.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Then, with Vietnam, things started to go downhill.

Vietnam was thousands of miles away. I think it started to go downhill when crack-cocaine made its debut on the streets of america, early 80's. Then the hip-culture grew and drive-bye shootings and gun violence plagued every corner of America.

Crime was everywhere (like it is nowadays) thus, thugs and illegal immigrants have painted a bad image of america.

Now look. Cops cannot do their jobs without being called a "pig" or a racist.

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

I personally think we are seeing the twilight days of the American Empire. It will collapse sooner than most people imagine. But then again, what empire hasn't? It is ridiculous to think that America will be great forever. Every dog gets his day. Its the way of the world.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Vietnam was thousands of miles away

The rapist's charter: "touch" everything, understand nothing.

I think it started to go downhill when

Mississippi cops couldn't do their jobs without civil rights lawyers interfering?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

America as I knew it growing up (graduated high school 1966) is long gone. I doubt it will ever be the same. Politics and greed running amuck is the reason. It kills me to think that the once greatest nation is doomed.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Once the large numbers of eager immigrants stop coming, then you'll know America is no longer great.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Guns! It is like a wild west show. Also, I did not walk far at night from where I was staying in Wisconsin when I went back to my hometown for my 50th high school reunion. I never felt safe enough to. When I decided to walk across town to a famous hamburger spot, I was shocked and a bit scared when not one, but two cars passed me on my route, rolled down their window and yelled obscenities at me. It was noon! No wonder I never saw one person walking while like me. The only consolation is that the burger was GREAT!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Wc626,

Vietnam was thousands of miles away.

Well, yes, Vietnam the country was. But many Americans were sent there and witnessed or took part in atrocities. It seemed to me the point where faith in the government started to erode. And with it any sense of greatness.

The problem was very much there in the States. Hometown America was dying. People started to wonder about the government. They were writing anti-government songs (protest songs), doing what they could to avoid the draft and finally, because of public pressure, the government was forced to stop it.

And fast forward to present time and, looking at the violence of the anti-trumpers, guns, as Kitzrow describes it, "It's like a wild west show," senseless killings, the NSA, Patriot Act, TISA, TPP and so on, America has lost the greatness it once had.

There are, of course, individual Americans that qualify for greatness, but the topic was about the country.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Greatness? You'll never hear me say that. Potential for greatness...YES, as with all countries. The shinning star today would be that little country we used to call Burma and Aung San Suu Ky. A Nobel peace prize winner in 91, and look what she's accomplished. Compare her to Obama and I just wanna puke that they gave that to him.

We took a major hit to our potential when John f Kennedy was assainated, and not by a lone gunman IMO. As long as the Oswald/lone gunman theory remains in the consciousness of the population, questions about Kennedy; was he going to end the federal reserve, was he going to stop the Vietnam war, will never be fully answered. Good luck doing that nowadays. Nobody cares. If the elite war mongers can pull off the 9/11 scam that they have, then we really don't deserve to be great. RIP my lovely America, I truly hope one day we can throw off the yoke of professional politicians and their cabal of hegomonic strategists.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Here the data on American Trust In Govt:*

http://www.people-press.org/2014/11/13/public-trust-in-government/

Here's what it reveals: Trust in govt is a generational thing. It was high in the beginning of the 1960s, over 50% . By the mid 960s, with VIetnam and the Civil rights, began a 15 year free fall.

*Trust in government is not same as attitude towards, but it is close, and the rates mirror each other for the past five years. I was unable to find the AP polling history and so used Pew data, which goes all the way back to the 1950s.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Once the large numbers of eager immigrants stop coming, then you'll know America is no longer great.

There are large numbers of eager immigrants going to Europe, Australia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and even Russia. They must be just as great as the US.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Aly Rustom,

And, ironically, a huge number of the large numbers of eager immigrants are those escaping the mess that the US made in the Middle East.

Methinks the once great country has strayed too far from the shore.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Bertie I do agree with you 100%

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think it started to go downhill when crack-cocaine made its debut on the streets of america, early 80's.

But crime rates in the US began decreasing in the 80s (after skyrocketing in the 70s). Not saying crack cocaine isnt bad, but the data dont seem to support the argument that it precipitated a decline in the country (at least as measured by crime being committed, which seems to be what you are implying).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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