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I do NOT like Edwards. He is a phony and part of the rich liberal aristocracy in the USA today.
But one has to wonder. Maybe John Edwards is right. There may be 2 Americas after all.
We have our America, where regular folks are punished for crimes, have to pay taxes, and live decent lives. We have to work, we love our families and we do not smoke crack. We are good people.
Then there is their America. That one is the Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Lindsey Lohan, Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton's America. This is the America of the rich liberals, who commit serious crimes and do not get punished. They live in luxury and wealth, pay almost no taxes, and live in debauchery and spit on our faces. They look at us as dumb peasants who need the government running our lives. They think we hang on to their every word. They wnat to tax us to death, work us to death so they can continue their lavish lifestyle while they stay in power by paying off lazy Americans to vote for them.
So please, if you are an OJ supporter, remember: OJ is part of the rich liberal America, the get-out-of-jail-free card America. The America that knows no law and no limits.
So what do yuo think? Is there a rich and liberal America and our America? Or that is just John Edwards' bumper sticker? OJ has his own America where he is immune from all crimes. Now we have a armed robbery OJ clearly committed and if liberal America has its way, they will claim racism and he will walk.
"Their" America is one that is intolerant, bigoted, and borders on fascism. They are ignorant, unsophisticated dopes that can't think beyond what they immediately see in front of them, they're selfish individualists who don't care about anyone. Oh, and they're hypocrites.
Yeah, it doesn't quite work either way. In fact, it's quite stupid, isn't it?
Comes as part of our VERY UNIQUE culture---a most exotic mix of wide-open freedom coupled with a weird sort of puritan "base". America is pretty unique. We truly do have a "lust" for the good life, but it's combined with our puritanism-truly a case of a "love-hate relationship".
Virtually ALL Americans, theoretically, would like to be rich and privileged, if it were possible. In our culture, "rich" means we've "made it". On the other hand, most of us are NOT rich, and our puritan culture tells us that anyone who IS rich, by definition, MUST have gotten that way by "SCREWING OVER" somebody else. It's just sort of taken for granted.
We as Americans aspire to riches, but reserve the right to mercilessly criticize those who've acquired them. WE are "poor", and therefore, honest---THEY are "rich", obviously because somewhere along the way they "compromised their principles".
That's just the way our culture works, We're weird. There would never be a "Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky" scandal if not for our unique puritan culture---likewise with our whole problem with the "rich, privileged, and spoiled" among us.....
Virtually ALL Americans, theoretically, would like to be rich and privileged, if it were possible. In our culture, "rich" means we've "made it".
The problem is, in America, far too many people who are "well to do" THINK they are "rich" or part of the elite, when in fact, they're far far from it. They'll never be invited to a Palm Beach ball, never get the time of day from the truly super wealthy, that sliver of 1% who laugh at their cute pretensions to success.
They believe that someday they'll be able to enter that world, and in the vain hope of reaching it, they vote against their own interests, and wring their hands about things like the estate tax and tax cuts that put a measly $600 back in their pockets while saddling their future generations with debt.
Quote:
Originally Posted by macmeal
On the other hand, most of us are NOT rich, and our puritan culture tells us that anyone who IS rich, by definition, MUST have gotten that way by "SCREWING OVER" somebody else. It's just sort of taken for granted.
On the contrary, far too many people believe that everyone who is rich "earned" it, while so much of wealth is passive. There is a MAJOR difference between "working wealth" and "REAL" wealth!
Quote:
Originally Posted by macmeal
We as Americans aspire to riches, but reserve the right to mercilessly criticize those who've acquired them. WE are "poor", and therefore, honest---THEY are "rich", obviously because somewhere along the way they "compromised their principles".
Again, I disagree! The poor are poor because they CHOOSE to be poor, dontchaknow?! While this is sometimes a function of drive, inert ability, etc... there HAS to be poor people in every society, and people who will do the dirty work. We need to respect the working poor, and value what they do for the economy, but the prevailing national opinion says they deserve to live miserably, uninsured, malnourished, without the joys of children....all because they can't afford it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by macmeal
That's just the way our culture works, We're weird. There would never be a "Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky" scandal if not for our unique puritan culture---likewise with our whole problem with the "rich, privileged, and spoiled" among us.....
I agree with the sexual puritanism thing. Which always strikes me as odd considering how readily we embrace violence as a culture. People have a problem with CELEBRITY for no apparent reason (Hilton, etc.), but we all worship wealth, inherited or otherwise (like that big faker, Donald Trump).
So, there really are two america's. This probly started with his/hers towels, then sinks, moved on to sports, somehow got applied to politics... Teachers pets probly got worked in there somewhere, fords/chevy's, apples/oranges, boxers/briefs
So yeah, there's elites and there's nobodies and the elites go to congress and the nobodies pay for the elites insurance, which reminds me....
Congress... 535 reasons to support term limits with NO benefits and NO grandfathering tenure.
So, what the hell do you think of all of those RICH ELITE Republicans and conservatives?
Liberal or conservative or even, the idiot neo-cons. rich is rich and they get treated better than any of us, and this has been known forever. Facts of life.
There is actually a number of Americas these days. Not just between the rich and not so rich and the poor but also one for each damn ethnicity and race. This is not the America it used to be. Better get used to it.
I don't know who said it, but someone was quoted as saying that the US is no longer a melting pot but more of a "salad bowl" with all the ingredients separated distinctly. I thought that comment had some truth to it. Being a child of the 70s and 80s and located in a metropolitan area, the melting pot seemed to be a reality back then - now, well, I am not so sure.
IMO - the fundamental problem is that there is, or appears to be, one LAW for the very wealthy and another more restrictive LAW for the rest of us. That is the essence of the two Americas. The really rich will never be prosecuted for rigging markets by creating monopolies and bribing politicians or creating ENRON schemes. The lesser citizens will wind up in jail for taking part in a protest march.
Economic fairness and impartiality is a dream. Legal fairness and impartiality is a necessity
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Was this the talking points topic on Rush or Hannity today?
