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Have you never been a young person and looked at someone like Bill Gates and been inspired to work hard so that you might one day have luxuries and live the "good life"?
I refuse to villify successful people just for the sake of making unmotivated people feel better, or to justify a policy of distributing wealth from those who earned it, to those who didn't do jack.
Never been interested in the so-called "good life". I don't think the "good life" is all that good. I value character over money.
LOL..........you think you're slick don't you? Ok, carry on with your agenda. White folks founded this country on violence, did you put that in your survey?
I like how you put B on B crime as your first choice......nice try.
LOL,LOL,LOL...............some of "you people" are toooo funny and cowardly.!
Quote:
Originally Posted by AQUEMINI331
I'd like to get a good, candid discussion on why the United States is such a violent nation compared to other "First World" (i.e. nations that are equally as wealthy as we are) nations such as those in Western Europe and East Asia. I look forward to the discussion but I'm also doing this for a survey in my research paper, so please respond to the poll.
You can vote for more than one option on this poll. I understand this is a complex issue and there is no single answer to this question, just as I'm sure there is no single solution.
If you consider the number of people we're dealing with, diversity of backgrounds, and the great number of liberties we enjoy, I don't think we're a violent country.
Sure, there are countries that have lower violent crime but I suspect that they also don't enjoy the freedoms that we do here. I don't have time or inclination to research that but it's my opinion.
I think this is a pretty fair summary. Lots of countries are "better" than the US in a lot of tiny, very specific ways. But few of them have the inclination, or see the need, to "do" what we try to do, for so many people, and still maintain a free and open society.
Singapore has cleaner streets than we do....Iceland and Korea have fewer racial problems....Mexico has fewer problems incorporating illegal immigrants into its society...and Saudi Arabia has fewer problems making sure women are 'fairly represented in the workplace'. But I don't know if these places can really be fairly compared with the US.
Have you never been a young person and looked at someone like Bill Gates and been inspired to work hard so that you might one day have luxuries and live the "good life"?
I refuse to villify successful people just for the sake of making unmotivated people feel better, or to justify a policy of distributing wealth from those who earned it, to those who didn't do jack.
Yes. Most here really agree with you.
We are against those who do not EARN their wages, but get into positions in corporations through friends, do nothing to increase the standing of the company, make poor decisions, and still get raises, bonuses, golden parachutes and government bailouts for the mess they've made.
You certainly can understand that objection?
Like, recently, Bear Stearns and the mortgage fiasco????
Most of the violence in the US is centered around drugs and corruption by drug money of officials. Remember that the CIA was actually caught bringing drugs into the country. How many police shakeups have we had concerning this?
We would not have half the problems we now have were it not for drugs. I say, legalize and control and tax it. It will take the profit out and stop corruption and free up money for sensible and available rehab. It will cost society a LOT less than the mess we have now.
There are enough black middle class, well educated people in the US, that race is really no longer an issue. Why do you think there are so many whites voting for Obama? There are more and more black 'Obamas' merging in American society. Prepare yourself.
If you are stuck in a bad neighborhood and don't like it, instead of blaming it on the blacks around you, do what the responsible blacks do, get yourself a good education and work hard and MOVE. Don't just sit on your duff complaining.
And when you work hard, climb up the ladder, and get a slice of luxuory in your life, please try to help others to do so. Don't just look down from your ivory tower and jeer. Don't forget that, in many ways, it is harder to pull yourself up today than it was years ago. There are many people with money and influence who give their time to causes that do not cater to deadbeats. Find one of those causes and volunteer. Contribute. Make your life stand for something so when you are on your deathbed you can be proud and think of your life as something worthwhile. LEave the world a better place than you found it.
This can be a less violent world, but it does not start from the top, it takes each individual doing just a bit better in his or her life, trying to reward those struggling, but deserving. Step by step, person by person, decision by decision, the world can change to be a better and less violent place. It takes hard work and hope and never ceasing to lose track of that light at the end of the tunnel.
Remember when your mom taught you, as a little kid, to be a good person. That still applies.
Yes. Most here really agree with you.
We are against those who do not EARN their wages, but get into positions in corporations through friends, do nothing to increase the standing of the company, make poor decisions, and still get raises, bonuses, golden parachutes and government bailouts for the mess they've made.
You certainly can understand that objection?
Just a few thoughts on all this corollary topic (and without trying to get too far of the main one myself LOL). First of all, I definititely agree with the part about government bailouts. However, this aspect is more associated with politics and politicians desire to get re-elected than so-called obscene salaries of certain CEO's.
As to issue at hand though, it comes down to, IMHO, a question of "what is the alternative?" Government regulation of salaries? Point is, even if the amount a CEO is paid may seem ridiculous, it comes down to who posesses enough knowledge of the business and all things connected, to mandate otherwise?
Here is a good excerpt and article on this subject:
Many observers who say that they cannot understand how anyone can be worth $100 million a year do not realize that it is not necessary that they understand it, since it is not their money.
I gotta note though, the piece was written last year and a mention was made of falling oil prices, so obviously certain things might strike as hilarious. BUT...the point of it all still stands!
Most crimes are drug or money related - at least those I can understand. However the crimes that worry me the most are the serial killings, and America also leads the world in that category. According to an FBI Behavioral Unit study (broken link) 85% of the world's serial killers are in America. At any given time 20 - 50 unidentified active serial killers are at work continually changing their targets and methods.
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You think you espouse character? Now that is funny. 
