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Old 11-08-2008, 01:58 PM
 
Location: Ottawa, Canada
609 posts, read 1,174,461 times
Reputation: 173

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as i sat here pondering, i thought "hey maybe obama actually is americas new savior".. but why? besides being charismatic and a good speaker (key traits of dictators) should he be any better than mccain??

well i believe that the american dream, of competing and the best making, has been completely destroyed by modern day america. the millions of jobs in america in mcdonalds, harveys, kfc, dunken donoughts, ect all need to be filled, but by who? youths cant work during the day at school?

anyways those are just a couple examples of many of the low paid, no benfits for the average worker.

unfortunately, no matter how hard everyone in america tries, everyone cannot become a ceo, actor, rock star, entrepeneur or anything else that has high pay.

the probelm in america isnt just causes by people simply getting "good" or "bad" jobs, but also inheritance. i ahev no problem passing on money and business to children, but you have had families that have been rich, and continue to be generation after generation.

whats the saying? you have to spend money to make money? and they have the most.

what is my impression of what obama wants to do? a fairer chance for all americans, starting at health.

people think what made america great?? why is it that since americas creation (which really is a short time compared to europeon or asian ones) it has had such an enormous amount of amazing scientists, politicians, writers ect?

the american dream maybe? a land of oppurtunity but only because that oppurtunity was there to begin with (are the land handouts in the west which allowed million? of people to settle it and make a living). this was often followed by large manufacturing and production capabilities by the United states which cna be observed constantly (ww1,ww2)

the oppurtunity is now gone as i have said. high profile positions are held by families and people in the upper class (obviously because its never attainable by the middle or lower no matter hwo ahrd they work)

all politicians in the US are rich. not because of thir political status, btu because they were rich before in some type of business.

the president of france for example only has an overall net worth of 2 million euros. most of which are in insurance policies!!! is that oftne heard of in the us senate or for presidents?? of course not
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Old 11-08-2008, 02:02 PM
 
Location: The ends DO NOT justify the means!!!
4,783 posts, read 3,741,180 times
Reputation: 1336
Huh? Okay. Thanks for sharing.
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Old 11-08-2008, 02:08 PM
 
Location: Portland, Oregon
109 posts, read 172,588 times
Reputation: 87
"a good speaker (key traits of dictators)".


hmmm...Lincoln, FDR, Roosevelt, Kennedy, even Reagan...all charismatic, great speakers and motivators. Damn those dictators.
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Old 11-08-2008, 02:15 PM
 
Location: Ottawa, Canada
609 posts, read 1,174,461 times
Reputation: 173
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeremiahJohnson View Post
"a good speaker (key traits of dictators)".


hmmm...Lincoln, FDR, Roosevelt, Kennedy, even Reagan...all charismatic, great speakers and motivators. Damn those dictators.
i never said that any of those others were dictators! but thanks for trying to put words in my mouth!!!!!!

you tried to do the hitlers a charasmatic orator-lincoln was a charasmatic orator- therefore lincoln was hitler.

a+b c+b therefore ac

but that is not true. i simply stated the danger someone who has such a big cult of personality can be. because not only could they take force illegally/legally (like hitler did), but also with the support of a visible, but forceful group (citizens)

all i was saying though was this was a danger, but obama seems to actually meanw aht hes goign to do.. we will see though
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Old 11-08-2008, 02:38 PM
 
31 posts, read 40,605 times
Reputation: 26
Quote:
Originally Posted by leangk View Post
the probelm in america isnt just causes by people simply getting "good" or "bad" jobs,
Poor grammar skills have also taken a toll on Amerikan society. Sometimes it seems like not even 30% of you people can use your own language correctly.
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Old 11-08-2008, 02:41 PM
 
Location: Limestone,TN/Bucerias, Mexico
1,452 posts, read 3,191,145 times
Reputation: 501
Interesting post; one which essentially questions; 'Where do we all go from here'?

One thought: We used to be a country of small businesses, which owners could 'grow', with perhaps the dream of someday achieving real wealth - or at least security. That 'American' dream spurred people on to work hard (under their own steam) to provide for their families and their futures. But nowadays small business is fading into distant memory as corporate America takes over almost every aspect of daily life and commerce. The corner grocer has essentially been replaced by a gas station and mini-mart; your favorite small clothing store has grown in size and is now either JC Penney's, Dillards or K-Mart; the mom and pop cafe downtown is now McDonald's or Hardy's or the Olive Garden near the mall; the local hardware store where you could find almost anything (along with good service) has been replaced by Lowes or Home Depot, among others - and we all know about Wal-mart which has probably been responsible for the largest loss and decline of small businesses.

Because corporate America is now the successful leader in commerce of most every kind, the incentive to even start a small business that *might* be successful has been lost. This has occured slowly and subtly and what's been squandered and lost in the process is the independant, 'I can do it on my own' spirit which made America great. Solutions for how to get that spirit back are unknown and elusive, maybe impossible.

Since the poster is living in Europe, I imagine there are many fewer corporate entities than here in the USA - and probably many, many more small businesses. In supporting and allowing corporations like Walmart and McDonalds (with their low wages) to become our mainstay sources of purchasing goods and foods we've destroyed much of what made our country great and what has given us our individualistic reputation. IMHO that is.

PS There're probably some younger posters who don't even remember what it was like in the days before 'the corporations'.
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Old 11-08-2008, 02:41 PM
 
Location: The ends DO NOT justify the means!!!
4,783 posts, read 3,741,180 times
Reputation: 1336
Really, I wasn't going to go there at all. LOL! I don't think the U.S. produces enough red ink in a calendar year to fix the OP.

Last edited by irspow; 11-08-2008 at 02:50 PM..
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Old 11-08-2008, 02:43 PM
 
Location: southern california
61,288 posts, read 87,400,633 times
Reputation: 55562
yes friend there is a class sytem. and if i had sucumbed to it i would still be in houston pumping gas, but not so. somebody failed to close the gate, the dog got out. who let that dog out (baha men - sing it)
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Old 11-08-2008, 02:44 PM
 
Location: Ottawa, Canada
609 posts, read 1,174,461 times
Reputation: 173
Quote:
Originally Posted by ISeeTheFuture View Post
Poor grammar skills have also taken a toll on Amerikan society. Sometimes it seems like not even 30% of you people can use your own language correctly.
i dunno fi that was meant to be sarcastic or not.. but the point is america had a lot of great people. but what made them reach that greatness??

even today america has some people who will be looked back at in afew hundred years as "great past authors". maybe stephen king (although ive never read any of his books)

anyways im getting sidetracked. i jsut wanted to say that that competive edge and ability to strive and reach the dream as long as it was there to attain.

nowadays it seems impossible. all the senior jobs are already taken by the past bosses son. the CEO's are his dads golfing buddies.

thats of course a simplified example but jsut to illustrate american people feeling the dream is dead. and is there only as a shadow of past great times that the politicians hold up as "real".
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Old 11-08-2008, 02:47 PM
 
Location: Ottawa, Canada
609 posts, read 1,174,461 times
Reputation: 173
Quote:
Originally Posted by SarahSal View Post
Interesting post; one which essentially questions; 'Where do we all go from here'?

One thought: We used to be a country of small businesses, which owners could 'grow', with perhaps the dream of someday achieving real wealth - or at least security. That 'American' dream spurred people on to work hard (under their own steam) to provide for their families and their futures. But nowadays small business is fading into distant memory as corporate America takes over almost every aspect of daily life and commerce. The corner grocer has essentially been replaced by a gas station and mini-mart; your favorite small clothing store has grown in size and is now either JC Penney's, Dillards or K-Mart; the mom and pop cafe downtown is now McDonald's or Hardy's or the Olive Garden near the mall; the local hardware store where you could find almost anything (along with good service) has been replaced by Lowes or Home Depot, among others - and we all know about Wal-mart which has probably been responsible for the largest loss and decline of small businesses.

Because corporate America is now the successful leader in commerce of most every kind, the incentive to even start a small business that *might* be successful has been lost. This has occured slowly and subtly and what's been squandered and lost in the process is the independant, 'I can do it on my own' spirit which made America great. Solutions for how to get that spirit back are unknown and elusive, maybe impossible.

Since the poster is living in Europe, I imagine there are many fewer corporate entities than here in the USA - and probably many, many more small businesses. In supporting and allowing corporations like Walmart and McDonalds (with their low wages) to become our mainstay sources of purchasing goods and foods we've destroyed much of what made our country great and what has given us our individualistic reputation. IMHO that is.

PS There're probably some younger posters who don't even remember what it was like in the days before 'the corporations'.
yes there are a number of small companies, especially stores . the bakeries, butcheries ect are all basically small and privately owned by a small company. tonnes of the stores in this city are not "company named" stores and are set up by small entrepeneurs..

whats the point of setting up a business if the big duys can sell every item you carry 50% cheaper?
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