Is the American way of life in danger ?

[QUOTE="DivergeUnify"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="SIapshot"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]This is a false, and dramatized view of the United States that is not only inaccurate, but misleading, as it would be precidence to continue in our current path of fake capitalism, and trickle up economics.AmyMizuno

[QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="DivergeUnify"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]As a software engineer, I know how easy it would be to rig an electronic voting machine. I could even do it myself.DivergeUnify

[QUOTE="mrbojangles25"]

Yep. There are literally thousands of alternatives to oil waiting to be put into use or discovered. I mean we already have a sustainable resource to produce plastics; it just isnt put into use yet because there is still oil.

The fact is, a lot of hippies hope/think America will crash but in all likelihood they are wrong. Oh I am sure in the future there will be a stock market crash of "epic" proportions, and I am sure there will be fear mongering when oil slows to a trickle and reaches 5 bucks a gallon, but we will recover. We always do.

I think thats part of american "arrogence". We are extremely aggressive and competative, a lot of times to a disadvantage. But it also pays off. I remember playing sports with some Immigrants, and they were not disappointed in losing. I remember thinking "Arent you guys pissed off? We just lost the game?" and they were totally indifferent about it. For better or worse, Americans dont like to lose and we will seek any means to keep our societ productive and powerful. Whether this means invading other countries for oil (like we do now) or investing billions into green and sustainable resources and sources of energy (like we should, and often do, now) it doesnt matter.

AmyMizuno

Secondly, I think that America is changing right before your eyes. You are one of the people who will not realize that it has changed, until it has changed-- but it is changing, and for the better.

sorry wasnt claiming you were a hippie lol :). Just stating "hippies" in general, meaning passionate semiliberals more inclined to assume the worst and preach for the best. In short, when I say "hippies" I mean hypocritical negative nancys that preach change but dont do anything, i.e. The Southpark Hippy

And yes, I do realize that America is changing. Though I am not sure its for the better, at least all the time. I think once the "old generation" dies off (aka my parent's generation; I dont want them to die, dont get me wrong, but they will eventually) and power rests in my generations hand, then I think you will see a lot more change. Arrogant, I know, but its just how I feel.

PS nice to meet a fellow scientist. my field is food science, whats yours?

[QUOTE="DivergeUnify"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="DivergeUnify"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]As a software engineer, I know how easy it would be to rig an electronic voting machine. I could even do it myself.Darthmatt

[QUOTE="marcus4hire"]

[QUOTE="delol"]The weak dollar ,the perspective of a financial meltdown, the endless Iraqi war ;the lack of strong and reliable moral values . Do you think that the American way of life is in its sunset ? Or is this just a small and unimportant crisis ?AmyMizuno

Ah, we'll bounce back. We're Americans, it's what we do.

And when we do we will go back to pwning the world at everything and other countries will be as jealous as ever.

I don't think that this argument is very convincing. We will always be #1 because we're America? Why? America has squandered it's own human resources, and personally, doesn't deserve to be #1 anymore. They're quickly collapsing into a third world nation.

Third world country, huh?? Right.

I didn't know I had to convince anybody about anything on a gaming forum frequented by adolescents. I'm just killing time until 5:00.

Its a shame you preteen horny boys ignore a good post an fawn over a girlie /man troll ....lol

RED CHINA PWNS USA .. an UN AGREE ....fact

but we can chit chat about food ..:)

[QUOTE="SIapshot"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]This is a false, and dramatized view of the United States that is not only inaccurate, but misleading, as it would be precidence to continue in our current path of fake capitalism, and trickle up economics.AmyMizuno

Maybe you have beef with congress, the President, corporate greed, the American economy, blah blah blah, but the fact of the matter is that the American way of life will live on, whether you laugh, cry, or just piss and moan about it.

Delol an amy

sad fact for you .. USA set your precedent on monetary systems .. all due too the $ = oil barrel, an stock exchange ..

MY Big Concern IS WHY OH WHY was the China COMMIE Threat NOT bad for the USA ...????

But as the Red Commie slave nation Now Produce Everything , at a silly price too Please the WESTERN Overseas Investors ..

When is USA/Western societies gonna wake up ..................you got owned by the commies ..lol

Even the UN has called a motion that says that Red China is a slave nation, for the Red Commie Party Elite who are multi = multi -billionaires ..:( :( :( :( :(

but the average slave factory worker is on 15cents/8 pence an hour ......Im glad the UN are waking up that China does the world producing ... what happens when they put the prices up .... ????

Sooner than later .. :(

UN said if it happens now an they put a trade embargo on a country .

it would be in ANARCHY in DAYS NOT WEEKS ..:(

the Red Russkies tried to Bankrupt the US in the 60s , an failed ..by The Cia stopping the Stock Crash ... looks like the Red Menace Rules the World ..lol, where was the CIA here ?

dwenty

Ah the "Export Gap", one of those figures that everyone on TV is concerned about yet few on Wall Street pay much mind to it, China has a very interesting cap on foreign ownership, no company created within China and with a head office in China can be owned by foreign interest.

When China started creating the "Special Economic Zones" they created a series of Sino-Foreign Cooperative Joint Venture, which needed to be at 51% Chinese owned, most of the export manufacturing business which makes your paper plates and Elvis Busts are in these Economic Zones, so while capital is going over seas to pay these manufactures for goods which are being imported into the United States and then marked up and sold by an American Company, most of the Sino-Foreign Cooperative Joint Venture which export to the US are 49% American owned, and 100% US Financed.

While China makes a ton of US goods, its Foreign investment in these regions that grows their economy,

The bottom-line is that China's economy need the west as much as many folks thing we need China, and a beneficial relationship is often the best form of security.

[QUOTE="DrCoCoPiMp"][QUOTE="mrbojangles25"][QUOTE="DrCoCoPiMp"]

do not give food to one american and 20 afrikans will be able to eat NUFF SAID

mrbojangles25

and somehow this is our fault?

I wasnt aware we were stealing food from Africa. In fact, I am pretty sure most of the food in the US is produced in the US through the hard work of farmers and illegal immigrants.

Plus the same can be said for the British, the Germans, the French, the Italians...take food away from any Western person and you can feed 20 africans.

I dont mind people critiquing the US, just dont say we are the only people with problems OK? Not to mention that when someone's statement ends with "nuff said/period/end o'story/etc" it means theyre full of crap.

'nuff said :P

lol I didnt blame americans, cuz I'm French-Canadian, and if you guys are guilty than so I am. Just sayin' the facts that we are majorly abusing the ressources of Earth while some people still try'in to eat everything they got under their eyes.

dont be so rude dude by tellin me I'm full of crap cuz I said two words you saw outta the mouth of other people, I didnt attack you

I fail to see how "do not give food to one american and 20 afrikans will be able to eat NUFF SAID" is not attacking Americans. its biased, and considering the way the arguments on this thread are going it was not incorrect of me to assume you meant wrong.

With that said, sorry for assuming so, but you cant blame me for thinking you meant offense.

I do agree its said that with our resources we cant feed the world, but whats more said is that a country with as much land as Africa cant produce enough food to feed its people. The world is what you make it, and the Africans dont seem to want to make it a better place for themselves.

In short, dont blame America for African poverty; blame Africa for African poverty.

:lol:

[QUOTE="mrbojangles25"]

I fail to see how "do not give food to one american and 20 afrikans will be able to eat NUFF SAID" is not attacking Americans. its biased, and considering the way the arguments on this thread are going it was not incorrect of me to assume you meant wrong.

With that said, sorry for assuming so, but you cant blame me for thinking you meant offense.

I do agree its said that with our resources we cant feed the world, but whats more said is that a country with as much land as Africa cant produce enough food to feed its people. The world is what you make it, and the Africans dont seem to want to make it a better place for themselves.

In short, dont blame America for African poverty; blame Africa for African poverty.

AmyMizuno

I think that Africa has a lot to complain about.

Oh yes they definately have their share of bad luck and exploitation. But, Idunno, maybe they should be blaming...Jesus?

As for slaves coming to America, I fail to see how, in the big picture, that has negatively effected Africa.

AIDS? Yes, I loathe Reagan even in his death, but again...we didnt make AIDS (or did we...)

Climate Change. True, but climate change is effecting everyone as well.

I dont know. Maybe I am being naive here but I look at africa and i see the following:
-vast amounts of arable land
-a lot of natural resources
-a hard working indigenous population

Africa needs to find their balls and kick all the exploiters out of their country and take it back. They need to start selling their diamonds, lumber, etc in trade for genetically modified crops, and they need to set up better, more isolationistic (is that a word?) governments.

I see Africa as a child thats been abused by powerful parents (the west) and has now been taken into social services and is being smothered with love, but is getting little practical help. Oprah wants to build a school? Why doesnt she spend that money and back a presidential candidate of some African nation? Bono wants to ship some food? Why doesnt he get John Deer to donate some tractors and a seed company to donate a strain of drought resistant crops to some African province as an example of what Africa could be doing.

[QUOTE="DivergeUnify"][QUOTE="Samwel_X"]All empires must come to an end... so we British can weasel our way back to the top :)AmyMizuno

I am not an American,

But when I hear someone compare China to the United States, I have to assume they have not spent much time in China.

Throughout University all I heard about was the controlling evil empire that was Wall Street and the Rich eat poor mentality of the United States, and while I disagree with many of their fiscal policies after a few weeks in China doing business the comparisons are laughable, and I don't mean that as a potshot but its simply not a reality.

The whole concept that the United States is a Static Economy that keeps recycling money among its elite was a very cool paper that was worthy of hours of debate in third year Advanced Macro, but rarely holds up when you start trying to do business with other countries. I would say its easiest to make a buck in the United States because there is so much regulation and so much paranoia that someone is going to sue someone else.

American's have so many freedoms that they have simply taken it forgranted and opted for a "Poor me" approach, like a Rich kid pinning for another Pony.

[QUOTE="DivergeUnify"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="SIapshot"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]This is a false, and dramatized view of the United States that is not only inaccurate, but misleading, as it would be precidence to continue in our current path of fake capitalism, and trickle up economics.AmyMizuno

[QUOTE="marcus4hire"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="marcus4hire"]

[QUOTE="delol"]The weak dollar ,the perspective of a financial meltdown, the endless Iraqi war ;the lack of strong and reliable moral values . Do you think that the American way of life is in its sunset ? Or is this just a small and unimportant crisis ?AmyMizuno

Ah, we'll bounce back. We're Americans, it's what we do.

And when we do we will go back to pwning the world at everything and other countries will be as jealous as ever.

I don't think that this argument is very convincing. We will always be #1 because we're America? Why? America has squandered it's own human resources, and personally, doesn't deserve to be #1 anymore. They're quickly collapsing into a third world nation.

Third world country, huh?? Right.

I didn't know I had to convince anybody about anything on a gaming forum frequented by adolescents. I'm just killing time until 5:00.

As for your argument of 'we'll bounce back because we're americans!' I don't think that is very convincing because it assumes far too many things. 1) It assumes that America still has the political will to bounce back, and it assumes that 2) America still has the economic will and fairness that it used to have. I don't beleive either of those are true.

I know what a third world country is. My question was rhetorical in nature. And a third world country is much more than a weakly defined middle class.

Sorry, I couldn't be bothered to read the rest.

[QUOTE="marcus4hire"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]

What is a third world country? I would define it as a country without a middle class. All countries have an upper class, but developed countries have a strong middle class as well. America's middle class has been under attack for many years now, and is on the brink of failure. It could turn the country into a third world nation.

As for your argument of 'we'll bounce back because we're americans!' I don't think that is very convincing because it assumes far too many things. 1) It assumes that America still has the political will to bounce back, and it assumes that 2) America still has the economic will and fairness that it used to have. I don't beleive either of those are true.

AmyMizuno

I know what a third world country is. My question was rhetorical in nature. And a third world country is much more than a weakly defined middle class.

Sorry, I couldn't be bothered to read the rest.

Third world was a phrase during the cold war that meant a country that was not aligned with either the Soviet Union or the United States. Switzerland and Sweden by definition are third world countries.

Second world was countries aligned with the soviet union, and can you guess what first world was? Countries aligned with the United States.

[QUOTE="SIapshot"]

[QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="SIapshot"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]This is a false, and dramatized view of the United States that is not only inaccurate, but misleading, as it would be precidence to continue in our current path of fake capitalism, and trickle up economics.AmyMizuno

Maybe you have beef with congress, the President, corporate greed, the American economy, blah blah blah, but the fact of the matter is that the American way of life will live on, whether you laugh, cry, or just piss and moan about it.

It's quite sad actually, how Americans have been told that this is the American way. The middle class has no more money, and no more buying power. The economy cannot sustain under these conditions. I wonder who's idea it was that the best preforming economy is one where the middle class is under continuous strain. Maybe Rush Limbaughs... I call it Rush Limbaugh economics.

[QUOTE="Darthmatt"][QUOTE="DivergeUnify"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="DivergeUnify"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]As a software engineer, I know how easy it would be to rig an electronic voting machine. I could even do it myself.DivergeUnify

[QUOTE="SIapshot"]Google has a very unique business model, in fact, it's one of a kind. The fruits of their labor are free to you and I, while the numbers and statistics are sold to advertisers. There's a reason you don't see any ads on Google's website.AmyMizuno

LOL! If you guys are scientists, then I'm Isaac Newton.nbtrap1212

Scary, isnt it?

All it means is that I am comfortable working with chemicals, glassware, and have a better understanding of food components than the average person. Think of me as Alton Brown lol.

But I didnt claim to know jack about international economy, politics, or the such. As a result my statements should only be as serious or offensive as you want them to be lol

[QUOTE="cosmostein77"]

[QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="DivergeUnify"][QUOTE="Samwel_X"]All empires must come to an end... so we British can weasel our way back to the top :)AmyMizuno

I am not an American,

But when I hear someone compare China to the United States, I have to assume they have not spent much time in China.

Throughout University all I heard about was the controlling evil empire that was Wall Street and the Rich eat poor mentality of the United States, and while I disagree with many of their fiscal policies after a few weeks in China doing business the comparisons are laughable, and I don't mean that as a potshot but its simply not a reality.

The whole concept that the United States is a Static Economy that keeps recycling money among its elite was a very cool paper that was worthy of hours of debate in third year Advanced Macro, but rarely holds up when you start trying to do business with other countries. I would say its easiest to make a buck in the United States because there is so much regulation and so much paranoia that someone is going to sue someone else.

American's have so many freedoms that they have simply taken it forgranted and opted for a "Poor me" approach, like a Rich kid pinning for another Pony.

As far as Wall Street being a 'shadow government,' I would agree. In China, atleast you know you are a slave to the government.

bunch of trolls ..

ask them what Red China now targetting the USA , tell me his name the UN guy ,lol

Yeah ......you so right on .. lol

[QUOTE="SIapshot"]

[QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="SIapshot"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]This is a false, and dramatized view of the United States that is not only inaccurate, but misleading, as it would be precidence to continue in our current path of fake capitalism, and trickle up economics.AmyMizuno

Maybe you have beef with congress, the President, corporate greed, the American economy, blah blah blah, but the fact of the matter is that the American way of life will live on, whether you laugh, cry, or just piss and moan about it.

It's quite sad actually, how Americans have been told that this is the American way. The middle class has no more money, and no more buying power. The economy cannot sustain under these conditions. I wonder who's idea it was that the best preforming economy is one where the middle class is under continuous strain. Maybe Rush Limbaughs... I call it Rush Limbaugh economics.

Ah yes the "poor" American Middle class with a median income of $43,376, among the highest in the World and has never increased year to year at a rate any less then 1.5 times that of inflation.

I am going to go out on a limb here?

Student?

And please do not take that as a potshot because it is not meant to be,

Because this all sounds like the textbook doom and gloom stuff that my prof's were selling me through my both my undergrads and while it was really interesting seeing something from a singular standpoint, I was surprised at how different it was in reality and in the actual world of business. Which got all the more out there during my Masters.

I quickly realized most of my Finance and Econ profs were career students, who got their undergrads, masters and PhD's but never actually seemed to work in the field they could and did write books on.

If you are a student, I am going to have to make the statement that drove me nuts when I was in school and that is that textbooks don't reflect reality and that while being scholarly and well read is a great thing you its not all as black and white as it would seem from the confines of a lecture hall. Commenting on the tragic state of an economy as a student is about as logical as telling a friend a movie sucks without seeing it because they read a single review in the paper.

If you are not a student, you really need to stop looking at topics from one side of the arguement. Most of the conflict in the world are Grey (or Gray if you are American) and there are normally three sides to every arguement as the old saying goes, yours theirs and the truth.

The United States is not a Totalitarian Regime, and whenever it gets that sort of treatment from its own citizens I have to wonder? Been to Russia as of late? China? Singapore?

Brunei served as the real eye opener for me,

See what the rest of the world has to struggle for every day, that you wake up every morning with and take forgranted.

I'm not an American, but I spend enough time working in the states and abroad to know that you guys have it way better then 90% of your population will ever realize, yet you complain the most about it.

Please forgive me if I sounded angry or rude during the comment, but after watching some kid who could not have been older then 12 get clunked in the head with basically a billy club and hauled away because he fell by accident into someone in Uniform overseas, and my guide demanded that I keep walking and not make eye contract otherwise I could be detained and questioned,

I just really get frustrated when people don't at least appriciate what they have, and what they never needed to lift a weapon to get.

[QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="SIapshot"]

[QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="SIapshot"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]This is a false, and dramatized view of the United States that is not only inaccurate, but misleading, as it would be precidence to continue in our current path of fake capitalism, and trickle up economics.cosmostein77

Maybe you have beef with congress, the President, corporate greed, the American economy, blah blah blah, but the fact of the matter is that the American way of life will live on, whether you laugh, cry, or just piss and moan about it.

It's quite sad actually, how Americans have been told that this is the American way. The middle class has no more money, and no more buying power. The economy cannot sustain under these conditions. I wonder who's idea it was that the best preforming economy is one where the middle class is under continuous strain. Maybe Rush Limbaughs... I call it Rush Limbaugh economics.

Ah yes the "poor" American Middle class with a median income of $43,376, among the highest in the World and has never increased year to year at a rate any less then 1.5 times that of inflation.

I am going to go out on a limb here?

Student?

Because this all sounds like the textbook doom and gloom stuff that my prof's were selling me through my both my undergrads and while it was really interesting seeing something from a singular standpoint, I was surprised at how different it was in reality and in the actual world of business. Which got all the more out there during my Masters.

I quickly realized most of my Finance and Econ profs were career students, who got their undergrads, masters and PhD's but never actually seemed to work in the field they could and did write books on.

If you are a student, I am going to have to make the statement that drove me nuts when I was in school and that is that textbooks don't reflect reality and that while being scholarly and well read is a great thing you its not all as black and white as it would seem from the confines of a lecture hall. Commenting on the tragic state of an economy as a student is about as logical as telling a friend a movie sucks without seeing it because they read a single review in the paper.

If you are not a student, you really need to stop looking at topics from one side of the arguement. Most of the conflict in the world are Grey (or Gray if you are American) and there are normally three sides to every arguement as the old saying goes, yours theirs and the truth.

The United States is not a Totalitarian Regime, and whenever it gets that sort of treatment from its own citizens I have to wonder? Been to Russia as of late? China? Singapore?

Brunei served as the real eye opener for me,

See what the rest of the world has to struggle for every day, that you wake up every morning with and take forgranted.

I'm not an American, but I spend enough time working in the states and abroad to know that you guys have it way better then 90% of your population will ever realize, yet you complain the most about it.

I couldn't have said it any better.

[QUOTE="SIapshot"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="SIapshot"]Google has a very unique business model, in fact, it's one of a kind. The fruits of their labor are free to you and I, while the numbers and statistics are sold to advertisers. There's a reason you don't see any ads on Google's website.AmyMizuno

[QUOTE="SIapshot"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="SIapshot"]Google has a very unique business model, in fact, it's one of a kind. The fruits of their labor are free to you and I, while the numbers and statistics are sold to advertisers. There's a reason you don't see any ads on Google's website.AmyMizuno

The American way of life will live on through thick and thin. The politicians and lawmakers on the other hand, their days are numbered. There are over 80 million gun owners in America. Oil crisis? no problem. Americans were living large before gas engines. Americans will always have steak on the dinner table and fur on their backs.SIapshot

The United States before combustable engines that required Oil/Gas wasn't much better then a back water place..

[QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="SIapshot"]

[QUOTE="AmyMizuno"][QUOTE="SIapshot"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]This is a false, and dramatized view of the United States that is not only inaccurate, but misleading, as it would be precidence to continue in our current path of fake capitalism, and trickle up economics.cosmostein77

Maybe you have beef with congress, the President, corporate greed, the American economy, blah blah blah, but the fact of the matter is that the American way of life will live on, whether you laugh, cry, or just piss and moan about it.

It's quite sad actually, how Americans have been told that this is the American way. The middle class has no more money, and no more buying power. The economy cannot sustain under these conditions. I wonder who's idea it was that the best preforming economy is one where the middle class is under continuous strain. Maybe Rush Limbaughs... I call it Rush Limbaugh economics.

Ah yes the "poor" American Middle class with a median income of $43,376, among the highest in the World and has never increased year to year at a rate any less then 1.5 times that of inflation.

I am going to go out on a limb here?

Student?

And please do not take that as a potshot because it is not meant to be,

Because this all sounds like the textbook doom and gloom stuff that my prof's were selling me through my both my undergrads and while it was really interesting seeing something from a singular standpoint, I was surprised at how different it was in reality and in the actual world of business. Which got all the more out there during my Masters.

I quickly realized most of my Finance and Econ profs were career students, who got their undergrads, masters and PhD's but never actually seemed to work in the field they could and did write books on.

If you are a student, I am going to have to make the statement that drove me nuts when I was in school and that is that textbooks don't reflect reality and that while being scholarly and well read is a great thing you its not all as black and white as it would seem from the confines of a lecture hall. Commenting on the tragic state of an economy as a student is about as logical as telling a friend a movie sucks without seeing it because they read a single review in the paper.

If you are not a student, you really need to stop looking at topics from one side of the arguement. Most of the conflict in the world are Grey (or Gray if you are American) and there are normally three sides to every arguement as the old saying goes, yours theirs and the truth.

The United States is not a Totalitarian Regime, and whenever it gets that sort of treatment from its own citizens I have to wonder? Been to Russia as of late? China? Singapore?

Brunei served as the real eye opener for me,

See what the rest of the world has to struggle for every day, that you wake up every morning with and take forgranted.

I'm not an American, but I spend enough time working in the states and abroad to know that you guys have it way better then 90% of your population will ever realize, yet you complain the most about it.

Please forgive me if I sounded angry or rude during the comment, but after watching some kid who could not have been older then 12 get clunked in the head with basically a billy club and hauled away because he fell by accident into someone in Uniform overseas, and my guide demanded that I keep walking and not make eye contract otherwise I could be detained and questioned,

I just really get frustrated when people don't at least appriciate what they have, and what they never needed to lift a weapon to get.

QFT

I like this diatribe to my Post ...

fact is ...You reafirmed your US citizenship ..lol

Yeah forget the bs posts

BET ...RED RUSSIAN GRIZZLY BEAR ...will be UPSET (AQ Terrorist /Friends )

[QUOTE="SIapshot"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]You're right, but google was also in the right place at the right time.Had google offered a product that they couldn't have developed a business model that made it free, they would have went out of business. AmyMizuno

US v China

Its getting Raped an the sad fools here dismiss it at there demise.......

Well we had a good run. Maybe this will be a wake up call to us. Our economy has slowly been outpaced by multiple countries now, and the dollar is a good indicator. There's little that a typical person can do about it, so I just ride the wave of apathy. I look forward to a better future, even if that requires me to leave this country.

As for morals, this is less of a tangible thing. Did you consider our past to be particularly outstanding in this regard? Personally I embrace this new movement towards racial inclusion and I'm still stunned that so many people can be offended by different races getting married or homosexual marriage as well. I don't care if gay and lesbien people want to get married. I don't think of it any differently then two heterosexual people. If they want to be miserable like the rest of us, then so be it. They just want the rights of association that marriage comes with, they may or may not care about the religious aspect or the fact that anybody can just walk right up to their court house and get a piece of paper saying this person and this person are now legally married.

US v China

Its getting Raped an the sad fools here dismiss it at there demise.......

dwenty

Dude, I don't think anyone's listening to you anymore. No one here knows how to read gibberish.

[QUOTE="cosmostein77"][QUOTE="AmyMizuno"]

This revolution of American greed has reached a peak, and is now coming to a turning point. It's gotten so bad that the most recent successful coroprations, such as google have had to develop business models where they are able to give away their products for free (most of google's products are free).

It's quite sad actually, how Americans have been told that this is the American way. The middle class has no more money, and no more buying power. The economy cannot sustain under these conditions. I wonder who's idea it was that the best preforming economy is one where the middle class is under continuous strain. Maybe Rush Limbaughs... I call it Rush Limbaugh economics.

AmyMizuno

Ah yes the "poor" American Middle class with a median income of $43,376, among the highest in the World and has never increased year to year at a rate any less then 1.5 times that of inflation.

I am going to go out on a limb here?

Student?

Because this all sounds like the textbook doom and gloom stuff that my prof's were selling me through my both my undergrads and while it was really interesting seeing something from a singular standpoint, I was surprised at how different it was in reality and in the actual world of business. Which got all the more out there during my Masters.

I quickly realized most of my Finance and Econ profs were career students, who got their undergrads, masters and PhD's but never actually seemed to work in the field they could and did write books on.

If you are a student, I am going to have to make the statement that drove me nuts when I was in school and that is that textbooks don't reflect reality and that while being scholarly and well read is a great thing you its not all as black and white as it would seem from the confines of a lecture hall. Commenting on the tragic state of an economy as a student is about as logical as telling a friend a movie sucks without seeing it because they read a single review in the paper.

If you are not a student, you really need to stop looking at topics from one side of the arguement. Most of the conflict in the world are Grey (or Gray if you are American) and there are normally three sides to every arguement as the old saying goes, yours theirs and the truth.

The United States is not a Totalitarian Regime, and whenever it gets that sort of treatment from its own citizens I have to wonder? Been to Russia as of late? China? Singapore?

Brunei served as the real eye opener for me,

See what the rest of the world has to struggle for every day, that you wake up every morning with and take forgranted.

I'm not an American, but I spend enough time working in the states and abroad to know that you guys have it way better then 90% of your population will ever realize, yet you complain the most about it.

I am a student; however, most of my professors are rather neutral, and I couldn't detect any bias from all but a few... You are entitled to your opinion, as am I, and it is my opinion that while we are doing okay as an economy, we could be doing much better. The economy works for you, but for a lot of people, it clearly isn't working.

I'm not so much angry about what I have or what I don't have, because I realize that many people have it worse. I get angry when people hold the United States up as the pinnacle of the world, as if we are the greatest society there has ever been on earth. Give me a break, I would easily say that Japan, Canada, the European Union, Austrailia, New Zealand, and even China (in some ways) is a better country than the United States. We're on a decline because of this mentality that the United States is perfect and can do no wrong.

A point we can somewhat agree on,

But I will take that one in a second,

You are right as for the figure including all incomes, which is why I opted for the Mediun Average over the Mean average (Which is 15% higher) I wanted to see what Joey or Jane Middle of the Road were making, basically what does citizen #150,000,000 make in a year?

The middle ****in the United States is in pretty good shape, but I will fully agree with you that it could be BETTER if not for some rather questionable fiscal policy that started in the mid-1990's.

You make a great comment about the middle being the first to erode, and your very right because middle ****and lower upper middle ****jobs (That are not in the public sector) are often the first to dispate when the economy changes directions, because the high ****have the capital to run the industry and the lower or lower middle are often in jobs that are required to keep the basic wheels of society and production rollin'

Let me use NAFTA as an example,

Canada has a wonderful clothing industry, the quality was good and a good portion of people were employed in some aspect of this industry, but Canada as a whole was a nation of "Miners and Lumberjacks" basically they relied on resources as their primary export.

When NAFTA was signed, the old economy jobs, (IE Clothing) was shipped to Mexico and those labours who were making around the mean average in terms of national salary were without work as that industry crumbled and folks in Mexico did the job at 1/8 the wage.

Those clothing folks became the car and car part manufacturing labour force of the 1990's and early 2000's which saw a 20% increase in the average salary (over and above inflation) and those clothing jobs that we cried about losing ended up being shipped off to Southeast Asia from Mexico.

1st World Nations have the crappy responsability of always having to move forward in terms of the next new industry, if you looked at American manufactured exports (save weapons) the top ten list has changed many times over the last few decades.

Right now you are seeing software design and call centers being exported to India, as you see a rise in the United States exports of Capital Goods (IE Telecommunications goods), but once the smoke settles in a few years you will see the middle ****of the United States seeing another increase at rates higher then inflation and then some.

In some respects all those countries have better aspects then the United States, but in some respects the United States have better aspects then those countries, (I would kill for a White Castle Burger right now for example)

Sure there is American arrogance, but its because there are so many of you.

And the loud mouth antics of Bill O'Riley or Lou Dobbs does not reflect the opinions of every American, but at times we can often assume it does as a global community.

I always thought all New York Yankee fans were jerks, and all Brewers fans were great guys.

But if you look at the size of the fanbase, there are just so many more Yankee fans and the ratio of jerk to nice guy is most likely the same, it just so happens since there are more Yank's fans they are the ones who flood the radio with idiotic calls and the whole base gets the bum wrap.

US v China

Its getting Raped an the sad fools here dismiss it at there demise.......

dwenty

OH NO!!!!
THEY ARE COMING!!!!!

LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!!!!!!!!!

In all honesty, this quote comes to my mind about America:

"Don't hate me because im beautiful"

Everyone flocks to America for new beginnings, and a better way of living, and it really is one of the best countries to live in.

Everyone hates on america, but really, dont hate it because its beautiful.