What it means to be an American

[primal muse]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

But he's been "mad for fucking years"!

if you knew anything about good music you might know that its from the beginning of breathe by pink floyd.
edit: and im lacking a certain appendige that would qualify me as a "he"

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by primal muse

if you knew anything about good music you might know that its from the beginning of breathe by pink floyd.

Uh-huh. Your point?

Originally Posted by primal muse

edit: and im lacking a certain appendige that would qualify me as a "he"

Ah, sorry. Bad assumption on my part and a lack of profile field. Thanks for clearing that up.

[primal muse]

Originally Posted by capnhowdy

Damn, P.M.

Cool..... now that you can but your own beer w/out a fake ID you can tell all the rest of us idiots how to run the country.

If I were you I'd move to one of those countries over ther somewhere that has already adapted the perfect government that you have seemed to have masterminded.

IMO, there's only one thing worse than a commy bastard.... & thats a commy bastard living in MY country and pissing and moaning 24/7. Sheesh.....

i may only be 21 but i am well versed in politics among other things. just because im not antiquated does not mean i do not care to uphold some form of political awareness.
and older people like you are part of what is wrong with this country, please leave your 1950's leave it to beaver mentality at the door, kthnx.
youre happy as long as uncle sam is patting you on the head, keeping your wallet fat, and shoving food down your 9 kids throat. the real american dream.
there is no american dream, which is why its sad that people like you bought it hook line and sinker.
meanwhile the majority of this country is destitute, without any form of healthcare because they cant afford health insurance, on the streets, starving etc.
pull your head out of your ass and look around. every principal this country was founded on was to further the rich man.

isnt capitalism great?

[jonesieQ]

Originally Posted by primal muse

there is no american dream, which is why its sad that people like you bought it hook line and sinker.

It may not look like it but there is an "American dream". Read some history on English life & law in the 16th and 17th centuries, then read the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Remember that the rest of the western world was living under monarchical rule at the time. In fact what we accomplished was extraordinary. And the fact that we're still here, bitching and moaning, means that we've succeeded in holding onto these democratic ideals. Give credit where due.

Yeah, we've lost our way...who hasn't? In fact many times. And many times we found our way back. If America is known for one thing it's its constant state of change and flux. Don't give up.

[jonesieQ]

Never ceases to amaze me how many people WILL puff up over our "capitalistic ideals"...from Rand to Trump to Cheney...don't know you yet Bruce...and it's tough to tell these days between sarcasm and heartfelt belief. Now, ain't that a sad statement?

[Ibby]

Mellow out, y'all. PM, I'm relatively new here, but I do know that nobody here got where they are now easily. Er, except maybe me.

I've been mad for fuckin' years, absolutely years, been over the edge for yoinks, been workin me buns off for bands...

The song, however, is Speak To Me. Up until the music starts, it's Speak To Me, THEN it becomes Breathe.

[Undertoad]

I think it goes like this

The teenager understands 20% of the world, and believes s/he understands 80%.

The adult understands 30%, and believes s/he understands 60%.

The elderly adult understands 40% and believes s/he understands 40%.

[jonesieQ]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

I think it goes like this

The teenager understands 20% of the world, and believes s/he understands 80%.

The adult understands 30%, and believes s/he understands 60%.

The elderly adult understands 40% and believes s/he understands 40%.

Well said! Which is why we "seasoned" folk shouldn't be put off by the extremism of youth. In fact, we have a responsibility to pass on the knowledge if we want our kids to have a liveable world.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by jonesieQ

Well said! Which is why we "seasoned" folk shouldn't be put off by the extremism of youth. In fact, we have a responsibility to pass on the knowledge if we want our kids to have a liveable world.

[jonesieQ]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Watch out Bruce...your cynicism will wake up my cynicism and I'm not sure we wanna go there.....

[MaggieL]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

I think it goes like this

The teenager understands 20% of the world, and believes s/he understands 80%.

The adult understands 30%, and believes s/he understands 60%.

The elderly adult understands 40% and believes s/he understands 40%.

Which gives rise to

Originally Posted by widely misattributed but unknown

Any man who is not a socialist at age 20 has no heart.
Any man who is still a socialist at age 40 has no head.

and

Originally Posted by Mark Twain

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.

and

Hire a teenager! (while he still knows everything).

[richlevy]

Well, you can possibly survive on low-wage jobs as long as you or your family doesn't get sick.

In 2001, 1.458 million American families filed for bankruptcy. To investigate medical contributors to bankruptcy, we surveyed 1,771 personal bankruptcy filers in five federal courts and subsequently completed in-depth interviews with 931 of them. About half cited medical causes, which indicates that 1.9–2.2 million Americans (filers plus dependents) experienced medical bankruptcy. Among those whose illnesses led to bankruptcy, out-of-pocket costs averaged $11,854 since the start of illness; 75.7 percent had insurance at the onset of illness. Medical debtors were 42 percent more likely than other debtors to experience lapses in coverage. Even middle-class insured families often fall prey to financial catastrophe when sick.

So as part of the mandatory credit counseling which people have to go through as part of the new bankruptcy law, I guess the advice given boils down to "don't get sick".

[Happy Monkey]

And then the world changes.

[Ibby]

Whoa, don't diss teens. I don't believe I understand more than 70%!

[jonesieQ]

70%?...so with that blissful ignorance, get the hell out there and make the system change!! If your house & car won't be re-possessed, if you aren't hogtied to a job, if you don't have debt in the thousands, if you have no kids to feed and haven't had to face your mortality, then you have the time and wherewithal to make it happen! Make it happen, Cap'n!!