skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Hey, maybe it's time we admit we aren't as great as we think? It's easy to say you're great but, are we really? Many blowhard politicians like to say it but, as we know, they like to say a lot of things that sound good but, aren't accurate. Now this isn't to say there aren't any great Americans or that America hasn't accomplished great things throughout her history but it's necessary to consider the big picture. Sadly, looking at the big picture means considering in your evaluation the last 40 years of monumental decline in our nation. This slippage includes areas like education, economic power, increased crime and violence and the destruction of family. In fact if you think about it for a minute we are pretty average. at best. Here are some examples that might make one rethink how we perceive our nation's strength and importance in the world. These rankings come from http://rankingamerica.wordpress.com.
America ranks 15th out of 30 in college and university graduation rates with 36.5% completing their degrees. We cocky Americans like to think we are smarter than everyone else but, in this category Iceland is first at 63.1% We aren't even in the top ten on this one.
In employment growth rates we come out as 26th out of 30. This isn't very encouraging for our economy and shows these politicians are not giving us jobs, as they promise, but rather , "jobbing us."
In terms of reading we are a dismal 18th. Enough said here. It is startling to note that we great Americans rank 49th in Life Expectancy behind such countries as Singapore, Macau and Andorra. Wow, shove that in your pipe and smoke it. All our technology and medical marvels can't buy us a longer life than a Singaporian (sic) or a Macauan (sic), pretty sad.
Regarding satisfaction in family life we rank 9th at 89%, trailing India at 96%. America ranks 18th in freedom from corruption, 15th in Broadband access, 24th in Press Freedom......WHAT? Doesn't everybody always refer to the First Amendment? How in the h*ll can we be 24th in Press Freedom? If this on doesn't put a knot in your bonnet, nothing will.
Okay now not to beat a dead horse here but you get the idea. In fairness, there are many categories in which we rank quite high but the point is we aren't number one in everything like so many arrogant Americans believe. In fact in many categories, we are far from it.
Unfortunately, only a few decades ago we were much higher up on most if not all of these categories but our rapid cultural decline in the last 40 or so, has without question, diminished us greatly.
I don't believe we can begin to rebuild our greatness until we take a long and impartial look in the mirror, and get off the high horse regarding how we view ourselves. It's evident we aren't going to get the truth from the politicians, since giving us that might make them look bad. Looking too long at career politicians like Arlen Specter, Ted Kennedy, John Murtha, John McCain, or any others like them who have "served" us for so long, might make us realize that we have been played by these guys and their ilk. If they had truly been doing their jobs and cared about the country, instead of focusing on partisan and localized politics, and keeping themselves in power for decades, perhaps America would be a lot better off. We need to recognize we are on the downside of the mountain in regards to America's greatness and we need to do something about it sooner rather than later.
Well, Primary Day is behind us and it appears encouraging that some housecleaning has been done by the voters. Particularly here in PA as the Democrats "dumped" Single Bullet Specter. Looks like that missile took one too many turns. Joe Sestak who was nominated by the Democrats appears to sound like a different kind of politician. (But hey don't they all when they are running) I'm going to withhold opinion on him until I have more opportunity to check him out. He will be running against the Republican Pat Toomey another guy I've got to investigate more closely. As an Independent voter in PA, where we have a closed primary (which really sucks), I am not able to vote for anyone in May but I will certainly be involved come November. At this point I'm thinking "anyone" is better than what we have now. Specter, was a political opportunist, who changed his party affiliation only because he knew the Republicans were not going to nominate him. Geez, the guy is 80 years old, has had every major medical malady know to man and yet he want to go back to DC for six more years. Really Arlen, it's time to go out to the pasture and smell the cow chips. The lifetime politicians just don't know when enough is enough. I don't care how many wonderful things you did in your career, it's time to move on. How many of these drooling, diaper wearing old farts do we need in Congress? After 30 years of your guiding the ship of state our country should be Nirvana by now. Is it? I don't think so!
What gets me is how some of my fellow citizens can vote for some of the clowns they do. People like Bill DeWeese, an indicted State Rep gets the nomination and Murtha Stooge, Mark Critz is able to win out as well. I'm sure the people of the Johnstown PA area are so addicted to the pork that Murtha brought in, that they are just hoping this lapdog can do the same thing. Everyone bitches about wasteful spending unless the waste is spent in their area, then, I guess it's OK? Greedy localized self interest trumps caring about the country and the Constitution. Well we all know that once the November election is over the cycle will repeat itself again. The politicians will go back to 'F**king us over again. Everyone will have a job as promised, taxes will be significantly lowered and we will all live happily ever after. Yeah right, in your dreams!
The cluster f**k that has become life in America continues. Apparently, we are not permitted by the left wing whack jobs to defend our own national borders. We are fast becoming a nation divided as the politicians allow our country to be over run with illegal immigrants and others who do not care to blend in to American Society. What amazes me is how a supposed American citizen can become so unpatriotic and uncaring toward our nation and culture. Those far left liberals and in some cases those on the far right wing, really do no good for our country. Why would any caring true American want his country to be overrun by people who are not here legally. In all prior periods of U.S. History, immigrants came from all parts of the world and were welcomed into our society because their goal was to become an American. Unfortunately, many of today's immigrants want to retain their old culture and language and just want the benefits of being Americans.
We are on the path to national suicide and the left wingers have no shame in helping lead us there. If you want to stand up for your country and expect people to follow the rules that have been observed for over 200 years, then you are branded a racist or worse. These fools are playing a very dangerous game with our rights and freedoms and may soon push us over the edge in their misguided efforts to chase "diversity." The truth is being eliminated by careful manipulation of events, news and information and the so called "American Press'" is complicit in this disaster. Instead of reporting the facts, the press has for the first time in our history, taken sides and in effect, made themselves of no use to us, other than as tools.
Well it appears 30 years of serving us is not enough for Arlen Specter. Specter is running again for another term and my question is WHY? I'm trying to figure out what compels a person to get elected to an office to serve the public and then NEVER want to leave. Specter is not alone in doing this sort of thing but what makes him different is his level of desperation in trying to hold on to his power forever. He is so desperate that he changed his party affiliation to Democratic, in order to avoid being defeated in the Republican Primary in PA. What makes a person think that they are doing such a great job and that no one else is capable of doing the same thing, namely, serving the public.
In my humble opinion, these career politicians are ruining the country. The Founding Fathers never intended to establish a system were a person would hold such power for 30 or 40 years. Our country was founded on the principle that a King ruling over his subjects like a dictator was a terrible idea. Even George Washington voluntarily left the office of President after two terms, establishing a precedent that lasted until Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940's. Yet, lifetime politicians like Specter don't get the hint and leave after a couple or three terms, he wants to be there till he dies. In this respect he is just like Ted Kennedy, Strom Thurmond or even John Murtha in his unwillingness to serve for a period of time and then leave. In fact in Murtha's case it took a bad surgical experience to retire him, otherwise he would have never left either. The only solution is term limits and don't look for that to ever happen since the politicians must put that restriction on themselves. We already know they will never do anything to threaten their stranglehold on power.
The perception the NFL has of itself as this "honorable fraternity" with high standards and a strong moral compass couldn't be more way off base. I'm not sure Roger Goodell is completely rational when he attempts to tout the high standards and expectations of the league. All one needs to do is take a look at the punks, thugs and goons who have participated and are presently participating in the current NFL.
You have" Ben Roethlisberger (Accused of Rape), Ray Lewis, accused of murder, Chris Henry (Multiple Charges), Tank Johnson (Weapons Violations), Michael Vick, (Convicted of dog fighting) Pacman Jones , O.J. Simpson, and on and on.
Any organization with these losers and dozens of others in there membership can not claim to be an honorable one. In reality you have a very dishonorable and criminal organization. So Mr. Goodell, you can put the thought of trying to convince us that your organization has a higher level of expectation for its members to rest. We aren't buying what you're selling.
The greatness of any President is directly proportional to the amount of long term damage he leaves behind at the end of his term.
Throughout our history we have had a number of Presidents whose level of damage was quite extensive and destructive to our country. Richard Nixon left us with a major Constitutional Crisis with the Watergate Scandal. Jimmy Carter left us with massive inflation and a hostage crisis. Lyndon Johnson left with the nation embroiled in a bitter and divisive war in Vietnam and George Bush departed with two wars in progress. I suppose it's inevitable that there will always be some unfinished business at the end of an administration but, just how damaging the trail of destruction is should certainly enter into those water cooler discussions of who the greatest (and worst) Presidents were.
Perhaps the most frightening thing regarding the current President is the great potential he has established for leaving behind the most crippled America ever. Including just the unbelievable debt his administration is piling up, is enough to put him near the top of the list of most damaging Presidents. However when you add in the weakening of our military, nuclear response capabilities and the historic turn toward Socialism, he will certainly claim the title of the most destructive President in American History. What a very sad thing to watch and to have to live through.
Hey, maybe it's time we admit we aren't as great as we think? It's easy to say you're great but, are we really? Many blowhard politicians like to say it but, as we know, they like to say a lot of things that sound good but, aren't accurate. Now this isn't to say there aren't any great Americans or that America hasn't accomplished great things throughout her history but it's necessary to consider the big picture. Sadly, looking at the big picture means considering in your evaluation the last 40 years of monumental decline in our nation. This slippage includes areas like education, economic power, increased crime and violence and the destruction of family. In fact if you think about it for a minute we are pretty average. at best. Here are some examples that might make one rethink how we perceive our nation's strength and importance in the world. These rankings come from http://rankingamerica.wordpress.com. 
