Americans Want the Honor of "Earned Success"

[StreetScooby 5]

I like what this article has to say:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/08/08/americans_want_the_honor_of_earned_success_110850.html

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"The progressive ideal of administrative cadres leading the masses toward the light has its roots in a time when many Americans had an eighth-grade education or less," Mead writes. That is still the mindset of the Obama Democrats. Ordinary people are treated as victims who need government programs like Obamacare to help them out.

But Americans prefer to see themselves as doers rather than victims. They do not see themselves, as the masses in the Progressive Era a century ago may have done, as helpless victims of large corporations and financial interests.

They want public policies that enable them to earn success, and they resent policies that channel money to the politically well positioned or to those who have not made decisions and taken actions necessary for earned success. They want to be empowered, not patronized.

We are all engines of karma

[rushmc 23]

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I like what this article has to say:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/08/08/americans_want_the_honor_of_earned_success_110850.html

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"The progressive ideal of administrative cadres leading the masses toward the light has its roots in a time when many Americans had an eighth-grade education or less," Mead writes. That is still the mindset of the Obama Democrats. Ordinary people are treated as victims who need government programs like Obamacare to help them out.

But Americans prefer to see themselves as doers rather than victims. They do not see themselves, as the masses in the Progressive Era a century ago may have done, as helpless victims of large corporations and financial interests.

They want public policies that enable them to earn success, and they resent policies that channel money to the politically well positioned or to those who have not made decisions and taken actions necessary for earned success. They want to be empowered, not patronized.

We all know that the masses can not think and or vote the correct way

Right?

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[shropshire 0]

That's really funny ... the article says that Americans don't like XYZ - which is a generalisation about 'the masses' and then goes onto say that the Masses don't like to be generalised about - Well it tickled me.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[charlie5 0]

Unfortunately there's large portion of the populace that has continued to vote for the party that keeps them down while at the same time bottle feeding them with monthly checks.

Outside of those receiving help, many people are adamantly against individuals giving money to beggars because it only encourages them to keep begging, yet have no qualms supporting said politicians who do the same thing with their tax monies.

sigh

The feather butts bounce off ya like raindrops hitting a battle-star when they come in too fast...kinda funny to watch. - airtwardo

[StreetScooby 5]

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Unfortunately there's large portion of the populace that has continued to vote for the party that keeps them down while at the same time bottle feeding them with monthly checks.

I've heard comments suggesting this is a new form of slavery. I can see their point.

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Outside of those receiving help, many people are adamantly against individuals giving money to beggars because it only encourages them to keep begging, yet have no qualms supporting said politicians who do the same thing with their tax monies.

Unfortunately, government programs seem to encourage the problem instead of fixing it.

We are all engines of karma

[DanG 1]

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Unfortunately there's large portion of the populace that has continued to vote for the party that keeps them down while at the same time bottle feeding them with monthly checks.

As opposed to those who vote for the other party that keeps them down, but at least hates fags and foreigners, too.

- Dan G

[DanG 1]

And in case it wasn't painfully obvious, I was just trying to get in a tit-for-tat stupid stereotype.

- Dan G

[dreamdancer 0]

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Outside of those receiving help, many people are adamantly against individuals giving money to beggars because it only encourages them to keep begging, yet have no qualms...

...giving trillions of our money to bankers and the wealthy

stay away from moving propellers - they bite
blue skies from thai sky adventures
good solid response-provoking keyboarding

[StreetScooby 5]

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but at least hates fags and foreigners, too.

I don't think it's fair to label all conservatives as such.

We are all engines of karma

[StreetScooby 5]

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...giving trillions of our money to bankers and the wealthy

Uhm, how so?

We are all engines of karma

[charlie5 0]

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Unfortunately there's large portion of the populace that has continued to vote for the party that keeps them down while at the same time bottle feeding them with monthly checks.

As opposed to those who vote for the other party that keeps them down, but at least hates fags and foreigners, too.

Appreciate your tongue-in-cheek remark, however I'm not a republican.

I voted/vote Libertarian. I'm an agnostic who doesn't support the war on drugs, the wars in general or oppose homosexuals, I don't support religions as a basis for shaping government, and am just sad to see the discourse of both extremes.

I'm also Asian and moved here when I was 18.

Also what "stereotype" was I making, it was a statement of fact, this does happen. People will accept the minimum comforts for minimum required effort.

But yes, continue to retort with knee jerk posts, jokingly or not, it's still frustrating to see what we resort to for political "discussions" and "debates".

I come from a family that fled their home country to chase the American dream and succeeded. And to see mediocrity in any form not only thrive but to be encouraged is disheartening given the fact that millions try to come here to succeed only to be hindered by ever increasing bureaucracy.

The feather butts bounce off ya like raindrops hitting a battle-star when they come in too fast...kinda funny to watch. - airtwardo

[DougH 270]

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...giving trillions of our money to bankers and the wealthy

Uhm, how so?

Don't ask Dreamdancer for facts and reality, they are so beneath him!

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[StreetScooby 5]

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Don't ask Dreamdancer for facts and reality, they are so beneath him!

I still have hope...

We are all engines of karma

[DanG 1]

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Also what "stereotype" was I making, it was a statement of fact, this does happen. People will accept the minimum comforts for minimum required effort.

The stereotype you were making was that the Democratic party is the party that's keeping people down. The fact of the matter is that neither party is very good at doing what is best for the country. You chose to make it partisan.

I'm not affiliated with either party. I've voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past. These days, I find it very hard to vote for Republicans because they all seem to be right wing evangelicals with no sense of reality. The Democrats may be turds, too, but they seem less inclined to take guidance from invisible friends or poor translations of ancient tribal fairytales.

- Dan G

[mnealtx 0]

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Don't ask Dreamdancer for facts and reality, they are so beneath him!

I still have hope...

He'll never change...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[captain_stan 0]

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I come from a family that fled their home country to chase the American dream and succeeded. And to see mediocrity in any form not only thrive but to be encouraged is disheartening given the fact that millions try to come here to succeed only to be hindered by ever increasing bureaucracy.

And who could be more qualified to make such an objective observation? More evidence that we are becoming less of a "land of opportunity" and more of a "land of entitlement."

[charlie5 0]

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And who could be more qualified to make such an objective observation? More evidence that we are becoming less of a "land of opportunity" and more of a "land of entitlement."

I attribute it to successive generations having grown up in comfort afforded them by their parent's/Grandparent's hard work resulting them in expecting that way of life to be the norm forever, but without putting in the hard work required.

Then you end up with as you stated, kids feeling entitled.

The feather butts bounce off ya like raindrops hitting a battle-star when they come in too fast...kinda funny to watch. - airtwardo

[captain_stan 0]

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I attribute it to successive generations having grown up in comfort afforded them by their parent's/Grandparent's hard work resulting them in expecting that way of life to be the norm forever, but without putting in the hard work required.

Then you end up with as you stated, kids feeling entitled.

I call that a "cultural shift" that occurs over time when any society fails to provide a legacy of good values, like a work ethic, for succeeding generations. I don't bame the young anymore than anyone else; they are reacting to the environment we created for them. I would just like for more Americans to put some effort into reversing this downhill trend. Sometimes all that an individual can do is to try to set an good example.

[charlie5 0]

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I call that a "cultural shift" that occurs over time when any society fails to provide a legacy of good values, like a work ethic, for succeeding generations. I don't bame the young anymore than anyone else; they are reacting to the environment we created for them. I would just like for more Americans to put some effort into reversing this downhill trend. Sometimes all that an individual can do is to try to set an good example.

Well put.

Sadly our current examples for the youth to follow are politicians bickering like grade school children or reality stars getting rich acting like retards.

*my apologies to those who are actually handicapped.

The feather butts bounce off ya like raindrops hitting a battle-star when they come in too fast...kinda funny to watch. - airtwardo

[Guest]

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Unfortunately there's large portion of the populace that has continued to vote for the party that keeps them down while at the same time bottle feeding them with monthly checks.

I've heard comments suggesting this is a new form of slavery. I can see their point.

Quote

Outside of those receiving help, many people are adamantly against individuals giving money to beggars because it only encourages them to keep begging, yet have no qualms supporting said politicians who do the same thing with their tax monies.

Unfortunately, government programs seem to encourage the problem instead of fixing it.

Subsidize something, get more of it. More mouths to feed.

Those riots in the UK aren't about social injustice. They're about the welfare state going broke supporting an entire generation of layabouts. After all, why work when you can get more money from the state for not working at all?

mh
.

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[StreetScooby 5]

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Those riots in the UK aren't about social injustice. They're about the welfare state going broke supporting an entire generation of layabouts. After all, why work when you can get more money from the state for not working at all?

My wife's family lives in a small village outside of Huddersfield, England. There's a council house on the street in which a family has been on the dole the entire time their kids were raised. The oldest daughter recently went and had a child out of wedlock so she could continue that fine tradition.

We are all engines of karma

[shropshire 0]

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Those riots in the UK aren't about social injustice. They're about the welfare state going broke supporting an entire generation of layabouts. After all, why work when you can get more money from the state for not working at all?

mh
.

Sorry - but you're completely wrong.

Take a look at the folks who have been in court over the past few days ..... there are 'so called' Professional , adult people in the mix - not just unemployed or unemployable losers.

It's ALL about discipline and respect NOT Politics (that's just a lame excuse used by some and just is not cutting it).

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[captain_stan 0]

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It's ALL about discipline and respect NOT Politics (that's just a lame excuse used by some and just is not cutting it).

NO, it's all about "showing the police we can do what we want." Does that sound like respect?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjdhEvosC3I

[Amazon 7]

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Those riots in the UK aren't about social injustice. They're about the welfare state going broke supporting an entire generation of layabouts. After all, why work when you can get more money from the state for not working at all?

mh
.

Sorry - but you're completely wrong.

Take a look at the folks who have been in court over the past few days ..... there are 'so called' Professional , adult people in the mix - not just unemployed or unemployable losers.

It's ALL about discipline and respect NOT Politics (that's just a lame excuse used by some and just is not cutting it).

Amen to that.... I was working on a contract in LA when I observed the LA Rodney King riots first hand. I was setting up point of sale systems on Santa Monica Blvd near Beverly Center and down Restaurant Row on La Cieniga Blvd I saw a wide variety of people doing the looting. It was open season on stores and people who had something... by people who wanted to join in after seeing the LA Police live on TV sitting around just watching looters.

There were white, hispanics, blacks and even two young Hasidum carrying things away from the stores that were being robbed in that area. There was a steady stream of people carrying things away down the main streets. But still the strangest thing I think I saw there..sideburn curls dangling and a vcr under each arm as they strolled south of Beverly Center into the neighborhood. I can also never forget the wonderful smells of an urban area in flames, the sight of shop keepers on their roof with shotguns aqnd helping several businesses get back up and running in a new location because their old one was a smoldering ruin.