USA Train Wreck

[Onomea]

I think at least part of what is wrong with America is wrapped around the notion that there are not negative consequences that come about from freely made decisions. I think a lot of government, or education, or even childrearing nowadays divorces the negative consequences from bad decisions. This is true of banks or GM getting bailed out when they are on the verge of failure, to illegal immigrants being tolerated, to criminals being let out of jail, to kids being taught that no one needs to lose, and on and on.

If people, or a society, think that there are no negative consequences to bad decisions or poor performance -- as today often there are not -- we're on a downhill slide to mediocrity or worse.

I spanked my boys, judiciously, when they were little. Big difference between beating a child and spanking. I think the experience of being abused as a child, for those who successfully overcome it, could lead one to forswear all corporeal punishment of children. I do think some parents can succeed in raising well disciplined children without spanking. Perhaps it just requires more patience than I had as a young father. Probably depends on the kid's nature, too.

 

[ingmansinc]

This post has really brought out some good points and I am amazed at the amount of discussion that was generated by my suggestion that paddling a child was good discipline. I would never have suspected this response.

I was paddled in grade school once, in high school once, and at home once in the fifth grade. I don't recall that my brother or sister ever got paddled at home. Our children were paddled or had their hands slapped as needed and it was around the age of two or three. Didn't happen often and always seemed to help them understand the problem. One of our three never got spanked. Now it seems to me that if a parent was going to "beat" a child it would happen whether they believed in spanking or not. I fail to believe that the two issues are related.

 

[ingmansinc]

By the way I don't think that anyone has mentioned media. Now I am not bashing all the reporters that do a good job. Come on, we all know there must be one or two.

I think that the first amendment is just as important as the second amendment and perhaps we as a country need to do a better job of teaching what these documents mean as opposed to making kids memorize them. Back to my point, the media gives us so much info, ie: a demonstration at a college or pickets at a work place, with no explanation as to how it pertains to law and the constitution.

 

[BarbC]

Removing public censure by declaring them to be "value judgments". It's all good, you know.

 

[ingmansinc]

Originally posted by BarbC:
Removing public censure by declaring them to be "value judgments". It's all good, you know.

Barb, can you take that thought a little further? I am not sure what you mean, perhaps an example or quote would help. Thanks.

 

[BarbC]

Back in the '70s, I believe, opinions or public censure over somebody else's moral choices, e.g. having babies out of wedlock, doing drugs, etc., was declared to be a subjective "value judgment". It was strongly discouraged that other people should cast aspersions on somebody else's life choices. Public censure was thereby removed. There was no "bad behavior" because that was a matter of subjective opinion.

"Right" and "wrong" were declared to be arbitrary marks on a personal scale of value judgments.

 

[glypnir]

Putting threads like this one in the lounge rather than in the political section.

And now to prove it.

Ronald Reagan is a big cause of our problems.

Of course, a majority of us voted for him. We didn't want to hear Jimmy Carter tell us that we needed to cut our energy consumption, make some sacrifices, solve some problems in the middle east, or we were going to be in big trouble later.

We want Ronnie, who told us everything was wonderful.

Then what did he do?

1. Cut taxes and spend. They call them tax and spend Democrats, fair enough. But how come they don't ever call them cut taxes and spend Repulicans? That's what every Ronnie and W did.

2. Let us turn into a debtor nation. On his watch, primarily as a result of number 1, and not doing snything about energy imports, the U.S. went from other countries owing us money, to us owing other countries money. That's one of the big reasons for the bailout, and one of the reasons most of the AIG bailout money went overseas. We're still borrowing from other countries. We screwed lots of those foreign lenders over with the subprime mess, and they are wondering if we can be trusted in the future.

3. Privatizing the medical system. Ronnie set all this up, arguing that things would be more "efficient" if our faith-based, not-for profit medical system was turned over to the capitalists. More efficient at making money for its new owners is more like it.

4. Enabling Moslem extremists. The Taliban and Osama bin Laden, and bunch of others were trained and funded and enabled by a flood of American dollars into Afghanistan.

I could go on, but those are the biggies that come to mind.

 

[redlevel]

Originally posted by glypnir:

Ronald Reagan is a big cause of our problems.

glyp, you didn't disappoint me. I knew we could count on you.

You can be of good cheer, though. Now we have The Chosen One to make all things right.

 

[pps]

Originally posted by moosedog:
God is dead.
So now you can do what you want in this life because there will be no consequences.

Moosdog, your quote from Nietzsche, I think sums up the WHOLE problem.

God was removed from the schools.

God has been supplanted by worship of the government by the democrats, unions, welfare recipients and other deadbeats.

People are taught in Godless schools to expect the government to provide for them. Anyone who worships God is ridiculed by teachers/"professors" while those good little drones who worship mother earth by believing "global warming" (without question) and that the government is the only solution.

The welfare state has set up circumstances where the father is as disposable, in the eyes of the state. as is The Father. Then we, society, collectively scratch our heads and wonder why kids are doing evil things at younger ages. "The government must do something to stop this" is the ongoing mantra.

"God is dead." Nietzsche
"Nietzsche is dead." God

It appears that if we keep up this trend, our country will suffer the same descent into madness as Nietzsche.

I hope our people can turn from their god (government) to God.

 

[Wheelgunner840]

Simply put;

It's someone elses fault.

They owe me.

I shouldn't have to.

You can't make me.

More and more people do not, and will not take responsibility for their own actions. Criminals "had a bad childhood", etc. There are so many reasons for the country failing, and it's not all about the politicians. It's about the entitlement mentality of a majority of people who elect these morons because they promise more giveaways.

The socialist mentality of the haves VS the have-nots has been blasted loudly like a rock concert for everybody to hear. That is the one and only reason that a complete nobody like BO got elected. He is making this country a laughing stock worldwide. Quite the celebrity. A rebel without a clue.

This all boils down to the collapse of morality. Once the family structure was gone, schools became the "parents" for a large percentage of kids. Schools stopped teaching self respect and personal responsibility. (after all, there were no parents left to teach this in a majority of homes). Handing out condoms like candy, giving girls as young as 13 the right to have an abortion without notifying the parents. Wouldn't want to take away their rights now would we?

This is all insane behavior. When you toss God out of the room, you leave the door open for all sorts of other things to come in. If the word God bothers you, just insert the word "Morality". I don't particularly care if anyone else is a believer in my faith. To me, the two words are inseparable.

Once out of school, the government takes over as the provider of assets and moral guidance!

And we wonder why we are in this situation?

Out of the gloom. I think there are enough people with high morals and good work ethics to turn things around. It was just necessary for things get this bad for them to wake up. I see more and more people waking up these days. That's a good thing.

Oh, and BTW, In my opinion, any paddling or spanking will be done by a parent, not by a stranger in a school. Not with any child of mine anyway. Send the kid home with the reason why they were sent home, give the kid detention, whatever, but don't lay a hand on them. Parents need to take responsibility for their own children. Enough with letting the school replace the parents.

WG840