Is it just me?

[Idaho]

I am an internet junkie. Lately I've come to the realization that there seems to be no end to bad news, political corruption and just plain upside down insanity. Because of that I'm turning into a real curmudgeon.

So, my question is, is it just me or is it really that bad in the good old USA?

[elvis]

Originally Posted by Idaho

So, my question is, is it just me or is it really that bad in the good old USA?

Is it really that bad in the US? I really cannot answer this question but I wanted to say that I think the economy is doing pretty good in CA and OR. We recently spent some time in these states; it seemed everybody was out on the coast and vacationing. Hotels and campgrounds were booked solid, if you're lucky you find a $hitty room at a premium price. We travel in the States quite a bit but never seen anything like that.

[cnc]

We seem to have lots of that up here too, total corruption in the Montreal municipal political party, big inquires into kick backs with contractors. Senators at the federsl govermrnt level padding their expenses to the tune of over one hundred thousand dollars each.
Gas prices threw the roof and local politicians think they should tax it more. And no I don't think it is just you Idaho, there seems to be lots of nut jobs surfacing and crazy things happening, but life goes on and people still spend and the economy while not booming is doing pretty good.

[usranger74]

Well, I would say that it has been better but there again my Mom and Dad would say the 1930s sucked big time and that most of December of 1941 was a very bad time. I think good times come in cycles. I just hope the up trend starts soon.

[Old Bear]

This will end up being a huge pile of steaming crap of a thread, but what the hell. The answer is going to depend upon who is asked. In my opinion, this country has gone to hell, to the dark side of some hybrid communist/socialist near-dictatorship, with our freedoms being chopped off in huge chunks. Half the country wants to go back to following the letter of the Constitution, the other half wants to throw the Constitution away and start a new world order with the U.N. as our guiding light. I do believe that we are on the brink of a second revolution as well. I fear that I may well live to be old enough to see the fall of the U.S.A. But as an Army retiree, NRA lifetime member, gunstore-owning southern white redneck, that works for an honest living and ain't taking handouts, I figure the current regime will make sure I don't live that long. Pathetic outlook, but you asked!

[glwilson]

Yes Bud...

Pay close attention... and keep your eye on the money-tap feeding this economic illusion.

...that's all I am going to say.

[audiogooroo]

Originally Posted by glwilson

Yes Bud...

Pay close attention... and keep your eye on the money-tap feeding this economic illusion.

...that's all I am going to say.

Economic illusion...perfectly stated.

[cactusjack]

No, it isn't just you, Bud. This country is going to hell in a handbasket. The economy is improving, but it's headed down the same path that caused it to collapse 6 years ago, at least where I live. The economy is just one facet, our civil rights are taking a beating as well.

[Idaho]

I fear what Greg alluded to. The government is printing $85B a month and buying up bad bank paper. That is what is keeping the stock market up and it will end very badly. (or, is the US government buying up corporate America in the stock market?)

I'm also talking about the government refusal to prosecute laws on the books while demanding new laws. About gangs of blacks assaulting whites. About the MSM lying about it all and covering it up. About illegals DEMANDING rights supposedly reserved for citizens and getting away with it. About Muslims being favored over Christians. About upside down court decisions. About total disregard for the Bill of Rights.

I mean, there has to be good news out there but all I see are the horror stories and it scares the crap out of me.

[BigRed]

Originally Posted by Old Bear

In my opinion, this country has gone to hell, to the dark side of some hybrid communist/socialist near-dictatorship, with our freedoms being chopped off in huge chunks. Half the country wants to go back to following the letter of the Constitution, the other half wants to throw the Constitution away and start a new world order with the U.N. as our guiding light. I do believe that we are on the brink of a second revolution as well. I fear that I may well live to be old enough to see the fall of the U.S.A.

I agree with this 100%. I was born and raised in one of Eastern Europe's Socialist countries. Politically speaking things in the US are worse now than they ever were back when I was growing up in Socialism and that speaks volumes.

Be afraid, be very afraid.

[HwyRider]

It's getting there. Everyone's solution today is pull out a gun and kill the person that pisses you off, kill the old lady for her cancer meds, or kill someone just for drug money. Our solution is to put these people in jail. Even without a chance for parole they are still alive and sucking the system dry. Put them down and be done with it. Get back to the values of the 50's and 60's.

[davidhollinger]

I was worried it was just me as well. I agree with Old Bear and CJ. There are fewer and fewer people living today with the moral code that we were brought up on. Entitlement and equality have spoiled this country. The economy is drained because we have become a welfare state. People want equal division of all funds and benefits without putting anything into the system. If you know the story of the little red hen then you know where we are headed. There are reasons that people are stockpiling food, weapons and ammo. They (we) are not the crazy ones, its the ones who rely solely on the government or entitlements to provide for their well being who are crazy. And because we incarcerate more people in prisons than we treat for mental illness due the costs of it, we are turning out seriously ill people into the streets in record numbers. I do not have the solution but I think a group of monkeys has a better idea than the current regime in Washington on how to run this country. Obamacare sucks and we all know it. The only reason to carry a "child" on your insurance till he is 26 is because your child is a lazy bastard or he better be in college. Other than that go to work. Where we were taught to do any job available just to put food on the table, these kids today are taught that Obama will take care of them or mommy and daddy will. This is getting long winded so I will step off the soapbox now but yes, we are in a world of hurt, despite the economy turning around in a select few markets. That has been manipulated for years and we have been trained to ignore it. Are any of us actually HAPPY that gas ONLY costs 3.29/gallon. Yes we are, because they jacked it up $4.00 to let us know they could and we, like idiots, think we are getting a bargain. Like I said, prepare yourselves for harder times because they are coming.

[HwyRider]

People today don't even have basic manners. My wife takes the train home from Boston everyday. She's 62 and when a seat becomes available some kid or young guy will jump into the seat instead of offering it to a woman or an older person. There are no more family values. They've gone out the window.

[davidhollinger]

yep! You are exactly right. I dont think kids today know what Yes Maam and Yes Sir mean. Being from the south, I still call anyone older me than me Sir or Maam. I am 43 and I make sure my dad and mom both hear me say it. Its a sign of respect that both of my boys carry with them and it makes me proud. I hear the way the kids talk to their parents today and it makes me sick.

[Sin City Stan]

I have a little bit different take on this. This is the age of instant (breaking) news. Someone hits a light pole and it's flashed across the wires as "breaking" news. The Internet pours information out to us like no other source in history. Allot of the bad news you would probably never hear about if it was not for the Internet. Good news, sure there is good news but it's the bad news that sells.

Economic Illusion . . . I really like that term. Greg, consider it stolen. However, without the Internet we would really have to work hard to figure out what the real economic state of this Country is. Half a dozen clicks on a computer and you have more info about the economy than you have time to digest.