This here is why I don't speak to my extended family

[Deleted]

I have a lot of family locally but I never see them. This is why, my aunt just posted this on FB:


How far down has our country gone when " a Muslim should not be president"becomes a controversial remark. It should be met with a resounding "amen". This is America not Iraq.

[smock]

"This is a democracy, not a theocracy."

[heyjude]

Oh god!!!!

Thank god for FB for exposing the moral and intellectual decay of this country!!

Now what can we do to fix it!!!

[sharknado]

[Deleted]

They are the people that preach to others but, 3 of their 4 kids had babies of their own before marriage. They complain about the government giving handouts to "freeloaders" and "illegals" but I know they have used government assistance and they constantly are asking friends and family for money. My uncle constantly sends me emails (in a group email list) pro NRA, anti-everything. I gave up engaging. I just hide everything in FB, mark his emails as SPAM, try to ignore them. My uncle called my mom once and told her he was worried about my soul because I "vote democrat."

[heyjude]

I'm not sure if there is any fixing these people. They are lost. But what are we doing wrong or right to ensure that future Americans are not this awful?

[Deleted]

Sept 22, 2015 16:38:28 GMT -5 heyjude said:

I'm not sure if there is any fixing these people. They are lost. But what are we doing wrong or right to ensure that future Americans are not this awful?

We can't fix it. We are doomed.

[2curlydogs]

Sept 22, 2015 16:38:28 GMT -5 heyjude said:

I'm not sure if there is any fixing these people. They are lost. But what are we doing wrong or right to ensure that future Americans are not this awful?

Vote for pro-Quality-Education candidates.

I think I'm beginning to sound like SBP with Reagan as the Root of All Evil, but this anti-intellectual attitude so pervasive in today's culture didn't just pop out of nowhere. The War on Education by Republicans, conservative factions and special interests like HSLDA is a real fucking thing.

It's been going on for generations and this is what we're reaping.

[mrsukyankee]

I like looking at the fall of the Roman empire and thinking about parallels that you can see between the US and Rome...a few that come to mind (these come from the History channel)...note, I recognise this is happening quite a bit in other Western countries as well:

1. Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor: Even as Rome was under attack from outside forces, it was also crumbling from within thanks to a severe financial crisis. Constant wars and overspending had significantly lightened imperial coffers, and oppressive taxation and inflation had widened the gap between rich and poor. In the hope of avoiding the taxman, many members of the wealthy classes had even fled to the countryside and set up independent fiefdoms. American wealthy find loopholes to not pay taxes and the gap between poor & wealthy has increased.  We pay for wars elsewhere and overspend as a Gov't. At the same time, the empire was rocked by a labor deficit. Rome’s economy depended on slaves to till its fields and work as craftsmen, and its military might had traditionally provided a fresh influx of conquered peoples to put to work. Our over reliance on cheap labour and goods from other countries.

2. Overexpansion and military overspending:  At its height, the Roman Empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Euphrates River in the Middle East, but its grandeur may have also been its downfall. With such a vast territory to govern, the empire faced an administrative and logistical nightmare. Even with their excellent road systems, the Romans were unable to communicate quickly or effectively enough to manage their holdings. Rome struggled to marshal enough troops and resources to defend its frontiers from local rebellions and outside attacks, and by the second century the Emperor Hadrian was forced to build his famous wall in Britain just to keep the enemy at bay.   Spending on wars that we shouldn't have even entered into (thanks Bush) etc.  And a wall to keep the enemy at bay? Hmmm...Trump.

3. Government corruption and political instability: The political rot also extended to the Roman Senate, which failed to temper the excesses of the emperors due to its own widespread corruption and incompetence. As the situation worsened, civic pride waned and many Roman citizens lost trust in their leadership.  We see this happening and being argued by both Democrats and Republicans.

4. Christianity and the loss of traditional values: Christianity displaced the polytheistic Roman religion, which viewed the emperor as having a divine status, and also shifted focus away from the glory of the state and onto a sole deity. Meanwhile, popes and other church eladers took an increased role in political affairs, further complicating governance. Too much religion in our gov't right now.


I know I'm stretching a bit...but there are some parallels...