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Originally Posted by timmgirvan
GR: crystal balls? Thanks for the compliment! 1 outta 2 on the quotes isn't bad...but our essential rights haven't been denied! How 'bout deeply troubled? I have no answer for some of your empassioned queries....except I too agree we are on a downhill slide. In America today, it takes 2 earners to barely break even, meaning most of us are just trying to make a living, hoping the kids are safe, praying that no major crisis strikes before the kids' college fund is complete. We trust our leaders to do the right thing and we find out way too often they've fallen short of our trust and vision. I don't think wiretapping is correct unless the court(checks and balances) allows it, but if it saves thousands of lives by doing it then I'm good. The problem with our govt is that it has been complicit in so much crap way before you and I were born that we've weakened or destroyed most of our credibility to the US citizens, and in some cases, our allies. I can only hope that ALL of the good-ol-boy cliques can be done away with....on both sides of the aisle.
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Excellent issues you bring up, TG, and I agree that the increasing economic disparity is a HUGE issue in this nation-- much bigger, I think, in the long run than anything else, other than maybe global warming, and like global warming, it gets no attention in the press. I feel like the current Administration keeps us in a constant state of fear so that we don't notice the chipping away at the progressive tax system, at the safety nets, at everything that gives poor and middle class Americans a chance. They wave images of the Islamic terrorists in front of our eyes so we don't notice the new aristocracy they're jamming down our throats. But I think it's a more recent development-- the push for economic inequality began in the 1970's-- prior to that, I think the memories of the Great Depression were still too recent-- look at the tax brackets in the 1940's, '50's and '60's compared with today.
Which again, comes back to my plea of, don't fall for the, "Look at the monkey! Look at the monkey!" distractions they have been pulling on us for six years. Don't fall for it!
Life is not by its nature, perfectly safe. New Yorkers probably know that better than anyone-- violence, even in our new, improved city, is still a daily occurence. But we go out every day and go about our lives, and still stroll about with our "New York F*cking City" attitude that we know makes the rest of the country furious.
Because danger is not reason to allow your phone calls to be monitored without a court OK, or to have the names the books you read handed over by librarians, or your medical records available to the gov't (which they now are). Our gov't is supposed to work FOR us. And if they demand to listen to my phone calls with impunity, all the while letting most packages coming into the US ports go uninspected, then by God, they aren't working for me; they're working for themselves and it's time to throw the bastards out. I won't spend my days living in constant terror of another attack, and as a New Yorker, I'm in more danger from a foreign terrorist than most people out in the heartland (though heartlanders have their home-grown ones to worry about). But my freedom is worth more to me than my fear. And I'm tired of an Administration using fear so it can take away my economic security and my personal liberties. I'm tired of an Administration that calls me a terrorist sympathizer every time I disagree with it (and worse yet, inspires my fellow Americans to call me one, too).
Whew. Props again, to everyone, for being so polite in discussion. We're SO much better than cable news...
And I do agree, TG, that the gov't has been complicit in plenty of stuff going way back, too-- I don't think you're wrong about that-- I just think the increasing economic inequality is a bit more recent. I saw a documentary that I think is going to be re-released in a few months, called "America--Freedom to Fascism" that, while not perfect, was a fount of interesting information about the Federal Reserve Board and all kinds of stuff. I can honestly say, I think there's stuff in it for everyone, Dems, Pubs and Indies alike. Look for it.