It is my view that people in America who engage in constant bashing of liberals, socialist boogy men and Bush/Cheney and those who engage in conspiracy theories while contributing nothing to society should STFU or be forced into reeducation camps.

look at this......there is your challenge? I know some will see it as an enemy even a threat, but it is the Free Market place where we as Americans will surely drown if we end up fighting anymore about nonsense like God in the classrooms, abortion, gays marrying and other 'hot button' issues.

what say you? have you even a clue?

a challenge"

a threat?

the enemy?

__________________

When a true genius appears in the world, you may know them by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against them.
-Jonathan Swift

---"Thoughts On Various Subjects, Moral and Diverting."

Am I supposed to see a challenge, a threat, or an enemy there?
The greater trend is not toward loss of quality in the US life but in greater quality of life and faster growth in areas that have more catching up to do.

I'm not much of a nationalist myself. I welcome the catching up of the world. I think it will provide greater security, greater freedom, and the strongest global economy ever.

Certainly we must keep from falling backward... But that is less of a battle against India and China than a battle with ourselves. I do agree that the "hot button" issues get in the way.

But I think that our best chance for keeping ourt standard is to preserve the free market economy while providing a stronger, better targeted safety net to optimize the risk-taking and potential of Americans.

__________________
"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

yes.

and

Who is for getting rid of the Free Market economy? I have yet to hear that proposal.

Otherwise I agree with how to continue forward, but it is going to be a challenge. The state of education is this nation is less than desirable and we owe the Gates family much for addressing it with $$$$$$ without just sounding a hysterical alarm.

Other nations are hungry where we have become ...content?...some would say lazy, but I think that goes to far. We only have to look to the immigrant spirit in America today to see how it will play out. Those with less and who are hungrier will try harder from the get go. We had better not rest on our smug entitlement mentality or teh accomplishments of past generations.

look at some of the young ones here preening about American greatness that they have yet to contribute too. they will be caught with their pants down if their attitudes and outlook here are any hint of how they view life.

I have a cautious optimism about America's future...a cautious one.

__________________

When a true genius appears in the world, you may know them by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against them.
-Jonathan Swift

---"Thoughts On Various Subjects, Moral and Diverting."

Indeed our immigrants have always been a major asset in keeping this country going.
That's why I think my greatest fear right now is the super xenophobic bloc of the conservatives (which is leeching its way into the Democratic Party as well, feeding on the fears of workers).
That's why the safety net is so important.
Immigration is part of the free market, an important part! The more we impede it, the more we hurt ourselves (and possibly other countries... by taking only the "educated" we create brain-drain, by denying the "uneducated", we destory the option of "voting with feet").

I think we're largely on the same side on these issues...
I just am slightly frustrated that the mood of the country is for either xenophobia or protectionism.
And there's not much we can do about that in the short term.

__________________
"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

I'm with ya on that. I actually live with lots of new immies...some illegal. I've had to compete with them and I still say they are getting a raw deal. I despise that blowhard on CNN Lou Dobbs. what a demagogic, populist twit

__________________

When a true genius appears in the world, you may know them by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against them.
-Jonathan Swift

---"Thoughts On Various Subjects, Moral and Diverting."

forgot to say Dems and Reps suck.


that should get the peanut gallery to respond

__________________

When a true genius appears in the world, you may know them by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against them.
-Jonathan Swift

---"Thoughts On Various Subjects, Moral and Diverting."