Direction of the United States, positive or negative?

[Deleted]

Two steps forward, one step back. Well, conservatives want to take us all the steps back, but hopefully that won't happen

Most conservatives and liberals agree on sending us back to a time where the Government controlled the people. Hint: Nobles and Kings. Since you're the type of person to support the expansion of Government powers, you are the one that wishes to send us back in time.

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How is Europe going down the road to serfdom?

Edit: I'm inclined to say that the more capitalist a society is, the closer it is to serfdom. I mean, people in America work their asses off (8 or more hours a day) and still have to pay outrageous amounts for higher education for their children (something that should and is a basic right - education), while Swedes work 6 hours a day and have a whole array of services for free, such as higher education.

What's worse is that Americans delude themselves into thinking that you can achieve anything in America (the American Dream), i.e., they delude themselves into thinking social mobility is actually good in America. Proof that it's at an actually fucked up level is the fact that if you have relatively poor parents, you're screwed. Your chances to go to the best university and therefor your chances to fulfill the American Dream and to be successful are pretty much non-existent. Meanwhile in Sweden, every single person can go to any Swedish university because it's completely free.

So for me, yes, the US is going in the wrong direction and has been for a long while. However, it ain't following Europe down that road because Europe took the socialist road a while ago.

Not really. If you're a really smart person you have a very high chance of getting into College without having to pay so much money out of your pocket.

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Less government usually means less social mobility & freedom for all.

ROFL! For the vast majority of history the world was ruled be strong Governments. These Governments completely controlled the people and kept social mobility from ever happening until the people decided to rise up and defeat their captors.

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As a non-American I personally think the US is going in the wrong direction. The government is just too big and powerful and the Republican party is just too insane that I believe more and more that they are living in a different planet. What bothered me greatly is in 2008 when Obama won the election someone from the Republican party said that it was their number one goal to make Obama a 1 term president. My thought was that their first goal should be to work together with the opposing party to solve the crisis that a large amount of their citizens are going through.

Not to mention the ridiculous deficit problems they have and it seems that nobody has a sure fire way to fix it. The military budget needs to be gutted because they are spending nearly $700 billion a year compared to the next country, China, who spend $166 billion. Just so unnecessary. There are so many problems with the US that I really can't go in to detail on all of them or this post would be massive but the major problems that stick out for me are the military spending, debt/deficit, the political gridlock that allows for nothing to be done, lack of infrastructure investment, religion and general public education which I also relate to religion since approx 30% of US citizens don't believe in evolution and approx 50% don't know that the Earth revolves around the Sun and takes 1 year to do it. I know it is up to people what they believe in but I don't think it should be at the degree it is at, especially in politicians and it is because of that reason that I believe we won't see an openly atheist US president in my life time because it appears that not believing in God is a form of political suicide.

It's pretty obvious that you're not from America by the post you just made. The people that have been expanding the Government are not really just the Republican party. It's been a combination of the Republicans and Democrats. Bush and Obama are no different.

[Deleted]

The religious nut jobs seem to be losing their grip, with gay marriage and all that getting legalized more and more, and science being taken more seriously in regards to global warming and electricity and such.

I'd say that's a move in the right direction, so I'm pretty much okay with it.

Still, the government is now listening to all your conversations so you can be protected from terrorists and pedophiles.

[Deleted]

To me, it would appear that the US is rapidly becomming a corporate police state, where the population is kept in check by fear and misdirection and the government and the corporations both are protected from prosecution by the law. So, I'd have to say...wrong direction, very wrong. Worse, it seems that a large percentage of the US population is cheering the development on.

This is honestly the way we are heading.

[Derpleton]

Mostly we are going in the wrong direction, our Foreign policy is atrocious and so is our economy atm, not to mention the NSA agents reading our emails.

[Deleted]

I'll say you're heading in the wrong direction, but it is not Obama's fault alone. In fact, I could say you're heading in the wrong direction despite Obama trying to pull in the right direction on some aspects (for example a social healthcare, though I do admit it was not done right, plus the fact that he didn't want CISPA and SOPA and a few other things).

[Themerlin]

To me, it would appear that the US is rapidly becomming a corporate police state, where the population is kept in check by fear and misdirection and the government and the corporations both are protected from prosecution by the law. So, I'd have to say...wrong direction, very wrong. Worse, it seems that a large percentage of the US population is cheering the development on.

Very much this. Except that "culture" itself is allowed to roam free, slowly sowed among the capitalists fingers. This seems to appease us, so many choices that we break down, but in reality they are disguised and polarized as "this or that".

[Dezerte]

ROFL! For the vast majority of history the world was ruled be strong Governments. These Governments completely controlled the people and kept social mobility from ever happening until the people decided to rise up and defeat their captors.

I guess that's why my country has higher social mobility than the US & tied on freedom indexes with the US, and we have a big government. How does that work?

[Deleted]

One thing I think is holding America back is that a lot of people see the government as a completely foreign entity they have no control over that seeks to screw them over.

People need to realize that the government is an extension of the people's will and if they want change then its time to start talking to their representatives or vote new ones who will do what they wish.

[Sky High]

Seeing as our government works for and answers to the corporate elite that pay thier bills and line thier pockets, along with recent legislation and Supreme Court rulings I would say the US is going in a very bad direction. There are nuggets of hope but hope always gives way to disappointment. I doubt things will get better before getting much worse.

[Kalis]

Your country is small

Malta is lovely, it's compact and bijou.

I'm not sure how the size of the country I live in is relevant to anything though.

[Sunseeker]

Right now, I don't really feel we're heading in any direction. Too much dissonance between people, can't even agree to disagree, we're just kind of spinning in place. We get worse in some areas, and then get better in others, then we get worse where we got better and get better where we got worse. Feels like we're going in circles.

[Dillon]

Yeah and if we did that, watch our military vanish. Our civil law enforcement, fire protection, ambulances, and hospitals all go away. Watch our standard of living drop to a 3rd world country.

No thank you.

I don't agree that LE, fire and health would simply vanish; I think it would be rough for a while, but I think I prefer our current system to throwing some dice and hoping I get something good.

Right now, I don't really feel we're heading in any direction. Too much dissonance between people, can't even agree to disagree, we're just kind of spinning in place. We get worse in some areas, and then get better in others, then we get worse where we got better and get better where we got worse. Feels like we're going in circles.

This is how I feel.

[Themerlin]

Malta is lovely, it's compact and bijou.

I'm not sure how the size of the country I live in is relevant to anything though.

It is lovely.

[Spectral]

The one thing I wish the US would do is stop meddling in everyones affairs, help when its needed but dont play world police. Maybe then the world wont have such contempt for your government.

This isn't really a getting better/getting worse situation though. The US has had its hands in other people's business since at least the Spanish-American War.

[Shadowmelded]

The president, members of congress and members of the judicial court should not receive a salary nor benefits during their time of service. Im sorry... but just because you hold a high office that you are elected too... does not entitle you to a $200k a year salary paid for by the people of this country. Nor do i believe the people of this country should be paying for 500+ individuals salary or healthcare, let alone the entire country baring the burden of having to pay for any other individuals healthcare.

Well that's one way to establish a ruling class. Price out the poor working and lower middle classes from politics allowing only the people who are independently wealthy to become politicians as they're the only ones able to support their families while being paid nothing. Pre-industrial revolution ideals really seem to be the right wingers forte.

[Spectral]

Edit: I'm inclined to say that the more capitalist a society is, the closer it is to serfdom. I mean, people in America work their asses off (8 or more hours a day)

The US is almost spot on the OECD average for hours worked (source). Working ~1800 hours for the average laborer really isn't all that big of a deal, it's basically 225 full time days a year.

and still have to pay outrageous amounts for higher education for their children

This is largely a myth. Primary and secondary education are free. Good students receive scholarships for college, poor students receive financial aid for college, and mediocre students that want to go to school take highly subsidized loans. Elite state universities are still fairly cheap. The only way to spend an outrageous amount is to be a crummy student and then stupidly select an expensive private education.

What's worse is that Americans delude themselves into thinking that you can achieve anything in America (the American Dream)

Beyond a really exaggerated version of "achieve anything", you more or less can achieve anything here. I grew up in a poor, rural area and I'm highly educated and have what most people would consider to be a quality job. My girlfriend's parents were poor immigrants and she's presently a graduate student. Neither one of us has any significant amount of student debt (I have ~$12K from going to a state university for undergrad, she has none because she had scholarships to her expensive private school). Of course, it requires hard work and a willingness to stick with things to achieve, which isn't something that everyone promotes.

they delude themselves into thinking social mobility is actually good in America. Proof that it's at an actually fucked up level is the fact that if you have relatively poor parents, you're screwed. Your chances to go to the best university and therefor your chances to fulfill the American Dream and to be successful are pretty much non-existent. Meanwhile in Sweden, every single person can go to any Swedish university because it's completely free.

Sweden's a nice place and all, I have nothing against it, but let's be clear - the median per capita disposable income in the United States is much, much higher than what it is in Sweden (OECD source again, hover over the bars on the right side). The Swedes have done a nice job with building a country that's comfortable for everyone, but the costs are such that the living standard for Joe Average is higher in the US. The downside to the US system is that the bottom out level is much, much lower.

[Raptor With a Saber]

The U.S is going good as of freedoms. Not living by a religious law of you can't do this. It's becoming what it should be a country of freedom founded by people for people. The way it's going bad is we need to start focusing on our side of the world more.

[Destruktion]

We (the USA) are very clearly moving forward in terms of social progress. If you look at the past year alone, there have been many advances in terms of gay marriage, abortion/birth control, marijuana, etc.

Dunno about economic progress.

[Orbitus]

Well im conservative... and i want the government out of my life, your life, all of our lives... dont know how this idea is "taking all the steps back." Everyone in this country is free, yet we are losing freedoms because we are letting the government into every aspect of our lives... the left leaning individuals want more government control and bigger government spending, which increases the amount of government we have to deal with in our every day life... more government usually means less individual rights...

Considering most of the stuff that you are vouching you don't want was or has been made by conservatives, you might want to think again about what side you should be on. Conservatives were the ones that let Citizens United in. Conservatives are the ones trying to run peoples lives by saying Gays shouldn't be allowed to marry and be happy, or that Women shouldn't have the choice over their own body. Not to mention there was more spending under conservative/republican presidents than there was under democrat/liberal presidents since Reagan. 2 unfunded wars from Bush, not to mention the tax cuts on top of the wars. If you want to blame the spending on someone yell at the Republicans for the bloated military budget.

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This country has been moving away from its principles. Every day we become less and less free, and we move back to the times of complete Government control, in other words we're starting to become more Medieval than ever.

You mean to tell me that you agree the republicans that you cherish are destroying this country? Who knew you would agree with the Democrats.

[Deleted]

Sweden is not tied with the U.S. on any freedom indexes.

You're going to have to provide a source, the same goes for Dezerte too.