Nova Skin Dream ##BEST##
Felicia Lehoullier
I partially agree with Maria Echaveste because, like her, I believe Americans need to fight to protect the American dream. As a wealthy country, Americans often times expect things to simply be handed to them. I believe that this sense of entitlement has begun to carry over to the expectation of the American dream. I think it is important for Americans to see the American dream as what it originally created for: an aspiration. Americans should see the dream as an inspiration to achieve rather than an award for living in this country. However, I do disagree with her comment that the optimism of the American public has gone down. In fact, recent CVS polls prove that more Americans have hope for our country and the American dream now than did 5 years ago. I believe that Americans need to regain sight of the American dream as a dream rather than an entitlement.
I would like to comment on your August 15th interview with Andrew Bacevich. I pretty much knew he was a conservative before he stated it. But, I agreed with almost everything he said and I am not a conservative. Most conservatives to me sound like dreamers with a loose grip on reality. They also sound selfish. Mr. Bacevich's statements seemed well thought out and nonpolitical. He blamed both sides. It shows to me that gridlock does not have to be the norm in Washington and political differences do not have to stop people from working together.
I don't think we have a Constitution problem; I think we have a people problem. A bunch of greedy, arrogant people have perverted it. I've noticed this also happens with religion. People can take a perfectly good scripture that preaches love, humility and forgiveness, and they can twist it to give themselves an excuse for hate and war. They might accompany it with the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, which would keep them from falling into the extremist pit (most of the time). We have people in our current administration who may profess to be church-goers, yet seem to have no soul. You look into their eyes, and there seems to be nobody home. And they think war is the answer. And thousands cheer their empty slogans. They make you wonder, Is it me? What am I missing here? (this is a funny coincidence--the security words this program is asking me to type are: pride war)
Billy Bob: All people dream, no matter what their language. I don't think it matters what color skin most Americans have in the future. I only hope they have happier, more productive and more meaningful lives than we.
David Eddy: Show us your books. I'm truly curious...
Chris: Our government might presently resemble the former state oligarchy in greater Russia or the present state oligarchy of China (where party status leads to wealth and power) but ours is really an increasingly perfect model of faschism. The domination of government by large business interests is the key trait.
Take for instance drill-here-and-now propaganda which can benefit only large energy concerns in a global market. Meanwhile decentralized green energy is delayed or prevented, which hurts the populace. Take the occupations of Oilraq and Opiumstan which enrich the underworld and arms traders at the expense of mass killing. Take the bailout of Wall Street investment houses with tax money so that the wealthy holders of preferred stock don't panic.
Communism is an ideal of people living and sharing without government in complete equality. It originates in a diversity of philosophies. The Shakers probably came closer to achieving communism than any other group. It required admirable discipline and sacrifice as they focused upon Jesus Christ's messages. Many words have been slurred and distorted in our violent and sadistic greedy culture. Faschists don't want you to possess the proper words to express your outrage at their actions. That is why intellectual property law is increasingly perverted. Realize Chris that every word concept should have a real referent that people can share. (Sharing is communistic like a park or highway.)
All: I was trying to decry the culture war in politics and say that getting beyond labels and insults would enrich the American Dream. Moyers has emphasized the importance of this in the archive section where he reviews Thomas Franks' discussion of "What's the Matter With Kansas?" It is their shared contention that the framing of issues is distorted by purposeful emotional distractions and that vital economic choices relating to our prosperity during increasing disparity of wealth and income are swept off the kitchen table, so to speak.