What scares you most about where the america is headed?

[JD1stTimer]

Yeah, sorry I should have read the whole thread. When Blue said that taxes were bad on the middle class, I didn't realize she was talking about the income tax alone. I thought it was the entire tax burden of an average American she was talking about.
You're right about the IRS, it's not that bad. For me making $13,000, holding on to about $1600 really doesn't hurt too bad. I actually do eat at least once a day, which is better than most people on this earth. I couldn't make the claim that we have worse tax burden on middle and lower class than Canada, I've never lived there. Is there anyone on these boards who knows how the middle and lower class fare in the Great White North? BTW, I'm not taking any sort of government aid beyond what everyone else gets (Roads, mail, defense [maybe, I've never been sure whether or not people in Iraq were actually threatening me]) I'm not on welfare, or food stamps, or SSI, or Medicare, and I have reason to believe that a significant portion of the tax I pay is going towards a program I will never see the benefits of (Social Security). And I have no sympathy for Bill Clinton, either.

[JD1stTimer]

On another note, it really doesn't say much to say that we are the least bad country as far as freedom is concerned. The whole point of the U.S., and what helped us build our wealth is the freedom from intrusion and the restraint on the government which should be upheld by the legislators, executives, and judges. That means that no one should be locked in a cage for doing something that has no harmful effect to other people. The very fact that I can go out in a park today and pull out a little baggie of weed and get pushed to the ground, handcuffed and held against my will says that we are not living up to our ideals. We shouldn't judge by what other countries do, we should live up to our own excellent standards, not just descend to one rung above the rest, and then say "We're not the worst!". We should be raising the bar. I guess if I was married and beat my wife I could tell her "Hey, the guy next door rapes his kids, you wanna go live with him?" That's not the America I believe in.

[Iguana]

I'm in agreement with both of your messages (81 & 82), JD. When I say that the USA is the greatest, I honestly don't mean that as a put-down of any other country. I believe that the USA should be the standard of those nations that are ruled by the representrative government of the people. I do believe that we have a lot of things that we need to work on to put us back in the direction of as much personal freedom as possible. I don't believe (as others have said) that it is the govenment's responsibility to take care of us, just to give us the opportunity and liberty to take care of ourselves.

[fishman3811]

JD1stTIMER OUR FEDERAL taxes are not that bad we dont pay income tax on the first 9 or 10 thousand and after that its aroound 14% or 13% until u reach 29 thousand then it goes up a couple of points then 39 thousand it goes up a couple more points and so on.8182KSKUSH lots of Canadians move to the states i know of a couple actually and some of them actually come back to Canada,Canada has lots of immigrants too so does that make Canada the best country in the world because according to you it should.So if you base your theory that America is the best country in the world because America gets lots of immigrants,Well most of your immigrants come from Mexico or latin America so being better than Mexico or South America doesnt say too much now does it??So i really want to know why you think America is the best country in the world based on what?Because sorry i just dont see it.I ve lived in France,Germany,England been to Belgium and Italy and Japan and all those countries are far superior than the U.S.A and i base that on how content the people are in those countries they are really much more happier than people are in U.S.A plus those people are way better educated than most Americans.Did u know that in England well up until a few years ago that a University education was free.Well of course u didnt know that youve never lived there.Did you know that if you were to open up a health club in Paris you wouldnt make any money because most people in Paris are not fat but of course you wouldnt know that youve never lived there.Also France has got one of the worlds best heath care and its free.So spare me your rants on how America is the best place in the world when You dont even know why.Besides any country that makes you take a drug test before you get hired on at Burger King isnt a country i want to live in.Any country that puts you in jail for 20 30 years for having a few marijuana plants in your house isnt the kind of country that i want to live in.I also dont want to own a gun just so that i feel safe thats not the kind of country i want to live in.Also if your country is the greatest on earth why are soo many people still displaced after what happened in New Orleans after all these years.

[Psycho4Bud]

Any country that puts you in jail for 20 30 years for having a few marijuana plants in your house isnt the kind of country that i want to live in.

Where the hell do they do that? PLEASE post a link to this fairy story.

Also if your country is the greatest on earth why are soo many people still displaced after what happened in New Orleans after all these years.

Take London Ontario and wipe out 80%.....lets see how well ya all fair out.

By the way, all the "great countries" you mentioned; at one point or another WE either had to kick their ass or save it.:thumbsup:

Have a good one!:s4:

[thcbongman]

JD1stTIMER OUR FEDERAL taxes are not that bad we dont pay income tax on the first 9 or 10 thousand and after that its aroound 14% or 13% until u reach 29 thousand then it goes up a couple of points then 39 thousand it goes up a couple more points and so on.8182KSKUSH lots of Canadians move to the states i know of a couple actually and some of them actually come back to Canada,Canada has lots of immigrants too so does that make Canada the best country in the world because according to you it should.So if you base your theory that America is the best country in the world because America gets lots of immigrants,Well most of your immigrants come from Mexico or latin America so being better than Mexico or South America doesnt say too much now does it??So i really want to know why you think America is the best country in the world based on what?Because sorry i just dont see it.I ve lived in France,Germany,England been to Belgium and Italy and Japan and all those countries are far superior than the U.S.A and i base that on how content the people are in those countries they are really much more happier than people are in U.S.A plus those people are way better educated than most Americans.Did u know that in England well up until a few years ago that a University education was free.Well of course u didnt know that youve never lived there.Did you know that if you were to open up a health club in Paris you wouldnt make any money because most people in Paris are not fat but of course you wouldnt know that youve never lived there.Also France has got one of the worlds best heath care and its free.So spare me your rants on how America is the best place in the world when You dont even know why.Besides any country that makes you take a drug test before you get hired on at Burger King isnt a country i want to live in.Any country that puts you in jail for 20 30 years for having a few marijuana plants in your house isnt the kind of country that i want to live in.I also dont want to own a gun just so that i feel safe thats not the kind of country i want to live in.Also if your country is the greatest on earth why are soo many people still displaced after what happened in New Orleans after all these years.

Listen, but you haven't lived in America. Otherwise you would understand. Other than the States, I spent half of my life living in various countries in Europe.

Many of the points I do agree with you. America is moving in the wrong direction in terms of health care, expanding the industrial military complex, drug tolerance, we hare our share of problems. However, you judge America harshly because you have not experienced the opportunity here. America is the land of the free, where anyone can obtain success, and aren't limited to pursuing those opportunities. There are a number of immigrants who have experienced tremendous success and those stories travel across oceans. That's why they keep coming in.

Also contrary to popular belief some French people do like Bush, and their views reflects the mindset when they voted Sarkozy in. It was the biggest shock to me, it caused some weird debates.

[fishman3811]

thcbongman everybody is the same in this world what i object to is people claiming that they live in the worlds best country when they have never lived anywhere else so how the hell would they know?Your right America is full of opportunity but so are many other countries that have open and free elections. PEACE

[Rusty Trichome]

You seem more interested in post wars than talking about the truth.

The truth...? You can't handle the truth. (Jeepers, I crack myself up at times, lol)

Some of us here have a problem with checking facts. One liners and politi-babble counts for half of the truth. Where do you go to find the rest of the story? If you have been indoctrinated learning half of the truth, all you can spout is selective deception. So who is being decieved? I make a very strong attempt to double and triple check my facts from both sides of an issue. If my opinion differs from yours, that's life. I weigh the facts as available, and reference those facts whenever possible.
All's I hear in response is usually something like:
Dude...you are a facist for thinking it's ok to tap overseas calls.
or
I hate America...We're in Iraq because of oil....
Yeah...that really convinces me someone is capable of discerning fact from fiction. What oil? Are the tankers lining-up in Iraq to ship the oil over to us? What a joke.

So america haters...keep rambling, keep the blinders on, and show us all how you have come to such educated and balanced opinions.
The proof is in the proof.

Oh yeah, fisherman...in some countries they put you in for life, for pot possesion. (Midnight Express)

[Rusty Trichome]

thcbongman everybody is the same in this world what i object to is people claiming that they live in the worlds best country when they have never lived anywhere else so how the hell would they know?Your right America is full of opportunity but so are many other countries that have open and free elections. PEACE

I don't have to step in shit, to know that I don't want shit on my shoes, nor do I need to live in France to know I am proud to be an American.

Iran has 'open and free' elections
Russia has 'open and free' elections
Venezuela has 'open and free' elections
Pakistan has 'open and free' elections (if you survive the campaigning)

[8182KSKUSH]

The truth...? You can't handle the truth. (Jeepers, I crack myself up at times, lol)

Some of us here have a problem with checking facts. One liners and politi-babble counts for half of the truth. Where do you go to find the rest of the story? If you have been indoctrinated learning half of the truth, all you can spout is selective deception. So who is being decieved? I make a very strong attempt to double and triple check my facts from both sides of an issue. If my opinion differs from yours, that's life. I weigh the facts as available, and reference those facts whenever possible.
All's I hear in response is usually something like:
Dude...you are a facist for thinking it's ok to tap overseas calls.
or
I hate America...We're in Iraq because of oil....
Yeah...that really convinces me someone is capable of discerning fact from fiction. What oil? Are the tankers lining-up in Iraq to ship the oil over to us? What a joke.

So america haters...keep rambling, keep the blinders on, and show us all how you have come to such educated and balanced opinions.
The proof is in the proof.

Oh yeah, fisherman...in some countries they put you in for life, for pot possesion. (Midnight Express)

You are funny.
I wonder how the hell someone in Canada gets brainwashed by the elite liberal left in the U.S., just goes to show the power of t.v. I guess!:computerlove1: (Please don't take "offense" just funny to hear the same rhetoric from a Canadian that you would hear from someone at the "Highly Elite Berkley".)

You are right Rusty, you don't even have to try that hard to check some of these "way out of left field" statements. Just go OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AROUND!:asskick: I know that I trust my own judgement much more than what "someone on tells me". When I hear the spin misters talking about "a war for oil", I go fill up my suburban! I got a 40 gallon tank. Wouldn't you know it? Bush hasn't gotten all that oil back here yet that he "stole". :apachecopter::S1: So what the fuck is this "war for oil"?

I really like it when people cry about Haliburton or (insert any oil company name here). WAAAAA contracts blah blah, whatever. Personally I can't figure out why we give the best companies in the world at fixing, managing, and maintaining an oil infrastructure and industry a way to do just that. What would these lwbwlbrls rather have? Abdul in his dirt house that hasn't even used an electric stove repairing , rebuilding, and maintaining a fledgeling nations oil industry? OK:yeahright: No I know, some OTHER company in a foriegn nation right? :yeahright:

so if you are sooo opposed to what is going on in Iraq and miss Sadam and his regime, and feel like we did nothing to better the world, and "feel" (funny that word is used alot? It's ok if you are giving an opinion, but alot of people here "feel facts".? WTF:wtf that America is ruining the world or that we are evil and you oppose the "facist or whatever bull crap term you want to use that you don't even know the true meaning of) then you better pack up your shit and go to Iran, I heard they may need some Human Shields:apachecopter:

How do you "feel like" now?:S4:
Yet another reason America is great!!! Even though Bush did not do this, he could of. He could have decisively stomped a whole through the earth w/ brute military force in an instant and really just walked into a vast glass bowl and "stole" the oil if that's what his intentions were. The fact is that America as a nation at any instant could mobilize it's military might and destroy anyone they wanted and no one can really do a fucking thing about. The fact is that we DON'T do just this, we instead are content with providing a place where anyone with a pulse has the chance to do anything they can concieve. I think people do get really upset if you present the idea that America is Great, or The Greatest Nation, or Even Nice, or you get my point. They get upset because they would feel, um trying to be nice, they would feel like they were duped. People do get indoctrinated, they do get brainwashed, and it's pretty easy to control people when they are basing all their decisions on how they "feel", it's easy to manipulate the way insecure people feel. I think maybe there is some truth to the government trying to "control" people but I think that it is more to do with the "Hate America" Crowd and not anyone else.

IT'S REALLY REALLY FUNNY when people repeat propoganda that is perpetuated by self-proclaimed commies and socialists, and marxist. I am specifically talking about the morons that organize the protests at G8 summits, that try to get pictures of people with signs outside protesting. They get all sorts of people there, but I am betting that none of them actually have any remote idea who is in charge, and where their "feelings" are coming from. Then this gets on the news of course, and really dull and boring people cling onto the propoganda, don't question it, then run with it for years and years. Maybe someday THEY go to a protest, now they are really cool because they think exactly the same thing "all these other people think". Now they are committed and are true believers that lash out at anyone that questions them because they have no way to answer the questions, and they are offended that you could possibly be suggesting that what they have believed and felt for so long might be BULL SHIT!..

I am sorry I am kind of off topic and ranting.:stoned: