Land of the free?

[glenn kangiser]

Can't we just give up all of our freedoms right now and get total safety all at once.... Oh please protect me from evil, Big Brother...... puhleeeeeze....



http://thisistheendoftheworldasweknowit.com/archives/20-signs-that-the-united-states-is-rapidly-becoming-a-totalitarian-big-brother-police-state





Now will someone please protect me from big brother....




I feel he is trying to form an incestuous relationship with us......






About 99% of the terrorism is performed by Big Brother and his paid cohorts. 

[pagan]

What should we expect after decades of public "education?" I've met so many people that would gladly give up all control over their lives if someone else would shelter, clothe, feed, and otherwise take care of them. They want no responsibility for paying bills, buying food, clothing, or anything else and simply want to be taken care of for life. What does that say about our society when people desire nothing more than living the life of a perpetual preteen?

[SardonicSmile]

This is the reason I have the strong urge to stockpile more firearms/ammo..

[zion-diy]

I don't know who is going to keep our infastructure together.   Everytime I see someone with any skills, they're older. young people seem to think computers can run everything. I'm afraid this country is in for a bumpy ride.

[Fred_47460]

I don't know who is going to keep our infastructure together.   Everytime I see someone with any skills, they're older. young people seem to think computers can run everything. I'm afraid this country is in for a bumpy ride.

I quite agree. Even at this point in the collapse of America most people are more concerned with what's on TV tonight.

[glenn kangiser]

Interesting point - who will do stuff when all the old codgers like us that know stuff are gone?

We are training a few right here on Countryplans, but there is a lot of world out there that they will have to save......

[Txcowrancher]

My rant
I am afraid that the country as we know it is doomed. the current govnt debt is over 40k per person. for a family of 4 that 160k. Do you know anyone who could ever pay that back? even over a lifetime? The young folks have been taught that they have a right to "goods" (food, medical procedures etc) paid for by someone else, instead of a right to concepts like freedom of speech, religious choice etc. how do you have a right to someone elses food? if you take a gardeners food, next year it will not be grown. if you make a doctor treat someone free, next year less doctors. The commie loving pukes can not figure this out and no longer care what the people think. Actually the main problem is a lack of historical and civic knowledge on the part of the citizens, most people could not name the 3 branches of government. but they know all about facebook and idol.

get some land, grow your food, get some guns and be ready, trouble will be coming, it cant be far off.
Tom

[Woodsrule]

Tom,

I agree with you that our children are constantly bombarded with the "entitlement" mentality. However, my children have not been. I have instilled in them that they are guaranteed "Life, Liberty and the PURSUIT of Happiness." These rights do not state that you have a right to be happy, only that you are guaranteed the freedom to pursue whatever you label as success. My children are now adults and they are pursuing their definition of success, and that does not include taking from their neighbors. When did we start believing that we are entitled to our neighbor's goods or to a portion of our neighbor's hard work?  When we have free food, free housing, free medical insurance, free college education and other entitlements, we will have lost our FREEDOM, for we will be dependent on a distant, undefined government official for everything and that unnamed "official" will control every aspect of your life. Just my opinion.

[Txcowrancher]

you are right woodsrule. I wish more people had raised their kids as you did.

unless the country defaults on its foreign debt, cuts entitlements in half, and the people get in gear. the country can not be saved.

why does a crack dealing thug who gets shot have a "right" to anything except maybe another bullet to put him out of our misery??

the redistributers have arrived, whats really sad is that he told the people he would do it, and they voted for it anyway. right now 50 percent pay no income tax and want free stuff, its unbeleivable and unsustainable.

these words could have been written this week

Thomas Jefferson

It has been said the greatest volume of sheer brain power in one place occurred when Jefferson dined alone. -- John Kennedy

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. -- Thomas Jefferson

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. -- Thomas Jefferson

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. -- Thomas Jefferson

To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. -- Thomas Jefferson

When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe. -- Thomas Jefferson

Tom

[MushCreek]

I'd like to know who's gonna manufacture stuff once the Chinese are tired of us? I read an article yesterday that would indicate that they are starting to reach that point. We don't seem to make ANYTHING in this country anymore! We couldn't go isolationist if we wanted to now- the factories are gone, and the people that know how to work in them are fast disappearing. I'm a life-long tool maker, woodworker, etc., and I can 'McGyver just about anything out of a big enough pile of junk, but I'm also a dying breed. I hope my son can find time to help me build our house; those are skills he may need some day.

[peternap]

world out there that they will have to save

Uh Glenn, who wants to save em?
http://news.oldva.org/?p=10554&preview=true

[ScottA]

Good point Peter. Someone once said "Let those who come after us take care of themselves."

[glenn kangiser]

Yup - I think you are right, Peter...  Maybe the few that know can just take care of themselves as Scott said..

[pagan]

The Chinese can get just as tired of us as they want because unfortunately for them, and it appears they're forgetting this, a large percentage of the crap they make is for American corporations and is sold in America. I read an article claiming around 10% of all Chinese goods imported to America are for one corporation...Wal-Mart...and that over 70% of ALL goods in Wal-Mart stores are manufactured in China. China better hope Wal-Mart doesn't tank. Japan and Hong Kong are running in second and third for Chinese imports, however the United States constitutes around 40% of all Chinese exports for the top ten import countries. We go down and China loses 40% of their export market.

Look at the billions of dollars per year sent to foreign countries through familial remittances. That all goes away when our economy dies. I read an article that said Mexican politicians were worried because fewer remittance dollars are flowing from America to Mexico. Of course their answer was to force the American government to make it easier for undocumented workers illegal aliens to get jobs in America so they can send money home.

The reality is, and the rest of the world needs to understand this, if America tanks most of the world goes down with us. America's collapse will ripple through the world in monumental ways. Look how the U.S. housing market and banking problems caused world wide financial problems. Imagine that, but on a total financial meltdown.

[Woodsrule]

Tom,

Thanks for the quotes from the OTHER famous Thomas, Mr. Jefferson. He happens to be one of my favorite historic leaders, not only for his quotes, but for his work ethic. He was tireless. I do not believe that we are going to change our entitlement mentality anytime soon though. Folks here expect to be taken care of and are more than happy to cede their freedom for a scrap of bread. We are now arguing, not for the elimination of public run entitlements, but for the biggest expansion of public spending ever, and in a recession to boot! Forget political differences - this expansion cannot be afforded now or ever, but it does appear that the pols are going to find some way to force it through and damn the torpedoes. There is hope though - just look at the states lining up to sue the federal government and look at Walgreens.

[MushCreek]

If I thought China was in it for the money, I would agree. But I think the rulers have eyes on world domination, and they have been acquiring the knowledge, technology, and money from selling their crap to us. Once they have enough of the above, they could go isolationist and start flexing their muscles. You have to remember that as a country, China doesn't much care about their citizens, especially on the individual level. They are also quickly developing their own internal customers as Chinese have more money and become consumers (like this country used to be). I believe the Chinese people bought more new cars in '09 that Americans did- the first time that's EVER happened. So they have plenty of customers at home. If they suddenly stopped selling goods to us, we'd be thrown into a turmoil, since we can't make the stuff at home anymore, and that, coupled with whatever military might China has, I believe they could bring us down- if they wanted to.

[pagan]

It's not that we CAN'T make the stuff we import from China, it's that we DON'T. There are various reasons why American companies shift manufacturing to China, labor costs and environmental protections being major ones. U.S. government data suggests Chinese factory workers average about $0.64 per hour compared to the average American factory worker earning $21.11. That's a pretty big financial incentive to offshore right there. What's really sad is most of the companies that send jobs overseas are making a profit here, they just want to make even more money.

The Chinese government claims 70% of rivers, lakes, and waterways are "seriously" polluted. If they're admitting this, it's probably far worse, and let us not forget the Giant Brown Cloud of smog. China dumps more than double the amount of industrial waste, chemical fertilizers, and raw sewage into its rivers every day as the United States dumps into its waterways. China is also considered the greatest polluter of the Pacific Ocean.

They've got a huge army, to be sure, but I doubt they could maintain that army engaged in a long term conflict for any great length of time. I remember reading that the Chinese government was purchasing "Furbies" because the computer chips in the toy were more complex than what they had designed for their missiles. I don't think China can takes us...yet.

[glenn kangiser]

My understanding is that China is making our military chips because we farmed it out to them.  Our fighter jets now have a backdoor in their computers that can be turned off if we decide we want to mess with China.  Some in our military are aware of this but most don't want to know or talk about it from the report I read.

[pagan]

I've never thought farming anything related to the military was a good idea, regardless of country.

[glenn kangiser]

I guess as long as it is cheap and big corporations make more money, then it must be OK, eh?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Chinese-spies-put-chips-in-US-planes/articleshow/4412075.cms

[NM_Shooter]

More and more military intellectual property is only being implemented on trusted foundaries... there are several companies who specialize in securing IP... such as CPU Technology. 

Compromised silicon is very much a real threat.  But thankfully things are changing.