Why Are We Failing

We as Americans have an interesting dichotomy. We are expected to help out fellow man, but also expected to do as much for ourselves as possible. We admire those who help the poor, but we don't give more than maybe a weekend or two a year to chip in. We give a couple bucks a week to help out charities, but spend ten to twenty times that eating out at McDonalds. We believe in self reliance, think people should do for themselves, and denigrate those who need help, but as soon as we are in a similar situation, we think nothing of demanding help.

Allegedly, this country was founded on a philosophy that all man are created equal. We have spent decades placing laws that disprove this. We want government to not tell us who to worship and what to own, but we want the government to say who we can marry and what medical procedures we are allowed to have.

This country is still the greatest on Earth for opportunity. But more and more the American Dream is growing out of reach for the vast majority of us. More and more we are skating by, paying the minimum, just hoping to keep working until the next paycheck. The financial crisis of the past two years is extremely telling as the rich have gotten richer, the true middle class (those making in the 60-80k mark with several kids) barely holding on and in many cases shrinking, and the poor getting worse and worse.

Obama was elected not quite a year ago to change this country and so far has failed to do so. Can you blame him? Sure. Can you blame the Blue Dogs? Yeah. Can you blame the moronic fucktards who for the last 30 years have preached the government is evil while working to handicap it and deliberately ensure that it fails while lining their own pockets and those of their friends? Hell Yes!!

That is why America is such a dichotomy. On one hand we hate lawyers, denigrate them, etc. On the other hand, if we don't like something, we sue, we hire someone who can win. Forget environmental law, forget the guy who is overworked at the public defender's office, forget consumer protection. Celebrate personal injury lawyers. Yes, a lot of lawyers do things for the money, but look at the things that they do mostly self funded until the cases are settled and awards are distributed, asbestos, tobacco, car safety, water safety, etc

We love the self made millionaire, but how many people succeed entirely on their own. As Matthew Lesko points out, their is tons of free money out there, you just have to find it, and a lot of people have. People complain about regulations and codes, but forget that those exist to ensure safe buildings and enviroments. People (and I am one of them) complain about the school systems, but move repeatedly to find a "good" school that stays that way or send them to private schools where they don't learn about life and the diversity of this country.

We complain about taxes, but point out to authority figures that we pay their salary. We complain about wasting money on volcano studies, but demand accountability on why a disaster wasn't better forecasted. We wonder why potholes aren't fixed and why roads are bumpy, but get up in arms when a rise in gas taxes means we have to pay another two dollars a week to drive from our suburb to work. We want more cultural entertainment and a good museum system, but never go except when they have Titanic or dinosaurs.

We want to go to the doctor whenever we want, but never go even to have recommended checkups. We think its absurd that airlines would charge plus sized people for 2 seats, but shovel french fries into our mouth. We wonder why there is no cure for AIDS while we pop a pill to give us a boner. We scoff at global warming when the weather is colder now than it was this time last year, but fail to remember it is called climate change. We demand low cost food, and forget about the environmental damage it causes.

Do you wonder why this country is failing? I don't.