[PenultimateManStanding]

Somebody has to say it, there are so many Americans on this site who seem to hate their own country. What country has sought to include all races, all peoples, into a vision of the future that is all inclusive? I've been to schools where Martin Luther King's Dream has been realized. These ideals are slowly and painfully being realized. If the doomerism on this site is proved to be true, it will all be for naught and it will all collapse. For all I know, this is exactly what will happen. The world's idealistic melting pot will turn into a bloody all-against-all slugfest. I can only hope the doomers are wrong.
Centerfield

[emersonbiggins]

Nice thoughts, PMS, but it's exactly the orgy of economic activity precipitated by a century-long crude surplus that have sanded the edges of the multicultural United States smooth, but only for a while. Without it, the facade of civilized and tolerant society disappears and we retreat into less enlightened states of cultism and, yes, racism, scapegoating and all things that come with a society in permanent regression.

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'W')hat country has sought to include all races, all peoples, into a vision of the future that is all inclusive?

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', 'N')ice thoughts, PMS, but it's exactly the orgy of economic activity precipitated by a century-long crude surplus that have sanded the edges of the multicultural United States smooth, but only for a while. Without it, the facade of civilized and tolerant society disappears and we retreat into less enlightened states of cultism and, yes, racism, scapegoating and all things that come with a society in permanent regression.

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'y')eah, sometimes it's hard to conclude that the doomers aren't right. Energy is so important, what will we be without it? It just goes to show that life is uncertain and always has been.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', '[')
I'm of the mindset that the middle class and, to some extent, upward social mobility would not have been possible without abundant, cheap oil. It underpins the very idea of individual mobility and, by extension, individual property ownership on a broad scale. It's unfortunate that these things are based on something so fleeting and fickle, and even more tragic that government coercion will surely be enlisted to keep them in tact, or least "appearing" in tact. Death throes there are sure to be; too bad for us.

[KhanCEO]

When the cheap oil is gone, racism will become more common, mostly with arabs though. I think slaves will come back into style and people will be dumb founded. It wasn't our good nature that ended slavery it was cheap energy. It will be back soon enough, just wait.

I'm not a racist.

[PenultimateManStanding]

I don't believe the climate doomers for a second. Record rains in Seattle, record cold temps up north. We're headed for an Ice Age.

[Zardoz]

When did The Great Experiment begin to go wrong? When did the bright beacon of the world begin to dim, as it most assuredly has?

Clear back in 1958, my sixth-grade teacher knew it was coming. She said that America was on its way to ending up like the Roman Empire. She used the term "luxury-minded" to describe the growing consumerism of the American people. She said that we were going to make the same mistakes the Romans did, and it turns out that she was largely correct.

Our consumerist mania, that "non-negotiable American way of life", has eroded the base of our entire society. Our obsession with material goods has twisted and skewed our values, and the craziness was fueled by oil, of course. The resource that we exploited so recklessly to build our wealth and power will turn out to be our undoing.

We've been seduced by the dark side. Our idealism has been replaced by apathetic, bored, rootless materialism. The rest of the world recognizes us for what we are now, and has lost virtually all respect for us.

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'I') don't believe the climate doomers for a second. Record rains in Seattle, record cold temps up north. We're headed for an Ice Age.

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ElijahJones', 'B')ut what if there is no Savior from heaven to undo what we have done to the earth, and what lies ahead? That my friend is the most frightening prospect humanity has ever faced. It is so frightening in fact that the vast majority will not even acknowledge it until they are aboslutely forced to.

[Daculling]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rogerhb', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ElijahJones', 'B')ut what if there is no Savior from heaven to undo what we have done to the earth, and what lies ahead? That my friend is the most frightening prospect humanity has ever faced. It is so frightening in fact that the vast majority will not even acknowledge it until they are aboslutely forced to.

[NEOPO]

A house is only as good as its foundation and this house was built on the blood and bones of native americans and slaves alike.
Slaves of all races.

Long before we had defeated a tyrant we had became tyrants in our own right by being unable to peacefully coexist with the indigenous population and desirous of the extra labor that human slavery provided.
Let us also never forget that not far behind our wagons was our old wars which spilled over into this nation.

Excellent source of history yet never anything I could be very proud of but hope springs eternal
Don't "they" use countries, flags, borders and all that to divide us ?

Such a shame really...some great ideas - equality and all ...maybe if we are lucky we can start over but not make the same mistakes this time.....

one more time around

Soundgarden - The Day I Tried To Live

one more time around

The animated contest of freedom?!?!

[ohanian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'W')hen did The Great Experiment begin to go wrong? When did the bright beacon of the world begin to dim, as it most assuredly has?

Clear back in 1958, my sixth-grade teacher knew it was coming. She said that America was on its way to ending up like the Roman Empire. She used the term "luxury-minded" to describe the growing consumerism of the American people. She said that we were going to make the same mistakes the Romans did, and it turns out that she was largely correct.

Our consumerist mania, that "non-negotiable American way of life", has eroded the base our entire society. Our obsession with material goods has twisted and skewed our values, and the craziness was fueled by oil, of course. The resource that we exploited so recklessly to build our wealth and power will turn out to be our undoing.

[seldom_seen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NEOPO', 'A') house is only as good as its foundation and this house was built on the blood and bones of native americans and slaves alike

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', ' ')I've been to schools where Martin Luther King's Dream has been realized.

[max_power29]

America is dead. It used to be great but is now just running on the momentum of its former great self.

What used to be the land of oppurtunity has now turned into the land of oppurtunity to join the working poor.

[Stratovarius]

I love America when it first started, but slowly it turned into what it is now, which I do not like at all.

Religion is a sensitive topic but I'm an atheist and I've seen too much religious garbage trying to be put on display and given special treatment. This country was not founded on religion...it was founded on the North American continent. Believe whatever you want, but keep it to yourself and stop turning America into a theocracy based on Christianity.

A lot of people in this country are just way too proud and arrogant. I'm tired of these jingoists that flaunt their patriotism and raise their beers colored like the American flag (metaphorically ).

I guess I'm one of those people that wants TSTHTF today because America needs to wake up. Maybe not being #1 anymore would be healthy for all. (That's not saying I want people to die or suffer, I just want them to wake up. )