What happened to america?

Question

While i'm taking a break off from college this semester to transfer to a different school, I'm working full time making about 11/hr.

But most of the adults/young men/women my age who work there, and didn't go to college seem to all talk/act/walk the same way. Everyone uses the word F*** more often than hello, they don't have regard for anyone, and they all believe that 911 was an inside job/listen to rap music.

What the hell is happening to this country.

Not to mention me/2 other guys my age who are from my background,actually believe in this country, and love america.

I mean you'd be hard pressed to even find americans in our store, it's like this country has become the world now.

Answer 1

What happened to America....good question...
I don't know if America will ever be what it once was....however, for it to try it has to face certain challenges in the 21st century.
Essentially, America's greatest challenge is simple - itself. You. The person who throws around political terms such as ‘secular progressives’, ‘neo cons’, ‘libs’…all of these are detrimental to the greater good of Americans. The only way America can be hurt is by hurting itself, which it is currently doing in the mid-east...and has on a global scale since the Vietnam war. The hypocrisy of American politics is directly responsible for any misfortune that happens to the USA. Whether it be arming Saddam in the Iran-Iraq war, or the disasters of South American foreign policy/current problems with Chavez/socialism, giving North Korea technology in the 90s...Iran...
all of these countries pose as a 'threat' to the American ideal because of reactionary politics towards the US . America's biggest enemy is it's 'pimp and hoe' foreign policy; it is it's media that does not show true violent images of Iraq, in an attempt to keep its people unaware of the reality of war. It's in the illusion that the most powerful superpower the world has ever seen is indeed that powerful - when domestically almost 1/6 of Americans cannot afford healthcare and live on the poverty line. It's in the illusion of divisive politics - wherein pundits debate not for the betterment of their country, but for their own agendas/egos. It's in the hypocrisy of embargoing Cuba, but trading with Communist China at a rate unprecedented in both countries histories. It's in the sensationalist entertainers that grace TV and movie screens everywhere to distract and condition it's public into thinking that we will all be movie stars, NBA players, pop stars....'Idols'...instead of having the public form a legitimate culture and become educated (not just in schools)
America's greatest challenge is confronting its own ugly underbelly in both politics/foreign policy and contemporary culture...then, and only then can America improve it's image globally, and develop its infrastructure in which all truly still have an opportunity to live comfortably - not just the elite. That, my friends, is America's greatest challenge. Not Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Liberals, Conservatives...
America needs to confront both the greatness of its history and its ugliness. America is the greatest melting pot in the world, which, in history, has prided itself on the tolerance of other peoples. Today, xenophobia is rampant, and pundits speak, not for their country, but their own beliefs.
America needs an Age of Reason, not religion. And then, and only then, will it be able to confront the challenges it faces in the 21st century.

Answer 2

Browningny--what happened to America is itself. In the 1930's, President Roosevelt initiated the welfare system. It was legitimate at first, intended to take care of the elderly and disabled who couldn't fend for themselves and no one to help them. Then it turned into the entitlement system we have today, in which we have generations of people who are scamming the government, have never worked a day in their lives and never intend to. In addition to that, we have the greedy who scheme, scam (remember Enron?) and bilk people out of their savings. A third element is the fact that we've outsourced jobs to countries where there is cheap labor, and in so doing, there are fewer jobs. There is no middle class any longer, but two classes--the wealthy and the poor. The present administration is determined to bring all citizens down to a uniformly poor condition that is dependent on the government (socialism/Communism). Additionally, the educational system has been so watered down to accommodate the demands of special interest groups that young people in the public schools have not really been taught anything meaningful for the last 20 years. Families have forgotten about spirituality and moral values, and we are rapidly going the way of the Roman Empire. It defeated itself, and so will we. Our military is eroded, our business infrastructure is disabled, and we are sitting ducks for an invasion by China. Moreover, we are so divided by racism and classism that I predict that within 10 years, we may have another civil war. Doesn't sound like a pretty picture, does it?

Answer 3

Well if I went to your country do you think I could get a job for $11 per hour.

If I were in your country Do you think your universities would grant me access to all of their research facilities.

If I was at a coffee shop in your country...Do you think I could here the latest conspiracy theory how America is trying to ruin the world?

If I were in your country, do you think that that all of your music would all sound the same to me.

If I were in your country Do you think I would complain about your people on how they talk and how much all of your people look the same to me.

If I complained like this about your country what kind of person would I be.

Well I wouldn't. I would be a respectful guest in your country and show some appreciation that your country has open opportunities to me to allow me to improve myself through education and employment.

Well try not to complain so much...its a tough time right now for a lot of people in America. What Americans don't need is an uppity international college student complaining while taking a break how bad we are getting by on a day to day means. So a little tolerance and flexibility would nice.

Answer 4

Yes, this no longer best can occur, however is. America as we comprehend it is slowly being destroyed, and can quickly cave in beneath the crushing weight of the country wide debt. The executive will cave in, the buck end up nugatory, individuals will lose all their existence financial savings in a single day, there shall be rioting, killings, hunger, anarchy and chaos. The nation will fall into political dissolution quicker alternatively than later. Good bye, America

Answer 5

We were taught to respect elders, then Nixon got caught lying and he resigned; we found out that we had been lied into the Viet Nam war; and we figured that our elders should EARN our respect, not just get respect because they had lived longer.

Then there is all this criticism of political correctness. When I was a kid it was just plain rude to use the "n word" and our parents taught us that - now it is being politically incorrect and political correctness is now something to be mocked.

And I also think the market economics theory is probably at least partly valid - if "f word" and nudity make money for business, then by golly we're going to see a lot of it. Those commercials for Victorias Secret would have been called soft porn when I was in school....

Answer 6

I think it shows you how your values and ideas about society change when you realize that you're not going to be allowed to be one of the winners (or of the "in" crowd) in society. It's called cynicism. But it's also what happens to young adults (most often) when the idealism instilled in them by their parents hits the brick wall of reality. It's part of growing up & trying to figure how your more idealistic values can be maintained in a screwed-up, superficial and deeply fake world.

Instead of being upset at them for not buying into the values that in-crowd society pushes on them, maybe you could find out what their ideals are buried under all that cynicism. Maybe you can help them see that it's still ok to have hope in their ideals, even though the cold facts of reality make it more difficult.

Answer 7

This is a very good question that I honestly don't think anyone can answer.

When I was a kid, saying sh*t or damn was like saying the f word today... but after time, it became somewhat acceptable. Maybe it is like that.

Or I remember sonny and cher where Cher wasn't allowed to show her belly button on tv... maybe it is like that.

Not saying the way they are today is acceptable. To me it isn't so much the language.. and yes that is bad enough... it is the disregard of respect.

When I was a kid, we were taught to respect all elders... to never interrupt them and to always be respectful. That seems to have gotten lost. There seems to be an overall disrespect for humanity in general now.

I have a long theory that would take me pages to write on this... in summary, I have concluded this is what happens in a purely capitalist society where we are taught to value 'self' above all else from birth rather than community.

Answer 8

people don't care enough to get up and go and find out if what is being told to them is true,they take everything that the movie star,singers, any body except who they should really be listening to,(not he media ,they have brain washed this country til people are so confused they don't know whats going on...and everything has to have a conspiracy theory ,really the people you see acting like what you said, they are scared and very confused,and angry....they should go talk to some one that knows what going on over there in the war,they don't want to hear it from the president,then go talk to some soldiers,they can tell you what we see on the news is not the truth,its slanted, to show the worst and they leave out the good.....and people if they will believe some of the crap that's coming out on movies and music they will believe anything....the kids and adults, their minds are not their own....they are like zombies....following the crowd,it's pitiful....what can we do.....

Answer 9

The Statue of Liberty still inspires millions who read the poem on its base by Emma Lazarus, which concludes with the lines:

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"


this country feels like the world now because if was made up of all those from around the world that left their home to make the u.s. their home.

Answer 10

I know what you are saying I miss the good old days drinking a coke and eating a snickers hearing old country music hunting,setting out trout lines and checking them in the morning for cat fish . Smelling my moms and grandma's cooking . Not having to deal with all this wanna be tugs talking **** and trying to be somebody they aren't ..Life