Why do Americans expect quick and easy solutions to big complicated problems?

Question

IE Iraq, we all knew it was going to take a while and the surge will take time to work, but everyones whinning about it takinf forever.

This is not my point but just an example. So why do you expect everything to go very quickly when historically things take time.

Answer 1

Because liberals are simpletons

Answer 2

If you knew anything about the planning for Iraq, you'd realize it was the Bush administration, and not "Americans", who thought Iraq would be quick and easy. They expected to have the ministries up and running in 90 days, and to be down to 25,000 troops within the first year. We were told by Cheney that we would be "greeted as liberators".

And, again, it is Bush and the generals in Iraq telling us we will see results by September....

It was Americans (liberals, and true conservatives such as Buchannon), who warned that our involvement in Iraq would be a disaster. Hell, even Doonesbury ran comics warning about Iranian influence and Shiite death squads BEFORE we even invaded..

I'd suggest you read ANY of the many books written on Iraq. "State of Denial" is good, as is "Fiasco" or "Inside the Emerald City". Maybe then you'd realize that Bush and company have cluelessly ran through bad plan after bad plan. Being patient doesn't suddenly make a failed strategy successful. The results from the surge are already clear - it has failed to bring security. Troop casualties are off the charts, and violence in Baghdad and Iraq is CLIMBING, not falling.

It's true that Iraq is a mess, and won't be improved in the near future. But that doesn't mean that conservatives always have to pretend that the present course of action will work if we "just have patience".

Answer 3

Most reasonable people accept that solving most problems take time, hard work and careful planning. Its the news media, that try to keep us paranoid so we'll watch more news programming so they'll make more money, that keep pushing for quick solutions to such problems as Iraq. In fact, the news media would like it just fine if everybody keeps making bad decisions and keeps making all the problems worse and worse so they can keep making more money by second guessing the decisions on the TV around the clock 24/7.

Answer 4

wow, lot's of great responses here. Even those I normally disagree with, come out with the basic answer: America has lost the knack for hard work. We are raising children that feel entitled to do anything they want, and it's getting worse.

This mentality invades our way of thinking. I'm a high school math teacher, and hardly any of the kids profess to liking math. Do you know why? Because they don't "get it". Do you know why they don't get it? Because it takes TIME, ENERGY, and HARD WORK. Things our young generation is lacking in huge quantities.

I'm not religious at all....but God help America, because if we continue on this path of entitlement, we will rot from the inside out.

Answer 5

They don't. We certainly don't expect it to go quickly. Bush has said he will stay in Iraq even if no one but his wife and his dog agree with him. That is why we are still there, Bush suffers from the classic Greek hubris. The "surge" is Rove's word for escalation. We were against it, remember. It will not work. We will never win in Iraq just like we never won in Vietnam. We have bombed their country to hell. They have no schools, no electricity, no telephone service, no hospitals etc. All they can do to try to protect their country from the invaders, the US, is bomb them one vehicle at a time. What would you do if a foreign country invaded our country and deposed our president and began running our country?

We need to bring our troops home now, alive and unmaimed.
Oh, yes we also gave them civil war.

Answer 6

Because everyone is only glancing at the problem. The more people discuss a problem, and the more complex they see it is, generally they understand it needs a complex solution.

Most people with political opinions have really thought about the problem in the first place and how they could solve it, and what the results of their solution would be.

Answer 7

Unfortunately, it has become part of our culture: fast food, fast solutions; 1-hour photo developing and all the rest. Americans are no longer taught religion or philosophy in school; they are not taught how to reason or expound upon ANYTHING. One with a doctorate's degree now is not as advanced (in language, history, philosophy, foreign languages, etc.) now as a high school graduate was in Colonial days! A high school graduate at that time was expected to answer the teacher in Latin and/or Greek.
One thing that is slower now, is our highways. In the 60's, 80 - 90 - 100 mph was not uncommon. Montana and Arizona had no speed limit other than "reasonable and prudent", but for the most part, life is much faster now.
And, being impatient, Americans want "Lord, teach me patience, and I want it now."

Answer 8

It's not a matter of how long it takes. The public would be more willing if over the years Iraq had shown improvement in stability. Quite the opposite has happened.

People are willing to take a hit to put out a fire, very few are willing to just stand in a fire.

Answer 9

It's not just Americans who want quick solutions. Alot of people expect to see quick results just like they see quick results on drama shows on tv. They think problems can be wrapped up in an hour. Yes it will take time in Iraq but I don't think there is much time left for our people who are over there fighting. I'm sure they'd like to be here with there families.

Answer 10

Question is why do we allow the government to make all the decisions if We The People are in control?
No Immigration Reform, No Iraqi Refugees, No Filling Our Prisons with Murderers, Terrorists, Rapists, and Child Molesters when they can be shot dead at the time of capture.
I know one thing that is taking its time. It is the slow rot of the USA. Thank you Bush !

Answer 11

It is not a matter of quick and easy solutions, it is called , if the other side was in control, they would say "patience is a virtue". Of course ,Iraq not being my point here.