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Until we get our collective head out of our ass and treat teachers and cops and sanitation workers and firefighters and the men and women we send into combat as the priceless resources that protect our lives, care for our children and make our country worth living in, we’re doomed to a future of self-centered stupidity and civic ignorance

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Originally posted by 1kiki:
Once again the right-win fails to present a cogent argument. Instead, they seem to be collectively mired in talking points, which, in their brains, is what passes for thought.

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Originally posted by Niki2:
Not "everything", obviously, but a valid point:

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When a country places more importance on sports than on academic achievement, its decline is inevitable. The American Decline is real and this is where it comes from.

This is why intelligence and knowledge is disparaged in the country that reached the Moon. These days, intellectuals are mocked as “faggy” and unmanly as if brute strength somehow contributed to the technical prowess, economic agility and innovation that made America a superpower.

This is why our politics are a disaster. When you raise of generation to believe that throwing a ball is more important than fulfilling their civic duty to make informed decisions, you allow charlatans to sell their lies to the public unchallenged.

This is where the Steubenville and countless other sports town rapes comes from, the vast majority of which are covered up and ignored. We literally worship at the altar of sports. The rape of young women is a small price to pay for glory immortal.

Until we get our collective head out of our ass and treat teachers and cops and sanitation workers and firefighters and the men and women we send into combat as the priceless resources that protect our lives, care for our children and make our country worth living in, we’re doomed to a future of self-centered stupidity and civic ignorance.

Bread and Circuses brought Rome to its knees. Will our epitaph be “Football and Junk Food?” Interactive map at http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/05/12/american-decline/#ixzz2T6DGHDX
M

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Obviously it's not all that's wrong, but it certainly plays its part, as far as I'm concerned!

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Originally posted by Geezer:
Hey! Let's all play.



The States in bright red have more firearms related unintentional deaths than motor-vehicle related unintentional deaths.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

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Originally posted by 1kiki:
Once again the right-win fails to present a cogent argument. Instead, they seem to be collectively mired in talking points, which, in their brains, is what passes for thought.

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"right-win " ??

OMG!! You're SUCH a moron! You can't even spell cat if someone spotted you C_T , could you?

TOO DAMN HILARIOUS!

You try to make fun of others, when you type worse than a 5th grader!

Oh MAN ! Pure gold!!

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Originally posted by DOMOKUN1:

What other things do you all see as contributory to the downfall of the USA? Or your home nation?

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so what sustains a nation like mine? Currently, natural resources, services (increasingly oursourced) and public sector employment. This bubble is waiting to burst, baby.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

Good to see you can laugh at yourself, Kwickie.

Just like everyone else.

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Originally posted by NewOldBrownCoat:

I

find it interesting that the highest paid guy in Alaska is a university president, and the guys in N & S Dakota are Deans of Medical schools.

Alaska, really? Sarah Palin's home state? There may be some hope for those folks after all. And the Dakotas ? Nothing against them, but they're part of the big wide-open midwestern plains, cowboy land. Hard to think of them competing with Harvard Med or UCLA.
NO intention of being snarky, I'm impressed with them.

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Originally posted by DOMOKUN1:

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Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
So just because you acknowledge a problem in one area of society, doesn't mean that you can't acknowledge others.

I'd say that the high road toll indicates that there is something very wrong with the private transport systems in many western countries, including my own.

But might leave it to another thread, because its an interesting topic (or at least I think so).

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It is indeed an interesting topic. And on that, let's add some fuel to the fire:

What other things do you all see as contributory to the downfall of the USA?

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Originally posted by Kwicko:

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Originally posted by NewOldBrownCoat:

I

find it interesting that the highest paid guy in Alaska is a university president, and the guys in N & S Dakota are Deans of Medical schools.

Alaska, really? Sarah Palin's home state? There may be some hope for those folks after all. And the Dakotas ? Nothing against them, but they're part of the big wide-open midwestern plains, cowboy land. Hard to think of them competing with Harvard Med or UCLA.
NO intention of being snarky, I'm impressed with them.

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Not highest-paid guy (or person), but highest-paid "public employee" - state, government, etc. And in the vast majority of states, it's a football coach, meaning most likely a state university football coach.

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Originally posted by Niki2:
Too complex a topic for me, but yes, definitely an interesting discussion to have.

Just popped in to say to Magons: It's not just the adoration of sports. HERE, that goes hand in hand a lot of the time with a DISMISSAL of intellect and learning. GOP regularly goes after those Evil Teachers, state after state, and mocks "intellectual elite"; I've never forgotten the guy who ran for office, and made sure he was photographed with his PICKUP TRUCK, 'cuz you know, good old guys have pickup trucks... And remember Obama being totally TRASHED for saying he'd like every child to have the chance to get a good education? The right, of course, made that "college", even tho' he'd quite clearly stated trade schools, etc., as well. That kind of mentality is what the author is pointing out, and it's gotten worse and worse in recent years.

Disdain for education is certainly a contributing factor, but only one of many, and yes, we're doing ourselves in quite nicely, as all empires do, doesn't take outside attack. Al Qaeda "got it" quite nicely; get us to spread our military might everywhere and bankrupt ourselves, that's helping too.

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Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:

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Originally posted by Niki2:
Too complex a topic for me, but yes, definitely an interesting discussion to have.

Just popped in to say to Magons: It's not just the adoration of sports. HERE, that goes hand in hand a lot of the time with a DISMISSAL of intellect and learning. GOP regularly goes after those Evil Teachers, state after state, and mocks "intellectual elite"; I've never forgotten the guy who ran for office, and made sure he was photographed with his PICKUP TRUCK, 'cuz you know, good old guys have pickup trucks... And remember Obama being totally TRASHED for saying he'd like every child to have the chance to get a good education? The right, of course, made that "college", even tho' he'd quite clearly stated trade schools, etc., as well. That kind of mentality is what the author is pointing out, and it's gotten worse and worse in recent years.

Disdain for education is certainly a contributing factor, but only one of many, and yes, we're doing ourselves in quite nicely, as all empires do, doesn't take outside attack. Al Qaeda "got it" quite nicely; get us to spread our military might everywhere and bankrupt ourselves, that's helping too.

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Oh yeah, we get all that too. Anti intellectualism. Stuff the research, that's just a bunch of leftie professors highbrowing it. Let's just use conjecture and gut responses to things and call it COMMON SENSE.

Drives me mad.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

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Originally posted by 1kiki:
Once again the right-win fails to present a cogent argument. Instead, they seem to be collectively mired in talking points, which, in their brains, is what passes for thought.

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"right-win " ??

OMG!! You're SUCH a moron! You can't even spell cat if someone spotted you C_T , could you?

TOO DAMN HILARIOUS!

You try to make fun of others, when you type worse than a 5th grader!

Oh MAN ! Pure gold!!

*BATDA

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