America in Decline - economic, intellectual etc...

[ralphmich3]

I am listening to a forum broadcast by the Commonwealth Club of California on the impending fiscal/economic crisis facing the nation. Namely:

1) the retirement of the baby-boomers who will begin to draw on Social Security, and the aging of the American population in general

2) the annual budget deficits and the ever accumulating federal national debt

3) the extremely low rate of savings among all Americans

4) exploding costs of Medicare and Medicaid, and health care in general

5) our dependence and increasing dependence on foreign sources of oil

6) the steady decline of the manufacturing sector of our economy

7) our consistently large trade deficits

8) the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which are costing the nation billions of dollars

Kevin Phillips, in his book "American Theocracy", puts it quite simply - American is in economic decline. And Phillips is not the only person saying this. Other economists have stated that America is no longer an economic super-power - it is dependent on foreign energy, foreign manufactured goods and foreign investments.

None of the candidates for president really want to talk about these problems. But WE must force them to..

[fenriswolf]

1. great joke

think about how dumb (insert uninformed if you want) the average american, then realize that half of america is even worse then that.

[BlooInBloo]

2. Especially those who don't know the difference between average and median.

[fenriswolf]

3. either way kinda scary

[BlooInBloo]

5. Totally.

[ralphmich3]

7. Functionally illiterate and policitally illiterate

I live in an economically declining blue-collar city and I am coming to believe that a large portion of the population never reads anything. They don't read newspapers and they certainly don't read books. I would guess that people get most of their information via television and radio.

It is truly shocking and scary - a democracy cannot function when most of the population is unaware of basic facts.

[skids]

13. I like that one too...

...but to be technically correct you have to say "the median American" -- and a good chunk of Americans don't know what that means, so it kind of ruins the joke. Gah! :scared:

(I wonder if there is a survey of the number of Americans that know the meaning of "median" WOuld be funny if it was "about half".)

[MikeNearMcChord]

4. Can a politican really look at the American People

and tell the truth? What happens if that politician says that the American Empire is naked, and we must lower our standard of living, to repair the damage of the last quarter to the half of the century to repair the damage? That politician must have great moral courage to tell Americans the brutal truth.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

6. To that list I would add

9) Ubber wealthy and multinational corporations that will move offshore the instant we attempt to make them pay their fair share of taxes.

Even if real democrats who believe in social programs are in the majority, we will have no way to pay for the things we want.
It's all pie in the sky, baby. I can't believe some people believe we will ever get substantial change. We won't.

[ralphmich3]

10. Govt. Healthcare - can we afford it??

The Dems are talking about national healthcare which would be great, but I am hearing and thinking that we cannot afford (or at least are not paying for) the government health programs we have NOW - medicare, medicaid, prescription drugs....

[midlife_mo_Jo]

17. I think we could afford it, if it's done correctly

But think about all the things some think we could pay for:

Universal free childcare/preschool
More money for public schools.
Free college tuition
Free health care and prescription drugs
A great increase in affordable public housing.
Better social security

And the kicker is the multinationals and ubber wealthy are going to leave us high and dry when they move offshore, but many here say patriotism and borders are wrong, anyway, so what the heck! We're going to get what we deserve. A bunch of multinationals who don't give a crap about this country are going to pull up stakes and move. It's happening all the time, now, anyway. We are definitely on the decline.

[ralphmich3]

19. Really?? - Retirement of boomers, medicare and

prescription drugs and Medicaid are exploding in costs. Not to mention the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the existing national debt.

I don't think it can be done without a large increase in taxes somewhere....

[MikeNearMcChord]

20. I would strip the multinationals

of ever doing business in America again and the rich would have any American property confiscated. The road back is going to be rough, but I agree with you, we can do it if done correctly.

[Benhurst]

21. The money being poured into the private "insurance" companies

would more than pay for single-payer universal health care. The multi-billion Dollar free lunch the "insurance" mafia has been enjoying would come to an end.

As Americans we pay more and get less than any industrial country in the world right now, and still millions are uninsured or under-insured. We can't afford the system we've got now.

And millions without adequate health care put this nation at risk. When the next pandemic strikes, it is the people without adequate medical care, such as those in retail sales, who have the most contact with the public at large, the perfect formula for a disaster.

The present situation is a disgrace, especially for a country which insists upon bellowing out it is one nation "under God."

[fenriswolf]

8. the only way to get on equal footing with corporations

is to repel free trade, now that all the factories are offshore they would have to pay out the wazoo to sell products in america, think about how much money in tariffs and taxes would be generated. and so the corporations would have to hike up their prices, we get more taxes for the imports and more of a reason to purchase locally manufactured products. GO KUCINICH

[ralphmich3]

11. Lower standard of living OR Redistribution of wealth

I do not see any other way around this problem - we must tax the rich and corporations etc... to fund these government programs and redistribute, somewhat, the wealth in the country.

[fenriswolf]

14. exactly of what use if wealth

if they have more then enough for their lifetime and their childrens lifetime to live comfortably.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

18. See my posts six and seventeen and tell me what you think nt

nt

[PDenton]

9. I feel this way strongly

It used to be a highschool education landed you a decent job. In a place like Orlando, a HS education lands you a crap job. Even an assosciates degree or technical skill is no gaurantee.

My generations birthright has been sold off to finance whatever machinations those in power see fit. It has been sold to multinationals, illegal aliens, H1-B workers, monied elites, the investor class. If my generation weren't so busy jacking into (off?) their iPods, they'd take to the streets.

Boomers just don't get it. Why should I feel good about it? Why should I feel any loyalty to my country at all anymore. The US was a nice dream, time for the dream to end. We might as well dissolve the Union unless this country can get its act together and start acting in our common interests, and not just the interests of global capitalists and rightwing pinheads.

[ralphmich3]

15. End of Cheap, domestic Oil - and manufacturing superiority

Those are both gone - things of the past. And we better start learning to deal with it.

When gas was 50 cents a gallon (in the 1960's) we could build inefficient cars, buy them and waste gas. We cannot do this any longer.

And unskilled labor is now competing globally - with the Mexicans, the Chinese, the Indians, anywhere etc... that is why there aren't the good paying manufacturing jobs any longer

[ThomWV]

12. Ralphmich3, May I use your list to expand upon?

Would you mind?

[ralphmich3]

16. Sure - it is not so much mine

As a collection of points from different writers and commentators... most importantly Kevin Phillips and another economist whose name I can't recall right now..

[ThomWV]

23. Thank you ...

[sendero]

22. A person would have to be utterly delusional...

... to fail to see that we are in economic decline. What is worse, as a result of the decline, the dollar is going to lose its status as the world's currency and that is going to make the pain even greater.

The vast majority of Americans content themselves with happy-talk, buy crap they don't need and cannot afford to keep up with their friends, and are ABSOLUTELY OBLIVIOUS to what is in store, not in 10-20 years, but right at our door, NOW.

[ralphmich3]

24. Republicans/ Rightwing - delusional, even Dems

don't want to talk about it. Hillary and the Gang are going with the Morning in American, No Sacrifices, America is great, Don't worry be happy...

Perhaps America is getting tired of being lied to on a daily basis by their leaders. Maybe someone can start whispering the truth about our economic situation (which will only get worse it seems)