Burgold Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I think we are near a tipping point where if we don't act things may become much worse for our children and their children. Do you agree? If so, what needs to be seriously addressed. What is the biggest threat to U.S. prosperity? I am not making this a poll because I hope people will give a thoughtful answer and I know you guys will think of areas I won't. Here are some of things I think are looming: Debtor nation: We owe too much money to nations we are unfriendly with Devaluation of the Dollar: things are getting expensive out there. Manufacturing: We don't make anything and are becoming beholden to other countries for everything. Research: We are surrendering our advantages in education and innovation. Life Span: For the first time in the history of the United States the life span for some demographic groups is shrinking. Literacy: We are no longer the most literate nation in the world and we are becoming less literate every year. Terrorism: We haven't done enough to protect our borders and areas of entry. Finding the equiliberum point behind safety and rights seem a very dangerous effort to the soul of the United States. Energy: We have become beholden to the economic whims of other countries and are addicted (to borrow from the President) to a form of energy that is expensive, limited, and bad for our lungs and environment. Hate: You see it bubbling at the surfaces, but there seems to be so many us versus thems forming. The hate machines are so powerful. Just look at politics and religion. Stuff you thought of, but I didn't: The fact that there's more is frightening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Joe Gibbs left. Without a trophy, this time. (Sorry. But I thought you hit all the good ones.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Over taxation, free healthcare and hate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I don't think the hate is all that bad. We haven't had a riot in 15 years. Things are looking up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Entitlement society and hard work dissapearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pskins Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Crippling national debt Tax breaks for the undeserving Crippling national debt Outsourcing of jobs overseas to benefit only the select few Crippling national debt War overseas for absolutley no good reason. Did I mention the crippling national debt. If you have this debt you cannot invest in the country's LONG TERM growth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Tax breaks for the undeservingOutsourcing of jobs overseas to benefit only the select few Crippling national debt War overseas for absolutley no good reason. etc etc etc. If you don't take care of your own you can kiss prosperity goodbye. Freedom from a brutal dictatorship isnt a good reason? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Pskins, I agree with the outsourcing first and foremost. Military spending/contracts are out of control. Its insane. So B, you actually came up with reasonable answers, so although I could add some randomness, it will all still root back to one of the ones you provided in the op. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pskins Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Freedom from a brutal dictatorship isnt a good reason? This is about the US's prosperity. The national debt is the biggest obstacle we face IMHO not some 3rd world strongman with no weapons of mass destruction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Public and private debt are the two biggest issues for this country. As an foreign born immigrant I'm astounded how financially irresponsible a significant portion of Americans are ... buying expensive cars every few years when they have little or no savings or retirement planning. People with well-paying jobs who are essentially living paycheck to paycheck. :doh: The cost of health insurance is also out of control and a significant 'tax' on companies. This limits entrepreneurship and the creation of new tech companies which is an area where the US needs to succeed if it is to continue to lead the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rincewind Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Freedom from a brutal dictatorship isnt a good reason? Didn't that guy die like 2 years ago? After a time of captivity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 So B, you actually came up with reasonable answers, so although I could add some randomness, it will all still root back to one of the ones you provided in the op. Agreed. Burgold, way to start a thread, give all the answers and set up yet another "why we are in Iraq" arguement. Come on, it's Sunday morning, did you have to do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GibbsFactor Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 The greatest threat to our prosperity? That's easy. We are the problem. Thanks to the collapse of any natural enemy, this country has become one of bigots. Thinking that we can fix and solve all problems, and more importantly, that we have no real problems. We can't be bothered with real issues, hence the ratings news channels get for Brittney Spears and the ever increasing "reality" shows. We'd rather watch other people who may be worse off then us. We live in cocoons and won't sacrifice like we did in the 40s until we must. Of course by then, we'll have no other choice. We fail to see that our political system is a wash. Our entitlement programs are completely out of control. We create committees and agencies to handle issues so we, the people, don't have to. Again, what we've learned is that it is hard to be #1 and then have the desire to stay there. The fact that we let big oil companies buy out the patents to their successors is the tell all. We wait for problems then look to a select few to fix them. The problem is, the select few are just our politicians, people good in the spotlight and kissing babies. What possible qualifications do they have at solving real problems? None. And we will be punished for it giving them such control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted June 1, 2008 Author Share Posted June 1, 2008 I was thinking people would pick one that they thought was the gravest concern and expound on it (I probably did write too long a list, but I just kept going as ideas kept piling up while I was writing) or indicate their own... Wait! I didn't even mention Iraq. I don't think Iraq is one of the biggest threats to U.S. prosperity. To quote Charlie Brown... "Why's everybody always picking on me!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Public and private debt are the two biggest issues for this country. I've wondered for some time, which is more harmful for our country: The Federal debt, personal debt, or a balance of trade deficit? (I dunno.) :whoknows: I just recently got around to checking out CD rates for my parent's money, and discovered that the rates have fallen to around 3%. I'm having trouble figuring out why they're so low, in a country where, supposedly, nobody saves. I'd have figured that my parents, being one of the few Americans who actually have cash in the bank, would be a sought-after comodity. I wonder if it wouldn't be better for our country if, instead of making interest on debts deductible, and interest on savings taxable, should it be the other way around? (At least up to a point. I really don't think we need for the government to be throwing more goodies at people who are living off of their money. But shouldn't we be encouraging "little people" to have some savings?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCsportsfan53 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Agree with everything Burguld listed and this Crippling national debtTax breaks for the undeserving Crippling national debt Outsourcing of jobs overseas to benefit only the select few Crippling national debt War overseas for absolutley no good reason. Did I mention the crippling national debt. If you have this debt you cannot invest in the country's LONG TERM growth. As far as this Freedom from a brutal dictatorship isnt a good reason? Um, hell no, that's not our ****ing job. Last time I checked Iraq didn't attack us and wasn't threatening us in any way. A complete and utter waste of over 3000 American lives, 100s of thousands of Iraqi lives and trillions of dollars, when we're already massively in debt. Nothing but an ego trip for a President who wanted to prove he could do what his daddy couldn't and clean up what he thought was his father's mistake. And to top it off, he used 9/11 to sucker people into going along with it. Easily one of the stupidest decisions in Presidential history. I love how delusional people can be. It's our ****ing job to displace foreign dictators, spending trillions of dollars but we're not supposed to give our own people health care and God forbid taxes get raised. Are you out of your mind? How the **** are we supposed to pay for that stupid war? Just keep borrowing from China, never paying anything back until we sink? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Entitlement society and hard work dissapearing. Agreed and I think that is tied into the Nanny government mentality of redistribution of wealth and excess taxation,combined with the school curriculum that is not focused on academics. Too many assume a right to a job,benefits and a high standard of living w/o the effort/proper education needed to attain them. In many ways we are becoming superficial, irrelevant and nonproductive as a whole. If the approx 30%(my guess) of productive citizens is not increased,this nation will falter....and then who is gonna take care of me in my old age? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GibbsFactor Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I wonder if it wouldn't be better for our country if, instead of making interest on debts deductible, and interest on savings taxable, should it be the other way around? (At least up to a point. I really don't think we need for the government to be throwing more goodies at people who are living off of their money. But shouldn't we be encouraging "little people" to have some savings?) Now we're trying to solve some issues! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCsportsfan53 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I wonder if it wouldn't be better for our country if, instead of making interest on debts deductible, and interest on savings taxable, should it be the other way around? (At least up to a point. I really don't think we need for the government to be throwing more goodies at people who are living off of their money. But shouldn't we be encouraging "little people" to have some savings?) That would require the gov't to actually care about the little guy and not the corporations who make money off them being in debt instead of saving money. Our economic model, the basis of our prosperity, is for an exponential increase in consumption. That entire model and modus operandi HAS to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Now we're trying to solve some issues! I didn't check. That is allowed, isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted June 1, 2008 Author Share Posted June 1, 2008 I go back and forth on entitlements which I suppose is different than the entitlement society. I do think that it is ethically wrong to see a car wreck, call an ambulance, and have it leave empty with the passengers dying because of lack of insurance. I hate seeing Vietnam vets (or people who claim to be) begging on roadside islands when they have served and risked their lives for their government. Then again, there are people who mightly abuse the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scskin Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 An Obama presidency? :laugh: After yesterday. :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted June 1, 2008 Author Share Posted June 1, 2008 An Obama presidency? :laugh: After yesterday. :doh: Can we try to hold off on the cheap partisan shots in this thread for a little bit longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Um, hell no, that's not our ****ing job. Last time I checked Iraq didn't attack us and wasn't threatening us in any way. A complete and utter waste of over 3000 American lives, 100s of thousands of Iraqi lives and trillions of dollars, when we're already massively in debt. Nothing but an ego trip for a President who wanted to prove he could do what his daddy couldn't and clean up what he thought was his father's mistake. And to top it off, he used 9/11 to sucker people into going along with it. Easily one of the stupidest decisions in Presidential history. I love how delusional people can be. It's our ****ing job to displace foreign dictators, spending trillions of dollars but we're not supposed to give our own people health care and God forbid taxes get raised. Are you out of your mind? How the **** are we supposed to pay for that stupid war? Just keep borrowing from China, never paying anything back until we sink? I think he was being sarcastic bro. Just sayin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scskin Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Can we try to hold off on the cheap partisan shots in this thread for a little bit longer. It was a joke, you have no idea who I'm supporting. It's just a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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