| Author | Message | ||
     Fahren |
"At the root of America's economic crisis lies a moral crisis: the decline of civic virtue among America's political and economic elite. A society of markets, laws, and elections is not enough if the rich and powerful fail to behave with respect, honesty, and compassion toward the rest of society and toward the world. America has developed the world's most competitive market society but has squandered its civic virtue along the way. Without restoring an ethos of social responsibility, there can be no meaningful and sustained economic recovery." from The Price of Civilization Reawakening American Virtue and Prosperity by Jeffrey D. Sachs I just put this on my reading list. Here is a longer exerpt and a brief review. | ||
| Buellathebuzzer |
Amen. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I do find it interesting that 100% of the onus for civic virtue is hung on the "rich and powerful". Do the "poor and downtrodden" have no responsibility for civic virtue? I don't see much, if any, "civic virtue" in the Occupy folks. I don't see much "civic virtue" here: Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what your country can do for you. | ||
| Strokizator |
"Like many Americans, I looked to Barack Obama as the hope for a breakthrough.Change was on the way, or so we hoped; yet there has been far more continuity than change. Obama has continued down the well-trodden path of open-ended war in Afghanistan, massive military budgets, kowtowing to lobbyists, stingy foreign aid, unaffordable tax cuts, unprecedented budget deficits, and a disquieting unwillingness to address the deeper causes of America's problems. The Administration is packed with individuals passing through the revolving door that connects Wall Street and the White House. In order to find deep solutions to America's economic crisis, we'll need to understand why the American political system has proven to be so resistant to change." Sounds to me like just another touchy-feely hope and change kind of guy who's disappointed that slogans and group hugs didn't change the world. Obama got elected and guess what? He still had to pay his mortgage and put gas in his tank. I'm not denying that some got their wealth through greed just as some greedily scam the welfare system. It's time to stop looking to the government to provide you a happy life. Coveting others possessions will just make you miserable. | ||
| Brinnutz |
lol. his stash. (Message edited by brinnutz on January 17, 2012) | ||
| Kenm123t |
Unaffordable tax cuts? What kind of drugs is that fool on! Greed and evil is Coveting what is not yours! Again Robbin in the hood | ||
| Cityxslicker |
There is more money going over seas to Muslim Brotherhood work projects than any other time in the history of America (and why are we paying for Sesame Street in Pakistan ?!?!?!) full of hyperbole, not based in reality. He did bring 'Change' - it just wasnt any good (Delta, change, can be positive or negative - this guy has NEGATIVE down real well) | ||
| Kenm123t |
the only difference between the Capone Chicago mob and the One is Obama is using the Gov guns against you Capone was much more honorable and used his own. How many folks in the energy industry are out of work or soon will be since the fool was elected | ||
| Ratbuell |
I still have a hard time blaming the man. Any man. I don't trust anyone dumb (arrogant) enough to run for office. The SYSTEM is corrupt, and has been for ages. Campaign promises won't do it. A new face every four years won't do it. Wholesale housecleaning is going to be the only solution. Not this Occupy BS, it's a JOKE; "revolution" isn't the answer. The system is good on paper and it CAN work, but crooks have been running the show for too long and haven't had to answer to anyone for it. Unfortunately the crooks are now one and the same with the system itself; the two are, at this point, basically inseparable. So now what? | ||
| Tbolt_pilot |
The first housecleaning needs to be on 24-hour news. Get rid of it. If you REALLY break it down and get rid of what simply isn't world or national news. Then there's not enough to fill up 24 hours. So they just "analyze" and "opinion" everything to death. But what REALLY drives it is advertising dollars. CNN is there to make money. Unfortunately, that's where most people get their "facts" to make their voting decisions. "Well, he's ahead in the poll on CNN so he must be the best." | ||
| 99savage |
Long but worthwhile essay by Charles Murray. Does not deal directly with Civic Virtue, which was what most concerned the builders of this nation but which can no longer be mentioned, even in passing, for fear of offending the sensibilities of the secular elite. But his essay does highlight how the loss of virtue has exacerbated the problems of the bottom rungs of society. - We all know the root causes of our woes but we dare not mention them. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240529702043 01404577170733817181646.html | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Civic Virtues? About 32mpg, easy to park, reliable, cheap to insure. | ||
| Jimidan |
tbolt: "The first housecleaning needs to be on 24-hour news. Get rid of it. If you REALLY break it down and get rid of what simply isn't world or national news. Then there's not enough to fill up 24 hours. So they just "analyze" and "opinion" everything to death. But what REALLY drives it is advertising dollars. CNN is there to make money." And Fox, MSNBC aren't? And how do you propose to shut them down? (Message edited by Jimidan on January 21, 2012) | ||
| Harleyelf |
Fox news misspells its name. Should read "Faux news". | ||
| Tbolt_pilot |
Did I say 'only CNN'? No, I didn't. So don't argue against what isn't there... like the press does! You think I don't know that they realistically can't be 'shut down'? My point is that the majority of their content isn't real, essential news. Their content is whatever is shocking and unbelievable enough to make people watch their channel and not the other. Whoever gets the most people to watch, gets to charge more for advertising...simple. So what's the topic of this thread? Oh, yeah. Civic Virtue...or the loss of it. | ||
| Aesquire |
Restricting speech is never a winning play. What we really need is an app that tells us if the guy on tv is lying. The trouble is that many of them simply read what is before them, and believe it, because they are ignorant,stupid, or brainwashed. ( like a few on this board that can't spell Fox ) Without them knowing what they say is a lie, I don't know any way to use physiological readings to detect lies. Fox often Pi$$e$ me off when the pretty face "news" person reads ( say ) an AP story right off the teleprompter that is what I know to have major falsehoods. Often while showing video that Proves what is said is a lie. ( but, you'd have to have a little knowledge to know that. The "News" person simply does not. ) | ||
| Blake |
Socialist propaganda pushing class warfare sucks. | ||
| Jimidan |
I guess that class warfare is much better when Mitt and Newt do it on the poor, huh? Do you think that it is merely a coincidence that you guys always take up for our rich mac daddies. Why is that? | ||
| Blake |
Lies suck. Stop lying Jim. | ||
| Harleyelf |
It only takes one counterexample to disprove an "always" claim. Class warfare sucks no matter who is waging it on whom. | ||
| Doerman |
At the root of America's economic crisis lies a moral crisis Very true. Interesting part is -- it is us. Did we not spend the future by manipulating the value of our home? How about voting in "hope and change" instead of a constitutional based candidate? We now abhor the investment community and business making money, while looking for a better return on the 401K or pension plans? And the worst of all.. envying our neighbor for being more successful than ourselves. It surety seems the mirror is telling us we're looking at the problem. The problem is not external to us - it starts with each of us. To point fingers elsewhere is just prolonging the agony. Start fixing things at home before pointing elsewhere. Politicians and news agencies only have the power we give themb (Message edited by doerman on January 22, 2012) | ||
| Aesquire |
To point fingers elsewhere is just prolonging the agony. Start fixing things at home before pointing elsewhere. Politicians and news agencies only have the power we give themb A good point, but I have to point out that "others" really want us enslaved or dead, while they rule the world. Mostly the 2 1/2 religious cults that make a lie a mitzvah if it advances the "cause". ( marxism, watermelon, Jihadi ) Does that explain Jimidan? Jimidan, which of the 2 1/2 religious groups doth thou favor? Doerman, don't forget some folk just take power, and assume that having an army of well armed troops makes it so. Like the new IRS and Health Czar troops. Or even better, the agency created by Dodd-Frank that has zero legal restrictions. |
