I'm truly stunned as to how many people on this forum actually live in the U.S., and yet and hate it so much. - This country celebrates diversity. - It celebrates freedom of speech and gender. - It also celebrates freedom of/from religion. Other countries have never experienced this freedom, ever. You should enjoy it while you can. Do you want tyranny of religion, belief, or ideology? As you destroy your freedom, you embrace your imprisonment. --- Please don't be a fool...
We must be living in different countries. --This country won't allow me to marry whomever I chose. Why? Because it's not "Christian." --This country allows me to be paid 30% less than men simply because of my gender. --This country has no laws to protect me from being fired because of my sexual orientation or gender identity. Why? Because giving queer folks protection from discrimination is not "Christian." --This country sends its cops to shove my friends and me out of the streets when we protest its policies. --This country sends its cops to videotape people at protests, "for the good of the country" (and for the benefit of the prosecutors). --This country is shutting down 20+ schools in my city, and forcing the students to move into schools that are already overcrowded. Meanwhile, this country is wasting hundreds of millions of dollars each day on military domination of other countries. --This country has imprisoned more people than the Soviet Union did, and more people South Africa did under the apartheid. --This country claims to be democratic, while ignoring that over two-thirds of its citizens are opposed to a war that it refuses to get out of. Tell me again how much my country loves me, celebrates my diversity, and protects my freedoms.
Alot of those arent "this country" it's the Bush administration. Essentially America is a place that is not run by the federal government, but run by the State, the people. The Bush administration has pushed the bar even farther to make us think we need a strong government policing us and the wolrd. For so called Freedom?? Fuck the Federal Government not the USA. Thats patriotism
It's not just the Bush administration. --This country won't allow me to marry whomever I chose. Why? Because it's not "Christian." Clinton did this, too. (See: Defense of Marriage Act.) --This country allows me to be paid 30% less than men simply because of my gender. Capitalism. --This country has no laws to protect me from being fired because of my sexual orientation or gender identity. Why? Because giving queer folks protection from discrimination is not "Christian." Republicans, the Christian Right, et al. --This country sends its cops to shove my friends and me out of the streets when we protest its policies. This has always happened. --This country sends its cops to videotape people at protests, "for the good of the country" (and for the benefit of the prosecutors). Post-9/11 fear-mongering by Republicans. --This country is shutting down 20+ schools in my city, and forcing the students to move into schools that are already overcrowded. Meanwhile, this country is wasting hundreds of millions of dollars each day on military domination of other countries. Congress appropriates funds (in fact, they control the budget for my city -- DC). --This country has imprisoned more people than the Soviet Union did, and more people South Africa did under the apartheid. The fucked up, racist, classist justice system does this. --This country claims to be democratic, while ignoring that over two-thirds of its citizens are opposed to a war that it refuses to get out of. Congress is doing this, too. "It's not just Bush -- it's systematic."
Like I said, It's not just Bush, it's the Federal Government. Our Country is essentially free for everyone to choose what they want to do, until the federal government becomes too strong
OK, you blame capitalism for salary inequality, yet if we were in a structured economy, I'm positive that you'd be bitching about too much gov't control in our lives or some shit. When you say the cops shove you out of the streets when you protest, in the streets implies that there is some sort of disruption to the transportation system (a luxury your government affords you), and I say better the cops than some angry redneck.
Of course. I misspoke (mistyped?). It's not just capitalism. It's capitalism PLUS the patriarchy. In regards to the cops: Where I live, it's perfectly legal for people to take to the streets without permits. Not only that, but the cops' quite literally shoving us out of the streets creates a dangerous situation in which people are put at risk of being trampled. And no, I wouldn't be "bitching" about anything. Why? Because "bitch" and derivations of this word are incredibly sexist terms used to silence women who "dare" to speak up.
oh poor babies... if I obstruck the road to protest murder, some blue collar jackass will be late for their meeting; most people who dislike these protests for the inconvinience don't even care WHY there is a protest. No pig has any right to put a hand on me. Same with any redneck. I'd love to see the day when ANYONE who tries to stop a protest is ripped apart.
You should try celebrating your Gayness somewhere else. See how far you get. I have no problem with you. Neither does the U.S. I hope you find peace... Maybe you need to move somewhere that excepts people more. I live in a very liberal place and lesbians and gays do not have any problems that you speak of. Loosen up and get a grip. Move somewhere else if you are so stressed. If you are so oppressed, there ARE better places. Good Luck!
America is the problem. It's not fair for anyone. In the last 10 minutes, I just smoked a joint, licked my girlfriend's pussy, drank a beer, bitched about my taxes and cussed in spanish... Oops, that was fun... According to liberal "victims", my way of life should be put on trial. It's my own fault that there is salary inequality. It's my fault that some people are not successful. Poor government dependents. Freedom is too much for them to handle. They need government to set fates for everyone. Good luck basking in the cloudy sunshine of government protection.
It's only your fault if you voted in people to represent you in congress, that fail their jobs while promising to protect your interests, and you reelect them. Free markets, free trade have they really protected your interests, or have they made a handful of people very rich at the expense of the working poor? It's not frivolous lawsuits, worker's compensation or bankruptcy laws that affected the market negatively, it's a freefall caused by market speculators, that want protection for themselves while stripping the working man of his. They create bubbles built out of smoke and mirrors and expect to reap the profits while the little man takes it in the gonads. Ask yourself how much did the executives of the failed Savings and Loans of the 1980/90s, Enron, WorldCom, etc. payback? Did they and families have to ask for foodstamps? Are their kid's fighting in the Middle East, because joining the military is the only job they can find?
Yep. Don't equate "working" with "poor". I'm very hard working and I'm not "poor". I'm much more fortunate than most people in other countries.
Maybe you aren't poor today, after inflation I'll check back. Are you in the top 2%? Promise you won't equate poor with unemployed, uninterested with being employed, because many of us are hard working, over worked, struggling individuals in your country. Many of us are working two and three jobs, paying higher fuel prices to go to each of those jobs, spending more on childcare and food. Am glad you are not poor, but I wonder why your lifestyle has been protected while mine has not? In what way has the free market protected your lifestyle, I'd like to know perhaps it could work for me as well.
So how many times have you contributed to this discussion? How many times have you said something helpful?
Hi, I wish I was in the top 2%... Note even close. I don't equate poor with unemployed, though being unemployed makes one poor, believe me I've been there. Don't lecture me on being overworked, and struggling - I fully understand that and have been there. We all are suffering from the high prices of gas and food. Here's the big difference in our perspectives: You are expecting some kind of protection from the government or from the free market. It doesn't work that way. You and I are both completely vulnerable to everything in this world. We are all survivors. None of us can count on any kind of guaranteed protection from anything. I can get killed in a car accident tomorrow - no guaranteed protection. All we can really do is make the best of what opportunities are out there. The free market offers people all around with the opportunities needed in order to survive and prosper. This is our only "protection". It is a shadowed canvas from a tree which only stands there with opportunity. If you refuse to stand in the shade, then don't complain when you get burned by the scorching rays of everyday survival.
To answer your questions: According to this forum, I've contributed 27 times at the time of this typing. The second question is more subjective than sarcastic - my opinions are of the minority in this forum. Apologies for occasionally being a dick with my opinions... Thanks for your perspective. Btw, my question to you was more than rhetorical. Peace.
