kurtster wrote: 
You used hyperbole three times, by the way. Everyone's perspective is relevant. You'd be cool to converse with if you weren't so degrading. 

 kurtster wrote: 
Could someone feel my forehead and check if I feel feverish?

Steely_D wrote:  

 Steely_D wrote: 
Steely_D wrote:  
Good god man, you have nailed it.  I've been watching this thread pile up this afternoon and also kudos to noenz for his reply to your NK comment.

On your last thought and your first thought regarding North Korea ... we only know what we know.  If we don't see it we don't know it.  Kudos for your appropriate use of hyperbole with your North Korea remark.  What follows in that thought we could discuss, but that bogs things down for this post.  I do accept your out of the box perspective and apropos hyperbole based upon your recent trip.  Those who focus on hyperbole as a way to deconstruct a thought piss me off.  It can when used properly, set boundaries and ranges for thoughts that otherwise would not be understood as intended.  I did add the (anymore) in your first thought, just because ...

Your second thought is a breath of fresh air, at least for me.  Its an application of common sense amongst other things.  You lived, we lived, and we will live through him as well.  And if he really does a good job, then its a win, win, bonus.  Its quite clear one of two people will be our next POTUS regardless of how anyone feels about it.  I like the way you see this and encourage others to see what you see.
Nice Rx ...

 Steely_D wrote: 
I do not disagree with much of that, but what does that have to do with the media telling lies — which is what your first post stated?

 NoEnzLefttoSplit wrote: 
I heard a lot about what would happen when Obama become President.
Most didn't happen.
That being said... it's time to flush the toilet on professional politicians.
And the namby pambyness.

 steeler wrote: 
Pfft. That wasn't in the post at all.
My point is that America isn't as great as we're told. Trump says he'll make us great - but the truth is that Americans need to stand up and start working and taking responsibility.

We're becoming North Korea, a laughing stock of non-greatness while we swagger and boast and chant - but our tech and infrastructure and education and interdependence and freedom all dwindle while dreaming of American Idol or pro athlete or becoming a Kardashian.

 kcar wrote: 
Ignoring him, and focusing on the nation, I think we need to elect him.

Fully half the nation is angry and already intent on terrorizing Clinton for all 4-8 years, obstructing any progress we'd want to make as a nation. They did the same when that other uppity guy took office, from day one: a one.....term....president....

So, if this disgruntled half of America doesn't get Trump into office, we face another decade of gridlock and breath holding and anger.

Once, fifty years ago, my mom let me watch Saturday morning cartoons and eat a full box of Twinkies. I never did that again. Seemed like a good idea, but found out that everything that seems like a good idea isn't necessarily what you want. 

Let's elect him. 

 Steely_D wrote: 
Are you advocating for no media? For no coverage of what the President or candidates for President are saying? 

 steeler wrote: 
If you didn't turn on the media, would all this stuff ever cross your mind?

 
steeler wrote: 
It's interesting that a megaphone and a funnel are the same basic shape. In fact they could be substituted one for the other...

 kcar wrote: 
heaven forbid

 Steely_D wrote: 
Can you point us to another country who doesn't have similar or bigger problems? Most countries don't scrutinize their long-term shortcomings and problems in great detail. People stick their heads in the sand when faced with stubborn problems like major shifts in economic structure or educational achievement levels. 

The responsible American news organizations report on our problems. Political parties typically discuss our problems in ways that will advance their cause. However, the Democratic party tries to address our problems—eg, Obamacare which isn't the greatest solution but is definitely a step forward on the road to containing health care costs. 

The Republicans...love tax cuts. They never bothered to come up with an alternative to the ACA. Dubya gave us No Child Left Behind which didn't improve things that much. The Republican party seems to have turned into a collection of opportunists looking out for themselves, which gave  us Trump. 

If you have an idea about how Trump proposes fixing our problems (beyond building The Wall), do let us know. The Donald keeps saying "It's gonna be so great, trust me" as if he will be the Hand of God and magically fix everything for us.

How anyone can swallow his bullshit is beyond me. If he becomes President, we'll all wind up with Certificates of Suckerhood from Trump U and a tattoo of Putin on our asses. 
 

 Steely_D wrote: 
The media is telling us the lies? 

 NoEnzLefttoSplit wrote: 
I'm in complete agreement. And these parts you mention are parallel to what I'm suggesting. We're certainly a weak and distracted and undereducated society. Not at all really what we're told - painfully obvious when you step outside and look in.

But rather than hearing about how we can take responsibility and improve, we're told that someone else has broken it, someone else will fix it, and we're otherwise still the greatest. Those are lies, told to us by the media.

 marko86 wrote: 
Trump thinks the same thing of himself. Oh and he loves Putin too: he asked Putin to spy on the US. Apparently he now admits Russia hacked the DNC's servers and has no problem with that. 

Trump is practically begging to jump into bed with Putin. 

Donald Trump Calls on Russia to Find Hillary Clinton’s Missing Emails

DORAL, Fla. — Donald J. Trump said Wednesday that he hoped Russia had hacked Hillary Clinton’s email, essentially encouraging an adversarial foreign power to cyberspy on a secretary of state’s correspondence.

 NoEnzLefttoSplit wrote: 
Well said.

 Steely_D wrote: 
that's taking it a bit too far.
 
The US is and always was a bit further down the road than everyone else. In the past that automatically meant "better" but now the future painted by the US just seems scary. There is this huge disconnect between the image portrayed and the substance behind it. As though the substance no longer matters. There is a pervasive malaise affecting society underlying this trend and I am afraid it is pretty universal, and not just limited to the US. We are all more or less living in the vacuity created by the virtual mirrors we arrange around us. I've got no other explanation for it. It has come to the point when reality TV stars can throw all reference to the truth out the window, spout inane soundbites and get taken seriously to the point of being serious contenders for the highest office in the country. Like, wtf?? I mean, seriously, I never ever could have envisaged 20 years ago I would be warning right-wing Americans about the threat posed by an ex-KGB despotic ruler of Russia who appears about to win undue influence over the US, simply by buying out its potential next president. Crikey, where's MacArthur when you really need him? Now that is something I would never ever thought I would say.  Jeepers, you don't need a military if you can renege on your ideals so easily, just open the door and show them the fridge. Let the red army in and let them take control. 

 marko86 wrote: 
I just took a quick trip to Europe and it started to seem clear that America is basically North Korea.
We think we're the best; the media and politicians insist it's true. But, really, we're only important to others because we're giant meddlesome bullies.
But we don't do food, infrastructure, innovation, politics, healthcare, or freedom better than everyone else.