Everything starts at home. Try raising a handful of little humans that don’t hate everyone, can hold down a job, and know what it means to work honestly. Everything else flows from there. Or if you don’t have kids, cultivate that mindset around the people you do have in your life.
You’re right about everything starts at home, but it starts how you are raised. If you are raised to instinctively respect your environment, be mindful and considerate of those around you, and most of all, hold people responsible, accountable, and appropriate for what they do and what they say, then you’re ahead of the game.
But, people have no interest in identifying evil, and that’s where society has failed. And remember, it’s not just the sociopaths, it’s the cowards who just pathetically avoid ignore and condone hate, lust for power, and distain for life.
and to the extent that you are able, grow some of your own food. a tomato plant on a sunny window ledge or a small pot of herbs is enough. it will instill in you a frontier spirit and you will grow obsessed with breaking the chains that bind you to the industrial food system
At the age of almost 80, I have seen one standard aka code go by the wayside after another - to the detriment of all. No more dress code, behavior code, simple courtesies (opening a door for someone). And there are probably millions of kids who have no idea what the Golden Rule is. Start there.
So many things are possible and easy to do: being friendly to everyone one deals with, not being wantonly critical, being reliable, thanking people for the little things, etc.
What about politicians and WH officials who can’t seem to communicate without using the eff word? People have learned the wrong lessons from Trump and think that to appear strong you have to be coarse and vulgar. Trump is sui generis. And he succeeded not because of the vulgarity but in spite of it. Now it’s a race to the bottom.
Agree, and it’s worse than that. As Governor, Bill Clinton, uh, exposed Exhibit A to state employee Paula Jones. In court, there was a factual finding of “true” as said Exhibit had distinguishing characteristics identified by Paula Jones.
Feminist icon Gloria Steinem famously excused the depravity of Clinton, and thereby exposed the depravity of Feminism and the entire left by writing, in effect, [it’s all good - he took no for an answer].
If there is an analogy here, and there may be, it is to the fall of the Roman Republic, not so much to the fall of the Roman Empire. After Rome became master of the Mediterranean world in 146 BC, bad things started to happen. After the Soviet Union fell in 1989, things in the US at least arguably began going downhill.
@Donnamarie- He intentionally used that language because he wasn't talking to US citizens; he was talking to a regime who kills its own people for kicks and giggles. What about all the Dems using the stronger words to make themselves more 'in tune' with the people? "Hey! See? I'm one of YOU guys!" not
Yes, he was; but I think there was a dual purpose: POTUS Trump was trying to confuse the electorate and press by sounding like a democrat 😉
Also, more on point, I ‘spect he was tired and may have let his frustration shine through - dealing with the Islamists and euro-betas overseas, he’s also having to deal with even more insidious enemies at home in the press and Democrat party.
Only partially agree. Have always shuddered at his narcissism and “unpresidential behavior,” but I can also see that what he’s doing is indeed beneficial for our future. A denuclearized Iran?🤞Tariffs instead of income tax? Yes please. Thanks to the CPA lobbyists, it’s the closest thing we will ever get to a flat tax where, when you spend more, you pay more. Puts a dent in the tax loopholes that the wealthy optimize. Trump is trying to rein in a murderous regime of immense power. He’s speaking directly to Iran. Maybe sometimes, the end justifies the means.
Fred, I think you may mixed up some concepts: a "flat tax" has nothing to do with spending/consumption, it pertains to one’s income - the tax rate is flat across all incomes with few if any deductions/exemptions and usually a minimum income at which taxation begins. You may have meant to say a national sales tax/VAT tax that would uniformly tax people based on consumption.
Personally, I’m not against either, favor an unadorned flat tax, and not opposed to a national uniformly applied sales tax so long as it’s kept low so that we don’t cause American industry to flee to greener pastures. In fact, I’d be fine with not taxing industry at all as a tax on business just gets passed on to the consumer - let consumers pay a bit more on things/services that cost less w/o the pass through. Doing that would attract more industry to USofA.
I thought the "Fair Tax" of 30 or so years ago was a good idea. One reason it would never pass is that is that tax breaks or various surcharges are an effective way to reward political allies and punish political foes. Congress would never give up that carrot and stick.
I can vaguely, sort of, remember Truman being President. Truman said that he didn't "give a Tinker's damn" about something. My parents grumbled about it. It wasn't all that bad, but the POTUS shouldn't be using language like that.
My inquiry as to the definition of a Tinker's damn resulted in the end of the discussion. I still don't know what it means.
I could not agree more with Patricia GR. I have a couple years on her.
I've been holding the door for women my entire life.
You know why:
My grandfather told me it was non-negotiable. He said it was the true sign of a honest man. And that it is just as much for yourself as for the female; self respect.
Its just reflexive for me now...but always gives me one of those small pleasures in life.
I'm in my late 60s and I too hold doors for people behind me so that the door doesn't slam in their face. I think it's a simple courtesy but I still encounter people who let the door go without ever glancing behind them.
I am 82. I remember sometime in the late 60's early 70s when it became a thing for so-called "feminists" to get outraged by a man holding the door for them. It was a bit of a dilemma--be courteous only to get snarled at? I thought about it a little, went back to holding doors. Lady, I don't care if you are offended, it is courteous. Live with it.
I am convinced that spending would screech to a halt if we banned income tax withholding and made people cut a physical check month for estimated taxes.
My favorite: Require all elected officials to fill out their own income tax returns, personally. No professional help, pro-bono or not. Have sign under penalty of perjury that the only assistance they received was from IRS call in numbers.
To end withholding would require an act of Congress - an EO would be nixed before the ink was dry.
But, as a strictly estimated tax payer I have no problem with it coming to pass - it would force people to come to awareness just how much of their pay they never see; further, pay taxes on the benefits that get excluded - level the playing field.
It would not. Ideally they would do it, but it does not require an act of Congress. It was done in August 2020, under legal authority grounded in 26 U.S.C. § 7508A, which permits the Secretary of the Treasury to postpone certain tax deadlines due to federally declared disasters. There are a number of disaster declarations from Biden (and Trump) still in force. Once done, it would expose the farce.
The swamp would not recover until they "temporarily" (as was started in WW 2) implemented withholding again. And people would be awake by then vs the 1940s.
🤔 just what "disaster" would the executive branch be reacting to? - just because the legislative branch is incompetent, inept and immoral probably would be insufficient - at least not by the Judicial branch
Yes, notice he avoids the one most obvious parallel - mass importation of slaves and foreigners to “do the jobs the Roman’s won’t do.” Except Alex got mad when ICE was working on the problem… I guess some things never change!
Billionaire donors give money to Democrats and Republicans to keep the flow of cheap foreign labor coming in legally, with special Visas, and the old fashioned way, illegally crossing the border.
The current political and leadership class counts on the modern forms of bread and circuses to keep the masses occupied. Phones, the internet, alcohol, pot and other drugs. Put them in tiny apartments, give them welfare and Wi-Fi and keep them wasted and they will keep reelecting you. To many in our political class, Saint George Floyd was the model citizen!
Term limits; balanced budget amendment; tariffs high enough to provide full employment; welfare low enough to drive full labor-force participation; replace income tax on earnings (contributions to society) with flat tax on consumption; money backed by gold.
Additionally, removing the revolving door between government jobs and lobbyists, and hard limits on campaign finance spending. Criminalization of congressional insider stock trading would be nice as well.
There is no simple solution and I have been comparing us to Rome for many years, you can see the decay everywhere. I am not conservative nor liberal, whatever floats your boat as long as it doesn't harm someone. The media bears a great deal of the blame for where we are as a country and virtue signaling voters continue to elect people who have no business holding office. I wish there was a quick easy solution but there isn't unfortunately.
Alex, you missed something big that correlates to empires declining (not just Rome, but pretty much all prior to their decline), and that is moral decay. As empires get rich, moral decay grows exponentially. Whether it is the orgies of Rome or the swingers/open marriages of today, you see people filling their bored, over-opulent lives with empty sins. When we are rich (and even our poor are rich to many historical standards), we rely less on our God and more on ourselves, which pushes the limits of morality as we need larger and larger adrenaline rushes to feel whole. We see it everywhere. How I long for 1980 (I am an '80s kid, the best time to grow up in the US), when you could watch a movie with your child without worrying about sexual messaging/explicitness (or worse). But that is just one example. It is literally everywhere in our society today. You cannot drive your car on the highway without feeling like you need to cover your child's eyes.
I, too, just came back from Europe (the Netherlands, Norway, England, & Italy) and I saw NO Anti-American sentiment. That is a propaganda narrative against Trump (not a big fan of his as I am a true conservative, but I do support truth regardless of whether I like the person they are speaking about). I actually saw something more anti-American when Biden was in office (I was asked many times how Americans could not see his dementia, and heard many comments about the weakness in America during his 4 years). As a frequent international traveler, I always keep my ears open to hear what other nations think of ours and am always amazed at even American propaganda (even for those of us who pay attention). My trip to China was a great example. All the American propaganda about not going was ridiculous. While I wholly disagree with their government, the people were amazing, and immigration was super simple and easy. The American government's warnings were just about the political hatred we have for them, not the reality of what is on the ground when you get there. It is a shame that even this is full of politics and narrative!
What a concept. They would leave their everyday life for 4 years or so to serve their country. Then they would go back to being farmers, store owners, lawyers, and doctors.
The money in politics ruined it all. Congressmen AND women, (I don't want to upset Larry O'Donnell), receive donations from mega donors. Lobbyists go to DC with briefcases full of cash. If politicians look the other way, like Tim Walz, and Gavin Newsom and ignore the fraud that's going on with taxpayer money, they get a cut. There's no oversight and Congress votes for more government programs to syphon from.
Here's one way to help our culture: Cut out the welfare cheats, make them do the jobs illegals do, and if they sabotage the job so they don't have to work, they forevermore are not allowed services.
It will greatly reduce the welfare rolls allowing those who are working to hire a babysitter paid for by the state (yes, like the relative who cares for an ill or disabled relative program it can be abused. Freeing up welfare money can pay for a staff to oversee it), working will give dignity to those who need it, and maybe fathers, with that new dignity, will stick around, mostly because Baby Mama will insist on it because she'll be SOL if he leaves (and if he's found to be the father and refuses to step up, he doesn't get any help, either).
1. Treat invading our country as the crime it actually is and actually enforce our immigration laws - how far back 🤷♀️ how’bout back to just after the amnesty bill signed by Reagan 🤔
2. Get rid of this welfare system if you are physically capable of working - and enforce it. It is immoral to take resources from working people and give it to people unwilling to work. You got children from ??? baby daddies - pick one and sue for support from the others.
3. Begin transitioning from government social security to requiring people to put aside 10% (or more) - no tax until withdrawn or you reach, say 60 🤷♀️.
4. Abolish the 17th amendment - return Senator SELECTION back to the state legislature
5. Gerrymandering is illegal/immoral - restrict districts to contiguous communities.
Interesting read. I share most of these sentiments. I am, if anything, more pessimistic than you appear to be. I think we are ultimately doomed for one reason: We need faith in God, but we don't believe in him. If God exists it will work out. If not, we will devour ourselves. Jesus often said the kingdom of God is not of this world. I think the purpose of life is to seek God and to learn how to love one another. I think that is largely what he meant. But what we will find in the end, I do not know.
Fix it without an EMP frying all devices? Not sure that’s possible. I had hope that the Artemis would distract a bit from the DC circus and maybe - maybe! - bring people together. But no. News cycle stuck to the circus.
We would need a concerted movement to get back to not being so connected. Where would that start? I’d say you could ban them in schools, but my wife works for one where parents apparently need to be able to have access to their third grader via text all day.
The interconnected life we live in now is why would need to change. My crazy Uncle Ernie could rant and rave in his basement when I was growing up. Now guys like him hold sway over people on X.
Yes an EMP would fry all devices. And the power grid and water treatment plants. And all tractors and semi trucks. So all food would be local and organic.
What if there is no "practical way to improve our politics and culture?" What to do is obvious, but completely impractical. I am resigned to accept that there will be no improvement. To be free, is to be free to destroy yourself, and that is what we have freely chosen to do.
"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." Benjamin Franklin.
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams.
Elected representatives are not paid and taxes are not due and owing with respect to any period that is not funded and operating under a balanced budget.
Everything starts at home. Try raising a handful of little humans that don’t hate everyone, can hold down a job, and know what it means to work honestly. Everything else flows from there. Or if you don’t have kids, cultivate that mindset around the people you do have in your life.
As a new father, I can definitely attest that being responsible over little humans changes your life, perspective, etc.
Congratulations! Becoming a parent is truly witnessing God's miracles on earth. Enjoy every minute:)
And beware the schools. Our education system and its educators are dooming the future of this country. This is a huge, serious, and sad problem.
You’re right about everything starts at home, but it starts how you are raised. If you are raised to instinctively respect your environment, be mindful and considerate of those around you, and most of all, hold people responsible, accountable, and appropriate for what they do and what they say, then you’re ahead of the game.
But, people have no interest in identifying evil, and that’s where society has failed. And remember, it’s not just the sociopaths, it’s the cowards who just pathetically avoid ignore and condone hate, lust for power, and distain for life.
The Golden Rule was PREACHED at my house at every opportunity.
and to the extent that you are able, grow some of your own food. a tomato plant on a sunny window ledge or a small pot of herbs is enough. it will instill in you a frontier spirit and you will grow obsessed with breaking the chains that bind you to the industrial food system
At the age of almost 80, I have seen one standard aka code go by the wayside after another - to the detriment of all. No more dress code, behavior code, simple courtesies (opening a door for someone). And there are probably millions of kids who have no idea what the Golden Rule is. Start there.
So many things are possible and easy to do: being friendly to everyone one deals with, not being wantonly critical, being reliable, thanking people for the little things, etc.
And don't forget, what happened to just plain good manners?
What about politicians and WH officials who can’t seem to communicate without using the eff word? People have learned the wrong lessons from Trump and think that to appear strong you have to be coarse and vulgar. Trump is sui generis. And he succeeded not because of the vulgarity but in spite of it. Now it’s a race to the bottom.
My first memory of vulgarity in the White House was the Bill Clinton/Lewinsky affait
Agree, and it’s worse than that. As Governor, Bill Clinton, uh, exposed Exhibit A to state employee Paula Jones. In court, there was a factual finding of “true” as said Exhibit had distinguishing characteristics identified by Paula Jones.
Feminist icon Gloria Steinem famously excused the depravity of Clinton, and thereby exposed the depravity of Feminism and the entire left by writing, in effect, [it’s all good - he took no for an answer].
POTUS Kennedy and his multiple bimbos in the WH.
Back then, while it was fairly common knowledge, it was also covered up, not too dissimilar to the way POTUS Roosevelt’s polio infirmity was hidden.
Mine too. Never could look at a cigar the same again.
If there is an analogy here, and there may be, it is to the fall of the Roman Republic, not so much to the fall of the Roman Empire. After Rome became master of the Mediterranean world in 146 BC, bad things started to happen. After the Soviet Union fell in 1989, things in the US at least arguably began going downhill.
@Donnamarie- He intentionally used that language because he wasn't talking to US citizens; he was talking to a regime who kills its own people for kicks and giggles. What about all the Dems using the stronger words to make themselves more 'in tune' with the people? "Hey! See? I'm one of YOU guys!" not
Didn't the Democrats hold a F- Trump press conference a few months ago? They took turns at the mic proudly proclaiming F**k Trump!!!
And of course the constant chant of “F ICE”.
@Louise- they sure AF did
F-ing right!
@Louise- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Well done!!!
Yes, he was; but I think there was a dual purpose: POTUS Trump was trying to confuse the electorate and press by sounding like a democrat 😉
Also, more on point, I ‘spect he was tired and may have let his frustration shine through - dealing with the Islamists and euro-betas overseas, he’s also having to deal with even more insidious enemies at home in the press and Democrat party.
@SR- that makes perfect sense
Only partially agree. Have always shuddered at his narcissism and “unpresidential behavior,” but I can also see that what he’s doing is indeed beneficial for our future. A denuclearized Iran?🤞Tariffs instead of income tax? Yes please. Thanks to the CPA lobbyists, it’s the closest thing we will ever get to a flat tax where, when you spend more, you pay more. Puts a dent in the tax loopholes that the wealthy optimize. Trump is trying to rein in a murderous regime of immense power. He’s speaking directly to Iran. Maybe sometimes, the end justifies the means.
Fred, I think you may mixed up some concepts: a "flat tax" has nothing to do with spending/consumption, it pertains to one’s income - the tax rate is flat across all incomes with few if any deductions/exemptions and usually a minimum income at which taxation begins. You may have meant to say a national sales tax/VAT tax that would uniformly tax people based on consumption.
Personally, I’m not against either, favor an unadorned flat tax, and not opposed to a national uniformly applied sales tax so long as it’s kept low so that we don’t cause American industry to flee to greener pastures. In fact, I’d be fine with not taxing industry at all as a tax on business just gets passed on to the consumer - let consumers pay a bit more on things/services that cost less w/o the pass through. Doing that would attract more industry to USofA.
I thought the "Fair Tax" of 30 or so years ago was a good idea. One reason it would never pass is that is that tax breaks or various surcharges are an effective way to reward political allies and punish political foes. Congress would never give up that carrot and stick.
Thank you! I agree completely, and I should have clarified a flat tax on purchases. 😁 🤦♀️
Sleepy Joe was well sleepy, I take Trump every day and twice on Sunday.
The vulgarity, especially coming from women, started probably with the feminist movement in the '60s long before Trump.
All these women today in public life think they're so cool throwing around the f word. It's crazy, vulgar, and demeaning but they don't know it.
Good distinction.
I can vaguely, sort of, remember Truman being President. Truman said that he didn't "give a Tinker's damn" about something. My parents grumbled about it. It wasn't all that bad, but the POTUS shouldn't be using language like that.
My inquiry as to the definition of a Tinker's damn resulted in the end of the discussion. I still don't know what it means.
I could not agree more with Patricia GR. I have a couple years on her.
But did you see how high Trump is polling in Venezuela? Not joking. He announced that at the press conference earlier this week....
At least some people appreciate him. ;^))
Sad but true. I’m 73 next month and I still hold doors but I’m Ann old fossil.
I've been holding the door for women my entire life.
You know why:
My grandfather told me it was non-negotiable. He said it was the true sign of a honest man. And that it is just as much for yourself as for the female; self respect.
Its just reflexive for me now...but always gives me one of those small pleasures in life.
I'm in my late 60s and I too hold doors for people behind me so that the door doesn't slam in their face. I think it's a simple courtesy but I still encounter people who let the door go without ever glancing behind them.
I’m probably prejudiced but I think it’s more a Southern habit. Don’t think those damned Yankees do it as much.
I did it when I was a damned Yankee and now I do it as a proud Southerner. 😊
Northerners do it. All the time.
I am 82. I remember sometime in the late 60's early 70s when it became a thing for so-called "feminists" to get outraged by a man holding the door for them. It was a bit of a dilemma--be courteous only to get snarled at? I thought about it a little, went back to holding doors. Lady, I don't care if you are offended, it is courteous. Live with it.
We should all watch Morgan Freeman as Judge White in “Bonfire of the Vanities”. Great speech! Ends with “Go home….be decent people.”
I am convinced that spending would screech to a halt if we banned income tax withholding and made people cut a physical check month for estimated taxes.
Which is exactly why it will never happen. How else will the fraud be funded?
My favorite: Require all elected officials to fill out their own income tax returns, personally. No professional help, pro-bono or not. Have sign under penalty of perjury that the only assistance they received was from IRS call in numbers.
This 🎯🎯🎯
As used to be the case.
And Trump could do it as he did in the summer of 2020 by EO. I don't think he has considered it though as a way to cement his legacy.
To end withholding would require an act of Congress - an EO would be nixed before the ink was dry.
But, as a strictly estimated tax payer I have no problem with it coming to pass - it would force people to come to awareness just how much of their pay they never see; further, pay taxes on the benefits that get excluded - level the playing field.
It would not. Ideally they would do it, but it does not require an act of Congress. It was done in August 2020, under legal authority grounded in 26 U.S.C. § 7508A, which permits the Secretary of the Treasury to postpone certain tax deadlines due to federally declared disasters. There are a number of disaster declarations from Biden (and Trump) still in force. Once done, it would expose the farce.
See:l
https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-deferring-payroll-tax-obligations-light-ongoing-covid-19-disaster/
And discussion:
https://itstrue.substack.com/p/august-2020-memorandum-directing
The swamp would not recover until they "temporarily" (as was started in WW 2) implemented withholding again. And people would be awake by then vs the 1940s.
🤔 just what "disaster" would the executive branch be reacting to? - just because the legislative branch is incompetent, inept and immoral probably would be insufficient - at least not by the Judicial branch
Any of the ones that either Biden or Trump declared and that are still in effect.
Bingo!
We. Are. Doing. The. Same. Thing.
Particularly with immigration.
Yes, notice he avoids the one most obvious parallel - mass importation of slaves and foreigners to “do the jobs the Roman’s won’t do.” Except Alex got mad when ICE was working on the problem… I guess some things never change!
Billionaire donors give money to Democrats and Republicans to keep the flow of cheap foreign labor coming in legally, with special Visas, and the old fashioned way, illegally crossing the border.
Bingo, I was wanting to avoid politics for once but it is obvious!
To quote an old history book i have it said that “Rome fell due to a peaceful invasion”.
The current political and leadership class counts on the modern forms of bread and circuses to keep the masses occupied. Phones, the internet, alcohol, pot and other drugs. Put them in tiny apartments, give them welfare and Wi-Fi and keep them wasted and they will keep reelecting you. To many in our political class, Saint George Floyd was the model citizen!
Term limits; balanced budget amendment; tariffs high enough to provide full employment; welfare low enough to drive full labor-force participation; replace income tax on earnings (contributions to society) with flat tax on consumption; money backed by gold.
Additionally, removing the revolving door between government jobs and lobbyists, and hard limits on campaign finance spending. Criminalization of congressional insider stock trading would be nice as well.
Perhaps revisiting tar and feathering…..
There is no simple solution and I have been comparing us to Rome for many years, you can see the decay everywhere. I am not conservative nor liberal, whatever floats your boat as long as it doesn't harm someone. The media bears a great deal of the blame for where we are as a country and virtue signaling voters continue to elect people who have no business holding office. I wish there was a quick easy solution but there isn't unfortunately.
Alex, you missed something big that correlates to empires declining (not just Rome, but pretty much all prior to their decline), and that is moral decay. As empires get rich, moral decay grows exponentially. Whether it is the orgies of Rome or the swingers/open marriages of today, you see people filling their bored, over-opulent lives with empty sins. When we are rich (and even our poor are rich to many historical standards), we rely less on our God and more on ourselves, which pushes the limits of morality as we need larger and larger adrenaline rushes to feel whole. We see it everywhere. How I long for 1980 (I am an '80s kid, the best time to grow up in the US), when you could watch a movie with your child without worrying about sexual messaging/explicitness (or worse). But that is just one example. It is literally everywhere in our society today. You cannot drive your car on the highway without feeling like you need to cover your child's eyes.
I, too, just came back from Europe (the Netherlands, Norway, England, & Italy) and I saw NO Anti-American sentiment. That is a propaganda narrative against Trump (not a big fan of his as I am a true conservative, but I do support truth regardless of whether I like the person they are speaking about). I actually saw something more anti-American when Biden was in office (I was asked many times how Americans could not see his dementia, and heard many comments about the weakness in America during his 4 years). As a frequent international traveler, I always keep my ears open to hear what other nations think of ours and am always amazed at even American propaganda (even for those of us who pay attention). My trip to China was a great example. All the American propaganda about not going was ridiculous. While I wholly disagree with their government, the people were amazing, and immigration was super simple and easy. The American government's warnings were just about the political hatred we have for them, not the reality of what is on the ground when you get there. It is a shame that even this is full of politics and narrative!
Agreed! I've been saying for a while that American will not be Great again until America is Good again!
The founding fathers never meant for our representatives to be career politicians, but from the people.
3 terms max for a representative.
2 terms max for a senator.
No repeats. Ever!
What a concept. They would leave their everyday life for 4 years or so to serve their country. Then they would go back to being farmers, store owners, lawyers, and doctors.
That's what they intended and did at first.
Wasn't that what Parliament was composed of?
As usual, politics ruined it all.
The money in politics ruined it all. Congressmen AND women, (I don't want to upset Larry O'Donnell), receive donations from mega donors. Lobbyists go to DC with briefcases full of cash. If politicians look the other way, like Tim Walz, and Gavin Newsom and ignore the fraud that's going on with taxpayer money, they get a cut. There's no oversight and Congress votes for more government programs to syphon from.
Here's one way to help our culture: Cut out the welfare cheats, make them do the jobs illegals do, and if they sabotage the job so they don't have to work, they forevermore are not allowed services.
It will greatly reduce the welfare rolls allowing those who are working to hire a babysitter paid for by the state (yes, like the relative who cares for an ill or disabled relative program it can be abused. Freeing up welfare money can pay for a staff to oversee it), working will give dignity to those who need it, and maybe fathers, with that new dignity, will stick around, mostly because Baby Mama will insist on it because she'll be SOL if he leaves (and if he's found to be the father and refuses to step up, he doesn't get any help, either).
So there's ONE way.
Yes:
1. Treat invading our country as the crime it actually is and actually enforce our immigration laws - how far back 🤷♀️ how’bout back to just after the amnesty bill signed by Reagan 🤔
2. Get rid of this welfare system if you are physically capable of working - and enforce it. It is immoral to take resources from working people and give it to people unwilling to work. You got children from ??? baby daddies - pick one and sue for support from the others.
3. Begin transitioning from government social security to requiring people to put aside 10% (or more) - no tax until withdrawn or you reach, say 60 🤷♀️.
4. Abolish the 17th amendment - return Senator SELECTION back to the state legislature
5. Gerrymandering is illegal/immoral - restrict districts to contiguous communities.
6. No, haven’t forgotten TERM LIMITS
And many many more I’ve been thinking about.
Interesting read. I share most of these sentiments. I am, if anything, more pessimistic than you appear to be. I think we are ultimately doomed for one reason: We need faith in God, but we don't believe in him. If God exists it will work out. If not, we will devour ourselves. Jesus often said the kingdom of God is not of this world. I think the purpose of life is to seek God and to learn how to love one another. I think that is largely what he meant. But what we will find in the end, I do not know.
More younger people are turning to God now. For example Gen Zers are going to mass.
Fix it without an EMP frying all devices? Not sure that’s possible. I had hope that the Artemis would distract a bit from the DC circus and maybe - maybe! - bring people together. But no. News cycle stuck to the circus.
We would need a concerted movement to get back to not being so connected. Where would that start? I’d say you could ban them in schools, but my wife works for one where parents apparently need to be able to have access to their third grader via text all day.
The interconnected life we live in now is why would need to change. My crazy Uncle Ernie could rant and rave in his basement when I was growing up. Now guys like him hold sway over people on X.
Yes an EMP would fry all devices. And the power grid and water treatment plants. And all tractors and semi trucks. So all food would be local and organic.
Yeah...
all organic food but most of it unreachable because no cars or trains would work. All diabetics and other people on medication to live would die.
Communication would be cut off entirely.
Millions would die alone in the dark.
Raise your children and give them values! Don’t let the internet or television substitute for moral values
What if there is no "practical way to improve our politics and culture?" What to do is obvious, but completely impractical. I am resigned to accept that there will be no improvement. To be free, is to be free to destroy yourself, and that is what we have freely chosen to do.
"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." Benjamin Franklin.
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams.
Elected representatives are not paid and taxes are not due and owing with respect to any period that is not funded and operating under a balanced budget.
@Hope- you win the interwebs for today!!! Well done!
TERM LIMITS!!!