And what does this have to do with the American dream? We don't have this where I live. If you fly, you're scrutinized. The only time you will see armed security in NYC is if the president is here, or there has been a terrorist attack. I've only seen this once, in the days following the trade center attacks. Penn station looked like fort Hamilton. Even then, it was minimized. You knew that soldiers were there, but it wasn't "in your face" like some other countries are now. The "American" dream is no different than the "Russian" dream or the "Italian" dream, or any other dream for that matter. We all want the same things. We want creature comforts. We want to be able to feed ourselves and care for our own. We want to have some semblance of comfort on our later years when we're incapable of working like we used to. And yes, there are some who take it to the extreme. That's a universal condition as well. The dream dies when You give up.
All this hissy fit over a couple lunatics that are trying to replicate the Christian atrocities during the Crusades with a Muslim flavour. There are 8 billion people on Earth, enough to dump the whole bunch of lunatics down a pit somewhere. You know what the real issue is, how are we going to feed all the people on Earth now. Mass starvation, water shortages and death are coming for a huge portion of them. If you think it's crazy now with some loonys trying to push their stupid agenda, wait till people have no food and water and decide to riot.
All I'm trying to say is whilst we squabble over ideologies of the "left / right" spectrum, the "American dream" as I perceive it, which is mainly a right of freedom to make your own choices in life is slowly being eroded away by government (left or right). I am of the opinion the LESS government has to do with your life the better. What I am seeing in reality is quite the opposite. Its not just the American dream, but for all peoples around the world. Hence my post about checkpoints and ID's being put forth as an idea in an article for Europe and the west. More like a nightmare than a dream most would agree yes? When the American dream was alive and well (pick your own point of history when that applies) there's no denying America at one point was the land of dreams. So too was Australia. And I bet to wager so was many other countries around the world also. Look now though. Its not just America, this mission creep is spreading everywhere. I just want to warn people that there is an agenda at play. Even your good self Michaela Joy, you posted wonderful pieces about Microsoft and their attempts at spying on their users. If it was only Microsoft one could say so what, but its everywhere. Google, Facebook, the list goes on. Government & corporations working in unison to what ends I ask? A coordinated effort regardless of political leanings destabilizing the middle east resulting in literally millions of displaced people moving to Europe and elsewhere around the globe. People talk about the "American dream" and when it ended? Does anyone else at least question the bigger picture at play here? I think an article putting forward the notion (and there are plenty of such articles recently coming out through the "media") that checkpoints and ID's (though inconvenient) might be the best way forward in this orchestrated world of "international terrorism" will effect your dreams, American or otherwise?
That's right R29K, go ahead and blame religion instead of the Government that causes these problems. Go take a look at Syria and for how long Christians and Muslims lived together peacefully there. Finding that information is not hard. Christian churches, some of which are the oldest in the world in IRAQ! which have been there for centuries. Egypt the same, both Muslims and Christians lived together peacefully. These regions in the middle east of both Muslim and Christian have lived peacefully with each other for centuries. Do some research of Syria and the multi-faiths that have lived there peacefully. How stable and welcoming Syria was for all faiths, until geopolitical agendas stepped in and armed one group over another and turned the country into hell hole on earth. Edit: And yes there are the issues of food, water and living conditions. Monsanto and other such corporations have nothing to do with this? Have you read about India and Monsanto and how food shortages there are a direct result of being forced to use Monsanto seed? Look it up, its horrifying. Many cases around the world of food shortages and direct links to Monsanto. Religion isn't the problem. Government/corporations are the biggest threat to this planet imho.
I could't have said it better. People are living for today like there is no tomorrow, when tomorrow comes
Religion, government and society are all at fault. What I don't understand is why these terrorists are being given so much air time by the media ? Society has been reduced to a spectator and the loonys are the players on the field. Since when is war a spectator sport ? They need to stop giving terrorists all this air time. They are not worth it and the media lives off too much negativity.
Well said! Though both Saddam and Ghaddafi made the mistake of trying to bring in a united gold backed currency for the Arab/North African states, and stop using the U.S dollar for their oil. BIG mistake. Never mind if they were either good or bad dictators to their people, as there are arguments for and against this on both sides, but, it was Saddam/Ghaddafi's and others efforts to ditch the U.S dollar that got the ball rolling. Of coarse which would be the U.S/Saudi Arabia's worst freakin nightmare if they succeeded. R29k: Its probably what saddens me the most. The media have such influence upon society and could lay it all out to bear in understandable terms. Probably why the main stream media are now controlled by a handful of rich and powerful moguls. But in the meantime you try and warn people and before you know it, the media does its job and your labeled a republican or a democrat - religious/atheist - Christian/Muslim - left/right spectrum ideology - divide and conquer ...saddens me greatly.
Capitalism. Revolution. Change in Humans (systemic [economy, politics, society] and educational), too. Otherwise - the same old same old...