We can't make it here anymore

[MooseGod]

...to steal the title to a (badass) James McMurtry song...

What do you younger guys think of America's current state? Is the 'land of opportunity' going in the wrong direction? Can it even be fixed? Are we too far gone?

I've been thinking about this a lot...In times past, political and social conditions have been the driving force behind emigration to new 'lands of opportunity'...I'm starting to feel like I don't have a place here anymore....

Most Americans (at least most I've met) seem to have this "me me me" mindset, and no concept of delayed gratification. Top 40 music reigns supreme, and everything centers on how much money one can make. Lawmakers don't give two ****s about the working class man. Women seem like golddiggers, and men just...don't seem like men anymore. Even with a college degree, you're barely going to be able to make your mortgage payment. I wouldn't be suprised if in a few years an individual will have to make $100k+ just to keep their head above water.

Am I just crazy? Our generation has the Iraq war to pay for, among other things, and we may see the collapse of Social Security which we have paid into for a while thus far. Really, it seems like my generation is getting the short end of the stick. Kind of a drunken rant here, but I still think it raises some interesting questions. Thoughts?

 

[Falcon]

You think our generation is bad? Think about the debt we are handing off to the next one...

David Walker, went as far as questioning our morality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS2fI2p9iVs

 

[SmoothTalker]

It won't be the end of the world, but a lot of things are falling into place for a really ****ty couple of decades.

-Ever growing competition for natural resourses makes everything cost more
-Massive sending on defense and security
-People being obessed with instant gratification, going into severe debt
-A seeming trend to not value education as much as we should
-Social problems like the break down of family structures
-And the real killer, a smaller labour force in proportion to retirees than possibly ever before in history. When the baby boomers quit, we'll be footing a large chunk of the bill, and people are living a damn long time now, so while boomers are getting close to turning 60, we probably have a minumum 2 decades left before they start dying in large numbers.

Not only that, but they will want more from their retirement than any previous generation. Be prepared for huge tax hikes and sagging economies. In previous historical examples (black plague for example) a drop in population eventually helped the economy as more people than usual got inheritances. But by the time most baby boomers die they'll be lucky to have any net worth left at all - most likely they'll be in the hole, with their Buicks on credit and the home under a reverse mortgage.

 

[comic_relief]

Not only that, but they will want more from their retirement than any previous generation. Be prepared for huge tax hikes and sagging economies. In previous historical examples (black plague for example) a drop in population eventually helped the economy as more people than usual got inheritances. But by the time most baby boomers die they'll be lucky to have any net worth left at all - most likely they'll be in the hole, with their Buicks on credit and the home under a reverse mortgage.

soylent green is people

comic_relief

 

[ready123]

I agree with the sense of entitlement, it can get pretty ridiculous.

I've also wondered about the fact those of us who are Americans are used to a country that has always been the world hegemony. Nothing lasts forever and one day another country will replace us, just like the US did to England. I wonder what the implications of that will be

 

[AgonyUncle]

From an outsiders perspective, I think that the US is in quite a bit of trouble. I may be wrong with a lot.

Economically, the rise of China, India and Eastern European countries now in the EU means that the potential marketplace has grown. There is no need to bow down to American demands because your purchasning power is being equalled elsewhere. Americans dependence on cheap oil (I cant believe how cheap a gallon of fuel is there) is a long term problem. To have an economy so reliant on one resource when that resource is not under direct control is something to be concerned about. You guys need to sort this **** quickly, for the good of the world economy

The sub prime crisis is going to hurt everyone, but I believe that its a worldwide correction we need to see. Debt levels are way to high in all first world countries creating a false economy. The world economy is not as large as we believe it to be. Debt is the reason for this. Hell, UK has a consumer debt ratio of like 110% of GDP?!?!? Scary

Socially though, I feel you guys have some serious serious problems. You open your borders to everyone while you neglect your tax payers. Medical services are poor. That aside, I cant help but think that Americans have become too liberal for their own good. The family unit is starting to crumble, highlighted by your divorce statistics.

You seem to be a nation obsessed by celebrity. How a retard like 50 cent can be considered cool is beyond me. He is a ****ing criminal. Who now makes gangsta tunes with Justin Timberlake, former boy band wonder. WTF is this nonsense. Its all so fake.

This makes for long but very interesting reading though. Just to say that I dont agree with his sentiments that the USA is on the verge of collapse. Just to much good happening there for something like this to happen IMO

Closing the 'Collapse Gap': the USSR was better prepared for collapse than the US | EnergyBulletin.net | Peak Oil News Clearinghouse

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am not an expert or a scholar or an activist. I am more of an eye-witness. I watched the Soviet Union collapse, and I have tried to put my observations into a concise message. I will leave it up to you to decide just how urgent a message it is.

My talk tonight is about the lack of collapse-preparedness here in the United States. I will compare it with the situation in the Soviet Union, prior to its collapse. The rhetorical device I am going to use is the "Collapse Gap" – to go along with the Nuclear Gap, and the Space Gap, and various other superpower gaps that were fashionable during the Cold War.

 

[Technical1]

America is really caught between a rock and a hard place. Almost any problem you can name, America now has it. Money problems, loss of industrial base, military overexpansion, loss of strategic objective (in Middle East), ethnic warfare/possible civil war, large scale political corruption, usurpation of power at the highest levels, irresponsibility of its most important leaders, rottenness of its culture, lowering of educational standards, glorification of stupidity (Paris Hilton), abandonment of discipline in all areas of life, and lack of any uniting philosophical/moral/historical framework. Worst of all, the powers that be have vested interests in seeing that none of these questions ever get answered, none of the problems taken care of. I really hope things aren't as bleak as they sometimes do appear to be to me.

 

[ready123]

ethnic warfare/possible civil war

we're on the verge of civil war?

glorification of stupidity (Paris Hilton)

it's more glorification of celebrity, and we're not the only country who does this. look what happened to Edison Chen

abandonment of discipline in all areas of life

what do you mean by this

lack of any uniting philosophical/moral/historical framework

no clue what you mean by this either

 

[Corona]

Every generation seems to want to characterize themselves as more unique or important than others. Think about times like the Vietnam, WWII, or Great Depression eras. I'd argue that we face much more manageable situations.

There's always going to be a small percentage of people who are aware can protect themselves (or perhaps exploit) those who are unaware. (Can I get an "amen" from Fransisco here?)