If you could change one thing about American society, what would it be?

[begin_within]

[libhill]

1. Education - 'nough said?

[I_Make_Mistakes]

16. GREED

If we would post on the gas tanks at the stations, how many people died for a gallon in Iraq, Iran, etc,?, How many people have breathing problems, cancer, etc. per gallon. How many people die from natuaral gas explosions, etc.

We, in the US, have an incredibly high rate of mental illness, breathing ailments, autism, etc. problems. I was at the grocery store a few months ago, when a woman had the lactate intorlerant ice cream on the mat in front of me. I said, is your child LI? (lactate intollerent), she said yes. (7 yr old). I said my neighbors son is 10 and LI. I said to her, my age, do you remember any children our age, with that kind of problem? She said no.

Then, I said, "When will the corporate CEO's get that they are poisoning their own children?". The guy in front of us RAN, I MEAN DID EVERYTHING, he could to get out of there. I think, he was freaked out. They just don't get it. He had all the trade marks of an executive, but, in NJ the ashma rate is high.

How do you wake'em up?

[begin_within]

26. You're right, there was nobody in my childhood who was lactose intolerant

[Tactical Progressive]

31. self-deleted - wrong post response n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Health care

or maybe education.

[LibDemAlways]

3. The media.

I'd go back to the long lost days of a free and independent press and investigative journalism. If we had a free press, the chimp would never have been selected in the first place.

[Tux]

4. Important

Dependance on religion to understand EVERYTHING in reality and won't acknowledge any uncertaintiy or lack of knowledge.

[Lorien]

5. That intelligence and a good education

could be valued by the mainstream.

[American Tragedy]

6. The obsession with what other people do in their private lives.

If somebody wants to smoke pot or get married or watch violent/dirty movies or burn a flag or have sex with another consenting adult in the privacy of their home, why the fuck does anybody care?

[begin_within]

27. People with empty lives fill the void by fixating on other people's lives.

[burn the bush]

7. the results of the 2000 election

I mean the results we were handed.

[Smarmie Doofus]

8. Commercialization of everything...everywhere.

[Kenneth ken]

9. corporate 'personhood'

and all the 'rights' that derive from it. I would eliminate that, and make corporations have many responsibilites, but few if any rights.

Then we could start eliminating the cult of greed in this society, and perhaps start rebuilding the idea of a society of, by, and for the people.

[Straight Shooter]

10. The unhealthy obsession with sports and athletes.

Appreciation is good; obsession is bizarre.

[jdots]

11. make them realize they aren't the only people in the world

that are human beings.

[Warpy]

12. The hearts and minds of fools who vote Repuglican

That's the the root problem here, the stinking thinking that is giving us government after government that gives lip service to bigotry and antiwoman policies while destroying everything that made this country a good place to live in.

Wake those poor dolts up to what's going on, and we'll get our country back.

Pinning them against the wall and slapping the pee wumping poo poo out of them until they come to probably won't work, alas. I have no clue what will, beyond what it took Europe to wake from its fascist nightmare.

I just hope the poor saps are up to a depression and a world war.

[jojo54]

13. This is a good question

I myself would like to see the hatred in this country stop. Everywhere, people only care about themselves. If someone were beating you up on the corner, others would step right over you to get where they were going and not give it another thought. The situation right now is very sad.

[ultraist]

14. The INEQUALITY caused by racism, homophobia, sexism, and classism

[porphyrian]

15. My power to change only one thing.

Then, I'd fix all of it.

[pansypoo53219]

17. get rid of mainstream news

and or public funded campaigns. because if you clean that....

[LynnTheDem]

18. The disdain for, and the fear and hatred of, TRUTH.

Facts. Reality. TRUTH.

[Cleita]

19. Fight the racism.

If I could get teams of people who are specialists in pointing out racism to groups, I would try to do it nationwide, in schools, in the workplace, in churches and anywhere you can open people's eyes up to their often unconscience bigotry and bias.

There are organizations that do this, but there isn't enough of them and they are underfunded. Often they are called in for crisis situations in schools or the workplace, but I don't know of much of it that is going on anymore after the civil rights movements of the last century.

[Zorra]

20. The hearts of conservatives. n/t

[RITPTV]

21. Voter Turnout

Anything below 90% is really a shame

[newyawker99]

38. Hi RITPTV!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[omega minimo]

22. Ronald Reagan

:puke:Ronald Reagan

[RITPTV]

23. I was too young for the "Reagan Revolution"

but my parents still say they disliked Reagan more than they dislike Bush now.

[omega minimo]

30. Bush does his best to imitate Reagan

and he inherited the legacy of 25 years of Reagan's Big Lie.

How do you remember RR from your youth? Did you see through his shtick or did he seem less buffoonlike to you than he did to (some)older folks? Did your parents influence your impression?

Curious, cuz of the Alex Keaton effect. Imagine the kids growing up now under Dupedya.

[Skittles]

24. the sheer f***ing greed

the giant houses, the SUVS, the endless junk at Wal-mart - DO WE REALLY NEED ALL THIS F***ING STUFF???? Whatever happened to the idea "LIVE SIMPLY SO OTHERS CAN SIMPLY LIVE" ???

[housewolf]

25. Restore civility and respect for others- the Golden Rule

even those different from yourself.

I'd reinstate the Golden Rule - treat others they way you want to be treated.

I'd change the focus from short-term gain to long-term sustainability in terms of profit, spending and the environment.

[RITPTV]

28. Off topic---Could somebody do me a favor and post

a question about favorite political blogs? I'd like to know what blogs people are reading.

[LynnTheDem]

33. Done.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3237358

[WillowTree]

29. The intolerance...

....on the part of just about everyone toward whatever differences they see in just about everyone else.

[Tactical Progressive]

32. Publically funded media

I'd fund a bunch of news stations right from general funds, with no strings attached.

I simply don't trust capitalistic media any more. Not even a little bit.

[Swamp Rat]

34. All the fundies, NeoCons, RW nutjobs/thugs would be raptured tomorrow. n/t

[liberalla]

35. My first impression was to say the media...

WOW! There are so many GOOD answers here! Really makes you think. I'm going to stick with media, but want to add one thing which occurred to me while reading the other posts.

The obsession with celebrity and being "famous". We love our "Superstars". Whether it be in sports, music, film, TV, writing, fashion/beauty/modeling, etc. Americans are just way too obsessed with being famous and beautiful, or trying to be.

So, I would vote for Media and a return of the Fairness Doctrine. Truly independent, truth-seeking investigative journalists with integrity and passion for their profession. Media that couldn't be bought! (Forget OWNING it!)

I think having REAL Journalism and NEWS coverage would solve a lot of our other problems.

[ObaMania]

36. Classes

Fairly even distribution of $$ and no poor, homelessness. People basically caring about the well being of their fellow 'Murican.

[begin_within]

41. Bingo - couldn't have said it better.

[ben_packard]

37. The 'American Dream'

Work hard enough and you can realise your potential and be whatever you want. Poor immigrant factory worker? Want to be a pop star? DONE! Bullshit. It's the new opiate for the poor and fringe participants of society.

[kwyjibo]

39. Hate and arrogance

with that change, so many others would come.

[newportdadde]

40. Lack of Empathy.