CNN: "America's Negative Numbers" - DEPRESSING AND INFURIATING!

[Clarkie1]

I can't believe CNN produced this video...what is going on witht the MSM? This is a powerful indictment of modern American society and government...and also talking points the Democratic Party should be hammering.

http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/us/2005/10/28/romans.america.by.the.numbers.cnn

[depakid]

1. Welp, maybe CNN is finally realizing

that they've been a MAJOR force behind why the US has come to such a sorry state?

Nah....

[bluestateguy]

2. We could, but we'd have to put up with the squawks from the echo machine

In my darker moments I sometimes think that we may need something like a liberal dictatorship, a liberal strongman to fix things in this country. Someone who will come in to Washington, dissolve the Congress and just do what needs to be done to save this country.

[FreedomAngel82]

3. This was depressing

Especially what the former labor guy said. We're definietly heading to a third-world country. Will we wake up fast enough?

[AndyTiedye]

5. We've Got a Dictatorship Already. Need to Get Democracy Back

[Boomer]

10. Democracy requires an educated public

Until society regains a value for education and supports it with funding and cultural respect, we will not escape the demagogic appeal of "strong" leaders who are approaching the status of dictators.

[I_am_Spartacus]

11. Even though public school system is falling apart,

I think Americans do know enough already not to vote for Republicans.

Republicans won the last election by making it harder for a lot of Democrats to vote. They also benefited from an incumbency they didn't earn democratically, but cheated to get in 2000.

So, if we had a better functioning Democracy today I don't think we'd have to wait for people to be better educated in order to get more progressive results.

Anyway, look at California: second lowest spending on public education in the country, secondary school education is a shambles, and they've rejected Republicans at the polls (at least in normal general elections) for years and they don't seem fooled by Arnold's propositions this year.

[Nay]

12. Thank you, Boomer.

"Democracy" won't do a damn thing for this country until the majority of this country take education (true education, not Bible study) seriously again. But, with the advent of a thousand visual distractions, most kids in this country will NEVER develop a love of learning because it is "boring" and requires effort.

The partial solution is, of course, to comb the country for all of those bright students who already love reading, learning, experimenting, and NO MATTER WHAT their income level is, give them a FREE high school and college education at the finest schools, even if it means boarding them at those schools and paying for all their expenses. That way, we won't lose the bright ones because of vagaries in their local schools or family dynamics/finances. Right now, we are throwing those kids away, while elevating idiots like George Bush into the presidency, for God's sake.

Now we expect bright people to fall out of the sky at regular intervals so they can do the engineering, medical research, etc., so we can continue our collective TV thralldom. We used to actively value education, and when I went to school (early 70's) a college student could actually afford an OK apartment, an old car, and tuition payments on a part-time job with a bit of scholarship money. No more. I would hate to try to give myself a college education today, and I would hate to try to get an engineering job in this country after graduation.

And that brings me to another point--one that CNN did not mention--this country has also shown its disdain for learning by actively shipping huge numbers of jobs requiring a college education overseas. It's already hard to get most kids to study math and science--the bright ones who are inclined to are watching their college-educated parents, friends' parents, etc.--being thrown on the trash heap at age 40 or 50. What do you think that tells them?

[Zodiak]

14. You have a point

My boomer mother gave 20 years of her life sweating and toiling for NAtionasbank at a cut rate compared to her male colleagues. Her reward after years of service and survivjng countless layoffs was to be "let go" without so much as an hour to clean out her desk.

I was a straight "A" student, and when I got my college education (still ongoing), I headed towards academia. I am not selling my soul to some corporation who shits on my face as a reward for my loyalty.

I am sure there are many Gen Xers like me.

[BiggJawn]

15. Zodi, if you think Academia won't "shit on your face"...

You've got a big surprise coming...
The politicking and back-stabbing that goes on, especial at the university level, would do a Russian Novel proud.

In the 7 years I've been at my school (in Service, not faculty) we've had 2 grad students "deal" with their rivals by murdering them. One of them murdered her HUSBAND.

[Zodiak]

16. I will admit

that academia is not what it used to be. Our borad of regents at Ohio State refer to the University as a "corporation". Still, academia is at least 20 years behind the nazification of private industry.

I do know of the back-stabbing, but that is more on a personal level than being written into the system.

[Boomer]

17. The cost of higher education....

The cost of higher education will be the final death blow to our beleaguered middle class.

If I had children approaching college age, I probably would prefer that they learn a useful skill like plumbing or carpentry instead of indenturing themselves to a college loan. At one time this debt would have been a wise investment because it guaranteed a well-paying job that would make repaying the loan cost effective.

Not now. Taking on $40,0000 of debt or more guarantees nothing in terms of future job security, much less salary levels. Which makes that choice a very risky venture.

Plumbers and electricians may face competition for immigrant workers who will work for less, but the jobs are not going to leave the country. In fact, I've had a damn hard time getting a master electrician to rewire my house -- been trying for over two years now -- because they are booked in the housing boom. When that boom goes bust, ordinary houseowners will help take up the slack to keep good workmen employed.

The same can't be said for my IT job.

[Nay]

18. As I said in my post above, college grads in general are being

screwed right now. My son, a genius with electronics/computers, turned 18 5 years ago, thinking he would go into IT. He's not a college type, so he hoped he could get a leg up with an MCSE, etc. But the bottom fell out of IT about that time. He did retail for a couple of years and learned to hate the petty bosses, idiot customers, etc.

A couple of years ago a light bulb went off in my head. I talked to an electrician friend of mine at work, got the kid in to talk to the local union and take some tests, and he is now a second-year electrician's apprentice and loving it. He can look forward to a decent, well-paying career. Well, for at least as long as it takes for these repub bastards to replace absolutely everyone. And he will have no schooling debt--he does have to go to school one day a wk at the local comm college, but tuition is pretty cheap and mom is
paying :D

[Boomer]

20. Congratulations!

Nothing pisses me off more than people who see skilled blue-collar jobs as some kind of step down from a white-collar "career." From what I've seen, those jobs are intellectually challenging, requiring good problem solving skills.

The exodus of bright working class men into white collar jobs and a new middle class status has robbed skilled labor forces of some of its best workers. A fact I'm all too aware of every time some contractor bungles a remodeling job due to lack of math skills or just plain common sense.

[hollowdweller]

19. So true the GOP GAINS voters by cutting education and student loans

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

9. I don't think there would be anything "liberal" about that.

[SoCalDem]

4. Blood in the water, now that it's "safe" to pile on

They were afraid to do it when it might have mattered.. Last year:(

[G2099]

6. I Posted This In 2 Smaller Forums

[truthisfreedom]

7. no frigging kidding. we should be shouting this from the rooftops!

what happened to my country?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. "America is number 22! America is number 22!"

:party: :woohoo: :bounce:

[alfredo]

13. I think the Dems have an issue

with this. We can do better.

[Douglas Carpenter]

21. what Democrats should be talking about 24 hours a day/7 days a week