Opinion When America Was Great

[HomeCheese]

Great thread. Republicans used to have honor and fight for American ideals across the globe. Real fucking men.

Now they wear costumes and worship a 78 year old mascot who has a hard on for Putin. The Kremlin is spitting on our weakness.

You're god damned right man. Honor. Now they worship a flawed man with a foul mouth and think of themselves as tough.

 

[USA!USA!]

Credit to Republicans for learning from mistakes of past wars, and looking for a path towards peace.

Democrats on the other hand pulled a complete 180. Belligerent maniacs with no game plan.

It's crazy what Trump's done to both sides.

LOL - no, sorry.. you don’t get credit for joining the axis of evil you brainwashed pathetic sucker

 

[GreatSaintGuillotine]

Call me a Debby downer but I don't think I've ever lived in a "great" America. Don't get me wrong, I love my home. Proud to serve it every day. We're easily the country with the most opportunity. One of, if not the greatest (overall) countries in the world. But for me and mine, America has always been good with a side order of shit. Much of it due to politics. Much of it due to people. Much of due to the circumstances I was born into.

I want America to be great. I want to see my home flourish. But I feel we're moving in the wrong direction. Only time will tell I suppose

 

[Sinister]

I remember this moment and what it meant for the western world. It took Trump 6 weeks to cave and turn his back on 80 years of foreign policy.

You can almost hear comrade Trump: "Mr. Putin, build that wall!"

Seriously, f*ck Ronald Reagan. This was the acceleration period of the rampant corporatism that sold out our manufacturing bases, and the eradication of the Fairness Doctrine that gave birth to Rush Limbaugh and rignt wing talk radio, and the idiotic concept of trickle-down economics. The institutionalization of subsidizing ONLY the wealthy.

All this sh*t you're complaining about now began with Reagan. Dont pine for that idiot now just because Trump is a turncoat who is about to Ally us with the dictators because that will make it much easier to pick our pockets.

 

[Sinister]

Call me a Debby downer but I don't think I've ever lived in a "great" America. Don't get me wrong, I love my home. Proud to serve it every day. We're easily the country with the most opportunity. One of, if not the greatest (overall) countries in the world. But for me and mine, America has always been good with a side order of shit. Much of it due to politics. Much of it due to people. Much of due to the circumstances I was born into.

I want America to be great. I want to see my home flourish. But I feel we're moving in the wrong direction. Only time will tell I suppose

The opportunity is a bit of a mirage. It's not impossible, but its highly improbable, and there is a class of people who try to make it less opportunistic all the time because they dislike anyone not like them getting those opportunities. There are millions of kids in this Country who are likely genius level intelligent who will die working sh*t jobs for sh*t pay, because the meritocracy is a scam.

 

[HomeCheese]

Seriously, f*ck Ronald Reagan. This was the acceleration period of the rampant corporatism that sold out our manufacturing bases, and the eradication of the Fairness Doctrine that gave birth to Rush Limbaugh and rignt wing talk radio, and the idiotic concept of trickle-down economics. The institutionalization of subsidizing ONLY the wealthy.

All this sh*t you're complaining about now began with Reagan. Dont pine for that idiot now just because Trump is a turncoat who is about to Ally us with the dictators because that will make it much easier to pick our pockets.

Wasn't Reagan about 5,000% better than Trump?

Regardless it was a time when we were respected and stood up for justice and freedom. Didn't turn our back on allies and go back on treaties with Europe.

Do you have more pride now than when the wall fell?

 

[Sinister]

Wasn't Reagan about 5,000% better than Trump?

Regardless it was a time when we were respected and stood up for justice and freedom. Didn't turn our back on allies and go back on treaties with Europe.

Do you have more pride now than when the wall fell?

No he wasn't. Look I get the nostalgia, and the 80's had a much more genuine "rah rah Murica" aspect to them. But the propaganda was also INCREDIBLY strong. Most action flicks were about some awesome militarized buffed out white dude and maybe his black sidekick, or Asian sidekick, or Hispanic sidekick, or woman sidekick, defeating the Commies of...wherever. Reagan was here stateside penning the early globalism that would gut US industry, promising Frances Schaeffer absurd political influence (that's the guy who most ardently crusaded against women's reproductive rights), and creating the racist imagery of the "welfare queen" while at the same time espousing immigration mainly because capitalists wanted cheap labor.

They still want cheap labor. They're just gonna look to decimate the economy so they can force it in certain States now, while the Cities become playgrounds for the wealthy.

I didnt understand geopolitics that well when the wall fell. But I do remember how the rust belt was being decimated, deficit spending ballooned while the wealth got their precious tax cuts, and we were being led by a Hollywoodized simpleton who didnt politically know his @sshole from his elbow and was in full-blown dementia by the end of his tenure:

 

[ShinkanPo]

This is it!

 

[HomeCheese]

No he wasn't. Look I get the nostalgia, and the 80's had a much more genuine "rah rah Murica" aspect to them. But the propaganda was also INCREDIBLY strong. Most action flicks were about some awesome militarized buffed out white dude and maybe his black sidekick, or Asian sidekick, or Hispanic sidekick, or woman sidekick, defeating the Commies of...wherever. Reagan was here stateside penning the early globalism that would gut US industry, promising Frances Schaeffer absurd political influence (that's the guy who most ardently crusaded against women's reproductive rights), and creating the racist imagery of the "welfare queen" while at the same time espousing immigration mainly because capitalists wanted cheap labor.

They still want cheap labor. They're just gonna look to decimate the economy so they can force it in certain States now, while the Cities become playgrounds for the wealthy.

I didnt understand geopolitics that well when the wall fell. But I do remember how the rust belt was being decimated, deficit spending ballooned while the wealth got their precious tax cuts, and we were being led by a Hollywoodized simpleton who didnt politically know his @sshole from his elbow and was in full-blown dementia by the end of his tenure:

So you think America is better now?

We are at an international low point for my lifetime. The statements coming from our allies is like nothing I have ever seen. Berating and ambushing a man whose family and friends have a gun to their head. Notionally, Trump is firing lawyers and making the country a safe place for horrible people to do despicable things. He want America to be a safe place for the Tate brother and their ilk.

We have never been perfect as a nation and the Reagan Whitehouse still hold the records for most felony convictions. Yet when the wall fell we were at the head of the table. Everyone in the world knew something great happened.

Do you know many people that grew up in a soviet satellite nation? It was awful and the wall falling was a significant and life changing event.

 

[lowlife]

"Great" is subjective. Without going into too much nuance I would personally say the period of time between the end of WW2 and Reagan selling the country out to corporate America.

 

[Prutfis]

"Great" is subjective. Without going into too much nuance I would personally say the period of time between the end of WW2 and Reagan selling the country out to corporate America.

Yeah don´t think the US had it better than after WW2. The rest of the worlds industrial capabilities was bombed to shit. That was the golden time.

Reagan was dogshit.

We're easily the country with the most opportunity.

lol. Not even close

 

[nhbbear]

I VOTED for Reagan bitch.

How fucking old are you?

 

[fedoriswar37]

Im 43, been playing golf on and off for 30 years or so now. I can almost guarantee you'll kick my ass lol. The single most frustrating and fulfilling activity one can participate in

I've played some baddddd rounds of golf. Still never had a bad time on the course tho!

 

[lifelessheap]

Wait, what? You consider defending your homeland, family and friends to be a vain act? WTF?????

I think defending your friends, family and home is an honorable act and not vain at all.

Don't all you Trump creeps have assault rifles do defend your homes and family? Is this a vanity?

In a way, you are defending literal Nazis who were trying to to genocide ethnic Russian Ukrainian people people in the East. You are defending American Eastward aggression and agitation that was negotiated against by both sides. You are defending a coup against a rightfully elected leader who was elected for neutrality.

You are defending a march to WW3.

 

[Sinister]

So you think America is better now?

We are at an international low point for my lifetime. The statements coming from our allies is like nothing I have ever seen. Berating and ambushing a man whose family and friends have a gun to their head. Notionally, Trump is firing lawyers and making the country a safe place for horrible people to do despicable things. He want America to be a safe place for the Tate brother and their ilk.

We have never been perfect as a nation and the Reagan Whitehouse still hold the records for most felony convictions. Yet when the wall fell we were at the head of the table. Everyone in the world knew something great happened.

Do you know many people that grew up in a soviet satellite nation? It was awful and the wall falling was a significant and life changing event.

I dont have to think America is great now to think it sucked then. What I'm saying is what we are seeing now, Reagan did all the damage and laid the groundwork for all this to happen. This is THEIR vision finally coming to fruition. Cheap labor, eroded constitutional protections, deregulation, legal favor of the donor class, much more strict application of law (even ideologically) towards the working class, Cops who will just hurt you if you dont comply, growing censorship coming directly from the Administration, etc.

If you remember every time Reagan comes up I like to mention when he wanted to use "Born In The USA" as a Campaign song and Springsteen told him to get lost. The Boss felt that Reagan's Administration misinterpreted and would misrepresent the song, as its essentially complaints of a decimated America from the perspective of a Vietnam Vet:



Springsteen said they must not have actually been listening to the songs on the Nebraska album, because his songs were a critique of what was going on, and they took it as praise. Probably because fascists are pretty dumb at interpreting art. But here's the lyrics to Johnny 99:

"Well they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah late that month
Ralph went out lookin' for a job but he couldn't find none
He came home too drunk from mixin' Tanqueray and wine
He got a gun, shot a night clerk, now they call him Johnny 99

Down in the part of town where when you hit a red light you don't stop
Johnny's wavin' his gun around and threatenin' to blow his top
When an off-duty cop snuck up on him from behind
Out in front of the Club Tip Top they slapped the cuffs on Johnny 99

Well the city supplied a public defender but the judge was Mean John Brown
He came into the courtroom and stared poor Johnny down
Well the evidence is clear, gonna let the sentence, son, fit the crime
Prison for ninety-eight and a year and we'll call it even Johnny 99

Fistfight broke out in the courtroom, they had to drag Johnny's girl away
His mama stood up and shouted, "Judge don't take my boy this way"
Well, son, you got any statement you'd like to make
Before the bailiff comes to forever take you away?
Now judge, judge I got debts no honest man could pay
The bank was holdin' my mortgage and takin' my house away

Now I ain't sayin' that make me an innocent man
But it was more 'n all this that put that gun in my hand
Well, your honor, I do believe I'd be better off dead
And if you can take a man's life for the thoughts that's in his head
Then won't you sit back in that chair and think it over just one more time
And let 'em shave off my hair and put me on that execution line."

Notice anything? There's no economic reprieve, no stability. And this is a working class message. It doesnt stop at race or gender. Just reading typing this again I was reminded of 2 pivotal film scenes. One was the end of Dead Presidents when Lorenz Tate's character (also a Vietnam Vet who couldn't find steady work upon his return) faced the judge after the bank robbery gone wrong:



And Don Cheadle's rant in Bulworth about why he was dealing drugs:



And then when Bulworth actually used his words on TV:



Sad part is, as a society we weren't listening when this sh*t was said. And now 30+% of us are on their knees and ready to suck for this billionaire traitor and his billionaire traitor friends. But make no mistake, Reagan laid the ground work. And he got into office with treason via that while Iran hostage deal. That f*cker should have been thrown in prison then, and Chump should be in prison now.

 

[HomeCheese]

How fucking old are you?

Older than half the dirt in your back yard.

 

[nhbbear]

Im 43, been playing golf on and off for 30 years or so now. I can almost guarantee you'll kick my ass lol. The single most frustrating and fulfilling activity one can participate in

One of the single scariest moments of my adult life was golfing in Scotland. We were at the old course and there were hundreds of people watching tee-off at the first hole. My dad and two brothers duffed their shots. I was shaking I was so nervous. Cranked it, though and got applause. Overall, awesome experience. Parred the road hole. Shot a 98 iirc. Eventually, I was using my driving iron and putter because the fairways were so smooth and slick you could roll forever.

Carnouste, on the other hand, absolutely kick my ass.

 

[HomeCheese]

In a way, you are defending literal Nazis who were trying to to genocide ethnic Russian Ukrainian people people in the East. You are defending American Eastward aggression and agitation that was negotiated against by both sides. You are defending a coup against a rightfully elected leader who was elected for neutrality.

You are defending a march to WW3.

You are defending literally Stalin 2.0. You want Russia to build the wall again or do you want to stand with Ukraine and our allies in Europe?

 

[HomeCheese]

I dont have to think America is great now to think it sucked then. What I'm saying is what we are seeing now, Reagan did all the damage and laid the groundwork for all this to happen. This is THEIR vision finally coming to fruition. Cheap labor, eroded constitutional protections, deregulation, legal favor of the donor class, much more strict application of law (even ideologically) towards the working class, Cops who will just hurt you if you dont comply, growing censorship coming directly from the Administration, etc.

If you remember every time Reagan comes up I like to mention when he wanted to use "Born In The USA" as a Campaign song and Springsteen told him to get lost. The Boss felt that Reagan's Administration misinterpreted and would misrepresent the song, as its essentially complaints of a decimated America from the perspective of a Vietnam Vet:



Springsteen said they must not have actually been listening to the songs on the Nebraska album, because his songs were a critique of what was going on, and they took it as praise. Probably because fascists are pretty dumb at interpreting art. But here's the lyrics to Johnny 99:

"Well they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah late that month
Ralph went out lookin' for a job but he couldn't find none
He came home too drunk from mixin' Tanqueray and wine
He got a gun, shot a night clerk, now they call him Johnny 99

Down in the part of town where when you hit a red light you don't stop
Johnny's wavin' his gun around and threatenin' to blow his top
When an off-duty cop snuck up on him from behind
Out in front of the Club Tip Top they slapped the cuffs on Johnny 99

Well the city supplied a public defender but the judge was Mean John Brown
He came into the courtroom and stared poor Johnny down
Well the evidence is clear, gonna let the sentence, son, fit the crime
Prison for ninety-eight and a year and we'll call it even Johnny 99

Fistfight broke out in the courtroom, they had to drag Johnny's girl away
His mama stood up and shouted, "Judge don't take my boy this way"
Well, son, you got any statement you'd like to make
Before the bailiff comes to forever take you away?
Now judge, judge I got debts no honest man could pay
The bank was holdin' my mortgage and takin' my house away

Now I ain't sayin' that make me an innocent man
But it was more 'n all this that put that gun in my hand
Well, your honor, I do believe I'd be better off dead
And if you can take a man's life for the thoughts that's in his head
Then won't you sit back in that chair and think it over just one more time
And let 'em shave off my hair and put me on that execution line."

Notice anything? There's no economic reprieve, no stability. And this is a working class message. It doesnt stop at race or gender. Just reading typing this again I was reminded of 2 pivotal film scenes. One was the end of Dead Presidents when Lorenz Tate's character (also a Vietnam Vet who couldn't find steady work upon his return) faced the judge after the bank robbery gone wrong:



And Don Cheadle's rant in Bulworth about why he was dealing drugs:



And then when Bulworth actually used his words on TV:



Sad part is, as a society we weren't listening when this sh*t was said. And now 30+% of us are on their knees and ready to suck for this billionaire traitor and his billionaire traitor friends. But make no mistake, Reagan laid the ground work. And he got into office with treason via that while Iran hostage deal. That f*cker should have been thrown in prison then, and Chump should be in prison now.

I don't wear rose colored glasses with regards to Reagan I can promise you. On the other hand, he had honor. He had human decency.

Now we have a president who thinks Gaetz, a man who had to resign congress because of underage human trafficking for the purposes of sex, should be the top choice for the nations highest law enforcement position. Let that ruminate for a few minutes. Fucking dirtbags.

 

[Sinister]

I don't wear rose colored glasses with regards to Reagan I can promise you. On the other hand, he had honor. He had human decency.

Now we have a president who thinks Gaetz, a man who had to resign congress because of underage human trafficking for the purposes of sex, should be the top choice for the nations highest law enforcement position. Let that ruminate for a few minutes. Fucking dirtbags.

I dont think Reagan had honor or decency, his people bargained with American hostages to make Carter look bad and then he took power on that. Also he was approved of BY the religious right because he was a more vindictive person than Carter was, who they felt was "the wrong kind of Christian." What they meant was empathetic, he took that Jesus sh*t too seriously: