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So my question is this; what in America can unite us, what can we all agree about? Or, have the things that divide us become so numerous, the disagreements so personal, that we cannot unite about anything?
For a brief time after the 9/11 attacks we were as united as possible, so obviously something that would be perceived as a legitimate deadly external threat would do the trick.
Otherwise, I see no problem with the ebb and flo of the discussions and disagreements. They probably help us come up with somewhat reasonable compromises pleasing few, and leading to subsequent discussions and analysis.
The only thing that should unite us is Liberty. People came to this country for a better life from oppressive governments, religious freedom and a chance to start a business. Because of the powerful governments freedom in far away places as only a dream. Only Liberty of the Individual brings a message of Freedom that should unite us. Those who want to limit personal liberty, property and income are the root of the issues that have taken America in a different direction. Lost True Patriotism and sense of right and wrong has also destroyed our country. Blind faith in the government or presidents and laws as also undermined liberty. The constitution and bill of rights as suppose to preserve liberty yet our government has eroded it's principles. Once country has a powerful government that over regulates, over taxes and gives up on sovereignty you will have people in live in that country thirsty for liberty. Some people in this country pledge to give more power to the government to do more things, in doing so they have closed the door to liberty and opened a new door to tryanny. The message of liberty and freedom should be the only thing that could Unite America again. All to often I find people in this fourm try and force what is right and what is wrong on each other. If we spent more time letting people live their own lives and limiting government controls we would find something else to discuss.
I think that individaul advantage has caused alot of problkems. The unions want to make more than there non-union counterparts;farmers want to be guaranteed success;the poor want to be magically put into the middle class,industry wants to be assured of success;in the end every special interest wants a advanatge from government.Government has become the fat cow that people more and more turn to for advanatge. That divides.
The only thing that should unite us is Liberty. People came to this country for a better life from oppressive governments, religious freedom and a chance to start a business. Because of the powerful governments freedom in far away places as only a dream. Only Liberty of the Individual brings a message of Freedom that should unite us. Those who want to limit personal liberty, property and income are the root of the issues that have taken America in a different direction. Lost True Patriotism and sense of right and wrong has also destroyed our country. Blind faith in the government or presidents and laws as also undermined liberty. The constitution and bill of rights as suppose to preserve liberty yet our government has eroded it's principles. Once country has a powerful government that over regulates, over taxes and gives up on sovereignty you will have people in live in that country thirsty for liberty. Some people in this country pledge to give more power to the government to do more things, in doing so they have closed the door to liberty and opened a new door to tryanny. The message of liberty and freedom should be the only thing that could Unite America again. All to often I find people in this fourm try and force what is right and what is wrong on each other. If we spent more time letting people live their own lives and limiting government controls we would find something else to discuss.
"Liberty" is wonderful..it guarantees us the right to 'do what we want to do'. The PROBLEM with it, though, is exactly what some of the things ARE, that some of us 'want to do"....That's the whole issue.
"Liberty" is wonderful..it guarantees us the right to 'do what we want to do'. The PROBLEM with it, though, is exactly what some of the things ARE, that some of us 'want to do"....That's the whole issue.
"What government [a nation] can bear depends not on the state of science, however exalted, in a select band of enlightened men, but on the condition of the general mind." --Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 1817.
"Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other." --John Adams
Upon visiting America in the early 19th Century, Alexis de Toqueville observed: "America is great because America is GOOD. If America ever ceases to be good it will cease to be great."
Thus is the issue with Liberty, men must govern themselves...but you cannot legislate morality, you would only create criminals out of ordinary citizens.
LibertyandJustice - I agree, we should all agree on liberty...but there are those who do not believe you are able to govern yourself properly, they would incorrectly argue that things were "different" in the past and that in modern times such a simple federal government has no place.
Good question, but I'm afraid there's no answer you're going to want to hear. For some decades now, we've been trying to "dismantle" the uniting factors in this country as fast as we possibly can....and it's working.
Where once we pushed "assimilation" by immigrants, we no longer do....in fact, a great many of us don't even "push" legality. Where once every young male was subject to the "draft" (as a sort of 'price to be paid' for the privilege of citizenship) this is no longer the case. Where once we had great societal pressure to 'act right' (i.e., support one's children....honor one's spouse....don't 'disgrace' ones' community or neighborhood) this, also, is no longer the case. Patriotism is now equated with xenophobia. Promoting adherence to 'the law' and 'the system' is now borderline racism. We don't even ask young people now to 'grow up". Our society is now filled with self-indulgent, materialistic, 35-year old "teenagers".....either childless, or "not really into" the demands of parenthood. And none of us 'judge' them, because none of us have that right.
As long as we continue our love affair with 'multiculturalism" I don't see how ANYTHING could possibly come on the scenr to "unite" us...I can't imagine what it would be....an invasion from 'outer space?'....total collapse of the world's climates?....a huge pandemic of some incurable fatal illness? Maybe THESE things would unite us..maybe NOT.
But multiculturalism, in essence, says "I have the right to be ME. And NO ONE has the right to tell me otherwise. And if what I want, conflicts with what YOU want, that's just tough". Multiculturalism means just that.."multiple" cultures. Multiple cultures, by definition, means "multiple values" and "multiple ethics". Some would even argue that it means "multiple realities".
And cultures, by their nature, are not EVER totally compatible.in fact, they're sometimes violently at ODDS with each other. And if ALL cultures are looked at as 'equivalent", then it doesn't take too much imagination to see SERIOUS problems in not only being 'united"...but in rfraining from KILLING each other, when and if the economy turns sour, and things start to get 'tough".
Sorry I can't give a more optimistic answer...
Mac, there is much content to your statement. I'm not sure this multiculturalism can be turned around either.
[quote=MamaBee;3428490LibertyandJustice - I agree, we should all agree on liberty...but there are those who do not believe you are able to govern yourself properly, they would incorrectly argue that things were "different" in the past and that in modern times such a simple federal government has no place.[/quote]
The real point to why we are not united is because we never really were. Liberty and Freedom is something individuals have to fight for. Our nation will always have individuals who disagree with the power of government and different social issues. We will never unite because people never agree on what freedom is. The power of self-determination and personal responsiblity is to much for some to handle.
The real point to why we are not united is because we never really were. Liberty and Freedom is something individuals have to fight for. Our nation will always have individuals who disagree with the power of government and different social issues. We will never unite because people never agree on what freedom is. The power of self-determination and personal responsiblity is to much for some to handle.
I suppose you are correct; even at the Constitutional Convention they were not united...and quickly split into Federalists and Republicans.
I think if we can get rid of the entitlement attitude.
Shut up Jackson, Sharpton, Pelosi, and some of the other sh*t stirrer/dividers in this country that could happen but not until! Sadly....
Believe it or not, in the past Americans were also united by race. Today, that is no longer the case but was up until the latter half of the twentieth century when the demographics began to drastically change.
Homogeneous societies tend to be more stable. Recently, I believe it was Dateline NBC or 20/20 did a segment on Denmark. The Danes have a high standard of living and are amongst the world's happiest.
One of the reasons is the healthy welfare system and they found that people are more likely to support socialist programs when people look/act like them. This is in contrast to the U.S where the White majority pays a disproportional amount of welfare programs for those that consume a disproportional amount of welfare spending.
What can unite us? Perhaps stemming the massive flood of unassimilated immigrants (both legal and illegal) for one.
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