Our country's culture is going down the crapper.

This is fascinating and would like to comment on every post, however it is late and I must clean my house. Cause I can't stand coming home to a dirty house after surgery. So I'll say goodnight with a short story.
I was young in the 50's and my Mother called me over and said,"sit"!
'Son I'd like you to enjoy your life and be as happy as possible at all times
For life is short and it does not get any better only worse.'
Well guess what my Mom was correct and life life on the 3rd rock from the Sun has consistently become more difficult every year.
I am sorry young'ins it is true. On the other hand there is the light at the end of the tunnel so live life as impeccabley as you can.

Night,

TUT

Thank you for your imput TUT and I hope that you do have the chance to comment more once your house is clean and your well rested.

I am only 18 years of age and I have already found what you said to be true. Life was much better back when I was 5 years old, you just dont have as many worries back then. Now that I have become an adult I have to take on so much more responcibilitys and I know that there are only more to come. Live fast and die young. As terrible as it sounds its probly the best way to go. By ' live fast ' i mean you should take advantage of your youth. Go out and enjoy the world, see the sights, experience things that not everyone has the oppertunity to. Many of us are lucky and dont realize it untill its too late. Thats what a midlife crisis is, when you look back at your life and realize that you could of done so much more with it. Take advantage of oppertunitys now while your young and you still can.

The Muslim community in the US is less than one percent of the total population. But what I really think is threatening the American way, is all those Mexicans coming up on our border and not getting jobs and living on walfare and causing violence. We should make it tougher form Mexicans to sneak in and if they do get passed we should hunt them down and deport them back. I was watching a show like a month ago and this idiot college kid was putting up water tanks in the Arizona desert to increase the chances of the Mexicans surviving the crossing. I was just sitting there watching the TV thinking WFT is that kid on.

It�s true, my example does feature a number of television shows because that is the cultural medium most people are familiar with, However before that there was radio, movies, and yes, there was a time when people read magazines and newspapers for their daily entertainment. Where do you think that the term �yellow journalism� comes from?

MY point is: You can not define a culture by it�s highlights, (classic literature, fine arts, etc), you have to include the lows also. Unfortunately those items are not as well preserved and rarely make it into a museum (the erotic graffiti of Pompeii is a good exception).

Look at the classic film �the Jazz Singer� a milestone because of it�s technical innovation (sound) rather than its content. Afterall the first sound recording in a movie is about a Jewish singer in blackface, singing �Mammy!� If that aint a cultural low light, I don�t know what is.

There was a reason that prohibition was such a popular cause at the turn of the century, half the country was in the bars getting drunk all of the time!

Organized carnival and circus freak shows go back to the middle of the 1800�s at least. Where is the cultural value in those?

www.wesh.com...

This is from another thread about the Florida murders over the weekend.

"The motive for the murders was apparently a dispute over some clothing and an X-Box video game player."

I see this as a big part of the problem. Not the killing for material things, but the fact that this guy had no trouble rounding up 3 others to go in and beat these people to death with baseball bats. There is no value on human life at all anymore. It's not the usual "death penalty" or "pro-life/choice" views on the value of life. Today the issue seems to be that young people place NO value on life. No value on personal well-being. There's no real thought to the future, only right now. Eat a plate of guts and win a bunch of money. Go to an island for awhile and survive the experience by backstabbing others and win a lot of money. Do something, ANYTHING, to get on tv and be famous. Girls Gone Wild. Games where winning is based on body count. Misogyny. A pathetic educational system. Moral bankruptcy covered in a thin film of political correctness. The 1st amendment used to be held up to protect the right to express views and thoughts but now it's being used even more often to show boobies and justify dropping the "F" bomb. I doubt many of the past presidents would have a chance at even getting on the ballot today, much less actually being elected, because they wouldn't have the money. Too many people frustratedly saying they have no control over their kids.

So how do we fix it?

Originally posted by torque
I see this as a big part of the problem. Not the killing for material things, but the fact that this guy had no trouble rounding up 3 others to go in and beat these people to death with baseball bats. There is no value on human life at all anymore. It's not the usual "death penalty" or "pro-life/choice" views on the value of life. Today the issue seems to be that young people place NO value on life. No value on personal well-being. There's no real thought to the future, only right now.

Do you honestly think that this is something new?

This kind of crap has been going on since the stone age.

Only an idiot would say thier is no culture in America. Only a person so anal as to judge culture by a narrow pre set spectrum would say such things.

But a very perceptive person can see the truth. This country has a culture. Its a culture of chaos and strife. Of battle. Theres alot more to this than meets the eye.

Look at how many views we have today that were taboo years ago. Why? In Europe for instance, sexual prudism gave way on its own with little real incident, people just gradually accepted it. But in America, it was a war. Shortening of bathing suits on beaches caused arrests. yet women went to beaches scantily clad to protest. It eventually errupted into the whole sexual revolution. Why? Americans dont just accept change and progress without a fight. Its the national conciousness. It is our way. We fight Wars against drugs. We love controversy. We like to fight one another on the most petty of issues. United States is a pretty interesting term for this country, seeing how we have never been united in anything. There really isnt a national concensus on anything. You get so many practices, views, opinions, from one person to another its mind boggling.

You have so many subcultures in this country its amazing, really. So many counter cultures. Its all about friction and absolute chaos.

Anyone who views Hollywood and pop music as American culture has to be braindead. Look how many directors, actors, ect, are foreign born? Hollywood is simply providing the locale and money for producing films and entertainment. One really good look at the great beast of Southern cali and you can see this.

The media, if anything, is anti-American culture, because it tries to create the illusion of some order and uniformity where there really is none. They gather a group of individuals who give well rehearsed and edited opinions or stories, then broadcast it. I am yet to see any film, broadcast, ect, that accurately has ever reflected anything in real life America as I have seen it. Its an illusion, to make people feel united, ect.

But in a country where individualism is the highest ideal, chaos and disorder in the minds and lives of its citizens is standard. people say Americans have no culture because they have no concept of the idea of true social chaos. Social chaos is not the occasional riot, or protest. Social chaos is the continued disuniformity in practice of its people. No where in the world in all my travels have i ever seen anything like it. This palce truly is unique.

To all our European friends snubbing thier noses at our "lack of culture" remeber, your culture isnt your own either. it came from somewhere. British? Your race and culture comes from the melting pot of celtic, Roman, Anglo Saxon, Viking, and Normans. Just as our ancestors carried here cultures from Europe that "arent our own", the same goes for YOU. French? Guess what? Gauls, Romans, Franks.......they all came there too, even your culture isnt your own.

Same goes for every friggin country in the world .

If one examines closely the entity of American culture, you can see it.

Only an idiot would say thier is no culture in America. Only a person so anal as to judge culture by a narrow pre set spectrum would say such things.

The problem is not that there is no culture. The problem is that the American culture is based so much on money that the human life, as the latest Florida incident can atest, has been seriously devalued.

Look at how many views we have today that were taboo years ago. Why? In Europe for instance, sexual prudism gave way on its own with little real incident, people just gradually accepted it. But in America, it was a war. Shortening of bathing suits on beaches caused arrests. yet women went to beaches scantily clad to protest. It eventually errupted into the whole sexual revolution. Why? Americans dont just accept change and progress without a fight. Its the national conciousness.

No, you are totally wrong. Americans are more puritans and more concernative.

We fight Wars against drugs.

No government fights wars against drugs. Do you think that drug crops are not visible by satellites? they are, but no one says anything on war against Bolibia.

To all our European friends snubbing thier noses at our "lack of culture" remeber, your culture isnt your own either. it came from somewhere. British? Your race and culture comes from the melting pot of celtic, Roman, Anglo Saxon, Viking, and Normans.

But at least British are the natural descentants of all the ones you mention. They still live in the same place they used to.

Just as our ancestors carried here cultures from Europe that "arent our own", the same goes for YOU. French? Guess what? Gauls, Romans, Franks.......they all came there too, even your culture isnt your own.

Same again for France.

Same goes for every friggin country in the world .

No, it does not. The west got its values from Greece, and the east from China.

One only has to look at American history to see that we have never put much value in human life. If fact, if you look at the history of civil lawsuits involving acidental deaths, human life is much more valuable now than it was 75 years ago.

Originally posted by tututkamen
On the other hand there is the light at the end of the tunnel...

"I can see the light at the end of the tunnel; I just hope that it's not a gorilla with a flashlight."
-Lou Holtz

Reality : American culture or American Dream.

American culture: is a diverse nation of all types of people living together with the will to practice whatever belief they may have. As much as most diagree we (Americans) all have something that most people die for, which is the choice, to choose, who we want to lead or country by voting, Go to the church of ones own denomination, and live either a productive life among others or end up in Jail "Hey still a choice".

"What I feel your questioning???"

The American Dream: To get rich, have lots of toys , big houses, and wealth beyond your wildest dream, and how you got there weather singing about gang bangin or selling sex why knock it. Brittney Spears, Madonna & even Michael Jackson deserve what they have because they believed in it, busted thier "asses" and got it, so dont knck something you may not have because others do. Thats ignorant and shows jealousy.

Myself if your wondering, I am not wealthy, own my own business and home, still dont make a paycheck but hey I have my culture as an American and I also embrass that dream that most of us stive for..

So get it right, do you want to discuss the culture or the dream?

Originally posted by Tr33stump
The american standard of living is unquestionably the best on earth.

My apologies to the author for going no further. This glib statement stopped me in my tracks.

The "American standard of living" currently rates 7th on the scale that is most generous to the American standard of living. Read all about it at ATS.

Originally posted by elaine
We are children of all the nations on earth.
That makes us totally unique.

Gosh. Another glib statement.

All young countries are cultural melting pots, even such far off mysterious unheard of lands as Australia and its suburb of Melbourne, New Zealand.

There is nothing unique about migration and multiculturalism.

Interesting to see how this opening;

Our country's culture is going down the crapper.

The american standard of living is unquestionably the best on earth. However our moral values, our faith, our culture ( what little culture we have ) is absolutly terrible IMO. We have noone but ourselves to blame because its us who supporting these ideals and the people who are benifiting from them.

Turned into a racist issue.

Aside from all of the other issues raised, I would have to say that the Constitution of the United States is what gives rise to the original poster's concerns. Were it not for free speech and the like, poronography, dissent, free assembly, diverse religion, etc. would not have manifested itself. That is simply a reflection of the growing pains the country must go through, even though the hardest battles for some reason, have been with accepting others of colour or race, and not their moral compass.

The issue should not be one of race, you've fought against two such battles already and it doesn't seem to have had a negative effect.

Organized carnival and circus freak shows go back to the middle of the 1800�s at least. Where is the cultural value in those?

Well the thing is, that the people in the freak shows were not in the public spotlight all the time. The meadia continues to highlight people who have no real intellectual value to society. Back then when you would pick up a newspaper or magaziene the chances are they wouldnt be talking about the freak show, they would be discussing matters of importance. But once again its our own falt becauze the majority of ppl in our nation would rather pick up a magaziene containing the latest hollywood gossip or just turn to the sports page section of the paper. They have no intrests in what really matters. The media does not help because they sove these people down our throuts (spell?). When ppl of importance do talk its boring to most ppl because intellectual ppl tend to use big words and the general public just dont have time to pick up a dictonary and maybe learn something so they just ignor them.

Originally posted by HowardRoark

Originally posted by torque
I see this as a big part of the problem. Not the killing for material things, but the fact that this guy had no trouble rounding up 3 others to go in and beat these people to death with baseball bats. There is no value on human life at all anymore. It's not the usual "death penalty" or "pro-life/choice" views on the value of life. Today the issue seems to be that young people place NO value on life. No value on personal well-being. There's no real thought to the future, only right now.

Do you honestly think that this is something new?

This kind of crap has been going on since the stone age.

I doubt that the cavemen would HELP beat another human to death or even beat another human to death to begin with, for no good reason. They depended on eachothers help for survival. I agree with torque, the value of human life had deffinetly gone down as time goes on.

www.cato.org...

( look at tabe one and this will support my claim)

Everyday you look in the paper and there is sure to be some kind of violent crime mentiond in there somewhere. Not only is this relitivly new, America is the hot spot for it.

Brittney Spears, Madonna & even Michael Jackson deserve what they have because they believed in it, busted thier "asses" and got it, so dont knck something you may not have because others do. Thats ignorant and shows jealousy.

What kind of messages are these people tryingto get through to their fans?
Where is there any artistic ability in rising to fame mearly by exploiting your body as much as possible? (excluding michal jackson )

"Well little girl/boy since your not verry pritty and you dont have the kind of money to make things happen, dont expect to be anything more than another regular joe shmoe who misses out on the "american dream"and works for 45 years at a job youll probably hate. No matter how much you work and work at it you will most likly fail."

Unless maybe you can get on one of those new reality shows then maybe...
Oh wait nevermind they only put pritty faces on them too.

If was to be remamberd Id like to be rememberd for my ability, not because I look good in a baithing suit, had more plastic surgery than anyone, or have the right kind of money and connections to get me famous.

our culture is obsessed with material goods. conformity reigns supreme. wealth is the only possible means of making a name for yourself. these things go hand in hand, if you do not conform you do not aquire vast riches. the government makes it this way, so that when you aquire your vast fortune you will spend it on all the corperate goods and line the pockets of our elite. a sad states looms over the land of the free, the people we worship have absolutly no value of human compasion and decency. we are transfixiated on appearance, and choose style over substance. peers hold each other to higher standards when they infact are completely flawed. peoples moral standards do not even come into play. even though im only 20 i like to look back at the 50's, that seemed like a time of pure culture. people seemed so much more charasmatic and full of life. without television and all of these modern luxeries people depended on one another for their kicks. that really must have been a great time when you could walk into a room and discuss issues other then current media affairs. people are losing their individual foundation for the sake of security and wondering towards the glowing box for answers, when all of the answers lie within each other. sure this is a unique country with tons of cultural diversity, but honestly each culture is really isolated from each other. there is so much hate floating around, ignorance breeds hatred. ignorance of other cultures leaves us no choice but to drift further away from one another. this is the point we are at, at least where i live. mexican, russian, asian, european, muslum, have dwarfed the puritan population in the silicon valley. and from my point of view can not stand each other, all gathering in their own groups having little tolerance for each others cultures. this place is full of people who want absolutly nothing to do with you.

ARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!



[edit on 11-8-2004 by kogigaiden]

Originally posted by Tr33stump

Thank you for your imput HowardRoark youve made it so easy to explain what im trying to say now. What do all those things youve mentiond have in common? There all telivision shows. TV is whats really the problem. They throw the most nonsenceicle (spell? ) garbage at you. Totaly mindless Sh*t wich has nothing to do with the real world and has gradually gotten worse and worse as the years go by. We used to enjoy going to a theater ( not a movie theater to specify ) and watching the art that was preformd on stage. Going to a museum and looking at the peices of art created by human hands. Going to see an orchestra and listining to a variety of sounds come together and create musical ART. Most telivison shows are just mindless crap that requires no thought prosess at all. People used to read, but now we have become mentally lazy as a people and would rather watch these so called "reality shows" that dont really have any point to them. The incredible thing to me is that peope actually enjoy it. Its because TV has become a childs best friend, Ive seen children sit in front of that thing for hours and watch the same cartoons over andover again. It has controll of their minds IMO and its just a scary thing to me. Instead of playing with blocks, putting a puzzle together, or going out and communicating with other children they just sit in fron of the tube and rot their mind. Once they start to grow up a little and loose intrest in cartoons they have Mtv to tune into. Like I said before, look at the people we Idolize, What do they stand for? Most are just a pritty face and if they are not a pritty face then they have money and can buy a pritty face. Drugs, Sex,and Violence sells and that is sad IMHO.

actaully, especially if you have cable and acess to the internet, well, you can go to the museum, learn about animals, learn how to do various crafts, all kinds of things...they are there, easier to get to than ever before. If, you chose to use them. not too many people chose them though, I don't think. I don't think it is quite right to blame tv, or the computers...as much as they can be used to zombify yourself, they can also be used to educate and expand your awareness. it's just a matter of choice.

Originally posted by stumason

The american standard of living is unquestionably the best on earth

No it isnt, it is about 14th actually. Norway is top.

And I would question wether the US had any culture to lose in the first place, apart from rampant comercialism

You tell 'em!

Yeh what culture, there is no such thing as "an american" you're either a ex-african, ex-european or ex-someone-else-who-was-duped-into-living-there.
OK 200 years or so will created a "culture" of sorts, but is a big Mac culture a Ford perhaps, or maybe Brittny Spears?
The idea behind importing people to a newly "invented" country is that they are disenfranchised i.e. removing them from their culture. So whats left is this bland mixture of "residual self-culture" (to half use a phrase from the matrix) if you see what i mean?