Is america a nation of terrified people ????

I didn't make up traditional anti-collectivism-




Who is the most popular super hreo in current American culture?

“If Superman stands for the ungainly immigrant who came here after his people were wiped out in a holocaust and realized his full potential thanks to America, Batman represents the anti-collectivist. He captivates America for the same reason communism never caught on here, the same reason citizens hold firearms for self-defense instead of just hunting, the same reason we are the only country that questions the wisdom of socialized medicine. He is the avatar of a people whose primary wish is to be left alone.” – John Boot.” -John Boot

reply to post by bellagirl

are you familiar with those studies they did with rat populations? overcrowding=stress=violence/fear? maybe something like that. the part of America I live in has a very small population therefore a lot less stress/fear. also keep in perspective the difference between ranting and raving on the internets with being curled up in the fetal position in an underground bunker

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Originally posted by YouSir

It has absolutely NOTHING to do with feeling safe. None of the weapons that I used to own, (sorry, I sold them all) were to make me "feel safe". I owned them because I love to shoot, it's fun and challenging. .

A lot of other gun owners would disagree with you. They have stated that they have them for personal protection.

reply to post by region331


Or to overthrow the government. LOL

Don't forget that one.

reply to post by CJCrawley


You've gone and done it now!

The OP is missing a much bigger picture. Since the fall of the Russian Monarchy, concerted efforts to duplicate destabilization, cultural revolution, and communism in the West have continued. Put more simply, People don't fear foreigners, or invaders, or a bad economy. They fear their government because the symptoms of socialism are manifesting, even if the actual nomenclature is lost on the conscious minds of the millions. They do not have to know it is communism, collectivism, and the initial symptoms of genocide that they are suffering from. They do not have to know that there is an effort to reduce their country to an easily manipulated 3rd world sweat shop of 310 million strong ruled by an armed minority.

They merely need to recognize that they grew up in big houses and now live in tiny apartments. They had life long jobs with retirement plans and now they are unemployed and in debt. They once drove across thousands of miles for road trips and to visit relatives, and now they cannot trust their relatives or afford to pay for the gas to see them. They once considered flying a luxury but now consider it a personal hell. They once looked to a bright future of educated grand children but now reflect on the fact that their descendents will have it worse off than them. They are looking for someone to blame but fear the blame falls upon themselves.

They are not fearing anything but this. It is not fear consuming Americans. It is despair.

double sorry

In many ways the US is a "Fear Based Economy". Not just the fear of government, but a fear of almost all aspects of our lives.
Just listen to the commercials on the radio. American marketing, more than any other rich western country resorts to fear to sell products.

The OP is at least partially correct. "Terrified" may be a bit strong, but yes people are overly concerned. And advertisers and the two major political parties WANT it that way.

duplicate, sorry

reply to post by Leonidas


There does seem to be a cultural element as well though. The blame can't all be laid at the doorstep of the Advertisers.

For some reason Americans do seem to have a suspicious fear of their elected officials. One can only guess why.

I think there has always been 'overt' corruption in American Politics and Business. Its overtness has led to a 'matter of factness' and general acceptance. This in turn lends itself to the suspicion that those people privy to the inner-workings of the system are only a short step away from the further temptation of something far worse.

reply to post by region331


Both major political parties engage in the same fear mongering.

They characterize their opponents as evil, wrong, un American and out to destroy your way of life.

reply to post by Leonidas


They do indeed but isn't it viewed as just rhetoric in the US? Do you think people actually buy it?

Originally posted by bellagirl
here in australia i can go to the local pub and walk home at 2am laughing and chatting all the way home with friends without the fear of someone shooting me because they think im about to do a home invasion..steal their car...rob their house etc.

*shrugs* Sounds like every town I've lived in here in the United States since 1980. We still leave our front door unlocked, car unlocked.

Sure there are certain neighborhoods you might not wan't to do that, but I'm sure dark alleys exists in every country.

Also "violent video games"? really..., did you really go there?

*Edit to Add*

btw..the answer to your thread title, would be an emphatic No. At least from my standpoint and all the family and friends I've come to know and met in my lifetime. Like I said I sleep soundly at night with my front door and windows wide open , love a cool breeze, and I'm not the least bit afraid. I have nothing worth stealing is probaly why

reply to post by Nola213

It sounds like you live in a nice, safe and civilised town.
Does that mean you don't feel the need to own a firearm for protection?

Originally posted by CJCrawley

Not wishing to cause offence but the overall impression I'm getting about US posters - mainly in regard to the gun ownership issue - is of a frightened, paranoid people.

Our founding fathers were not frightened, paranoid people. They were highly intelligent students of history, so they blessed us with the ultimate insurance policy. The keepers of The Second Amendment are not frightened people, for that exact reason. It is the people who want to give up our rights and freedoms that are paranoid.

Originally posted by region331
reply to post by Nola213

 

It sounds like you live in a nice, safe and civilised town.
Does that mean you don't feel the need to own a firearm for protection?

Well I do keep a 30/30 lever action loaded between my nightstand and bed. But even if I didn't have that rifle, I'd probably leave the door open anyway. But yes your right, this isn't a bad area I live in. Sure if I live in a much more heavily populated place, where there was drug activity, I'd lock my door and deadbolt it. But the OP'er idea of what the "average" American's "fear level is" is waaaay off imo. I'm sure there's "bad" areas in every country. Where you'd keep everything locked. Even Australia.

I've walked through some of the most dangerous areas in the US, when I was using drugs. Taking the train to the subway then into Brooklyn, the Bronx, Harlem at 2am to score some "H" was a 3-4 time a week thing for me for a couple years; and as a young white kid walking alone I was never attacked, or robbed. Only arrested once. But maybe that was just luck? Or maybe the dealers knew me, and the spotters watched out for me. I mean they do want to protect their customers I'd imagine.

But this whole walking out of a pub without the fear of being robbed or car-jacked. I've never in my entire life heard someone say they we're concerned of that, or seen it actually happen. And I've walked out of many pubs in many different States late at night.

Originally posted by Nola213
But the OP'er idea of what the "average" American's "fear level is" is waaaay off imo. I'm sure there's "bad" areas in every country. Where you'd keep everything locked. Even Australia.

Do you think there will ever come a time where you feel that you don't need to keep the rifle in the home?

I think the OP probably over-emphasised their language. I think he/she was merely making the observation that some people don't appear to feel safe without a gun nearby and some do.

This thread makes me want to start a thread asking if Austalians are delusional people who think they're better than everyone else, but I try not to stereotype an entire population.

reply to post by Afterthought


In defence of the OP there do seem to be a lot of Americans that openly state that they feel they would be at great mortal risk without a gun. They may well be, I offer no opinion on this. Also there seems to be a lot of Americans that appear to believe that a tyrannical government is just around the corner.

I think offence was taken to the use of the word 'terrified' and was too strong a term. But I can see why the question was asked.