Once again looking for some help

[ericcoleman]

I'm working on a song and I want some opinions. What do you think is wrong with this country?

Here are the ground rules.
1 - I want to hear from my friends on the right as well as my friends on the left.
2 - If someone says something that you don't agree with ... tough. This thread is a place for someone's opinion, not a discussion, not an argument. Responses to other people's comments here are not allowed, not even from me.
3 - If you post in this thread, read everyone else's comments, and try to give them all credit.

I want to make this song not just from my point of view. I'm trying to make it something bigger. Now admittedly my politics are quite left of center, so I can't help but have that point of view in there somewhere, but I want more to this song. It may be more than I can manage, but I want to try.

Oh, and if you are uncomfortable posting here but still want to contribute, email me at ericcoleman at gmail dot com.

Comments

[bammba-m.livejournal.com]

free speach is what's wrong with this country.

if we didn't have to worry about what we say, or what someone else will think, or how we're going to be offended today, i think we'd all live a lot better.

so. either do away with it, or give it full reign.

Short Attention Span Theater:

[jrittenhouse.livejournal.com]

...or low information voters. People get the idea that they can't get their heads around anything of significance in regard to What's Going On and what the issues (and their possible solutions) are. They just fix on something shiny, like the presence/non-presence of a flag pin, and go with that.

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/9075/storyhu7.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What%27s_the_Matter_with_Kansas

[blur01.livejournal.com]

Fear.

I am currently more afraid of my government than I am of "them".

[pheltzer.livejournal.com]

Two Party Politics. The entire political spectrum can't be summed up in either Black or White, Yes or No. I wish we had multiple viable political parties to make up Congress so they'd have to build coalition governments as it were to get things done. Much like the parliaments/congresses/legislatures of other "Democratic" countries, people have to work together to get things done and often find an acceptable middle ground in the process.

[rsmit212.livejournal.com]

Greed. Screw the human race for a buck.

Fear. Screw the human race because of what I'm afraid you might do.

No responsibility. What? It's not *my* fault. Your window sliced open my arm when I broke it! Pay me!

Busy bodies. You're doin' stuff I don't like behind those doors! I know you are!

[erik]

Get Rich Quick.

At all levels of society. On both sides of the aisle, no matter which aisle you're looking at. Both metaphorical and literal. Everyone is looking for the magic scheme to make it all better, instead of trying to find a long-term plan for long-term success.

[prettymuchpeggy.livejournal.com]

We have forgotten if we don't have employed people in the country there isn't anybody to buy the things we're selling.

[alymid.livejournal.com]

1) People have lost the sense that they can affect change and that they are part of the active running of the country.

2) The people with power don't keep the best interests of ALL the people in mind when they influence or affect policy changes.

I know these are very general, but I think they are sort of the rotted roots of a lot of our problems.

[stephanieb.livejournal.com]

Religion matters more than human beings to some people.

[controuble.livejournal.com]

Seems like everyone wants RIGHTS, but nobody wants RESPONSIBILITY

[gamerchick.livejournal.com]

Religious fundamentalism. Specifically, Dominionist Christianity (which is scary shit - dark_christian for info) and widespread belief in the Rapture. So many social ills trace directly back to the idea that, "well, Jesus is coming to take us away soon, so we don't have to care for the environment, invest in education and our children, help the poor, etc. because Jesus will do that for us really soon." At its worst, this thinking encourages strife in the Middle East, war, famine, etc. because all of these things are signs that Jesus is returning.

[fredhuggins.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with this country is, there's too many people who like try to tell YOU what you can and can't do with your life. Militant people who impose their wills upon whomever they can - sons, daughters, students, and anyone with a weak enough will of their own. They exist at all levels of government and outside the government, from the lawmen who outlaw natural plants, to the mother who drags her children to church and tells them what they believe. These professional moralists come in all issues - militant vegetarians, militant pro-lifers, militant anti-gays, militant believers of EVERY religion (including atheism), militant environmentalists, militant ANTI-environmentalists, etc. Overgrown whiner-babies who like to grab your God-given freedom like a toy and yell "MINE!" People who absolutely REFUSE to live and let live. Worse yet, some of these folk are actually successful enough to ensnare lesser-willed people into their webs of deceit and pay THEM to do the yelling for them, which leads us to policemen, Bible-thumpers and rock concert security guards who try to tell you not to stand up and mosh. It's a necessary evil of free speech, I'm afraid; fascism seems to be human nature, and if you take it away nationally, it'll show up individually. It's not a UNIQUELY American problem, I admit - but it IS the problem of every nation that tells it's citizens "We're #1." Some people aren't satisfied with merely being THEIR OWN boss.

I don't know the answer, and if I did I wouldn't try to impose it anyway.

[billroper]

I'll fire blind and then read the comments.

The absurd polarization of both left and right, resulting in the demonization of the other side in most arguments.

The reluctance of people to credit their opponents with good motives. Yes, there are some genuine crooks out there, but that doesn't necessarily describe all politicians or their supporters. (And I do have a serious problem with people with a sense of entitlement.)

The refusal to give an inch, because of the fear that someone will take a mile.

The fact that sometimes when you do give an inch, some damn fool goes and tries to grab a mile, giving credence to the previous statement.

That compromise is a dirty word.

And when your song is done, if you want to read a set of lyrics, go here.

[rose1thorn.livejournal.com]

The pathological need to be right has replaced honest debate.

Just one for now

[barondave.livejournal.com]

This country has always had (by my estimation) about 15% of the population who were certifiably insane. These are the people who think the Bible justified slavery and who now refuse to admit that G-d created evolution. Since Reagan's flip flop on deficit spending and the conservative assault on reason to justify his presidency, that percentage of insane people crept up to about 25%. Roughly the percent of people who still think, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that W is doing a good job as president.

To a great extent, we're not arguing policy, we're arguing facts. This is why politics has become so polarized. It's one thing to spin the facts, it's quite another to just make stuff up and pretend it's true. Politics has always been about perception and not necessarily about the truth, but it's been much worse of recent years.

[coburnsteeth.livejournal.com]

Politics it the playground for grown-ups(I use that term loosely).

You got the ones who always think they're right who hog the jungle gym.

You got the ones who are always calling you "insane" or "idiot" for not being in their clique... and then you got the ones who just want to play frickin' 4-square without being told what to yell, or how to dress or how the rules have been changed slightly to accommodate some other kid playing.

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

Too many stupid people trying to tell others what to think and believe.
Too many people on the street asking for a handout instead of seeking real help for their situations (not all of them are homeless, you know).

[ravenclaw-eric.livejournal.com]

The polarization of the country into factions that seek to win over their "enemies" at all costs. See Heinlein's "The Happy Days Ahead" in Expanded Universe for more details.

I'd also add the monopolization of the mainstream media by one monolithic POV. And I'd feel the same if it was my own lot doing it.

[chia-rhino.livejournal.com]

So many other people have mentioned this that I can't possibly begin to credit, but I agree that the polarization of our two party system is really causing more harm than good.

But, most of all, the thing that drives me crazy about this country is attitude. Somewhere, we picked up the idea that we're better than the rest of the world, and it bugs me, because we aren't. Our health system is so f-ed up, for example, and we could be looking to other countries to see what works for them, but we don't. It seems like there is such a with us or against us attitude, and it bugs me. When I was a child, I gladly wore red, white, and blue, but I haven't been able to bring myself to that point, since I can't feel proud to be a part of it, and it would feel like a lie.

The thing is, though, I can't jump ship, because then there would be only the people who can't see the big picture left. This country bugs me, but it's still where I'm from.

Faith

[bdunbar.livejournal.com]

I don't think there is, really, much wrong with this country.

It's a great big sprawling place to live and work and do what you please. A guy recently decided to spend some of his hard-earned fortune and his money built the first privately owned rocket ship.  It went to space. Three times.

But you asked about problems. Fine.

I'll leave out problems like racism and vanity and greed and human stupidity. They're problems but they ain't going away - that's just people being people.

What's Wrong With This Country is that people want to be Nosy Parkers and tell everyone else what to do. If they get frisky they get the government to do it for them. Let me sit under my vine and do what I will.

Have a little faith, baby. Things will work out.

[nomaddervish.livejournal.com]

On another journal, I just saw a post from someone who recently moved to California from outside the US and has a chronic, non-behavioural, medical condition which, if not treated multiple times daily, will kill him/her within a matter of weeks, if not sooner. S/he is basically uninsurable by normal means and has been told that an application for the CA state high-risk insurance pool will take a minimum of 3-4 months to be approved, possibly longer. If s/he can come up with the money to buy medications out of pocket to survive that long, of course.

By most accounts, the US spends at least twice as much on health care per capita as the rest of the industrialized world, yet we somehow rank near the bottom on many indicators of its quality, even for those who are able to get it at all.

[ms-dblk.livejournal.com]

I'd like them to quit protecting me from myself (as in the laws they pass like I MUST wear a helmet, or the kid has to wear one, but daddy or mommy don't).

I'd also like them to quit giving out everlasting handouts. I understand helping someone who's in a bind, but those that never bother to help themselves and expect it as their due bother me. The government appears to attempting to figure out how to keep helping them, with no effort on their own part.
(An aside: had an acquaintance that was on unemployment. He told us if they'd just make him come down and sit all day at the office (so he was unable to do 'fun things') he'd be out looking for a job in a minute. With mail in, rather than report in, he had no reason to want to look.)

[freeimprov.livejournal.com]

Fear. Of EVERYTHING. Fear of teh t3rr0r, fear of anyone getting a cent from the government they don't desperately need, fear of illegal immigrants taking our jobs, fear of taking any risks whatsoever to make America or the world a better place...

[kylakae.livejournal.com]

Apathy, entitlement, fear, stupidity and a lack of tolerance.

[starstraf.livejournal.com]

New York Times best selling author has to goto Mexico for surgery cause he can't afford insurance. (Linkey) (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/07/15/off-to-mexico/)

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

The belief that we can (or should) be perfectly safe. Whether it’s cars or toys or Possibly Devastating Threats, there’s a limit as to how much of our money should be spent trying to eliminate all possibility of danger. And, paradoxically, the belief that it’s OK to pollute, it’s OK to grow veggies we want to eat raw in water that could be contaminated by the upstream farm’s wastes, etc. etc. etc. Some costs (in money and freedom) are way too high for the tiny amount of increased safety they buy. But the dangers are publicized and hyped up by people who can get something out of the attempted “fix”. At the same time, other dangers are just plain ignored, because the person making the decision believes they can make a profit while pushing the risks on some other guy.

Another thing is that we let some people grow obscenely rich because they treat their workers poorly. One aspect of this is not having universal healthcare. Making our employers provide healthcare puts them at a competitive disadvantage to companies in countries where that’s not an issue. And it means that the companies that treat their workers decently are at a competitive disadvantage to companies that provide poor or no healthcare. Wouldn’t you rather give the advantages to the nice guys?

[arnoldtiller.livejournal.com]

Hmmmmm....Kander and Ebb would say,
"The trouble with the world today it seems to me
Is coffee in a cardboard cup
The trouble with the affluent society
Is coffee in a cardboard cup

No one's ever casual and nonchalant
No one wastes a minute in a restaurant
No one wants a waitress passing pleasantries
Like "Hiya miss"
"Hiya sir"
"May I take your order please", etc.

Sorry, couldn't resist....

[wiebelstez.livejournal.com]

not enough "pay it forward. "
lack of respect and responsibility.
social pressure to be good. (in the truest sence of the word)
not enough free time.

the biggest problem, really

[bibliofile.livejournal.com]

Eh, same thing that's wrong with any country: it has people in it. Damn humans! So many political system would work so well if only they didn't have real people in 'em to screw them up.

(Kids! These! Days! is only a minor variation on this larger theme.)

[tlunquist.livejournal.com]

What we do instead of capitalism.

Government meddling in the "free" market, day traders and speculators disconnecting stock prices from business results, employee disengagement caused by employees having no clue how, or if their work affects their company's success or failure. Taxation without representation and unfunded mandates. The so-called "deregulation" of the phone company that resulted in bigger and far more insidious monopolies than Ma Bell ever was. Government bailouts of subprime lenders and bankrupt airlines. That sort of thing.

Either it's a free market or it's not. True free-market capitalism may not be the answer, and the Constitution may not be perfect either, but both are a damn sight better than what we're using now.