What would you say is the common issue we have in the U.S.?

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]Please forgive me, because in this post I'm going to go decidedly mental.

[quote name='Mykul']I think that answers the question a little too well.[/quote]
Again, forgive my seeming obtuseness, but how exactly is that possible? Is there such a thing as cutting too close to the heart of a problem? Or are we a little leery of getting its blood on our hands? :p

About the taxes ... just makin' sure. And now I know we're on the same page.

[quote name='Indi][COLOR=Indigo']Allamorph, mental depravity doesn't really address the problem correctly. It's an oversimplification of the overall issue.[/COLOR][/quote]
Again, how is that possible? Think of it this way instead: all roads lead to Rome.

I don't feel the need to waste time pointing out each and every individual flaw in existence when I can already see the one gushing wound that, if healed, would make all the other menial scratches a breeze to fix. So it's not that "mental depravity" describes or is a symptom of that particular problem that I mentioned. It's that, of all the ones I've looked at, and all the ones I [I]hadn't[/I] looked at until others have mentioned them here, the single root cause each time is mental depravity.

And that depravity is not limited solely to what you deal with on a regular basis. The absence of a desire to use the mind is just as much a mark of depravity as is the desire to bend the mind to ill use; and likewise is the use of the mind for the sake of its own usage depraved as well.

So "oversimplification"? No, I think that's kind of impossible. However, I will readily admit that I aim for [I]total[/I] simplification.

And [COLOR=Indigo]Indi[/COLOR], you know me. I think about [I]everything[/I] seriously. (^_^)[/FONT]

[Lady Asphyxia]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][strike]Idiocy[/strike]

I joke, I joke.

As an outsider looking at it, I guess what would concern me most is your economy, because it links to so much of what you have to deal with everyday -- and because it affects me, too. From what I've read, you guys are staring down the face of a recession -- apparently 60% of Americans already believe you're in one. Unless the government has some wonder-fix up its sleeve, this is going to hit, and pretty hard. You've been sailing pretty for years but your country is in debt. America is no longer the economic powerhouse you once were -- I'm not saying that it doesn't have huge amounts of impact, I'm just saying that the economy is running out of steam. And when it does, it won't be nice, because it seems like a lot of American policies when it comes to people are based on a good economic climate.

Like minimum wage, for example. Take the case of being a waiter. They earn, what, $3 an hour and then tips, which can be tough at the best of times. As the economy takes a turn for the worse, people eat out less in order to save money. The waiter earns less tips, and has to try to live off something close to $3 an hour.

Once upon a time, I was comparing with a friend and our wages kind of worked out the same. Not so much now. For me to work as a banquets waitress, I get at least $17 an hour [no tips]. I work from 5 till 2am, and I earn $153. In the past, it would have been equivalent to 80 bucks or so American. Now? Now we're 95c to the dollar. And I feel sorry for waiters in America.

Your cost of living has gone up, which means that your income has technically decreased [regardless if it's stayed the same in reality. You have less money to spend on other things.], and it's hard.

Of course, I'm paying what is equivalent to $6.5 a gallon for petrol, which sucks.
[/SIZE][/FONT]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][quote name='Lady Asphyxia'][FONT=Arial][SIZE=2]Of course, I'm paying what is equivalent to $6.5 a gallon for petrol, which sucks. [/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]If a waiter went from making $3 an hour to $17, I think the whining over gas would be less relevant. What makes that ironic is even though other countries pay more for gas, America depends on the trucking industry to deliver everything. We run the risk of bankrupting the owner/operators and driving the cost of living up even more. Over a gas price that other countries are tell us are something we need to quit whining about. They don't see it as the crisis it really is, they don't see that the wages don't even come close to increasing along side the cost of living.

The average American can cut back on driving where those in the trucking industry... don't have that luxury. They have to drive more if possible to make up the difference. This is only one of the problems we face, other issues have been brought up as well.

So yeah, in conclusion I agree that the economy here is one of the biggest issues we have and yet certain parties are telling us the lie that increased prices is good for us when wages aren't going up in a meaningful way. o_O I suppose you could say it's good for those who are making more profit, but not for the rest of us. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Lunar]

[COLOR="Red"]so confused. someone help me.:animedepr[/COLOR]

[Allamorph]

[quote name='CrimsonKnight][COLOR="Red"']so confused. someone help me.:animedepr[/COLOR][/quote]
[FONT=Arial]Because no one can possibly obtain the slightest glimmer of an idea of your dilemma from that meager post alone, I'm afraid I am left with advising you to go cry in a corner.

And that might be the least sarcastic reply you get. :p[/FONT]

[ledzepplinrules]

The biggest problem is how arrogant Americans are. We think we are better than everyone else, when we are secretly being led by a facist government trying to take our rights away. While proclaming how much we support other countries yet America has done so many under handed things during the course of the past one-hundred years which is why I am ashamed to not only call myself an American, but also a human being.:animecry:

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][quote name='ledzepplinrules;814593]The biggest problem is how arrogant Americans are. We think we are better than everyone else[/QUOTE]We are arrogant and think we're better than everyone else? Well that's news to me. lol[quote name='ledzepplinrules;814593]when we are secretly being led by a facist government trying to take our rights away. [/QUOTE]Uh oh... that was suppose to be a secret? >_> And here I thought everyone knew how fascist our government really is. I guess our arrogance fooled us into thinking others didn't notice! Oopsie? :D[QUOTE=ledzepplinrules'']While proclaming how much we support other countries yet America has done so many under handed things during the course of the past one-hundred years which is why I am ashamed to not only call myself an American, but also a human being.:animecry:[/quote]I'm sure we're not the only country to have done underhanded things. I find the idea of feeling ashamed to be American kind of silly really. Not that you don't bring up valid points I'm sure but they all seem to be generalizations instead of any tangible issues. ^_~[/FONT][/COLOR]

[ledzepplinrules]

[quote name='SunfallE'][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]We are arrogant and think we're better than everyone else? Well that's news to me. lolUh oh... that was suppose to be a secret? >_> And here I thought everyone knew how fascist our government really is. I guess our arrogance fooled us into thinking others didn't notice! Oopsie? :DI'm sure we're not the only country to have done underhanded things. I find the idea of feeling ashamed to be American kind of silly really. Not that you don't bring up valid points I'm sure but they all seem to be generalizations instead of any tangible issues. ^_~[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

We funded Iran and Iraq and gave them weapons

We blew up what the Government thought was WMAs' even though it turned out to be an aspirin factory

The CIA trained Osama

The CIA gave Osama lots of money to him and the taliban

And so much more....