American Culture

[motion]

I'm over it. Our country and its values are in the toilet. I am astounded at what's happened in the last 20 years or so. Its shameful and embarrassing. People in 99% of America are slobs who only care about themselves and their next big screen LCD television. And, things are getting worse quickly. 3 years from now, we'll (my family) be looking for greener pastures.

/rant over

[gacook]

We still have culture; you just have to look a little harder to find it. I agree that we're a very ego-centric society, though. I haven't bought a big screen in the past 5 years, if it makes you feel any better

[BigInJapan]

I haven't even owned a tv in 15 years, if it makes you feel any better.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I suspect you're just looking in the wrong places. Good luck with the greener pastures.

[motion]

I've been over every inch of this country, and the rest of the world. I know it isn't so peachy out there, either.

[gatotom]

Sad to say that in the early 70's, I spent a lot of time in South America and saw our values in the toilet then. I kept a low profile but was still spotted from time to time as a gringo. It is what it is.

Without a doubt this country is about as low on the totem pole as it can be and it would be nice to see change to the positive but to get people united is a stretch.

We are at the point in our lives that retirement is the next door in life and if I had a total say in our future endeavors would cut the mooring lines on the boat and never come back. I only get one vote.

motion, count your blessings, you live in Montana, you could be in east LA.

[porsche4life]

If I had that place in Montana I'd stay there and not give a rats ass about what the rest of American culture does...

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by gacook

We still have culture; you just have to look a little harder to find it. I agree that we're a very ego-centric society, though. I haven't bought a big screen in the past 5 years, if it makes you feel any better

Ego-centric and love disposable products we can throw away and go get a new one on credit so we can have it right away and don't give a crap how much in debt you are as long as no one comes knocking on the door and when they do file for bankruptcy.

We bought a new TV this spring because our old one broke and we got it on sale after the Superbowl rush. We don't have cable or Dish/Direct, just the over the air stuff for local news, weather and kids shows like Wild Kratts.

For full disclosure I should also mention that we traded our car of 167,000 miles on a new one with a loan because the old one started knocking pretty bad, otherwise we would have waited another year. Our truck has 180,000 miles and is 14 years old and just bought 2 new sets of tires the last couple years. Winter and summer tires so we are committed to it for another 3-4 years at least.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

See ya.

[motion]

Sid, sounds good, but you have to leave the house at some point. I always believed Montanan's were one of the last holdouts of the givememoney-fatslob-tattoos-fastfood-overindulgance-beerguzzling masses, but that has gone away.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

If I had that place in Montana I'd stay there and not give a rats ass about what the rest of American culture does...

True. And the TV news would stay off. Most of the people I know who believe we're going to hell in a handbasket are hardcore watchers of the 24 hr news stations, a comment that applies to both political affiliations.

[Rot 911]

Originally Posted by gatotom

We are at the point in our lives that retirement is the next door in life and if I had a total say in our future endeavors would cut the mooring lines on the boat and never come back. I only get one vote.

Interesting that you would say that as I have been giving this a lot of thought lately. Not sure I want to spend the rest of my days surrounded by people that only care about what's in it for them.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by motion

.......beerguzzling........

Hey now, let's not make this personal!

[gatotom]

Maybe it's time to move to Wyoming??

[motion]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Hey now, let's not make this personal!

Haha

[911SauCy]

Originally Posted by flipper35

Ego-centric and love disposable products we can throw away and go get a new one on credit so we can have it right away and don't give a crap how much in debt you are as long as no one comes knocking on the door and when they do file for bankruptcy.

Those fantastic wanna-be's I so affectionately refer to as $30k-millionaires.

[motion]

Originally Posted by gatotom

Maybe it's time to move to Wyoming??

Naw, we'll keep the Montana place. I have land and good neighbors.

[flipper35]

Funny, when I worked for the software publisher in CA we had clients that were multimillionaires. They were some of the most laid back and generous people I know. I was not in the LA area if that makes a difference. Our longhood was purchased from one of them actually. His work uniform was jeans, cowboy boots and a plaid shirt. Reminds me of Sam Elliot.

[VINMAN]

Can't say I disagree with Richard. We've become a society of materialism, vanity and egoism.
Pretty sad.

[livi]

You are welcome to join at the table of the Scandinavian socialist club.