Damn, But I Hate This Country!

[bobd]

If I give any thought at all to the endless stream of bad news I'm simply overwhelmed with a bone deep, gut level, hatred of this country. You KNOW that the California recall circus is being done simply to distract the media and the lemming citizens from the real goings on: i.e., the enless war(s), the shitty economy, the poverty, the systemic inequality in both human and economic terms, etc., etc., etc. What's even more depressing is is that you know it will work too!

I always wondered how hatred could get to such a deep, visceral level to produce hellish events like the US Civil War, the centuries old ethnic bad-blood in the middle east, in the Balkans, Ireland, etc. Well, now I know. If someone told me I'd be in this place 5 years ago I'd have laughed in their face. What in god's name will become of us?

[cherryperry]

1. Please don't say you hate this country,

try saying Our Country: Change It Or Lose It, whadja think?

:kick:

[bobd]

4. It's Already Gone

Plus saying "Our Country: Change It Or Lose It" is not how I really feel. What's wrong with hating it, anyway?

[cherryperry]

8. It's okay, of course, if that's how you really feel!

I just don't like to learn someone hates our country rather than hating the current administration or the direction the country has been going ... just my opinion; no biggie.
:hi: :kick:

[PROGRESSIVE1]

14. Thank you Cherryperry....

the President is a buerocrat, a very powerful one but they do not represent our nation!!! Don't believe the Goebels style propaganda from the corporate media. The latest polls say that our fearless Fuher would loose the election next year.
The elected officials are just the ones who run the show!

[UnapologeticLiberal]

21. Leave it, then

If you hate it so much what are you still doing here?

[bobd]

22. Excellent Question

Answer: I'm 52 years old. Where could I go at my age? What country would let me in when my remaining productive years are limited? Chances are they'd see me as net a drain on their medical and retirement system. If I was younger and unattached I'd be gone in a flash.

[LondonReign2]

2. You don't mean the country, right?

I mean, given how you felt 5 years ago,what has changed? Not the country, but the evil junta running it. God, remember the Clinton years? Peace, prosperity, and a place in the world community.

The country hasn't changed--it has always been 33% ignorant rednecks--it is just that the bully pulpit is now occupied by bullies.

[bobd]

6. The People have changed

Well, maybe they've always been black-hearted at their core (and I include myself in this view as well). If the people in this country actually cared about their fellow man Bush would have already been run out on a rail. The people care about money, church, their SUVs and Pickups, sports, and beer. How does any of that make for a just and inclusive society?

[Space Cadet]

24. What is wrong with caring about church?

If I read your posting correctly you state that caring about church is a negative thing to do and that it can't make for an inclusive society. I dont know what kind of churches you have been to, however churches are this country's salvation. They are the only place where values of compassion and forgiveness are being tought. The rest of society is preaching selfishness, violence and greed.

[bobd]

28. Even the Right-Wing Fundamentalist Churches

that are nothing more than GOP branch offices? Here in Toledo we've got scads of 'em. Practically one on every corner it seems. They're all hepped up on right-wing hate and ready to do Jesus's bidding for George and his dirty little war.

Religion, is a bad, bad thing in my view.

[Space Cadet]

30. Glass house

It sounds like you are the one who has a problem with exclusion. How do you justify judging all religion people? I hear more anger and hate from you than any church.

[Muddleoftheroad]

36. Wow, you hate religion and the U.S.

So who cares about anything else you have to say? You aren't being constructive trying to fix things, your posts are just simple complaints.

[juajen]

32. We should care about God,

not what passes for his collective "church". I find a lot wrong with churches. They are not inclusive unless you fit their stereotype; they spend too much money on themselves and not their community; they are, mostly, conservative while Jesus Christ was most certainly a liberal; in short, they care too much what each other is wearing; have a superiority complex, are judgmental and suffer from a lack of compassion for people and their problems. They mostly or should I say rarely put their money where their mouth is. Additionally, for the most part, they are rascist. I could go on and list my experiences with churches, but I won't. I don't feel like typing that much.

[Space Cadet]

35. Church is not God

You cant judge God by what his church does. Churches are made up with people who are full of faults, and if you focus on the people who run the churches you will always be disappointed. Just acccept people for being imperfect, because so are you. Churches have been the focal point for progressive movements during this country's history. Abolishionist movement was a religish movement. Abe Lincoln was a devote CHristian and his faith was where he got his ideas.

[maggrwaggr]

25. Come to California, Bob!

It's different here. Really it is.

[quinnox]

3. Bobd-The demoralized Democrat

Cheer up a bit! You are always in a deep, black funk.

[bobd]

7. What's NOT to be in a funk about?

n/t

[jafap]

45. think of all the great blues music this administration will inspire

play that funky music

[KoKo]

5. Yes......it's pretty bad......getting to me too. It's what they get away

with....on and on and on and on........

One wonders if we will have anything resembling the America "we thought we knew" by the time we get Bush out. I've never seen so much carnage done politically in such a short time with no political repercussions whatsoever.

They are like weeds. The more you starve them the bigger they grow, the more you pull them out the faster they come back. (not the best analogy....but the one that came to mind.)

I have Kobe, Shwartzenneger overload and I don't even watch cable unless a dem candidate is on...But, it's hard to drown it out when switching channels.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[enki23]

11. he's in your way?

.

[juajen]

27. Hey,

this forum, I thought, was a place you could come to express your feelings. Don't turn "cowboy", please. The climate is terribly discouraging. It's hard for me to retain my natural optimism in the face of what the cheap labor conservatives get away with. Funny, though, I'm convinced it's been going on a long, long time, you know, let them think there's hope and then pull the rug out; give them hope again, pull the rug, etc, etc, etc. I wonder how many of our presidents have been puppets and knew they would be. I can't quite get over Clinton sheperding NAFTA through.

[roughsatori]

10. "If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem"

That is a saying from the 60s that I tell myself when I am demoralized about OUR country. If I get too depressed and give up I help the Repukes further their agenda.

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

12. Cry me a river

We will just be fine.

[glarius]

13. We non-Americans say DON'T GIVE UP.....WE DEPEND ON YOU!!

We citizens in the rest of the world (Canada in my case) are depending on you caring people to work to make sure Bush is not re-elected....I have read posts on DU where some of you say you are sick of the world hating you...Believe me we don't hate the American people. We know it's Bush and his pals that are to blame for the current turmoil the world is experiencing....He has alienated many of the world leaders and is bulldozing ahead with his agenda....Don't give up...Keep up the fight...You good people will win in the end!!!

:hi:

[PROGRESSIVE1]

15. TO GLARIUS:

This Proud American greatly appreciates you kind words! I swear that I will not allow MY COUNTRY to be overtaken by the hard rightists and religious fundamentalists!!! Just think of the Republican Party as our Canadian Alliance!

[wellstone_democrat]

16. Thanks, I don't know about anyone else

but I needed that. Thank you glarius.

(It is just so tiring sometimes. Now that moron "actor" is being promoted to run a large economy with dire problems...my God.)

[nofurylike]

20. thank you, glarius,

for your inspirational words.

[glarius]

26. You are all VERY WELCOME!!!

I truly feel there are better days ahead! Come the next election we'll join you all in a toast to the new Democratic President of the United States.....:toast:

[juajen]

34. Thanks, thanks, and double thanks

We need our Canadian neighbors and friends. You seem to be there for us so much of the time without getting many rewards for it. We appreciate you.

[The White Rose]

43. Quite right. America has such unbelievable potential.

Which is why it's so hard to see these troglodytic tyrants in charge. I've met thousands of Americans through my work and they're good people. Horribly uninformed, but good. The key is to be a messenger, even if you can only reach a few. To paraphrase Gandhi: almost anything you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it...

[iangb]

17. Welcome Bob to the majority.....

.......view of the 'Rest of the World'.

You may may now consider yourself an 'Internationalist'.

[bluestateguy]

18. Well this post will be cited on the DU monitor blog

as evidence that we all hate America. Thanks.

[bobd]

19. So ... We Can't Express Our Opinions

for fear of the great and powerful DU Monitoring Blog? It's JUST AN OPINION! The reichwing is allowed opinions and theirs are far more onerous than my one little opinion of their crummy country.

[CMT]

23. I love this country

but despise its leadership.

[maggrwaggr]

29. this country is cowardly

I'm amazed how sceered everyone is after 9/11.

3,000 people died. Sure it was godawful.

How many people die every year in car wrecks?

How many people die every year from gunshot wounds?

A hell of a lot more than that.

Your odds of being killed in a terrorist attack are pretty fucking low.

Yet we're willing to go kill thousands of people and commit war crimes because we're so freaking SCARED.

It's kinda pathetic.

I grew up in Germany in the early 70's and we had the Baader Meinhof gang running around blowing up buildings and killing American military men. I grew up knowing that every day my Dad (an american army officer) might get killed by a terrorist. Whatcha gonna do? Lock yourself in the house with duct tape? No, you get on with your life and hope you're not the unlucky one.

And you continue to live for what you believe, not become a mass "preemptive" murderer.

[maggrwaggr]

31. Seriously, if you hate this country, move

I thought about it when the "war" started. I actually can't due to personal situations, it's actually impossible for me to move very far from where I am now. (no, I'm not on probation)

Since then I've realized that I actually love what this country supposedly stands for, and the values on which it was founded.

The country is broken and we have to fix it.

But if you seriously hate the United States, you shouldn't stay here.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Redleg]

33. Why hate the country? Instead hate the assholes that made it this way.

You can start with that flunky Bush and the rest of his idiotic cabal.

[poppabear36]

37. Bill of Rights

How can you hate a country that has as it's core values the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
The citizenry, I'll acknowledge, hasn't been vigilant and hasn't been BRAVE.
Despite the people in power now and their codependent sheeple, will you find a better form of government anywhere in the world?!
Even Canada, from what I know of it, doesn't promise the freedoms our country does.
Be proud to be a progressive AMERICAN!

[glarius]

41. You have the Bill of Rights....Don't be so quick to say Canadians don't

have the freedoms your country does....We have the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I'm ashamed to say I can't rhyme off the Charter of Rights and Freedoms...I just take it for granted...Canada has decriminalized pot...not to mention the law to make homosexual marriage legal...Let's just say we both have great countries....:hi:

[paulk]

38. well, I just got back from a road trip

Denver to LA - south through Albuquerque, Gallup, Flagstaff, Phoenix, then into the burbs and sprawl to spend a week in glorious :puke:
Moreno Valley. Then northeast to the true heart of the American Dream, Las Vegas - up to I-70, and through the Rockies down into Denver.

An endless stream of SUV's, chain stores, pollution, mindless consumption, and poorly dressed overweight dimwits sporting American flags and "God Bless Our Troops" bumper stickers.

I can't go so far as to say I hate America, but I surely returned feeling a lot more pessimistic about the future of this country than when I left.

It's not just Bush, you know.

[indigo32]

40. We have weathered this and worse in the past

we'll make it. No nation lasts forever, thats true... but we'll survive this idiot, and his press. I believe that.

[Redleg]

42. Yes, Bush is just a repeat of the shit we went through

with McKinley and the robber-baron assholes. We'll soon clean these stool samples off our memories.

[KT2000]

44. Hey! I'm 52 too!

And I pretty much feel the way that you do, on religion/politics too - and I think it has to do with the idealism of the 60's and 70's. We expected that we would be living in a totally different world than this one.

Back then we thought that there was a select group of power brokers that were keeping the war going and trying to stop civil rights. Who knew that it would end up a hefty strata of our society supporting this in the 21st century.

Wish I had something uplifting to say but I think it is all about hard work. Keep on fighting for what is right. Live with love because with hate you will just become another tool for oligarchy.

[nolabels]

46. If Ringling Brothers could run a circus, what makes you think nobody.....

else can. It just gets more hilarious every day. I used to get pissed, and drawn out about things, but have come to realize I have but one life to give to my country, if its stuck in a comedy act so be it. Let's party :toast:

Btw, I know I am not funny but at least I can still laugh at it. And if I was a betting man, I would say them MORANS are running scared, and I will take the Chargers to win the Super Bowl by a touchdown (me a long time Raider fan), come one get over it, be happy!!!

Btw btw Didn't Billy Crystal ever tell you it's not how you feel, it's how you look, and you look MARVELOUS DARLING !!!!

[dad]

49. Bob D you RULE

I know where you are coming from. F God and F this country (lately at least)! I'd like to move somewhere else too, but I'm too goddam busy WORKING all the time to figure out how to make it happen.

[maggrwaggr]

48. I think some of the depressed people in this thread

need counseling. If you're so fucking depressed, go look in the mirror. Take some responsibility for your own misery. Go do something about it.

I guess this is what Rethugs mean when they talk about "whiny left wingers".