Saturday, November 26, 2011

America...thankful?

I thought I'd ask a question whose answers could get interesting;  I hope you think it over and chime in.
Here goes:
WHAT DOES AMERICA HAVE TODAY TO BE MOST THANKFUL FOR?

That's it..........what do you think?
(And, please see my article down below on the Secret Service's opinions of presidential families since JFK...it's fascinating.)
Thanks for leaving an answer to my question!
z

34 comments:

Always On Watch said...

The freedoms that we have -- the ones remaining, that is. A lot of erosion of those freedoms has occurred and continues to occur. But would I want to live in another country? Nope.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

300 years worth of untapped petroleum resources.

Beth said...

We can be thankful that we do have elections for the POTUS every four years, so we have the opportunity to get rid of the idiot ones, like hopefully in 2012.

Thersites said...

Oceans separating us from other continents.

Ducky's here said...

Our vibrant popular culture.

The glories of Kapitalism get you a 60 inch plasma so you can watch Dancing with the Stars.

Jarhead said...

We can be thankful that we can criticize those who we disagree with, even if he is the President.
And vote out the scoundrels like the one we have today.

Brooke said...

Leave it to Ducky to mock "Kapitalism" and but give credence to such "ethereal" works as Piss Christ.

Oh, Margaret!

What does America have to be thankful for? Even in a economic downturn, we are better off than most of the world, plus we will soon have the opportunity to vote out a major stain on our history!

FairWitness said...

I am thankful for the U. S. Constitution.

Rita said...

Along Brooke's line. That even the poorest in this wonderful country of ours are rich in comparison with most of the world.

We once took a cruise that stopped at Caracus. I was transfixed by incredible hopelessness of the people who were living in run down house boats pulled up onto the pavement, the 50 or so men lined up hoping to get a few hours work on a fishing boat that was likely hiring 3.

I realized that there was no hope for the people that live in those environments. They could not possibly work their way out of their own situations. There are so many rags to riches stories here in the US and the Venezuelans were only hoping for enough money to feed their families for the night.

Silverfiddle said...

What Beamish said, plus elections and our constitution, including free speech.

Brooke said...

and but... Ugh. *:)

Anonymous said...

The capacity to create, innovate and adapt.

Our vibrant popular culture.

The glories of Kapitalism get you a 60 inch plasma so you can watch Dancing with the Stars.


There's a more vibrant culture, a diversity that you can't find anywhere else, Ducky. Prosperity brings more art to society. That includes great stuff and crap but the marketplace of art is greater.

But as always, it's easier to criticize as an art editor than being the artist.

Bob said...

I am thankful that we haven't had to remember the meaning of freedom. I am afraid that one day we will remember the meaning when we wake up and discover that we pissed our freedoms away.

Ducky: The world has moved on from the pedestrian technology of plasma television screens. Thanks to Kapitalism, free markets, and free people freely innovating, we now have better stuff. Only Kommunists like you are stuck in a 19th century mentality.

Z said...

AOW....having lived in Europe, I find myself looking again at how their troubles don't break their countrymen apart.
I remember how, in Munich and Paris, I could talk with a dear friend of ours who was basically a socialist and we'd argue all night long. And we stayed friends. That's how I see Europe...
Mr. Z used to say something like "Italy's had 50 governments since WWII and they're STILL ITALY" when he saw the awful divisiveness here and how it seems to threaten all of us. (and don't get me wrong, he understood and ADORED America more than most leftwingers I know).

THe horrible divide is literally scaring me even more than having so many freedoms taken as you said...imagine hearing so many leftwingers actually dissing Capitalism IN AMERICA?? (WHAT??!), etc etc.

We're almost not the same Americans...it's like the left is suddenly from a country which they feel has a constitution that needs changing, a country which needs to accept and pay for illegals because they 'deserve it', a country which laughs at capitalism when it's been the thing that grew us into this great country, a country which insults the religion which its founders so strongly leaned on when they created this place, a country which believes that if one person has a problem a law must be created so nobody has that problem again even if it impinges on all the rest of us, a country which doesn't believe the rich should be rich and which actually elected a president who feels a ceiling should be given to the amount of money we can make but doesn't have the brains or dedication or love of country enough to DO anything about that debt ceiling or any other subject that might reflect badly on Socialism or Marxism...etc etc.........

Z said...

Also, I'm more than usually worried about our election process and feel that is what will reelect Obama. IMagine people living in AMerica who don't believe Americans are smart enough to register before election day but are smart enough to VOTE?

Average American said...

WHAT DOES AMERICA HAVE TODAY TO BE MOST THANKFUL FOR?

Barack Hussein NObama.

Because of him, Americans will LONG remember what happens when you vote for hopey/changey buffoons with absolutely no experience and never repeat such a ruinous experiment again! At least, that is my hope.

An equally important thing we have to be thankful for is our best in the world Military! Between them and an armed citizenry, we can still sleep at night.

Anonymous said...

Also, I'm more than usually worried about our election process

I am NOT thankful for that. It's borderline banana-republic like at the voting booth. If there's something I miss from France, it's the way elections are run (checking of ballots by all parties, name on ballot called alout in front of people).

Z said...

Average American, haven't you heard how much we're taking from the DOD?
The first cuts were fine; there needed some belt-tightening, from what even military experts have said.
But the next bunch of cuts in this latest budget deal are awful, and the truth is that because they didn't pass a deal, the cuts are even automatically DEEPER and the military and other experts are saying we'll be leaving ourselves open to attack....this is truly serious stuff and the Left (I guess they don't think we have enemies..!? WHY are they SO DARNED NAIVE??????) is all for this.


FrogBurger; would you tell me what you mean about 'names on ballots called out loud' etc?
In Germany, one has an ID with a photo on it and, when you vote, that IMMEDIATELY negates one from EVER voting in that election again; it's registered, PERIOD. Nobody can fake a vote.

Here, I've SEEN IT WITH MY OWN EYES; young people walking in and saying 'OH, I'm not in the book? Well, I moved..so" and then they're allowed to sign a PROVISIONAL BALLOT book, and VOTE, and leave :-)
And then they can hit the NEXT precinct and sign and vote and leave...

A friend who worked downtown at the headquarters said they NEVER EVER open those provisional books to make sure someone didn't vote twice. How COULD THEY? They can't stand there reading thousands of names with "Did Celia Smith vote anywhere else?" Imagine?

We're SCREWED

Anonymous said...

In France:
- people have to be registered before 12/31 of the year before the election year. Otherwise you can't vote. So you have to make an effort to be registered
- you show up with an ID or you can't vite
- once the election closes, *paper* ballots are read aloud by a representant of a party or an official, while members of other parties review the ballot. The vote is then counted on a board in front of an audience.

It's slower, old fashioned but the likeliness of fraud is quasi null.

Z said...

FrogBurger, excellent way to handle it. Yes, it must take a long time, but it's done right the FIRST TIME!

And, imagine that? Expecting people to VOTE who are smart enough to register in time? What a novel concept (sarcasm here)

Not in America! OUr leftwingers feel it's oppression to insist that people take responsibility for their vote! Unreal, isn't it.


The German voting process is also fool proof...one person, ONE photo ID, vote...done. it's registered that you've voted and THAT'S IT.

Anonymous said...

Yes, and nobody is transporting by himself ballots in the trunk of his car. That stuff would get you an election cancelled in France instead of a phony recount.

Scotty said...

Average American, haven't you heard how much we're taking from the DOD?
The first cuts were fine; there needed some belt-tightening, from what even military experts have said.


You have to take a bit of that with a grain of salt, Z. We have to keep in mind that only in Washington when an entity asks for an increase of 100,000 an only gets 50,000, that is deemed a cut in spending in Washington.

There is a bit of that in there too.

Z said...

Scotty, I'm no expert, I'm only going on the many, many comments from experts who say we'd be the weakest we've been in fifty years or so.
I think this isn't the time to be the weakest.

Today, Pakistan's ordering us out..no more drones, etc.
Think they'd have done that under Bush and without having heard we're wimps now?
I heard our ships will be to the number we had in 1915.

Convince me! I'd feel better if I weren't this worried about our defense.!!

Pris said...

I am still grateful to live in America. I can't conceive of living anywhere else.

We still have rights, even though they're threatened. It's up to all of us, to guard our rights, speak up for them, and stand for the right thing to do to protect our country from interlopers who would destroy this great country.

So yes, I remain thankful, and believe in divine providence.

Lorenzo Russo said...

I am thankful for good health, this should probably be way at the top of everyone's list,

Anonymous said...

"a country which doesn't believe the rich should be rich and which actually elected a president who feels a ceiling should be given to the amount of money .."


And I remember what one of those men said about Obama too. Steve Wynn: ""I'm saying it bluntly, that this administration is the greatest wet blanket to business, and progress and job creation in my lifetime….until he's gone, everybody's going to be sitting on their thumbs."


And this...from a registered Democrat.

Z said...

Wyatt, thanks for stopping by...and yes, health is NUMBER ONE.
My question was what America has to be thankful for.

Pris, they're gaining on us so quickly I don't think we CAN do much anymore, frankly. But, I know you remain optimistic. We all should....
I do believe God's hand is in this but I also know, all too well, that things don't always follow OUR will.

I love living in Europe...absolutely love it. That means nothing at all to how much I love America.

A friend told me last night that her grandson is going to Harvard now...he was a pretty Conservative kid, well behaved, really HANDSOME, very bright.
He now feels that CUBA is the shining light for AMerica to emulate. Thanks, Harvard.
This is what I can barely stand anymore; the shameless indoctrination.

We all know an adult blogger here whose name I can't mention; this person is going to college classes and would constantly correct the lib teachers' facts and debate them but she/he needs the grades to be high and she/he knows what'll happen if she/he stands up for anything but their crap. This is what we're facing today; this is EVERYWHERE in our Universities.

I spoke to a Sociology Prof at USC Thanksgiving night; a liberal, of course. She was amazed I"d think there was liberal indoctrination and I said something like "Do you know many Republican professors?" she kind of thought for a while and looked a little dazed.."well, good professors TEACH, they don't give their opinions" so I had to quote several people who know quite the opposite from firsthand experience.
She won. Very smug,charming, insistent that I was exaggerating! You can't win with the truth here anymore.

Z said...

Imp, Steve Wynn is smart as it gets and successful and he has really been vocal on this, hasn't he.
So's Trump. They're businessmen, they KNOW.
The leftwingers are limping along whining about the rich, whining about successful people and don't seem to have a clue what makes this country hum.

I wish so much that the White House could get off their egotistical horse and talk to people who really do know; not Harvard academics who've been spoonfed the junk we're suffering for now.

sue hanes said...

'what does America have to be thankful for today?


Well Z -


~we can be thankful to the Founding Fathers for setting up a country - America - for us to live in

~for our American Citizenship

~for the land - our entire Country - The United States of American - that is ours to have and to hold - for as long as we both shall live

~for all of our Presidents - who suffered - and some who died for us - who served their time and then got to be on my Presidential posters

~but most of all we should be thankful for the ones who didn't get to be President - because if it weren't for them - then it wouldn't be the wonderful two party system that makes our Country Great



we are just in a hard place right now - but we are still America - and we are still the greatest country in the world



and if anyone doesn't like to hear that - what are they going to do about it anyway



boo hoo

sue hanes said...

Thanks FW - for reminding me that I forgot to mention the Constitution of the United States -which is so great and unpenetrable even if needs ammending once in a while

Anonymous said...

"This is what we're facing today; this is EVERYWHERE in our Universities."


Yup...and maybe loons like libterd and ducksis would like to emulate a bit of the "late great Chairman Mao" and his Red Brigades.

They immediately purged and hung the college elites. See....the morons can't even see that coming. Commies know liberal weenies blow in the wind and can't be trusted. They have to go first as all socialist, commie purges go.

Anonymous said...

which is so great and unpenetrable even if needs ammending once in a while

Excellent point.

The extreme left created the French Republic and now we're in the 5th constitution. Because what they originally created turned to merde, as always.

This because they were blinded by ideology and, unlike the Founding Fathers, didn't know much about the human condition.

sue hanes said...

Why thanks - Frogburger.

Always On Watch said...

Z,
The division you spoke of in your comment to me is alarming.

Of course, Americans have always been "extreme" and, yes, volatile. Those traits are both our strength and our weakness.

But I don't recall a time in our history that was a rude and crude as what we're living through today. Two huge contributors to the rudeness and crudeness: the media and social networking. Venom is spewed from the Right and the Left -- more from the Left, I think, but I may be biased in my assessment there.

Along the way over the past few decades, self-esteem has overtaken consideration for one another. That same self-esteem is one factor that leads to laws upon laws too ("There oughta be a law!").