What Does "Make America Great Again" Mean?

[hoytdwow 202]

Discuss. Hoping for some sort of objective criteria on what "greatness" is. Purchasing power, quality of life, happiness, whatever. Something other than how the coloreds and mooslims need to STFU.

 

[edjr 6,898]

I can pretty much buy anything I want when I want it, I have everything I need and more.

 

America IS great.

[TD Ryan2 316]

it is an ideal or philosophy shared by the citizens - one where we believe in our country, our President, our Leaders, our policies, our way of life, our freedoms -

 

and it ain't gonna' happen - ever again.

 

I almost started a thread today titled, "There's Nobody To Root For Anymore - Heroes Are Dead".

Presidents

Athletes

Scientists

 

When "America Was Great", we had heroes to look up to that we believed in. Today, negative sells and there are more media outlet than ever looking to cash in on it and if this existed back when "America Was Great", Mickey Mantle would have just been a drunk, Marilyn a slut, Kennedy a rapist, Eisenhower a sexist, John Glenn an egotistical ass-whole, and Muhammed Ali a religious zeaolt - NONE would have been heroes.

[hoytdwow 202]

 

 

When "America Was Great", we had heroes to look up to that we believed in. Today, negative sells and there are more media outlet than ever looking to cash in on it and if this existed back when "America Was Great", Mickey Mantle would have just been a drunk, Marilyn a slut, Kennedy a rapist, Eisenhower a sexist, John Glenn an egotistical ass-whole, and Muhammed Ali a religious zeaolt - NONE would have been heroes.

So now that people are more discerning about what a "hero" is, that means America isn't great? Also, there is no lack of hero worship in America. If anything, there is too much talk of heroes. For example, every person who serves in the military is not a hero. Ditto for firefighters, cops, etc. If everyone is a hero, no one is.

[mmmmm...beer 816]

So now that people are more discerning about what a "hero" is, that means America isn't great? Also, there is no lack of hero worship in America. If anything, there is too much talk of heroes. For example, every person who serves in the military is not a hero. Ditto for firefighters, cops, etc. If everyone is a hero, no one is.

I mostly just know your not. Which yes... essentially makes America a little bit a great.

[hoytdwow 202]

I mostly just know your not. Which yes... essentially makes America a little bit a great.

If you could speak more clearly it would be easier to understand what you are talking about.

[TD Ryan2 316]

So now that people are more discerning about what a "hero" is, that means America isn't great? Also, there is no lack of hero worship in America. If anything, there is too much talk of heroes. For example, every person who serves in the military is not a hero. Ditto for firefighters, cops, etc. If everyone is a hero, no one is.

 

we tend to build up heroes only to tear them down today. Sure, the 'hero" definition has extended to every cop and fireman out there, but man - the minute they fock up, it's front-page, national news.

 

To me the "death" of heroes - even if they set an unreasonably high standard - is the death of ideals. We are now overly accepting and accomodating to every fock-up, short-coming, flaw, lack of responsibility, and transgressions out there.

You come from a poor background and fock up? It's OK. Not your fault. You were poor.

You come from a rich background and fock up? It's OK. Not your fault. You were enabled.

 

And it creates a pervasive lack of respect, lack of community, and self-centered behavior. The world is becoming a buch of fat-ass, self-centered, fock-ups with no concept of civic responsibility, self improvement, sacrifice, or commitment.

[IGotWorms 4,063]

It means get rid of the Mexicans and Muslims. Blacks need to STFU and women should stop with their nonsense. White men like Trump return to their back room deal making glory days before the coloreds and the women rooned it all

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,433]

What does it mean to me or what does it mean to the candidates?

 

To me, it means that we get back to being a leader in areas that we no longer lead (for various reasons):

- America as leader in education

- America as leader in economic strength

- America as leader in military capabilities

- America as leader in quality of life

- America as leader in technology, science and medicine

 

To the candidates, it is just a buzz phrase that voters who have ADD (75% of the population) will remember that will make them vote for that candidate. If you can get your name connected with that phrase, then you get their vote. It doesn't matter that none of them have any clue as to how to achieve the goal and I am not even sure that any of them want to reach that goal, anyway.

[TD Ryan2 316]

What does it mean to me or what does it mean to the candidates?

 

To me, it means that we get back to being a leader in areas that we no longer lead (for various reasons):

- America as leader in education

- America as leader in economic strength

- America as leader in military capabilities

- America as leader in quality of life

- America as leader in technology, science and medicine

 

 

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

I think it means a common sense of purpose as a country, a shared identity.

 

America was, and in many ways still is, a unique country.

 

What does it mean to be an American? It is not ethnicity. It is not even birth.

 

Here in China, I could live here the rest of my life. I could marry a Chinese woman and have children here. I could start a successful business that employs thousands. But I cannot ever be Chinese. Wouldn't want to, but my point is it isn't possible.

 

In America, anyone can come here and become American. America is a set of ideals. Freedom.Equality. Fairness.

 

I feel we have lost a lot of that. We have become fearful, allowing our freedom to be curtailed, and making attempts to infringe equality popular. We have become hopelessly divided. We have sold our soul as a nation to cheap consumer trinkets made by slave labor abroad, greivously harming our social fabric in the process.

 

That is what I see as "make America great again." I think a great President should challenge the nation to strive for great things. Do the undoable. Build the impossible. We used to do that. We don't anymore.

[Mike Honcho 5,435]

What does it mean to me or what does it mean to the candidates?

 

To me, it means that we get back to being a leader in areas that we no longer lead (for various reasons):

- America as leader in education

- America as leader in economic strength

- America as leader in military capabilities

- America as leader in quality of life

- America as leader in technology, science and medicine

 

To the candidates, it is just a buzz phrase that voters who have ADD (75% of the population) will remember that will make them vote for that candidate. If you can get your name connected with that phrase, then you get their vote. It doesn't matter that none of them have any clue as to how to achieve the goal and I am not even sure that any of them want to reach that goal, anyway.

 

We might be able to achieve #1 & 5(science) if half the country wasn't pushing that our students be taught that a magic man created the world and everything on it in 7 days. Or to ignore actual sceince when it interfers with big energy companies/business.

 

And I believe we are the leader in 2&3.

[mobb_deep 920]

If you could speak more clearly it would be easier to understand what you are talking about.

I love when mmm...beer tries to talk fancy, but forgets he writes like a 5th grader. It's one of the qualities that make him great over and over again.

[Herbivore 1,197]

To me the "death" of heroes - even if they set an unreasonably high standard - is the death of ideals. We are now overly accepting and accomodating to every fock-up, short-coming, flaw, lack of responsibility, and transgressions out there.

You come from a poor background and fock up? It's OK. Not your fault. You were poor.

You come from a rich background and fock up? It's OK. Not your fault. You were enabled.

 

And it creates a pervasive lack of respect, lack of community, and self-centered behavior. The world is becoming a buch of fat-ass, self-centered, fock-ups with no concept of civic responsibility, self improvement, sacrifice, or commitment.

 

I don't know about "heroes" but it used to be if you are poor, tough sh!t, if you are rich we'll work it out.

[mmmmm...beer 816]

I love when mmm...beer tries to talk fancy, but forgets he writes like a 5th grader. It's one of the qualities that make him great over and over again.

I dunno if I've ever professed fanciness mobb you focker.

 

Also 5th grade is where I rhink I may have ended up as a concrete stage of development.... who was that pigete or kolberg or whothefockevers theory. I was traumatized... thats why my whole life and merica sucks. Cause a when I was little.

[hoytdwow 202]

 

We have sold our soul as a nation to cheap consumer trinkets made by slave labor abroad, greivously harming our social fabric in the process.

 

 

This is the main issue for me. Everything else flows from this. We don't make things any more, we don't value craftsmanship (or if you do, you're denigrated as a "hipster"), college is essentially mandatory now, with the effect that a bunch of the wrong people are attending and earning meaningless degrees, Schools have been dumbed down to the lowest common denominator while Pepsi and Mcdonalds ads play in the hallways. Civics is not taught. The "industrial" arts are not taught. Anti-intellectualism is rampant, the fine arts have no value, philosophy unknown--both considered a waste of time--meanwhile you can make a killing mimicing others' work, everything is endlessly replicated and made into a sequel or "prequel." And we are slowly destroying the planet in the name of these things. There is a floating island of plastic sludge in the Pacific that some estimates say is the size of Texas. We've turned into a disposable culture. America isn't great anymore because we are no longer authentic. We're a xerox of a xerox of a xerox. You can still see it, but it's already gone around the edges and everywhere growing fainter

[vuduchile 1,947]

The country is and has been great in certain areas and will continue to be so. But, we have far too many challenges to really consider ourselves great overall by any standard.

 

Prisons are full, abortion rates are high, poverty needle is not moving, entitlement programs aren't working as they were intended, social security running out of money, veterans not being taken care of, national debt spiraling out of control, trade deficits, the best health care in the world is reserved for the wealthy, college tuition is outrageous, and so on.

 

Of the myriad challenges we face, I think serious attention should be paid to addressing the ever growing culture of violent crime. Only a .2% reduction in violent crime from 2013 to 2104. Does that even qualify as statistically significant?

 

• There were an estimated 1,165,383 violent crimes (murder and non-negligent homicides, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults) reported by law enforcement.
• Aggravated assaults accounted for 63.6 percent of the violent crimes reported, while robberies accounted for 28.0 percent, rape 7.2 percent, and murders 1.2 percent.

[TD Ryan2 316]

good posts in here, lots to think about.

 

The problems also stem from the fact that the "Great" America is built on the foundations set by the Industrial Revolution... every "system" we have in this country from schools, to jobs, to taxes, to retirement, to healthcare was built to serve/function in the Industrial Revolution - and that's over now.

It's no longer Big Business, Big Government, and Big Labor co-existing in a predictable, profitable, and harmonious environment.

The new economy is a global, "connection" economy and IMO, we are in the middle of an economic "revolution" or "the new normal" as many have put it after the recession.

Companies and Individuals rise and fall faster than ever. The only way to get ahead is to take the risk and be unique with your product or service - some will succeed beyond imagination, many will fail.

It creates a world where more products/services than ever are available and more opportunity is available than ever - but so too is more risk, and more volatility. It's part of why the middle is disappearing.

[hoytdwow 202]

 

It's no longer Big Business, Big Government, and Big Labor co-existing in a predictable, profitable, and harmonious environment.

I don't think it was ever necessarily harmonious, but I take your point. Now Big Business has become Big Government. Big Labor is in its death throes.

[tanatastic 2,062]

Even he doesnt know what it means since it means different things for everyone. Great to rich people is different than great to poor people.

[MTSkiBum 1,626]

I think america should raise the tax by 10 bucks on all taxpayers.

 

The government can then give me all that money.

 

That would be pretty great imho.

[MedStudent 56]

What does it mean to me or what does it mean to the candidates?

 

To me, it means that we get back to being a leader in areas that we no longer lead (for various reasons):

- America as leader in education

- America as leader in economic strength

- America as leader in military capabilities

- America as leader in quality of life

- America as leader in technology, science and medicine

 

To the candidates, it is just a buzz phrase that voters who have ADD (75% of the population) will remember that will make them vote for that candidate. If you can get your name connected with that phrase, then you get their vote. It doesn't matter that none of them have any clue as to how to achieve the goal and I am not even sure that any of them want to reach that goal, anyway.

How could you possibly say America is no longer the leader in Military capabilities?

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,433]

How could you possibly say America is no longer the leader in Military capabilities?

This got asked in another thread and here is what I wrote:

 

I was thinking of our military leadership not being about whether we can kick any country's ass who wanted to start something, but instead that we cannot use our military to impose our will or really protect our people. The game has changed with all of these terror groups. We are not battling China or Russia or some other country who might be starting things. We are dealing with groups that are not affiliated with any particular country and we do not have the means to easily deal with those situations anymore and that is a big concern for our country.

[parrot 789]

Whatever it means I'm pretty sure The Donald ain't the guy to do it.

[KSB2424 3,173]

Whatever it means I'm pretty sure The Donald ain't the guy to do it.

 

[edjr 6,898]

I am sure it has something to do with no posting in a draft only thread.

[RaiderHaters Revenge 4,543]

it means the same exact thing as "Change" which means more of the same, its nothing but a slogan

[mobb_deep 920]

Wasn't the New Deal what made America great? After years of zero regulation and and no safety nets for citizens, the economy collapsed into the biggest depression of our brief history. Then FDR came in with the New Deal, which lead to years and years of growth and prosperity, along with a better quality of life for middle class citizens.

 

That was until Reagan came in and focked it all up again, with deregulation, giant tax breaks for the wealthy, the war on drugs, and an arms race with Russia. I can see why he's the republican poster-boy, since they seem to think the absolute worst presidents were always the best, and Reagan is in the top 5 of worst ever.

[tanatastic 2,062]

So I know Reagan was an actor but I dont know much else. Tell me someone, was Reagan the actor possibly being presidentas ridiculous of a notion as Trump is now?

[vuduchile 1,947]

So I know Reagan was an actor but I dont know much else. Tell me someone, was Reagan the actor possibly being presidentas ridiculous of a notion as Trump is now?

He was a 2 term governor of CA in the late 60's early 70's.

[Hardcore troubadour 15,911]

So I know Reagan was an actor but I dont know much else. Tell me someone, was Reagan the actor possibly being presidentas ridiculous of a notion as Trump is now?

No. He had been Governer of California and a candidate prior. It came down to him and Bush Sr, and their differences were mainly about the economy. Bush used the term "voodoo economics" which is trickle down economics, to attack Reagan, but Reagans charisma won the day.

[tanatastic 2,062]

He was a 2 term governor of CA in the late 60's early 70's.

Ok that makes more sense, he was established in politics for awhile. Kind of Arnoldesque in a way.

[frank 2,345]

Ok that makes more sense, he was established in politics for awhile. Kind of Arnoldesque in a way.

Vote for me if you want to live.

[shotsup 835]

Free pron

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

This is the main issue for me. Everything else flows from this. We don't make things any more, we don't value craftsmanship (or if you do, you're denigrated as a "hipster"), college is essentially mandatory now, with the effect that a bunch of the wrong people are attending and earning meaningless degrees, Schools have been dumbed down to the lowest common denominator while Pepsi and Mcdonalds ads play in the hallways. Civics is not taught. The "industrial" arts are not taught. Anti-intellectualism is rampant, the fine arts have no value, philosophy unknown--both considered a waste of time--meanwhile you can make a killing mimicing others' work, everything is endlessly replicated and made into a sequel or "prequel." And we are slowly destroying the planet in the name of these things. There is a floating island of plastic sludge in the Pacific that some estimates say is the size of Texas. We've turned into a disposable culture. America isn't great anymore because we are no longer authentic. We're a xerox of a xerox of a xerox. You can still see it, but it's already gone around the edges and everywhere growing fainter

Very well said.

[kutulu 1,704]

A big fence

[BunnysBastatrds 2,598]

RESPECT!

[Mungwater 601]

Order more A10 warthogs

[jerryskids 7,085]

This is the main issue for me. Everything else flows from this. We don't make things any more, we don't value craftsmanship (or if you do, you're denigrated as a "hipster"), college is essentially mandatory now, with the effect that a bunch of the wrong people are attending and earning meaningless degrees, Schools have been dumbed down to the lowest common denominator while Pepsi and Mcdonalds ads play in the hallways. Civics is not taught. The "industrial" arts are not taught. Anti-intellectualism is rampant, the fine arts have no value, philosophy unknown--both considered a waste of time--meanwhile you can make a killing mimicing others' work, everything is endlessly replicated and made into a sequel or "prequel." And we are slowly destroying the planet in the name of these things. There is a floating island of plastic sludge in the Pacific that some estimates say is the size of Texas. We've turned into a disposable culture. America isn't great anymore because we are no longer authentic. We're a xerox of a xerox of a xerox. You can still see it, but it's already gone around the edges and everywhere growing fainter

 

Agree with this. I'll add that we've masked our economic issues with unsustainable debt, both individuals and the country.

[Drizzay 745]

We still kick ass in pop culture. That's all that really matters.