Hugh,
Is it just me, or is our country changing more rapidly now? I’ve noticed a large increase in cases of people’s lack of consideration for others lately, especially when driving. Cutting others off, passing when it’s unsafe, cutting behind someone backing out of a parking space, driving well under the limit with a dozen cars stacked up behind you, et cetera. It seems like the speed of the descent into social chaos has really quickened lately. We live in a rural area, and it’s bad everywhere now but even worse in urban areas. – L.H.
HJL’s Comment:
It’s not just you. Our great republic is following in the footsteps of all democratic republics that have gone before it. The Greeks dealt with this same issue. The Romans followed suit and a myriad of other nations also did along the way. There really isn’t anything unique about our situation, except perhaps for the speed at which communication happens and the rate at which knowledge increases. These differences have not really seemed to have an impact on the timing though. We are perhaps more aware of the position of other nations around us, but as a whole we are following the same path that has been established before. Alexander Fraser Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee gave us the infamous Tytler cycle, otherwise known as the “Eight (or Nine) Stages of Democracy”. While I don’t agree with everything he wrote, I do believe he is right on with this observation.
Note that the Tytler cycle, while attributed to Tytler, may not have originated with him:
“From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage.”
I do, however, completely agree with this statement from Tytler:
“Patriotism always exists in the greatest degree in rude nations, and in an early period of society. Like all other affections and passions, it operates with the greatest force where it meets with the greatest difficulties … but in a state of ease and safety, as if wanting its appropriate nourishment, it languishes and decays … It is a law of nature to which no experience has ever furnished an exception, that the rising grandeur and opulence of a nation must be balanced by the decline of its heroic virtues.”
Many have placed the U.S. in the “apathy” part of the cycle. I would suggest that we are really starting to lean toward the “dependence” portion of the cycle. It is hard to argue otherwise, when more than half of the nation is on some form of public assistance and nearly half of the nation have no financial stake in the government through income tax. Selfishness, leaning towards narcissism, seems to be the new normal. There is a decided lack of compassion in the population at large.
Perhaps a better way to look at this is through the eyes of Scripture:
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” – II Timothy 3:1-5
It might be significant that in the recent political debate about cutting taxes, one group insisted that all the benefits went to the rich, ignoring the fact that the poor pay no taxes, and insisted that decreasing the amount taken from the rich and giving that money to the poor was stealing from the poor. I see “mission creep” every day in formerly independent New Hampshire as our “representatives” in congress treat any actions made be Obama as a presidential action as a law, on medical care, climate change, green issues, etc and any actions made by Trump as a threat to our way of life. Not exactly an unbiased opinion. Our tolerance for others is now channeled in the mass media, our educational system, our courts and our laws, to give one group supremacy over another and for some reason it is spilling over into how we treat each other. It used to be an individual’s responsibility to feed, cloth, educate, house,provide medical care, select a religion or raise one’s children in your religion, with the help of your wife or husband and family. The local government and the charities helped those who could not do so. Starting in the 1960’s with the War on Poverty, somehow all these functions were transferred to the national government and it seems that the destruction of the nuclear family and its independence became a national goal and that goal is reaching its full development in some groups in our country. It is difficult to continue as a democratic society when more and more of its citizens are from another culture and do not wish to assimilate or raised in an environment where the old married two parent , of two sexes, families with a respect for Christianity or Judaism, and the law is considered obsolete. I don’t know what stage of collapse we are in, but it has reached the point that I no longer feel safe nor even tolerated in ever increasing areas of our nation, both physically and culturally.
Here in the Deep South, things change much more slowly than in other parts of the country or world, probably because the people are distrustful of change. They also like their freedom. The problems I see here are more of an acceptance of dependence on government. But generally, the people are still much more polite than in other places. I haven’t at all dealt with people cutting people off in traffic, even in cities, which I don’t tend to go to much. But if someone is driving slowly, holding up traffic, people will accommodate them one way another. Either they’ll go around them, or the person will pull off and let people by. If it’s a tractor, people tend to be patient. Of course, most people around here know that tractors own the road.
Experiencing the same thing here in the Northeast.
The level of nastiness and rudeness is amazing.
Don’t know where we going with this but it’s not good.
I was writing an article for submission on this very topic. The best explanation I have found is here: http://newworldeconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TheFateofEmpiresbySirJohnGlubb.pdf
It is clear how empires fall and scary how they often follow the same path. If this is right then we are in the final age for we are in decadence and have been for some time.
thank you for the article.
I will be passing it along. Very informative.
I am always curious of the time stamp of the replies. In the above case I am reading this at 06:02 on Dec 22, 2017 Central time. How is that possible, he says he is in the Northeast?
The time stamps on the articles and replies reflect the date/time on the server which is located in the Netherlands which uses Western Europe Timezone (WET). WET is functionally the equivalent of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or Zulu Time and does not use Daylight Savings modifications. During the Winter months there is a 6 hour offset between where you are at and the time stamps on the server.
I agree. The country is degenerating at a more rapid pace. I attribute this to a collectively heightened sense of frustration, anger, and feelings of betrayal by our own government against us, the citizens.
This takes the form of coddling illegal immigrants, favoring foreign workers over American’s, pricing education out of sight and destroying the family unit via social engineering, brainwashing and setting unrealistic standards on what constitutes a happy life in this country.
It plays into the hand of what communists proclaimed decades ago when they stated that their goal was to undermine America through destruction of our values.
The American people are slowly realizing that the dream they have been sold is a lie. In response, they lash out at those around them. After all, it can’t possibly be their fault. They did as they were told. They consumed needless products, they bought the house they couldn’t afford to impress people they don’t know, and they supported the endless wars and social programs that have saddled their heirs with trillions of dollars of debt.
This is precisely what happens when we allow the true sociopaths among us to rise to power in both the political and corporate worlds. Look at the current crop of CEO’s and politicians on both sides of the aisle. With the exception of a few, you would be hard pressed to find one that could even change a tire or clean a fish. Yet, we continue to exalt and elect these people, hoping that one day they will remember our loyalty that was purchased with false hope and lies. As the lies unravel, so do the dreams of the people. What we are witnessing is the smashing of those dreams and the anger and hatred that follows.
But hey, look at those stock markets! Now don’t you feel better?
I half blame the cell phone/Internet. Kids are now 100% immured and connected. I taught middle school and high school for the last 12 years. It gets worse the more they are connected to technology. It has created an A.D.D society. Can’t pay attention, quick to judgement, always something to be angry about (because the internet gives them a “cause” they can always fight for), disrespectful. There is no more quiet time. No more disconnecting. No more peace. It used to be the only way you knew what was going on in the world was the nightly news from 6:00-7:00. Then life went back to normal. Facebook, Instagram,… you name it. Always connected. Now these kids are adults and haven’t grown up, doing the same things they did as children. Now they are having children of their own, and ignoring those children because they are always distracted with their phones and the internet.This has created a spiral that is out of control.
The government has created part of the problem too… with their constant handouts. People suckling off the government and don’t have to face the reality of their decisions… like dropping out and having to get a job and live off that job. The government will pay for housing, food, etc. So now you can do whatever you want without repercussion. I could go on and on….
I cannot help believing that a lot of this rude behavior is brought on by the last couple of ” I want it and I want it now” generations”. The competition for approval by their peers is tremendous. The belief the you can say anything on social media, that you are insulated by your vehicle, and are protected by someone else. ie the snowflakes; has become quite prevalent in our society.
The lack of face to face conversations reduces civility in our society. In rural areas people are more likely to be more friendly. In part though is that things tend to feed and grow on themselves thus a never ending cycle that only accelerates as time passes. There never seems to be much one can do about social mores other than not participate. Alas for the good old days, said the old guy.
My Daddy used to say that we richly deserve the government we have.
Will Rogers said ” ‘ It’s a Damn good thing we don’t get all the government we pay for’ “.
The estimated average savings per person is only $12,000, which means most people have $0 saved and are just trying to survive.
Expect continued ugliness as the US and other “first world” countries head deeper into two-tiered societies.
Yeah, those stock markets, like Humpty Dumpty will be. And it is by design. Think Cloward-Piven.
To add to Hugh’s fitting scripture reference:
Rom 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
Rom 1:21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Rom 1:24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
Rom 1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Rom 1:26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
Rom 1:27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
Rom 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
Rom 1:30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
Rom 1:32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
I agree that society and our way of life is not what it was when I was growing up.I live in a rural area of Co. and hate going to Colorado Springs/Denver trying to compete for space for my car on the roadways. Unless you stay in the far right lane and dumb down, other drivers are extremely aggressive,rude,and dangerous.
What gets me is the apparent schizophrenia of American society: We’re supposed to be politically correct, but it’s perfectly okay to be rude, useless, and wasteful.
This reminds me of Weimar Germany ” Everyone is angry and no one knew why” . We have massive inflation in health care , housing , stock market and size of government. And massive stagnation in wages . Unlike across the board inflation of the 1970s ,this inflation in pinpoint specific . One night in a hospital cost more than most in in a year . A simple broken leg could mean bankruptcy. Inflation will get to food and when it does that is the end of that fiat currency.
So the solution is growing your own and knowing a doctor to fix you for cash/barter…
In times like these, when the nation is disintegrating spiritually, morally, economically; when the standard of literacy is falling into oblivion; when the people are disconnected from nature and dependent on Babylon’s shipmasters–
Now is the time to be OTHERWISE. There is help from above for all who will seek it with their whole heart, not merely saying, but DOING.
Thankyou for the encouraging words. We are trying our best to leave California and tear ourselves away from Babylons grip. God willing next month we will pull up stakes and find a new home in a simpler place.
You are right on. People today have no class for the most part and can’t spell it anyway. Our youth have had it so “GOOD” they now feel they are entitled to what ever they want and should have it no matter the cost.One of the worst it a cell phone. There phone comes before any thing else.
Us old folks that have worked and saved for what we have look with sadness at what has happened. Many of the young want what you have worked and saved for. They want it now. Don’t wait till Mom and Dad
pass give it to us “NOW”. That’s why I call them the “Now generation “.
I wonder what our country will look like in 20 years? Will the “Now ” generation sell there soul to have the new and latest thing? Will they sell them selves and take the “Chip” of the government? How sad our world has become.
The one’s of us who stand proudly for our Flag and
served our country in the Military wonder what is next. Only “GOD” can help use old forks as most of the youth don’t care.
There is and old saying-“We grow up looking down and grow old looking back”
God’s blessing to all this Holiday season.
The Gman
I just finished reading an excellent article on WND. Apparently England has outlawed pictures of women working in the home because it encourages “stereotyping.”
Isn’t that the basic problem with behavior we have? Two parent traditionalist families have been replaced with the idea that if both parents work, the family can then have it all. There isn’t a soul at home that can teach proper behavior and manners. But the kids all have iPhones, X-boxes, name brand clothing, etc. When I grew up (I am a baby boomer), we wore hand me downs, had a home cooked dinner every night around the table, had Mom there when we came home from school, and were taught how to behave. There was no cyber bullying, no pressure to have sex, no available porn, and no hand held devices. Poor us.
The greatest generation has passed.. they won WW2 and tried to instill in us Baby Boomers the foundation of a good society. God, the primary factor, is being replaced by all of the ills listed in the aforementioned comments. Greed, welfare, dependence on government rule the world taking hold like a cancer. As the Baby Boomers pass in the next few years we will see society collapse totally. They will never end the social programs and they now consume approx. 80% of our budget. I totally agree with the passage from Timothy, it nailed society today.
While I absolutely agree that people are rude and that society is slowly disintegrating, and that the Millenial generation is spoiled, entitled, and immature, whenever I hear Baby Boomers complain about it, it literally blows my mind. Do you Boomers not realize what you’re seeing in this nation and in the Millenial generation is the work of your own hands??? They didn’t make themselves this wet, you enabled them. These are YOUR children. They didn’t raise themselves. You invented participation trophies, ADD, and safe spaces. You spent there childhoods giving them everything they wanted but nothing they needed, like discipline and coping skills. You are the ones who insulated them, telling yourselves and them that they were “special”, and that they should never have there “feelings hurt” etc etc etc. you did this. These are your chickens coming home to roost. Take some responsibility for the world you created.
As a Boomer, I generally agree with you.
However, you are wrong about ADD. There was no such thing as ADD in the 1950’s…so why did both my parents have to leave notes all over the place for themselves so they wouldn’t forget what they were doing, or planning to do?
Both were young, healthy, and intelligent (my father was genius-level), and both were as distractable as fleas, with no short term memory to speak of.
As for me? Don’t ask!
ADD and ADHD have substantial genetic components.
Rhetoric should never overtake reason and reality.
Dependence is even worse. It isn’t just the government checks and subsidies for welfare. Pensions that can’t be paid in a few years (right now there is a big debt): http://pensiontsunami.com
For your job, how long are the supply lines? Can things work without fuel or electricity from afar?
Also, I don’t think it is general rudeness but the polarization. The SJW left that wanted Bernie but saw Hillary as the first woman president versus Trump and anyone white, male, Christian, or conservative.
Turning the other cheek only works to someone with a soul. It doesn’t work on a zombie or someone demon possessed. The true, the good, and the beautiful mocks them by simply existing, so they hate it and wish to vandalize and destroy it.
Fear produces hatred (which should be remembered by police and soldiers and others whose job requires using force). Dependents always fear their source of support being taken away. But fear is often irrational. It was Christians who created the very liberty homosexuals now wish to destroy by forcing their (secular) religion on everyone. We can’t pray in school, but now we must accept transgenders. We can’t read the Bible but they will teach the Koran.
There is a time for anger – righteous indignation – and that is what we see. We’ve not been angry enough. Abortion has shed the blood of 60 million innocents. The corruption of the FBI and BLM and ATF has been known, but it is finally out where everyone can see it – how did we allow it to get that bad?
Democracy needs good people to vote for political warriors who will actually do good, not just say things while appearing moral. Where are the people – even in the red areas – during primaries? It would take one election for just the faithful followers of Jesus Christ to fix everything. But they won’t vote for the crusader. They prefer the “electable” deep state drone. They prefer the good looking “Angel of Light”. They worry about allegations and shadows and let the evil candidate win like in Alabama. Where were God’s people? Oh, at home, skipping the election, or writing in “Mickey Mouse”.
If you knew someone was coming with guns to rob you and assault your family, and maybe kill you, you would get angry and defend yourself. But when that exact thing is happening and has happened slowly, you don’t see the threat.
CPS takes children when parents don’t agree to vaccinate? The police take people’s life savings with civil forfeiture even though no drugs are found? Veterans recovering from a stroke have their guns seized? All these here in the redoubt.
It doesn’t require hundreds of dollars to buy prep stuff. Or training and doing exercise. Merey a few hours or even minutes to do something on every election day. It is amazingly easy, but we don’t do it.
Or make the sacrifice and be a Candidate for God – but be warned, God’s people are often asleep like the foolish virgins and will believe any evil tale about Christians, but shrug and say they know the other guy is worse.
If Jesus tarries over a century before returning are you willing for your children and grandchildren to be slaves? And worse to have every bit of faith destroyed by indoctrination or torture (yes, by all means, lets waterboard “enemy combatants”)? Will our choice be between that and Masada?
It will be if we don’t take this opportunity Divine Providence has provided and fight. Yes, it will mean being more than rude. It will mean being called “racist” and worse. But if you want to return to that polite society, it means first being as impolite as “Common Sense” or the Declaration of Independence – and pray we won’t be required to have a bloody war to recover our liberty.
Yes, things are more nasty, brutish, and rude, but worse, these people want you spiritually as dead as they are. Your light insults their darkness. Your life repudiates their deadness inside. Maybe some can be evangelized, but they are as much the enemy as any Muslim terrorist. That is why they are allied – both want the same thing, to extinguish the light of Christ in the USA.
Amen Brother…
I’ll second that AMEN!
Time to go long Pitchforks and Pine Tar. And get me some short lengths of rope, please!
Awesome indictment using plain Truth! The Truth in this one comment is simply overwhelming! WAKE UP AMERIKA! It’s gonna take more than just calm talk & staying comfortable now to save both this country & your entire family, going forward! We are losing this nation as of now…
1) Fish rot from the head down. Many of our problems are deliberately caused by our richest citizens — who are using their giant news monopolies to lie to us on a massive scale. Figuring that if they have us fighting each other then we will not notice who is really stabbing us in the back in order to gain ever more power and wealth. I can cite numerous examples of their deceit, if anyone is interested.
2) Circa 350 BC, Aristotle analyzed the FACTS of politics — the various forms of government that existed then and in previous periods — and noted that they consisted either of Rule by the One, by the Few or by the Many. He noted that each form became corrupt with time (i.e, tyrannical and self-serving at the expense of the larger community)and would eventually be replaced by one of the other Forms.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Aristotle-constitutions-2.png
3) In his “Politics” Aristotle argued that the most enduring and stable government is one of mixed design — having elements of all 3 Forms and with each Form checking and balancing the other two. The Founders of the USA designed the Constitution based on his concepts — which had been passed down by Polybius and then plagiarized almost word for word by Machiavelli in his “Discourses”.
4) But even the finest watch malfunctions with time. Circa 100 BC, the Greek Polybius used Aristotle’s ideas to explain how the Roman Republic had become so strong and dominant. But that same Republic was already falling into civil war — the aristocratic patricians had assassinated the Peoples’ tribunes — the Gracchi brothers — for proposing reasonable reforms. The patricians dictator, Sulla, killed political opponents. All of which justified Julius Caesar’s overthrow of the patricians rule with military force. Aristocrats –including some of America’s Founders — cited Caesar as a tyrant but a strong case can be made that he was engaged in needed reforms until he was assassinated in the Senate.
5) America was designed on the model of the ancient Roman Republic and we have followed a similar pattern. Free men fight better than slaves of tyrants and so our country has expanded. But we suffer the Punic Course. After destroying our Carthage (the Soviet Union) our patricans went on a global money hunt and threw American plebes aside like used toilet paper. The plebes whose sweat created our national wealth and whose blood won the patricians wars. As in Rome, the plebes are falling into poverty due to the patricians import of cheap foreign labor and debt/heavy taxes to pay for costly wars to let our elites loot foreign countries. While Trump’s despicable billionare critics may destroy him, they are merely paving the way for Caesar. The American People are approaching the point where they would give any power to a President who promised to chop off half the billionaire heads in our corrupt , lying oligarchy.
Anyone would wants a preview of coming attractions should watch the HBO TV series “ROME”.
Visigoths are on the horizon….
For example, Posca (the short bald guy) shows Trump how to deal with Soros’ hecklers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHHf7xVeuY0
As for the “rudeness” on the roadways, I must admit I often find myself angry when driving. It’s has more to do with people using their cellphones while driving though. I find their complete lack of attention while barreling down the road in a 5000lb automobile infuriating. I frequently see people driving 10-20 miles below the speed limit, sitting at green lights, crossing the center line and running red lights because they are completely distracted by that small screen. If you blow your horn to get their attention then expect them to give you a middle finger salute in return as though were the problem. Having said that, I do also agree that in general our society is in a serious state of decline on many fronts. My son will say that every generation has felt this way, and perhaps they have. I can only attest to my 52 years and what I have witnessed.
When we see those who have different opinions as “demonic” or “subhuman” we cease to function as a democracy. There was a time when there was discussion and debate between liberals and conservatives, now we only hear the news and opinions that support our preexisting positions and tune out any others. Think about this when you type “libtard” or “rethug.” We really are one country and will stand or fall as such
Read “The Fourth Turning.”
The effect is real, and there is an explanation.
Yes. This book literally changed the way I look at the world.
That was probably me you passed doin 45 in my old 83 F250 with the big round bales in the bed . Slow down and live .Ha!Ha!Ha! I loaded 10 on my trailer and two on the old Ford with a smv sign and took 2 hours to make it 25 miles to home last Saturday . 4×5 organic round bales for $10 each . I had a few folks behind me poking their noses out the window to get around . And the world shall wax worse and worse in the last days !
Yes, we are polarized greatly, but more than the 60’s or 70’s when we had worst demonstrations in the streets? I believe so because the division starts at the top with attacks upon individuals and institutions. This from “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder,
“It is institutions that help us to preserve decency. They need our help as well. Do not speak of “our institutions” unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning. So choose an institution you care about – a court, a newspaper, a law, a labor union – and take its side.”
Mr. Snyder has chronicled the fall of democratic processes in Europe first by the fascists in Italy in the 20’s, the Nazi’s in the 30’s and then Communists in the 40’s and 50’s. All within 40 years! And he shows the steps by which it happened and shows why it is happening again today in the United States. Very short book. Very good points.
But as long as we have our “human nature” and live in a material world, we will have such things. He says, My kingdom is Not of this World, and we have the pattern of behavior to follow as shown by His Son. When I have been troubled lately by the condition of my country I remembered these words and know that God has absolutely nothing to do with it but that we can be helpful by being silent and listening to the still small voice. His working through us will affect the change but that means being the lantern through which the light can shine. Is it easy? No. But we have to do our part.
Being angry, hateful or sullen for the condition I find myself in, or my country, doesn’t bear good fruit but when I pray for myself or my country and put it in his hands, and pray for those who, left to myself I wouldn’t, give me both hope and comfort.
Yes, Democracies die and change but we still can make this a better world. In the history of mankind, how many have made the effort to change themselves? There is your answer.
One recent change that reflects America’s moral decay is the huge increase in petty crime. Here locally, and from reports I’ve seen, across the nation, theft of various kinds has skyrocketed. Stealing from mailboxes, stealing delivered packages off of front porches, and shoplifting have all reached alarming levels. Some blame drug addicts looking for goods to turn into cash for a quick fix, but of course the ultimate cause is lack of morality. It has become very common that large numbers of people have no compunction about stealing their neighbors’ property.
This is far more rampant than any statistics would show. Most of it goes unreported. Many homeless people shoplift with impunity, being experts at bypassing RFID and other security measures.
Wal-Mart and other retailers do not release statistics on shoplifting and employee theft, but it is bad enough that some stores have reportedly had to be closed because the financial drain was just too much.
When the only thought that a person has who sees your property is, “Can I get away with it?” you know that America is circling the drain.
“More then half the US is on some form of public assistance”
Not true
Not even close to true
A Nation of Government Dependents? : 49% of U.S. Population Lives in Households Receiving Government Benefits
Note that this is dated 2010 and predates the damage done by Obama’s policies. This also does not take into account things like the EITC and The Child Tax Credit on tax returns, nor the myriad of other tax based credits.
If you follow the Census Bureau’s own reports, you will come up with a number closer to 35%, but they also take a very narrow approach to the data.
It should also be noted that there is some government spending that isn’t accounted for at all in these number, but it is still government spending. We just don’t count it because it is considered necessary spending. How many receive a government paycheck? Some like the military are really necessary, but how about all of those government agencies (IRS, BATF, EPA, OSHA, et cetera) that are just more bureaucratic red tape and mostly unnecessary? Yes, way more than half of the U.S. population derives their income from government sources and at least half receive it in some form of partial funding.
Matthew 24:12King James Version (KJV)
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain
that verse has rattled around in my brain for some time…also the phrase ..familiarity breeds contempt…..in our electronic age, familiarity comes easily thru social media etc.
You’re not imagining things. The people of America have realized that there is no law in the United States anymore. They see criminals walking free after murder. They see illegal immigrants breaking one law after another, and being rewarded for doing so. The “law” is nothing more than a tool used to “get at you” (read Atlas Shrugged). You can’t manipulate a righteous man. So what you do is make it impossible for a person to move in any direction without breaking a law. Pretty soon, people realize that, and say “To hell with it.” They cut yo off. They run the rid lights. They play the odds. Sad… So sad…
To add to the conversation – I don’t believe that this generation has any special ‘in’ on sinning, rudeness, discourtesy, debauchery, or criminality than any previous time. Corruption has always been an option. And I don’t think that God’s mercy and grace are any less powerful to help man now than in any previous times. So why would we be worse off now that previously? Are we such products of our environment that a shift in our society runs the bulk of the ship aground?
I don’t have the answers, but I do know that most of the people I associate with day to day: my co-workers, family, neighbors and community are ripe good folk for the most part and have been for decades. Most people I know are good at heart.
And most of the news I read makes me worry.
You have to put yourself into a position of success instead of waiting for it. Make your position undefeatable via security measures, financial stability and a mentality of practicing restraint or aggressiveness depending on the immediate concern.
Dear Veterans,
Thank you for your service to our country. May God Bless You. What you have done for your country matters. I just want to thank you. You are loved and admired. Merry Christmas.
Beautiful Pearl
PS You are my heroes. Happy New Year.
Selfishness, leaning towards narcissism…
Sound like someone I know at the White House.
Sounds like a long string of someones in the White House AND congress.. ever since I can remember.
Just looking at the income tax leads to faulty conclusions. Almost everyone pays taxes, including Federal taxes. The rich pay more of the Federal taxes, the poor pay a greater share of the state and local taxes. Most of the people not paying much in Federal income tax are probably struggling to pay for food, shelter, clothing, transportation and healthcare. See the graph at the very end of this article for total tax bill as a percentage of income.https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2012/09/19/heres-why-the-47-percent-argument-is-an-abuse-of-tax-data/?utm_term=.0eeb091d94fc
Yes it is. first time this year, kids? are going around the neighborhood slashing the inflatable reindeers and Santa’s. Used to be a shotgun blast would fix it. Now that will get you in prison. Now seems some people have no respect for them selves nor for people around them. Maybe they weren’t taught, maybe they in a gang, maybe they are just evil. Maybe its what they been taught in college.
Might be time to find a new neighborhood since they are just doing it for fun…What happens when they are starving and you have food…
It seems that you can judge the condition of a society by the way they drive. I am daily amazed while driving back and forth to work at how rude and impatient the other drivers are. I find myself constantly asking each nut case driver (like they could actually hear me) “If your this impatient what are you going to do when America has an EMP attack?” Examples: 1.When a driver is so impatient that he’s weaving left and right ten feet off the back of my bumper at 65 miles per hour, just about to die because he can’t get around me and return to his 90 mile per hour pace, I ask him “If you can’t stand this how will you stand it when you have no electricity in your home?” 2.When a driver is so impatient that he passes me in a no passing zone and causes oncoming traffic to hit the shoulder because he’s very important and we’re all in his way I ask him “How will you stand it when you can’t run water in your sink or tub or flush your toilet?” 3.When a driver is so impatient he doesn’t have time to stop at a four way stop but drives on through nearly causing several wrecks because he’s running late just like every morning, I have to ask him “How are you going to stand it when you’ve eaten all the food in your house and there’s NO food in the stores?” I guess the point I’m trying to make is this……impatience will be the death of them all. What are the chances that these type of selfish folks have prepared for the hard times that are coming? What are the chances that they’ve put back an ounce of food or medical supplies or water or tools or anything at all? Now I would truly hate to see the fat kid from North Korea nuke us at three hundred miles high but I must admit that there are times while driving to work that I think about how it would be a great attitude adjustment for certain ones.
You know the answer to your own questions…He will be coming for you because you prepared and he didn’t…
Born here (America) 75 years ago. Now have more than a few health problems and have seen a ton of changes in my life. Sorry, but life really was way better “back then”. Can’t stand the direction this once wonderful country is going which is why I keep telling myself “Thank GOD I’m old!”
I am saddened by the situation you observe,I had hoped it was just in this self centered corner of the planet from where I am trying to escape.. I am living on the west side of Los Angeles and the behaviors you describe have been perfected here. The arrogance and narcissism as expressed through the horn, accelerator and steering wheel is frightening and regularly results in red lights being ignored and horrific crashes in city streets and splattered pedestrians. It is a major reason why we are leaving this state next month. Adding to this is the open drug acceptance while driving. I frequently smell 420 emanating from vehicles and I can assure you that marijuana does not result in calm non aggressive drivers.
Its Saturday morning before Christmas and I have nothing to say about all the above except that our Savior has come. Merry Christmas to all.
Leaving CA,
I left CA many years ago, partly because I saw people sitting in their cars snorting coke at stop lights, huge lines at 7-11 at midnight, etc. Moved to Utah, but now UT has become just like Calif. Perhaps the last bastion of “freedom” is in western Montana and northern Idaho? I have to wonder if the “Christians” living there are really Christians, accepting of people with other religious views? Plan to travel there soon to check it out but I’m not optimistic.
What other religious views are you espousing? If it’s one of those “convert, be a slave, or die” ones, then no–we are not accepting of it here and will resist with every means possible…If it’s not one of those, then welcome…
I agree that the country is degenerating rapidly, but I’ve noticed that most of the problems come from those who are “left” leaning. I can use my own family as an example. On one side the belief is that you should work and try to support yourself and your family. You live within your means, save if you can. If trouble arises, family can/should/will help if possible. As a last resort during a long term problem, a few have gotten government help to tide them over.
On the other side, few of them work. Most try to get disability, food stamps, medicaid, “free” phones, etc…If at all possible, get as much as you can for as long as you can from working family members, drain ’em dry. If you can get away with it, steal from family, or others. Every man for himself.
Of course if you try to explain to them that there is a better way, you get to hear that it is none of your business, they should be able to spend “their” money anyway they see fit. Basically, shut up.
It get’s really interesting when they decide that you should give them money on a continuing basis because they are “disabled”. Of course they are not disabled when it’s something they WANT to do, only when they need to hold down a job.
Of course, the real fun starts when you tell them that if you are going to be the cash cow, you get to do their budget. They will sign over control of “their” money, they will move into a place that they can afford, and they will be given an allowance after their bills are paid, groceries bought, money put in savings for an emergency and by the way, no more tattoos.
It’s been a couple of years, still waiting to hear back from that one.
There’s a reason* why I’ve carried, 24/7, for decades, but only now do I see most everybody I know (who never thought about doing this in the past) actively working to do this very same thing. This alone is a very telling “thang” about the dire situation we are now in…like it…see it…or not…my fellow Amerikans!
Let them that have Ears to hear (and refuse to shut off their brains today, like most) HEAR THIS POINT OF FACT CLEARLY now.
*(I Work in a “underbelly position” in our (sick) society for the past 30yrs.)