lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

The only way to end divisiveness in this Country, is to capitalize on similarities. For example, everyone would agree that we need more jobs right? That is a similarity. We can build on that by asking how? How do we create more jobs? More specifically, how do we encourage the creation of more jobs?

This is where the differences will show up. There will be dozens of ideas. Some good, some not so good. Now lines will be drawn, as in " my idea is the best " vs. "no, MY idea is the best". Here's the thing, who said we can only have ONE set of ideas? Why not utilize ALL the ideas, thus increasing the chances of success?

We have become a Nation of artists, in that we like to draw. We draw conclusions, lines, criticism, ire and ridicule. I suggest we put down our pencils, no more line drawing. Job creation is CRITICAL, by anybody's measure, so why screw up any chances by trying to capitalize on our differences, rather than our similarities?

Our politics has become a shrine to differences, even though this Country was founded on our similarities. Use the differences of opinion, approach, philosophy and technique, to FIND the similarities, and pounce on those to get something done. Being different may get votes, but finding ways to be on the same page is the ONLY way to get anything meaningful done. Getting things done is another area I think we can all agree on.

Brian Devon

Our politics has become a shrine to differences, even though this Country was founded on our similarities.



I think there are quite a few Native-Americans and African-Americans who might beg to differ. At the founding, similarities only mattered if you were white.


Pretending this nation is color-blind is like a child who hides in his bed, thinking his parents can't see him. President Obama's election did not magically make all the white supremacists disappear.

MrEd Loc: Georgia

And you expect the progressives to help you how???? I know you meant well with your post, but remember that we have progressives on this site, not just differences of opinion. The progressives will not agree with anything you say and ALWAYS find fault with it. A good example is Brian. He can't agree with you simply because you are not a progressive. If you were, no matter how stupid you talked, he would back you. Try and mention anything seriously and he will find something to say that will try and put you down or simply call you names. No matter how nice you are to them, if you don't belong in their little club, you loose...........

Dave Loc: Upstate New York

Did it make black supremacists disappear?

Dave Loc: Upstate New York

It would seem that the first step in solving a problem is to define the root cause of the problem.

The way to eliminate jobs in the private sector is to cause the cost of jobs to exceed the value of the work performed on the open market. In other words, if there are not enough jobs in the private sector their costs exceed their value - take steps to reduce the cost of hiring people and more will be hired - the opposite of the Obama approach.

In government employment, there is no equivalent throttle - that is the cost of hiring someone is born by the taxpayers today (or those of tomorrow in the case of deficits) and extracting money is a function of government use of force versus voluntary contributions in the private sector. Ultimately, however, there is a limit, that being once you have exhausted the ability of the private sector to generate the revenues necessary to pay those taxes, government jobs disappeat too. Obama's approach here too seems to be that there is no limit to extracting taxes from taxpeyers of tomorrow.

Constitutional libertarian Loc: St Croix National Scenic River Way

I beg to differ with your opinion at least when it comes to First Nation Americans. The Iroquois in the northeast and Great Lakes had very similar ideas, life styles and form of government that the early white settlers had. Then in the southeast the Cherokee Nation adopted white culture in respect to education and politics as well as land ownership and even slaves.

Did the whites ultimately commit horrible racial atrocities against them well yes.

Is there racism in America without question there is. Almost all groups have had to deal with it when they 1st immigrated here, many of which were running from it back home. But most have been able to successfully integrate themselves into the prevailing culture.

Why is it blacks have had what would appear to be a harder time with the integration process or question, language and religious barriers certainly aren't the cause. Skin color isn't really the answer either because there are many African, middle eastern and Asian cultures represented demographically in the United States that economically have faired extremely well.

So help me here if I were to guess it would be they have a different criteria to what the definition of success is. That they perceive success differently than most of the other demographics do including access to a better way of life through education.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

And your response helps end divisiveness How? I'm pretty sure that the differences are well known. What do you suggest we do about them? Constantly pointing out problems, without giving thought to solutions, has exactly 0 value. If, as is apparent here, this Country is not to your liking, then, you know. Want to stay? try to be part of the solution.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

I don't even know what a progressive is, I guess that's how much attention I've paid to ideologies. Whatever they are, if they act that way, then they're making my point. Trying to be different to get attention is rather infantile, but that behavior seems to have become the norm. It's like some minorities want to treated the same - by being treated differently. How does that make sense? Everyone wants to be unique and everyone wants that to be acknowledged by everybody else, making getting on the same page about as easy as herding cats.

vernon

whute supremacist my ass ,people voted against a communist and as far as im concerned he will finish killing freedom and you will find this outmaybe sooner than you think

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

What freedom?

Brian Devon

The reason Black culture has not done as well as others is this:

The plantation owners were very afraid of slave uprisings. Early on, they deduced that they could make people more passive by breaking up tribes and families, making it difficult for people to communicate to plan a rebellion. A major part of their subjugation strategy outlawed the teaching of reading, so that the slaves could not get necessary information.

Throw in systematic rapes, whippings, and lynchings and you have the total degrading of any cohesive culture that indigenous Africans could rely on. Follow that with a century of Jim Crow laws and you have a formula for much tragedy.

Many are hoping the rise of President Obama, with his very strong family life, may signal some turning of the tide of a damaged culture caused by incredible subjugation and oppression.

Republicans have not changed. They still show a major fondness for blaming the victim. Americans know this. Its part of why we have elected Barack Obama, twice, to the highest office in the land. The Republicans still can't believe this has happened to their "fatherland".

Augustus Greatorex Loc: NE

Good luck.

I think CL's point was very good.

Perhaps, to different people "job" means different things? Suppose someone means "source of income," when they say "job"? And suppose someone else says "job" meaning "exchanging one's time and expertise for something of value"?

The similarities: Both want more people to gain.

The differences: One thinks about the effects of having little, or no, money on people. The other thinks about the causes of slowed, or no, hiring.

How do we "capitalize" on the difference?

Glaucon

Our problem is we always want others to change and we know how they need to change, but we never seem to hear how we, ourselves, could change to make things better. Would it be easier to change those terrible progressive, communistic, Maxists, socialists or to change ourselves?

Tasine Loc: Southwest US

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You are right the nation is not color-blind because it is not ALLOWED to be color-blind. Our politicians USE racism as a tool to divide us. I refuse to be color-blinded by the hatred of those who cannot leave it alone.

THIS is what this post is about!!!!!!!
Are YOU in favor of more jobs in America? Yes or no will do.
How do think we can bring more jobs to America? Use of the brain is required.

Glaucon

Very rational and evidence based. Well thought and well said.