Or are we pulling against what we need, since, as Thomas Friedman says, all we have are big problems?
In Too Many Hamburgers, Friedman says that, “For democracy to be effective and deliver the policies and infrastructure our societies need requires the political center to be focused, united and energized. That means electing candidates who will do what is right for the country not just for their ideological wing or whoever comes with the biggest bag of money. For democracies to address big problems — and that’s all we have these days — requires a lot of people pulling in the same direction, and that is precisely what we’re lacking.”
The editorial is interesting in that it points to a particular need for changing our perspective — and our energies, particularly when it comes to work. It’s very similar to what I said in class, Tuesday, about doing rather than waiting to be told what to do?
Since you guys all determined that geography establishes a context for success — kids with mothers and fathers that are college grads are more apt to go to college and succeed, for instance, to say it in a general way, and the concomitant social class follows this success, thus the inverse is true, too — might the malaise America is in have had some collective affect on the psyche of our citizens, including you? I mean, your generation’s touchstone is 9/11, since, you’ve experienced decline after decline, negativity after negativity, politically speaking, and you’ve experienced the dumbing down of the public sphere where nothing but a gloss of contemporary America is possible, particularly when mixed with hatred, so I’m wondering what your opinion might be concerning how these conditions affect us psychologically and perhaps hinder what we focus on?
Many people feel that America is spiraling downward. Some are ready to do something about it and some are not. However, the mindset that scares me is that everything, all these obstacles, catastrophes, and adversity that we are facing will all disappear and work out on its own. I feel like many people try to compare our current situation to things in the past. Such as supposing that global Warming is not a threat- its happened before in history and its just a temporary cycle. Or the fact that we have experienced other environmental and economic problems perhaps just has severe and were able to get over it. The situation we are in right now does not seem to be something that is going to fix itself. America has too much on its plate to say “its happened before” and let the events take there course. Yes, were able to overcome struggles in the past but only because progress was made and people did something about it. Hopefully our generation will recognize the need to be proactive with this, which does not seem to be the case so far.
I think it’s time that people like “Anthony” in the article wake up and realize that America isn’t as amazing as they thought it was. 9/11 could have been a turning point for our country, a time to rally together and use a shared sense of patriotism to make major changes in our country. For example, Bush could have used the 9/11 attacks as an opportunity to announce that the US was no longer going to rely on oil from the middle east. Instead of using all of our resources to try to control that region with a variety of wars, he could have used those resources to develop alternative energy sources and forever end our dependence on fossil fuels. This would have not only avoided the US making a fool of ourselves in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but it also would have set an environmental precedent that hopefully other countries would have followed. We can’t expect other countries to change if we don’t change as well. We pride ourselves on being a world power, but part of the responsibility of being a world power is doing instead of waiting to be told (to steal Hector’s line).
Post 9/11 we have gone through 2 unproductive wars, a major natural disaster in New Orleans, The oil spill in the gulf, and we’re still in the midst of one of the worst economic downturns in the history of our country. The American swagger needs to change because recently we haven’t really backed it up. However our generation still has an extremely optimistic point of view. Our class is a perfect example of how our generation still believes everything will be alright with time. I think if we were less optimistic and there was more of a sense of urgency to change the current state of our country, we might be better off.
The American psyche has constantly been pounded since 9/11. We have experienced so much turmoil-the War in Iraq, Katrina, the economic recession-that we have forgotten how privileged we are to be Americans. America has faced hardship before, but it has always found a way to reemerge and progress. However, the growing sense of negativity and lack of patriotism will make it harder for us to rebound from our problems. I think we need to realize that nothing is going to change unless we change. Our problems are not going to go away unless we modify our lifestyles. We have grown up in an era of distress and tragedy, but we cannot let these events interfere with development. The malaise we are going through makes it even more important for our generation to react and unite.
Like many have said, I have grown up pretty cynical toward the United States government. The first things that pop into my mind when reflecting on major events during my years growing up in the United States are 9/11 and Katrina. I think both events are very representative of what the country is like now, and they are taking a huge psychological toll on both people from this country and people from other countries.
The United States is supposed to be the “best country in the world” and we are all supposed to be living the “American Dream.” But there are still so many prevalent issues that are tearing at individuals’ lives everyday. And I am not naive, I know that no country is perfect or ever can be (wouldn’t that be boring). But it worries me that even in a country like the United States where everyone has a “fair chance,” people are suffering everyday and there is not nearly enough being done by the government. This relates to what Friedman was saying in Too Many Hamburgers. He said: “I want to emulate their system. I am praising it because I am worried about my system.” I too believe that we can look at other countries around the world that are making improvements and fighting current issues and use them as a model or inspiration. Hopefully then we can move away from having events like September 11th and Hurricane Katrina define us.
Alex
Our generation doesn’t strike me as the 9/11 generation, considering the attack was on America as a whole and killed people working in the World Trade Center who are in an older generation. Yes, we are the generation that has deal with the aftermath, worrying much more about national security. Although it seems that these disasters are happening at an increasingly exponential rate, America has had comparable hardships in the past and was able to eventually see past them. Our generation has less trust and faith in the government as a result of these crises and sub-par leaders like Bush. We need to adjust the way we view the government, and hopefully Obama will be able to shed light on a new attitude for the country. Patriotism is lacking, as several other posts mentioned, and that regaining it is one of the first steps to overall success in the future.
I agree with the fact that it feels like our generation is in somewhat a decline. The focus of peoples lives is always on the latest tragedy. Since 9/11 we have had, hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami, earthquake in Haiti, gulf coast oil spill and many other awful events. It is almost as if once we get over one problem another major one presents itself. Psychologically it leaves people to just sit and wait for something catastrophic to happen and then when it does, people are so desensitized that they cannot keep their focus on one disaster for a period of time substantial enough to actually help the cause.
It’s quite a fortunate feeling knowing that I was able to live through 8 years of what I would consider ideal liberalism prior the 9/11 attacks, and I see these shift probably most clearly in the media. I do feel a sense that society in general has dumbed down as a result of all the political negativity linked with the government, poverty, and even humor. In class we discussed how five companies are in control of every single media station existing in the world today. So if their is a parallel between laissez-faire economics, Bush policies and the media, then the same idiocy democrats turn their backs on is faced in even the entertainment shows we watch. Yesterday I decided to look back on some old TV shows that I used to love watching with my older cousins, including ‘Hey Arnold” “Kenan and Kel” and “All That.” You wouldn’t believe how much warmth, comfort and positivity one can annotate from one Hey Arnold episode i.e “Stoop Kid, or Phoebe Cheats,” quality shows with scenarios and morals just don’t seem to exist anymore. I feel a combination of our struggles with Bush conservatism and the conforming of our society to “one gear speedy” technology has affected our intelligence, thus downgrading our humor. Haven’t you noticed how much materialism and Christian idealism is pushed in TV? MTV/Nick is now intoxicated with shows like “16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, Jersey Shore” and which is supposed to be a reflection our reality. What the hell?? This is just adding on the hatred because now educated people watch these shows and shake their heads at how retarded people are conducting themselves. Simultaneously, the brainwashed uneducated classes suck up every single scene and reproduce it. As much as the middle class thins out economically, their is an equivalently large spectrum in education and information for the American public. Where’s the patriotism? I could take a guesstimate that it’s where the money and power are separate. Hence, no where.
Hey Arnold: Stoop Kid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE0IzAsIVWk
I think that when our generation is looked back upon this economic recession that we are in will be driving defining factor, because it has affected all americans. While 9/11 certainly affected many the physical effects weren’t as widespread. The psyche of our generation seems very impressionable and this causes me to worry. I worry that the mistakes of our past president will cause everyone to be cynical and skeptical about the ability of government, that Americans will discredit a good president because of personal issues that are none of our business (infidelity), or the fact that he is black and smokes cigarettes.
I agree with Zoe — I wouldn’t really consider our generation to be the 9/11 generation but more of a generation lacking patriotism. For the eight years that Bush was president, I was taught, and eventually learned to hate our president and most US policies and actions. And I think that when Bush was elected again, I definitely lost faith in our country a little bit. During 2008 it was really hard me to follow the election in a neutral, unbiased way because I was stuck in this rigid mindset that everything Bush stood for and had done was wrong, and everything Obama planned on doing was right. I guess that was a pretty narrowminded way to think but t it also shows how our generation has been taught to think. It’s similar to what we were talking about in class when we said that we’re afraid to have our own opinions (we rely on teachers’ and other people’s interpretations of things). We need to learn to think on our own and not follow trends.
When I think of our generation today I do think of 9/11 and its aftermath. However, I also think of the United States as the dominant force in the world with the most benefits and the place with the best opportunity for success. However, after learning about services, laws, and technological advances I begin to question my tainted view of the United States. Are we going to be seen as a former dominating force that is losing control?
I think that the “9/11” generation is the touchstone of our generation and to me this includes the lousy 8 years Bush was our President. Ever since the attacks on 9/11, our country has experieced decline after decline and I would agree that it has imposed a somewhat negative attitude on me towards the way our government runs and regulates, such as the loose control it had over the market and big businesses. Just as Anthony said he would win the foot race to the other kids in the race in the article, I think physcholigically we have grown up under this same attitude. Immediately following 9/11, Bush declared war on the terrorist worlds of Afganistan and Iraq, and from that day on I have developed my first sense of patriotism. Going into the war, we all believed that we were going to win, we were going to kill all the terrorists, and we were going to have the best weapons because we are the best nation in the world. Now, since none of that has happened and today we find ourselves stuck in stale mate in Iraq and Afghanistan, my initial strong feeling of patriotism or that America has God’s will always has begun to diminish. After being educated about China and the developing world rapidly approaching our level of technological advancement, it makes me wonder if we are the best nation in the world. We have failed to pass universal health care, failed with our biggest education policy in No Child Left Behind, failed in improving our infrastructure, and find ourselves among a massive economic decline. And now we have morons like Glenn Beck producing a greater stir on the American public than the President himself. I think it is our generations responsibility to put us back on track and once again propel ahead of the rest of the world.
Personally, I don’t really think of us as the “9/11” generation, though it was definitely the touchstone of our generation. I was in fourth grade when 9/11 occured, and, though I did understand what had happened, I didn’t have any sort of grasp on the implications. The thing that has affected me the most was growing up during both the Bush terms. When Obama was elected, it was a strange and new feeling for me to actually have a president I was proud of. For most of my life, the U.S had a president that my parents hated and who left me with little sense of patriotism towards our country. Psychologically, I think that leaves me pretty cynical towards the government in general and the positive changes it can make. It also leaves me with little faith in the American public (especially when Bush got reelected). Our generation is facing a lot right now. It’s very different from back when my dad was protesting the Vietnam War. But I think our generation shouldn’t forget the power we can have over the government to make changes. We haven’t really seen this in action (maybe with the election of Obama?), and I think this could hinder us in the long run.
Coup d’Etat in America? — since you bring up Bush…
http://www.legitgov.org/index_hot_April5.html
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO407B.html
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO402D.html