What Nation's Got it Better than Us?

I dunno about all this south-shoulda-won stuff. Aren't southern Democrats just as responsible as big-city liberals for the mess we are in?

I can't believe the people down here who feel exactly the way I do on gun issues and are even more conservative in some areas, like prayer in school, abortion, etc... and yet insists that they are democrats and they vote the democratic line. I almost got thrown out of a fellow deputies house one night when I told his wife I was voting for a republican candidate for senator. She explained, not very calmly, that they wuz werkin peepull, not some kinder hawtee republikins.
Where does this stuff come from? If I stay down here to long, will it start to affect me too?

Similarly, a friend of a friend from Michigan that had come with a group I brought to a GSSF match got through the whole day just fine with all of us radical right wingers until someone mentioned unions... all of a sudden we were oppressive elitist gun owners trying to keep the working class down.

Getting back to the topic, no, there isn't a "country" I'd rather live in, but I'd certianly like to live under different conditions.

I also figure that we've got a hard enough job ahead of us to educate our country without letting anyone else in who isn't up to snuff. I applaud Switzerland type immagration restrictions. Don't even bother to pull out the "what about your ancestors" crap, becuase they had to bust there butt when they set out to get here and they had to work hard once they were here. They learned the proper language and worked to improve the country, served in the military and started productive businesses. For the last 50 years there seems to have been about 90% leeches filtering across the border. Cornered Rat seems to have the same mindset as my forefathers.. come over here because of the freedom to live as a productive individual and then work to make things even better... not come over here simply because it is better than where you happen to have started out.

(rant mode off, I'm in a bad mood, can ya tell?)
 
Rob,
For many many years Democrats had what was refered to as the "Solid South". Come election time Democrats won, period. I remember not long ago in another thread (I forget which one) there was discusion about how Republicans and Democrats have seemed to swap sides on the issues in the last 30 or so years. A lot of southerners are democrats simply because their parents were democrats.
Despite what party they follow most southerners are pretty conservative in their views and generally agree with the opinions we express here. So just because someone from the south claims to be a democrat, that doesn't necessarily mean they are liberal. In fact, the majority of the people I know consider themselves to be independents, but almost always vote republican.

You are very right out southern democrats being just as responsible for the current state of our nation. Politics is driven by greed and power. It knows nothing about where your from, what party you like, or any thing else for that matter. In politics, southerners can be just as stupid, corupt or uncaring as anybody else. Heritage is not a factor.
 
Well, with all due respect, as far as immigration goes - and leeches - you get what you pay for, literally. I fault stupid welfare laws much more than immigrants. The foreign students I met at the university were some sharp cookies. But, many of them would have had a better chance to stay here if they had kept their head down, and learned how to do landscaping. That is not a joke. Foolish public policy usually leads to absurd results.

And, as far as the U.S. goes, I agree 100% it is a great country. However, that doesn't mean we aren't screwing it up. The greatness of our history (generally), and our principles makes the decline all the more depressing. I worry that we'll still be singing the Star Spangled Banner at ball games even when none of the words apply.

During the Vietnam War I remember debating with my father exactly what our country was / is. To me, it is not the flag, it is certainly not Washington D.C. and it is not even the ground we walk on. The essence of the United States of America is our love of freedom, our courage to stand up for what is right and our ability to come together as a people united by these beliefs, IMHO.

Now, I'll grant you, that is a very idealistic statement, but I believe it. I also think we are losing it, and it makes me angry and somewhat sad. IMHO all we can do is speak the truth as we see it, live our lives consistently with those ideals, and do the best we can for our loved ones, our friends and ourselves. The 21st century should be interesting. Perhaps in another 10 years we'll manage to have troops in all of the remaining countries. ;)

I've heard good things about Belize, and New Zealand was discussed as moving more towards freedom and free markets. My knowledge of both is limited. By the same token, 20 years ago I wouldn't have dreamed of leaving the U.S. At this point in time, while not likely, I now consider it conceivable.
 
Jeff,

Sorry if you got the impression I was blaming the people themselves... quite the contrary, I was complaining about our countries policies. I can hardly blame other people for trying to make a better/easier life for themselves. It is the fact that our system lets them do it without contributiung anything that grates me.
 
The reason New Zealand is such a nice place to live is because 1/2 their population is over here in Aus !

On our public welfare system :(

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"The Gun from Down Under !"
 
It seems to me that most people compare our situation with those that do not have it as good as we do.

"Hey! This is still a great country to live in. Just look at Bosnia, Kosovo, Mexico, Canada, and Australia! We should just be grateful that we have it so good!"

This kind of comparison makes me sick because of what we once were. I feel we are on a slippery slope to total degredation and all we can say is that we are not at the bottom.

Average = the best of the worst and the worst of the best.

We've come a long way, baby! Yeah, right... :(

John/az



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"Just because something is popular, does not make it right."
 
Rob, the Southern Democrats you are referring to are what were once called "yellow dog Democrats." As in, "He'd vote for a yaller dawg if'n it was a Democrat." Poor has little to do with it but some. It has more to do with what the Radical Wing of the Republican Party did to the South during Reconstruction. Memories are very long here and despite what some people from other regions of the country believe...the Civil War was not really that long ago. I'm 45...my grandparents helped raise me as their grandparents help raise them. That generation was Civil War VETS. So the people who raised the people who raised me fought in the Civil War. Two links between us, that's all. Also, examine the per capita income of the South from the end of the Civil War until WWII. Most people in the South were living in a depression for 50 years before 1929. When the rest of the country became mostly poor during the Great Depression-the people of the South who had been poor for decades were literally starving. They looked upon FDR and the New Deal as Moses looked upon the promised land. The Democratic Party in the South is still reaping the benefits of Republican Party policy during Reconstruction and the period up until the outbreak of WWII.
 
South Africa actually isn't all that bad - yet - on RKBA issues. They seem to be leaning towards a full-auto ban and possibly something like shall-issue CCW, but at present they don't even have those in place. It's not quite "Vermont carry" but it's a DAMN sight better than California/New York/New Jersey today. That might change...or it might not. They're on the verge of total massive white-flight as is, if they disarm the whites they'll lose them ALL and the economy will completely collapse.

As to the US, we're *winning* on the CCW front. That'll be the wedge behind which we drive all other issues; it ain't time to give up just yet.

Jim March
 
It sounds to me that most of you are Libertarians! The Libertarian is the third largest party in the USA and is growing at a fast rate. Check them out at ww.lp.org and note their strong pro second amendment stand. If you don't like the way things are going and fear how they'll end up, then you may consider changing your support from the parties that are responsible for the decline of our country.
 
Well all, some very good points were made here. I still think we live in the greatest country in the world. BUT! We keep voting all these people into office that have, in my opinion, a very un-American agenda. They are chipping away at our rights at what is becoming an alarming rate. I read a poem the othe day that impressed me so much, that I had a copy made, and I posted it in the general forum under the title, A Visitor From the Past." I have no idea who wrote it, but it is one of those things I wish I'd said. It says how I feel better than I can say it, so if you get the chance, read it. You know, I should have put it here instead of where I did, but it is too long, and I'm a two fingered typist.
Paul B.

COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!
 
Paul,

Copy and Paste, work very well for those with only two fingers! ;)

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John/az

"Just because something is popular, does not make it right."
 
The US will continue to slide down until folks stop looking at the government as their parents.

They have forgotten important aspects of parents:
1) Your parents love you
2) Your parents want you to be happy
3) Your parents want you to succeed
4) Your parents voluntarily give up authority when you reach a certain age or move out

The government, in any form and at any level, does none of these

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"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"
 
I've wandered around some twenty countries, and if I were to leave the US, it would be for Costa Rica. Why? Simple:

No standing army.
More schoolteachers than police.
93% literacy rate.
About 1/4 to 1/3 of the folks speak a reasonable amount of English.
Courtesy is a fetish.
It is customary to begin the day with a shower.
There are three good breweries.
They can export beef.
You can begin trolling for sailfish as you leave shore (Pacific side).
Rice farmers like for shotgunners to come out and kill those nasty white-wing doves which eat their crops.
Corporations pay no taxes until the profits exceed $250,000 per year.
I picked up the "Tico Times" newspaper, and in the classifieds was an ad for a Ruger Blackhawk.
 
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