Apologies to Swiet, from whose post I lifted this quote... but it pretty much captures everything that sickens me about today's America - left and right:

"I think we are seeing an anti-institution mood here," he said. "Post-Katrina, and now with Iraq and the economy getting worse, people just don't have faith that anybody is solving their problems."

Was this in unique reference to just the two issues of Iraq and Katrina aid? I don't think so.

Granted, this was in reference to explaining low Congressional approval ratings, but what sort of sloth begets a populace that expects it's problems solved by government - whether the legislative, executive, or judicial branch? We're not just dumbing down... we're ambitioning down and parasiting up.

Folks who dwell too much on the political and collective solutions by government ought to spend a bit of time in productive enterprise themselves - no friggin' passengers.

Right...like that's going to happen.

I believe that at this points its better to burn it all down and start over, than try to fix it.

People DO solve many, if not most of their own problems. But there are some (paving roads, schools, disaster relief, etc.) that they just can't do. For those, they may turn to government (though there are some other things, say housing or temporary assistance or whatever, that may be handled by charities or other groups). I don't see a problem with this, and neither do most Americans.

I think what people resent is the corruption and inefficiency of government, and of the two major parties. People are getting increasingly fed up with that and may erupt one of these days.

If that's only to elect Dems in place of Repubs, then it may not be much of a solution in the long term. What they need to do is demand honest, efficient government.

Tough task, though, innit?

People actively vote themselves spoils and solicit redistribution from their government. Even achievers who work hard and strive to set themselves and their progeny up are hunted down as the masses clamor for increased taxation of incomes and investments... and - of course - death/estate taxes.

They set their sites on the property of others.

Naturally, this is buttressed by Orwellian redefinition: If you sacrifice and work hard throughout your life, it is you who is greedy for not handing over your property to those who didn't earn it.

After Katrina, my parents rebuilt their roof, removed the trees, cleaned up and got back to it...

My cousin (a Deputy Fire Chief) is in the process of rebuilding his home (completely washed away) and is doing so on taller stilts... (although I don't think he can survive strong wind that way... but what the hell)...

I remember seeing him on CNN and him talking about the recovery efforts and how they were trying to help victims, yet he never said a word about his own situation...

America is great "one person at a time" and it can fail the very same way if we as individuals give up, look for excuses and just let it happen

Hey, dude - long time no see (welcome back).

I understand that there are some tasks properly addressed by government. I don't attribute to that the language of "solving our problems". That may be a function of how my mind works, but paving streets is not a problem of mine to be solved. It is rather an infrastructure-building task to be assigned. When I think "our problems" (or "their problems" - as the passage read), I'm thinking of things more immediate, personal, and less public service oriented.

In the case of this quote, it could be a function of my left-brain math/engineering dominant quadrant ;-)

I do note a growing ethic of spoils-voting, though.

Fell on my house the winter before last during a wind storm, I can't recall petitioning my congressman for remedy.

Perhaps I've forgotten, though ;-)

Anyhoo, I didn't read that quote as referencing just Katrina aid (the Congress in session now wasn't even in place at the time of Katrina). I read it as a larger dependency/entitlement demand.

THis is what really bothers me.

I think the State should have an obligation to protect society from pretentious, "Look at me! I'm obviously unconventional, upwardly mobile, and oh-so-au courant!" parents who name their daughters "Connor" and "Stuart." Blech.

Hey, buddy. :)

I guess we differ somewhat on what "government solving our problems" mean.

I'd agree, though, FWIW that government can't solve all my problems, and that standing around with your hand out for government help is counterproductive, if not downright lazy.

the fact that the Bruins/Huskies could have been a game between top-15 teams, and now both are unranked and sucking.

(and vice versa), and dumb spellings of common names to see "unique" and ruin your child's life forever (Jhonn, Jenipher, etc.).

You've met a girl named Stuart? LOL.

Like "Jordan", "MacKenzie", etc. I don't much care for that either. Everyone's ttrying to be "Thurston Howell III".

;-)

Howdy back, C-E!

"Mercedes." Blah.

The Bruins, at least, merited their ranking (or a ranking anyway). All my Dawgs did was knock off a hemorrhaging Syracuse and Boise State.

I do think Willingham will get it done - I just hope we give him the chance to recruit and build for another 2 years.

or Cadillac Williams?

"Yugo" Chavez? ;-)