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Do you think America’s “can-do” spirit is faltering?
| Response | Percent | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 71% | 960 | |
| No | 24% | 332 | |
| Not sure | 3% | 48 | |
| Total | 1340 | ||
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Comments
mr_right_wing 3 years ago
Of course it is...you (not me) put obama in office. It's not "can do" anymore, but "the gimmie-ment will do it for me!!"
I can quote JFK again if you like.... (Libs. despise that one!)
grammaddy 3 years ago
No we don't. And it's not just the people who voted Obama in that have lost their "can do"spirit. Seems all anybody wants to do is whine and find blame.
sunshine_noise 3 years ago
this spirit has been lost a long time ago. I think the 60s were handled wrong by the government. Look at the Kent State incident, Black Panthers and AIM and others a like. I think the government handled these too agressively, there could have been a better way of making peace where both sides got what they needed. All it did was create a state of apathy amongs Americans as well as losing faith in our Government. Domacracy is a good thing, but not when there are officials cheating the system and the people people who support it. We the people of the USA are supposed to be the ones who make or break a decision, not just government officials or corporate payoffs. Corporate world is too much in bed with the Government and they are all about greed. We've lost family values because of Corporate control, we've lost trust in our officials because of Corporate rule and greed. we've lost sight of what is important to this Nation because of Corporate rule and payoffs. I say the Government needs to get back to Constitutional rule and we Be the People, by the People again.
dudedog12 3 years ago
It sure is refreshing to hear a bit of reality once in a while.
beatrice 3 years ago
The people who voted for Obama seem to be the only ones WITH that can do spirit. The whiners on the right who have proven they only like elections when they go their way are nothing but unpatriotic whining losers. They make me sick.
Larry 3 years ago
beatrice said the people who voted for Obama seem to be the only ones WITH that can do spirit? I'm undecided if beatrice is posting an actual opinion or just someone who posts to get a reaction out of people. Okay...I'll bite.
Those who still support Obama also support taxing the crud out of those people working their butt off so more can sit on their rears and do nothing. They support out spending all former administrations put together. They support a president that travels the world and repeatedly apologizes for American involvement in anything and everything. Yes, we've made mistakes but we've done an awful lot of good. Compare American contributions to third world countries. Last I heard, Russia gave what.....(one million in relief to Haiti)...Wow..impressive! And we're the bad guys! We're the bad guys until another country needs help and even then, no matter what we commit, it isn't enough.
We've got a man in office who is totally out of his comfort/experience zone. The man never ran a state government, never ran a business or cooperation of any type, yet enough people voted for him based on his community organizer experience and very brief experience in congress. But hey....he gives one heck of a speech. Best example of Eddie Haskell in politics that I've ever seen.
charliejohnson 3 years ago
Tis attitude started along time before Obama.
charliejohnson 3 years ago
Tis attitude started along time before Obama.
whats_going_on 3 years ago
yyyyyeah, or the fact that everyone is so worked up about everything, no one can do anything productive anyway.
the sky is falling!!!!!
jackbinkelman 3 years ago
At least HE was fairly elected.
denak 3 years ago
No, I don't.
I think there is the negative perception that we have because the media has found it more profitable to print and encourage negative commentary than to report the news in an unbiased fashion. Thus, individuals who like to do nothing more than bash the President or engage in partisan bickering get more of the press than those who are quietly and without fanfare doing good things. I would be willing to bet if the powers that be at LJWorld reviewed their lead stories for the last 6 months, there would be more negative stories than positive stories.
Secondly, much of the "can-do" spirit that the US makes a claim to is a myth. It is part of our national psyche, this belief that anyone can do anything if they just work hard enough. We love our Horatio Alger stories but the reality is that not everyone is going to succeed.
With that said, I still think we, Americans, are some of the most innovative people on the planet. We are industrious, we are educated and we do have more class mobility than most countries. And I think this contributes to the "anything is possible" mentality that we have had in the past and that we still do today.
One only needs to look at the unprecedented number of people going to college to see that the "can-do" spirit of yesteryear is alive and well.
Dena
bigdave 3 years ago
Do you think America’s “can-do” spirit is faltering?
NO! The American can do drugs spirit is going strong!!!!!!!!!
parrothead8 3 years ago
Not all of America, just the right-wing. They assume their way is the only way that works and they're scared of change, so they say no to everything and work actively to impede progress. We haven't lost our can-do attitude, it's just that we've got a small, ignorant portion of our population working against us, so things take a little longer.
beatrice 3 years ago
The right wingers claim they want "their" country back, like it belongs exclusively to them.
Well, we want our country forward.
We can, and we must move this country and this world forward.
beatrice 3 years ago
And all right wingers want us connected to military computers and made into robots. See how easy it is to make ridiculously stupid accusations about someone's intentions?
fairplay 3 years ago
Actually, not to spoil your rationale, a marriage is a joint partnership; a merger of assets for mutual benefit, if you will. Ex: R&D doesn't sell or distribute products but without R&D the retail and distribution (money generating departments) would fail. One can assume that if Tom's wife supports him, she finds enough value in his company to justify the financial expenditure. If not, she would sever ties and dissolve the partnership.
The American spirit should be a non-partisan issue. The left and right have been fighting since the inception of the country and for those that believe division in politics is a new concept you are near sighted, narrow minded and a hindrance on the "progress" of this country.
The "can-do" attitude HAS suffered in America as we are not acknowledging the daily challenges we have as being of significance or consequence. The mindset that "The sun will come up tomorrow, no matter what" has left this country apathetic to the consequences of our actions or inactions. We have become comfortable and complacent. What this country needs is real adversity. We have been sheltered and protected for too long.
Thanks to the poor leadership of the current and previous administrations in coping with the changing landscape of economics, world affairs, social justice, etc...the Millenials and future generations are left trying to employ old school solutions to new world problems. Obama was to bring "new blood" into the White House and display some of that new thinking, but he has yet to be able to do anything short of continuing the same "old white man" leadership to which this country has grown so accustomed. This may not be the fault of the President but rather his circle of chosen advisors (one of the few times Fidel Castro and I will come remotely close to agreeing on anything) and the circumstances (not inherited, he should have had a more viable plan for the expected challenges) that have arisen since his election.
Larry 3 years ago
tange Obama has enjoyed a majority in congress, yet can't get his agenda accomplished. This isn't because of the "white man" or anything other than democracy in action. The voice of the "majority" in this country has been heard and many of the house and senate members have reacted by not allowing the current administration full run of the asylum. Obama promised open dialogue, yet had closed doors during creation of the health bill. He did accomplish a modified health bill, but I'm pretty confident that those who voted for it understand what will happen at the next election. For more information, search information on Dennis Moore's re-election campaign.
whats_going_on 3 years ago
seeing that 90% of the people on here just refute your psycho comments and make fun of you...not sure how you are getting these ideas about people magically turning republican and everyone hating Obama.
whats_going_on 3 years ago
People are more concerned with posting the negatives than the positives. People are angry nowadays...then they get online, TV, or radio to complain. Thats what everyone hears, because thats what everyone WANTS to hear. The people who don't care about that stuff and do have a "can-do" attitude, are busy bettering their lives instead of whining about it.
And, I'm on here, so while I "don't have room to talk" I'm also the first one to admit it. I have to get off here a lot because I find myself getting angry and annoyed at everyone being so negative, especially when I find myself doing it. Thats why I don't have TV...thats why I don't watch Fox, or MSNBC...its all negative, biased crap and people just using faulty, false reasoning to complain about people/events/things.
fairplay 3 years ago
What is your solution? You are whining about "everyone" whining too much. While you are the first to admit it, you certainly don't seem to be working toward a solution.
Are you suggesting there is too much access to opinion? Too much free speech? Are you suggesting regulation of cable network broadcasts; censorship? Surely, for someone who seems to be arguing from the left perspective, you can't be advocating for censorship, long a thorn in the side of the social conservative?
Please elaborate, back with reason but avoid the negative speech about "everyone" and the over-reaching "people.'
camper 3 years ago
We have been losing this can do attitude slowly for many years now. The biggest contributor has been the US exportation of jobs and our transformation to a service sector economy. Bottom line we're running out of ways to make a buck by just pushing pencils. We just rush to the next gimmick like bank deriviative, day trading, bundled financial intstruments. There is no reason to wonder that 40-years ago we put a man on the moon, and now we cannot even plug a hole in an oil well. What have we become? Geeze, I am going to go out for a walk. I'm getting depressed.
labmonkey 3 years ago
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/business/01nopay.html?pagewanted=all
People with attitudes like in this article make me think we have lost the can do spirit.
faceit 3 years ago
Absolutely. We now have a president and legislative majority that has a complete sense of entitlement and no sense of responsibility. Spend, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, borrow. We could easily become the next Greece and they just don't get it. It's unbelievable. I can't believe that any liberal has the stupidity to open their mouth, but they do; just look at the posts on this poll. The movie" Idiocracy" has come true.
beatrice 3 years ago
The people who brought us George Bush blaming liberals for a move toward an "Idiocracy" state. Now that is funny.
Larry 3 years ago
Nice rebuttal beatrice. Now, please respond to faceit's post. Is it not our current congress and president who continues to spend us into bankruptcy? Bush and the republicans didn't create this. And before you go blaming the republicans/Bush for the economic crisis that happened at the end of the Bush term, let's not forget that the biggest impact to the banking crisis was the ridiculous bank loans that were given to unqualified borrowers because everyone in America is ENTITLED to owning a home, regardless if they are/were capable of paying the money back. No money down and adjustable rates were mortgage strategies that resulted from (first.... the Carter administration recommending that we find ways for all Americans to own homes), then required by the Clinton administration to assure that all Americans have the opportunity to own homes.
grammaddy 3 years ago
"...complete sense of entitlement and no sense of responsibility..' I think you have your Presidents confused.Obama came from working class people and WORKED himself to the position he has now. He didn't come from money and definitely not oil money. Neither were his family there to bail him out at every mistake he made or every job he screwed up. I think he's doing a great job considering the heaping plate of garbage that was handed to him.
faceit 3 years ago
What Have We Done? - Black Woman Doesn't Like Obama No-More by vaportrails44
snoozey 3 years ago
Can sue is the new America
50YearResident 3 years ago
It's been changed to "Can't Do" as in you can't do this or you can't do that because it is politicaly incorrect! We need a "Get Tough" policy as in get tough about lying and cheating Government politicians, Company CEO's, border security,immigration, gangs and other criminals. We need to take back the streets.
SFBayhawk 3 years ago
When DID America ever do it? WWII maybe.
But wars are easier to get behind because we can blame and kick the sht outta someone else. Easier then accepting some blame. No red-blooded American, let alone their chosen leaders, would ever do that. It's not what their marketing people or lawyers would allow them to do.
Nature bats last. So does history.
ralphralph 3 years ago
The heel of Big Government and Big Business is stomping on the heart of American creativity. If they don't step off, this empire will fall like all those before it.
Have a nice day.
c_doc77 3 years ago
I think it would be somewhat helpful to qualify the question in terms of a time frame - like faltering compared to when? Five years ago? Fifty? But either way, the answer is yes. This country has been systematically and incrementally neutered. We can no longer boast any real "can do" spirit if we are increasingly being locked into the world economy and no longer produce anything ourselves. "American" corporations are outsourcing work to other countries or are relocating altogether. As "global citizens" they no longer have any substantive allegiance to this country - and there are plenty of reasons why.
Yes, our empire has fallen. And we should have never been an empire to begin with. We have been destabilized and are being destabilized in every conceivable way, and it is only a matter of time before the "right major crisis", as David Rockefeller put it, forces us into a situation where national sovereignty is no longer a reality.
As Thomas Jefferson said, “If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and the corporations which grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.” This is exactly what has happened in this country.
KansasPerson 3 years ago
I don't get how politics comes into this at all. When I hear "can-do spirit" (an admittedly vague phrase) I think of things like the Moon landing or building the Brooklyn Bridge. And yes, I think that sort of thing might not happen as easily today, for various reasons... financial, plus getting people to agree on a plan and move forward instead of sitting around in committees forever, plus (and I think this is a good thing) safety regulations (can you imagine if OSHA had been around during the building of the Brooklyn Bridge?).
I think that we don't do much of that sort of thing anymore, but on the other hand, we create things like computer networks and new ideas that are as important as a bridge or a Moon landing.
I have a friend who believes that the times call out the persons that are necessary. In other words, there could be unsung geniuses in every age that we never hear about because the era they live in doesn't "need" them or bring them out.
I do hope that when we have the need for such people, they will still be there. I worry sometimes that our current time is not one that is conducive to hatching the brave, the strong of heart and mind, the thorough, the accountable, the responsible, the fair-minded.
kosmo513 3 years ago
Is it any wonder the "can do" spirit is dying? Since President Peanuts created the so called "Department of Education" in the 70's, our inner city schools are failing at a record rate. This even when a record amount of $ is being spent on education. Minority kids are not graduating for a reason. Why study when the "gimmie ment" is going to meet your every possible need? You have nearly half the country that essentially pays no income taxes and the other half pulling the cart. Looks like a recipe for disaster from my viewpoint. The uniquely American "can do" spirit is quickly dying because there is no incentive to succeed when a bunch of Marxists are telling us that being wealthy is somehow evil and unfair. NAFTA also played a large role by shipping good paying jobs out of the country. That tends to destroy "can do" attitudes also. Oh, my job is leaving? Well, I guess we "can't do" that anymore. Wake the heck up America and get some people in this November who believe in capitalism and the proven ways to create prosperity. Make it attractive for companies to make things RIGHT HERE!!!! Can you say "low taxes?"
none2 3 years ago
Well first of all, please don't criticize President Peanuts. He had lust in his heart and thus had other things on his mind.
As to rich & NAFTA, your talking out of both sides of your mouth. Rich in and of itself isn't wrong or bad However, some resent "how" some rich people acquired their money. Not all of them got it via hard work or the hard work of their parents. Think of all the CEO's that make a killing in salaries and benefits even when their companies were failing. Yet they will lay off workers. Is that fair? Think of all the nepotism that is in boards of directors that rubber stamp whatever the executives do. Is that fair? There is simply a lot of corruption in companies, and not only is it not fair but our government ended up bailing out some of those companies..
Likewise, NAFTA does specifically benefit some rich people. However, I wouldn't single out NAFTA. If we didn't have it, then it just means that much more products and labor would come from places like China instead of this hemisphere. You cannot be against NAFTA yet in favor of globalization. The two go hand in hand. Most Americans anymore don't care whether their neighbor has a job or not as long as they can by stuff cheap with credit. In all fairness, some American workers (ie some of the unions) need to be willing to cut costs so that companies aren't forced to go over seas to stay competitive. If your job function can be automated, let it happen. If it is a matter of someone doing the same thing overseas, then by all means fight it. To me companies that choose to cut jobs because functions have been automated, are smart companies. Companies that choose to cut jobs just to give the same thing to foreigners (either illegal aliens or off-shoring) are simply anti-American companies and should be bared from doing business in this country.
beatrice 3 years ago
President Peanuts?
The constant lack of respect for anyone or anything, particularly the office of the President of the United States, is an indication that we only care anymoe about the great and wonderful "ME!" Who cares about anyone else, and what is in it for me? This is why the "can do" spirit is dying. It was never a "me" prospect.
inklines 3 years ago
I just watched a show on TV about the Belfast workers who built the HMS Titanic. Today's workers would never have put up with the conditions these workers had to live with 100 years ago.
sunshine_noise 3 years ago
too much apathy - not enough spirit and loyalty. Basically people don't know what they want.
bd 3 years ago
Change did not work! I want our old values back!
Tea anyone!
Wallythewalrus 3 years ago
Just thought I would add a link for Tom S.
http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/dec/judicial-watch-announces-list-washington-s-ten-most-wanted-corrupt-politicians-2009
And any one else who would like to read the report, story, opinion?
iLikelawrence 3 years ago
I just think we've gotten lazy as a society. It's easier for someone to do it for us than to do it ourselves.
Kinda sad.
snap_pop_no_crackle 3 years ago
"The nation doesn't produce anything anymore;..." The people who work for Channellock or Estwing (among others) would dispute that ignorant claim.
cletus26 3 years ago
to some and not to others.
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