the numerous anti- and pro-Eurocentric posts i've seen here recently got me to thinkin on the role of America in today's world.

as my dad (a career air force man, but also a black man) believes undeniably in the greatness of america. granted, he's been all over and loves many different cultures (euro and asian) but insists that because of our economy and military strength and cultural-influence worldwide...that the US is the greatest and most powerful nation in the world today.

having been out of college for a while now, and only taking limited courses dealing with sociology and economics, i'm trying to understand if this is in fact TRUTH, in the world view. all indications (from my standpoint) emphatically yell "YES!" but that's from an american's standpoint.

now i think this is a great country as well, despite all the inherent faults in our system, but when compared to most places, it's pretty darn good. now that's not speaking on materialism and violence, etc, but these are important intrinsic values.

uh, i lost my point. ohyeah, errah, we're the modern-day rome so when'll we have our day? has our downfall started (if we are indeed at the top of the game)? y'kno, thangs along those lines.

discuss....

i mean...i'm sayin tho.

I have no real answer.
Today, it's less of country vs. country, because most countries are linked together, especially economically.I'm not sure many governments are willing to leave that environment to start some sort of revolution against a country that has them by the yoke.

Yabbadabbadoozilla! (c) Bootzilla
http://www.funkknots.com
http://www.boondocks.net
http://www.cartoonista.com
http://www.pocho.com

"You might as well pay attention/ you can't afford free speech" -George Clinton

"People need to stop saying that there is one way to be--and then the issue will disappear." Ntozake Shange-interview in _Mother_ _Jones_

so

He asked for an opinion. I gave him one. So, what's your problem?

Yabbadabbadoozilla! (c) Bootzilla
http://www.funkknots.com
http://www.boondocks.net
http://www.cartoonista.com
http://www.pocho.com

"You might as well pay attention/ you can't afford free speech" -George Clinton

"People need to stop saying that there is one way to be--and then the issue will disappear." Ntozake Shange-interview in _Mother_ _Jones_

i hit the return button b4 finishing sentence.
i got no prob. w/ his question.
sorry, i aploogize to anyone who was misconceived by my unfinished post. please see the other post w/ the same name for conclusion.

thing that has ever happened to this country?

baseball!
the ultimate slavery!
women's rights!
NASA!
Bill Gates!
What?

the reason i said Islam, is b/c of what it has done for this society by its "true and trying hard" constituants.
for every pracitising muslim, there is:
one less adulterer.
one less alcoholic.
one less murderer.
one less rapist.
one less racist.
one less drug seller.
one less drug user.
one less thug.
one less womanizer/manizer.

of course, one would have to take Islam seriously, and not half ass it like most americans do. (im African "american", for those who suspect otherwise!)

and THIS organized religion has done more than people realize.
dont believe me? go to you local mosque and ask who Islam saved from the evils of this society, and saved society from the evils of them!

as you can see and many others should know by now, i am a muslim, and im serious about Islam. it is my life and my death. Islam is not a game for me! This is real! Islam took me away from the all those "one less..." things i used to practice, and kept me away from the all those "one less..." things i never got around to!!!!!!
yeah, some of you might know some messed up muslims, but the percentage is few, as opposed to those who are straight with Islam.

and another thing yall forgot to mention:
none of those things (slavery, torture, etc,..) are happening to or by muslims in America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and i said that Islam is the best thing for "America"!!
the subject is "America"!
lets stick with "America"!

please..................!

for every pracitising muslim, there is:
one less adulterer.
one less alcoholic.
one less murderer.
one less rapist.
one less racist.
one less drug seller.
one less drug user.
one less thug.
one less womanizer/manizer.

Hmmmm....I know you qualified this statement in your post....but HOW OLD ARE YOU??????

Do you seriously believe this???

Realize that I commend you on your high moral and spiritual position, but I find this statement ridiculous.

Shim

“Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” Anthony Bourdain

> for every pracitising muslim, there
>is:
>one less adulterer.
>one less alcoholic.
>one less murderer.
>one less rapist.
>one less racist.
>one less drug seller.
>one less drug user.
>one less thug.
>one less womanizer/manizer.

the statement with "true and trying" should have been included in this quotation. and the "true and trying" are the ones who make up the "one less" peoples. muslims still make mistakes, errors, and sin (some more than others), but they make not the majority of those in THIS society who do it.

>
>Hmmmm....I know you qualified this statement
>in your post....but HOW OLD
>ARE YOU??????

26.il'l be 27 in june.


>Do you seriously believe this???

yes


>Realize that I commend you on
>your high moral and spiritual
>position, but I find this
>statement ridiculous.

i dont know why. i can believe it, so why cant you.

ex: for all the muslims that might own gas stations in your city (like they do in mine), and they sell alcohol, do you think they are trying very hard? no. its too simple. dont sell it. Allah forbid it.

a brother just opened one up, and he doesnt sell alcohol, and the drunks are frustrated (i personally witnessed a man staggering out of his gas station w/ a look of disbelief on his face after having words w/ the cashiers. then when i thought about it, he probably looked that way b/c there was no alcohol!Allahu akbar!(God is Great))
and this is an ex. of trying. he is getting a lot of business w/o the alcohol, and thanks to Allah, his venture is sucessful!

all praises are due to Allah who makes people sucessful and makes them unsuccessful!

muslims still make mistakes, errors, and sin (some more than others), but they make not the majority of those in THIS society who do it.

Ok--my next question would be--once they make a mistake--sin what have you--then are they still a muslim??
Hold up--maybe don't answer that-cos this has the makings of serious post-jack.....

Shimmy

“Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” Anthony Bourdain

with a mistake, yes.
with a sin, it depends.

a person can take him/herself out of islam with certan actions, words, and things they hide in their hearts.

but they
>make not the majority of
>those in THIS society who
>do it.

bismillah

> but they
>>make not the majority of
>>those in THIS society who
>>do it.

if they (muslims) were, you better believe we ALL would no about it! the story would be front page, top story, they (the media) would interupt tv programs just to let you know!

but seeing how my statement is not really proof, then il'l
let you get it straight from the horse's mouth.

please go to:
http://www.cbs.com
http://www.msnbc.com
http://www.foxnews.com
and please let me know if you find something.

note: keep in mind that i said "MAJORITY of those in THIS SOCIETY" and not anywhere else.

seriously. I was just considering this topic today...

The more contradictions I see in this nation, the angrier I get.
Still, when I express that anger, my friends from other countries quickly point out to me that economically, politically, and otherwise, we have more freedom than probably any nation anywhere.

Of course, there are gray areas & that "freedom" isn't always as free as we might like to think it is, but still with all its contradictions, America is still, in many ways, a land of opportunity.

We have it down on paper. If we could just make our ideals a reality, this nation *would* be truly great.

But we still have a LONG way to go...


L.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"my mama said/a lady ain't what she wears/but what she knows"~~India Arie

KizzMyBlakAzz: you've made yourself a shell
KizzMyBlakAzz: i know you're soft and gooey on the inside
LHoney17: I know I am....never said I wasn't
LHoney17: but that doesn't mean I get stepped on or that I'm not strong
KizzMyBlakAzz: Gooey
LHoney17: lol
KizzMyBlakAzz: Caramel
KizzMyBlakAzz: Center
LHoney17: lol....well that's a nice way to think of it
KizzMyBlakAzz: with like a hard choclate shell
LHoney17: think I'll put that in a personal ad
KizzMyBlakAzz: You're a Rollo
LHoney17: lmao
KizzMyBlakAzz: lmao

"Ignorance: The Verbal Airborne Disease" (c) my friend Ty

"Quentin's on his way/Quinton's on his way/Quentin's on his way/with another J/and it's ok!!/(we're gonna get high!!)" ~~Pharcyde

~~~~
http://omidele.blogspot.com/
http://rahareiki.tumblr.com/
http://seatofbliss.blogspot.com/

will we ever get to that point? doubt it, but that's the pessimist in me. the optimist sees america's "ideal" system as a great model for some other nation to take hold of and build on. it's almost as if we've gotten to big for our britches.

maybe i'm wrong, and maybe we've got another 150, 200, 400 years of being the world's superpower, upon which other nations and groups of nations view and attempt to emulate. who knows? it's all speculation, but something to think about.

i mean...i'm sayin tho.

>will we ever get to that
>point? doubt it, but that's
>the pessimist in me. the
>optimist sees america's "ideal" system
>as a great model for
>some other nation to take
>hold of and build on.
>it's almost as if we've
>gotten to big for our
>britches.

now that, I don't know...

but I agree w/ what you're saying. I don't know if we can get to that point. And if we could, what would it take? Massive uprising? Bloodshed? Total retooling of the system's status quo?

something to think about...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"my mama said/a lady ain't what she wears/but what she knows"~~India Arie

KizzMyBlakAzz: you've made yourself a shell
KizzMyBlakAzz: i know you're soft and gooey on the inside
LHoney17: I know I am....never said I wasn't
LHoney17: but that doesn't mean I get stepped on or that I'm not strong
KizzMyBlakAzz: Gooey
LHoney17: lol
KizzMyBlakAzz: Caramel
KizzMyBlakAzz: Center
LHoney17: lol....well that's a nice way to think of it
KizzMyBlakAzz: with like a hard choclate shell
LHoney17: think I'll put that in a personal ad
KizzMyBlakAzz: You're a Rollo
LHoney17: lmao
KizzMyBlakAzz: lmao

"Ignorance: The Verbal Airborne Disease" (c) my friend Ty

"Quentin's on his way/Quinton's on his way/Quentin's on his way/with another J/and it's ok!!/(we're gonna get high!!)" ~~Pharcyde

~~~~
http://omidele.blogspot.com/
http://rahareiki.tumblr.com/
http://seatofbliss.blogspot.com/

>the numerous anti- and pro-Eurocentric posts
>i've seen here recently got
>me to thinkin on the
>role of America in today's
>world.

big business and that culture-headlock persist, hollywood movies and coca-cola and such..think you'd find stuff very familiar to yourself in the most far-flung corners of the planet.

>as my dad (a career air
>force man, but also a
>black man) believes undeniably in
>the greatness of america. granted,
>he's been all over and
>loves many different cultures (euro
>and asian) but insists that
>because of our economy and
>military strength and cultural-influence worldwide...that
>the US is the greatest
>and most powerful nation in
>the world today.

true..and you all can't help sticking out. it's bizarre how quickly you can identify an american even without hearing them speak, eight times out of ten, black, white or whatever..even out here in europe.

price of that power is that there are places you've got to avoid through no fault of your own, price on american heads.

dunno though really, never been there, might never go - haha, know enough about the damn place though. just keep watching the skies, I guess.
_______________________________

seize your time! - marley/wailers

we break bread or break skin - xzibit

>price of that power is that
>there are places you've got
>to avoid through no fault
>of your own, price on
>american heads.

and so unfortunate...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"my mama said/a lady ain't what she wears/but what she knows"~~India Arie

KizzMyBlakAzz: you've made yourself a shell
KizzMyBlakAzz: i know you're soft and gooey on the inside
LHoney17: I know I am....never said I wasn't
LHoney17: but that doesn't mean I get stepped on or that I'm not strong
KizzMyBlakAzz: Gooey
LHoney17: lol
KizzMyBlakAzz: Caramel
KizzMyBlakAzz: Center
LHoney17: lol....well that's a nice way to think of it
KizzMyBlakAzz: with like a hard choclate shell
LHoney17: think I'll put that in a personal ad
KizzMyBlakAzz: You're a Rollo
LHoney17: lmao
KizzMyBlakAzz: lmao

"Ignorance: The Verbal Airborne Disease" (c) my friend Ty

"Quentin's on his way/Quinton's on his way/Quentin's on his way/with another J/and it's ok!!/(we're gonna get high!!)" ~~Pharcyde

~~~~
http://omidele.blogspot.com/
http://rahareiki.tumblr.com/
http://seatofbliss.blogspot.com/

it is great in the minds of mostly all the world.
but why?

b/c you can do anything you want here.
an american can:

have sex anywhere, anytime, anyplace w/o getting due punishment.
do drugs w/o too much worry.
be the best at con artistry w/o having to pay the full price.
kill somebody w/o getting due punishment.
rape somebody w/o getting due punishment.
discriminate against somebody w/o worrying about reprcussions.
become a millionaire w/o working hard.
be married and have 5 or 6 "side ladies/men" at the same time .w/o worrying about getting the death penalty for adultery
etc,........
have the freedom to start your own religion and amass followers. and get rich at the same time.
have the freedom to say what he/she wants w/o getting killed.
leave your kids for somebody else to raise if you get tired of them.
raise their kids to be non productive members of society and not be responsible for their(the kids or themselves)deeds.
bully other nations into doing what you want them to do.
threatens countries with military actions while at the same time be secure that you wont be attacked.
start a business, rip you off, and end the business b4 you can say "hey officer! i just been...."

this is america
people come to america to fufill their desires, what ever they may be!
and that is what makes this counrty soooooo goooood!!!!!!!!!!!

that's what they (the english) came here for in the first place.
they wanted do whatever they wanted to, no for nobody to tell them that they couldnt (see: slavery, racism, land usurping, just to name a few).
and i have to admit and give credit where credit is due:
they did it and are still doing it!


other than that, it aint sh.....
they treat every body like dirt, and expect everybody to look up to them. man, pleeeese.

the prez gets freaked in the white house,
2 white,....excuse me,....several white kids go on shooting sprees at their schools, and take lives with them,
a major religious leader commits adultery,
whites are starting to resemble blacks,
blacks are starting to resemble whites,
drugs, prostitution, pimping, murder, rape, sodomy, homosexuality, aids, divorce are rampant and morals in society is on the decline

but the economy is steady. wow.

other countries see this stuff,and they thrive of this!
the wise stay where theyre at, and the self indulgent seek out america's shelter!

this country is sinking fast.

the best thing going in this counrty, is the acceptance of islam by 10s of 1000s of americans every year: black, white, latino, asian, whatever!

Allahu Akbar! (Allah is great!)

you said that's the greatest thing going for this nation? i wonder why? i mean, it's obvious you are a Moslem, but why's that the greatest thing? not attacking, but i just see organized faiths as a hinderance to the potential of humanity. i believe in God, i'm spiritual, but structured faiths don't appeal to me at this point.

if the rate you see continues (disregarding the fact the largest amount of immigrants are latinos of catholic faith) then islam would become a state-sanctioned religion and that sure isn't what america needs. or are you not saying this? would you want us all to become moslems? just curious.

i mean...i'm sayin tho.

Other Middle Eastern nations, slavery, rape, torture, murder, oppression, brutality, and morality.... Oh yeah and they are Muslim...too..

damn

peace..

https://twitter.com/onnextlevel

____________________________
"the real pyramids were built with such precision that you can't slide a piece of paper between two 4,000 lb stones, and have shafts perfectly aligned so that you can see a tiny aperture through dozens of these mammoth blocks

thanks. forgot to mention those things. organized christianity and islam have been the most dominating and sadly, most oppressive religions in this world (from my understanding). but they all have cons and the proposed emphasis and rise on one in particular points more toward self-imposed beliefs rather than an interest in the common good.

i mean...i'm sayin tho.

notice how that point wasn't responded to.

The potential in this country lies within community. The lack of mutual respect out there is why any decline exists. People get lost in the cracks of society and go psycho. Others are frustrated by their abandonment from society, and take wha they please out of it without fear of reprocussion.

If y'all did yoga, recycled, stopped eating meat, and weren't trying to get the biggest piece of pie you possibly could, this country would be a friggin utopia.

it is great in the minds of mostly all the world.
but why?
b/c you can do anything you want here.
an american can:

have sex anywhere, anytime, anyplace w/o getting due punishment.
do drugs w/o too much worry.
be the best at con artistry w/o having to pay the full price.
kill somebody w/o getting due punishment.
rape somebody w/o getting due punishment.
discriminate against somebody w/o worrying about reprcussions.
become a millionaire w/o working hard.
be married and have 5 or 6 "side ladies/men" at the same time .w/o worrying about getting the death penalty for adultery
etc,........
have the freedom to start your own religion and amass followers. and get rich at the same time.
have the freedom to say what he/she wants w/o getting killed.
leave your kids for somebody else to raise if you get tired of them.
raise their kids to be non productive members of society and not be responsible for their(the kids or themselves)deeds.
bully other nations into doing what you want them to do.
threatens countries with military actions while at the same time be secure that you wont be attacked.
start a business, rip you off, and end the business b4 you can say "hey officer! i just been...."

this is america
people come to america to fufill their desires, what ever they may be!
and that is what makes this counrty soooooo goooood!!!!!!!!!!!

that's what they (the english) came here for in the first place.
they wanted do whatever they wanted to, no for nobody to tell them that they couldnt (see: slavery, racism, land usurping, just to name a few).
and i have to admit and give credit where credit is due:
they did it and are still doing it!


other than that, it aint sh.....
they treat every body like dirt, and expect everybody to look up to them. man, pleeeese.

the prez gets freaked in the white house,
2 white,....excuse me,....several white kids go on shooting sprees at their schools, and take lives with them,
a major religious leader commits adultery,
whites are starting to resemble blacks,
blacks are starting to resemble whites,
drugs, prostitution, pimping, murder, rape, sodomy, homosexuality, aids, divorce are rampant and morals in society is on the decline

but the economy is steady. wow.

other countries see this stuff,and they thrive of this!
the wise stay where theyre at, and the self indulgent seek out america's shelter!

this country is sinking fast.


and peolpe wonder why this country is seen as the best?!? its like that island pinnochio went to.

As an Afrikan decendent and with no view of the world outside of the US all I can do is speculate on the strength of this nation. I view it as Babylon, that has managed to spread and blanket the world population with its influence. Economically speaking if this nation falls then it's world chaos and that "fo real". With the exception of North Korea most of the world nations are dependent on Western Culture, damn near all of them. The center of Western Culture at this time is the US.(a nation that gobbles up 75% of the world resources, a nation that can destroy the planet three times over with missles, a nation whose aggressive corporations has corrupted, poluted, and manipulated most of the world population into total dependency)

Would I live better somewhere else, I have no idea, I feel that if I was allowed to live of the land I could, and be comfortable. Do I wish for it downfall, yes, do I actively strive to make that happen, no, it will in time. My concentration is with my people and making them prepared to do battle in the years to come, and to enhance and uplift my community. To make this county a better Western Nation is not my interest.

peace..

https://twitter.com/onnextlevel

Hotep

Check:

>Do I wish for
>it downfall, yes, do I
>actively strive to make that
>happen, no, it will in
>time.



If you do this:

>My concentration is with
>my people and making them
>prepared to do battle in
>the years to come, and
>to enhance and uplift my
>community.



then you are aiding in its downfall. That's why the previous actions are often discouraged and/or impeded by govt. and its supporters.

PEace
Solarus


"Activism is the practice of using an internal, self-determining source of power to live one's life and/or enact some sort of change. Power is the ability to define reality, while self-determination is to decide or define one's self. Therefore activism, is not simply something done to right some wrong or to fight some cause but rather it is a way of life. Activism is the way of life where one can define self and change anything that may impede or control the reality that one chooses to live."-Solarus

____________________________
"the real pyramids were built with such precision that you can't slide a piece of paper between two 4,000 lb stones, and have shafts perfectly aligned so that you can see a tiny aperture through dozens of these mammoth blocks

America was built on bloodshed and will fall on bloodshed. The only reason why we (suppossedly) have the greatest of everything is because of the destruction and oppression they placed on everyon else in the world to get there. While we celebrate a Michael Jordan and his multimillions he's made with Nike, it took underpaid factory workers who make cents a day to make this happen. So while he (mind you, he is just one example of many, many, people)enjoys the greatness of wealth, there are the people who assisted in this creation and cannot buy bottled water at the end of a work week. This is one example of how America works. Kharma is a mother and it will return to haunt this country. It happened with Babylon, Rome, Sodam, etc. so why not here? Muslims are not the enemy, contrary to what you have been taught, christians are following the works and times of Muslims, but they aren't taught that (that is another story).
They almost act as if Christ would have said "Hi, I'm Christ, and these 12 cats? They are the Christians..." but again, that is another story. I guess that had to come up because we as black people (I am black, can only speak on my situation) are quick to call them terrorists, murderers, or crazy, when the very founders of this so-called nation murdered their people, raped them, tortured them, re-named them, and taught them a little thing called Christianity, see King James (he wasn't from Africa). My point, sadly the blood on this soil and the spirits of this land will one day be revenged, and I don't think it is something we as a people (or person) should aspire for with violence and killing sprees, I think the Europeans have done enough of that to last us a billion lifetimes...


>Hotep
>
>Check:
>
>>Do I wish for
>>it downfall, yes, do I
>>actively strive to make that
>>happen, no, it will in
>>time.
>
>
>
>If you do this:
>
>>My concentration is with
>>my people and making them
>>prepared to do battle in
>>the years to come, and
>>to enhance and uplift my
>>community.
>
>
>
>then you are aiding in its
>downfall. That's why the previous
>actions are often discouraged and/or
>impeded by govt. and its
>supporters.
>
>PEace
>Solarus
>
>
>"Activism is the practice of using
>an internal, self-determining source of
>power to live one's life
>and/or enact some sort of
>change. Power is the ability
>to define reality, while self-determination
>is to decide or define
>one's self. Therefore activism, is
>not simply something done to
>right some wrong or to
>fight some cause but rather
>it is a way of
>life. Activism is the way
>of life where one can
>define self and change anything
>that may impede or control
>the reality that one chooses
>to live."-Solarus

Africans are scared,
latinos are scared,
and most of all,..................
NIGGAS ARE SCARED TO LEAVE AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

why do africans come here?
what about mexicans?
how about those koreans?

for a comfortable life!!!!!!!

and this is the main reason why the aboved mentioned aint leavin!!!!!

if Allah wills, when my parents pass away, me and my family are outta here!!!

the only thing benefitual for me here is my parents and trying to spread Islam.

doing for my parents is the only thing holding me from getting to the place we all talk about.

i can get a free technological education in europe! (yes, you, (even you "afrikans", can go to school in Europe and let the "white man" educate you in something that doesnt matter "who" educates you! Technology is not bias or racist! my next post will be a list of free schools in europe)
a free islamic education in Saudi or Sudan!
the best and cheapest medical care in Oman (after France)!
FREE medical care in Cuba!

cant get em here!

and these things are the "american dream", and people will go through "a nightmare on elm st." trying to get them!!!

what are you going through?
not that the easy road is better, but these roads are ridiculous!

so whats so special about america?
if you aint trying to change it, you may as well leave!
....that is unless you are satisified with it?

Peace....

https://twitter.com/onnextlevel

peeeeeeeeace.(in martin's voice)!

to get those things "free" in other nations, how long do you have to be a citizen? i'm sure they don't just give health care and schooling to ANYONE that pops up with a cough or the will to learn.

i mean...i'm sayin tho.

the schooling in europe is no joke.
i got an email from a "albanian" muslim email group (used to get islamic stuff in albanin for refugees that used to live here, but who asked, huh?) who recieved an email from a "pakistani" muslim advising his "pakistani" muslim brothers to go to hamburg for a FREE technological education.

you dont have to be a citizen to get FREE ED in europe. just nee a visa. i know toooo many emigrants that go to school here.
and yes i know they pay. but the school in FREE for EVERYBODY b/c they (europe)want PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS of society, and they dont make it hard for them, like america does. proof that america does not REALLY want PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, but slaves of society!

and there was a post in Activist that talked about FREE medical for those who want to be citizens in Cuba.

as far as saudi, sudan, and oman are concerned, its for the muslims, and not the whole world.

for those interested, i will post the "small" list later.
and look at this! why do you think nobody knows about FREE SCHOOL IN EUROPE?

B/C GREEDY ASS AMERICA WILL LOSE OUT ON GETTING YOUR HARD EARNED DOLLARS, THEREBY REDUCING THE ECONOMY, THEREBY MAKING THE U.S. NOT SO GREAT ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

p.s., i support black univ. and coll., but what are THEY doing with their outrageous tuitions that they charge? you would at least think they would make it more accesssible for underpriviledged blacks, instead of making them run to the oppressors for the tuition, thereby causing them to be in debt to the oppressors.

do you think that if black univ and coll. did more for blacks, that they would do more for them? think they would?

about the black schools. i went to hampton, know lots of brilliant folk that went to howard. know many, many more that went to predominately white schools b/c they offered more money, and were cheaper from jump.

makes little sense to me. some of these schools only want to produce alumni that will go on to make more MONEY and not necessarily be better, more productive citizens. they themselves play into the "great american fallacy" and corporate bullshit to buy a nice house in the suburbs, complete with a chevy yukon to haul kids to soccer games.

i mean...i'm sayin tho.

WORD UP! UP! uP! up! up.
(in larry blackmon's voice-lead singer from Cameo!)
i still dont listen to music, though. its just stuck in my head, thats all!!!!!!!!!!1

>you dont have to be a
>citizen to get FREE ED
>in europe. just nee a
>visa. i know toooo many
>emigrants that go to school
>here.
>and yes i know they pay.
>but the school in FREE
>for EVERYBODY b/c they (europe)want
>PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS of society, and
>they dont make it hard
>for them, like america does.
>proof that america does not
>REALLY want PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF
>SOCIETY, but slaves of society!

because this is one of my major pet peeves w/ America...

I mean, come on...in a country like this, with such a wealth of information and access to that information, it is abhorrent to me that higher education is not free for anyone who wants to take advantage of it.

Sure it's free early on, but what does that matter when you can't earn a decent living w/ a high school education anymore?

pisses me off...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"my mama said/a lady ain't what she wears/but what she knows"~~India Arie

KizzMyBlakAzz: you've made yourself a shell
KizzMyBlakAzz: i know you're soft and gooey on the inside
LHoney17: I know I am....never said I wasn't
LHoney17: but that doesn't mean I get stepped on or that I'm not strong
KizzMyBlakAzz: Gooey
LHoney17: lol
KizzMyBlakAzz: Caramel
KizzMyBlakAzz: Center
LHoney17: lol....well that's a nice way to think of it
KizzMyBlakAzz: with like a hard choclate shell
LHoney17: think I'll put that in a personal ad
KizzMyBlakAzz: You're a Rollo
LHoney17: lmao
KizzMyBlakAzz: lmao

"Ignorance: The Verbal Airborne Disease" (c) my friend Ty

"Quentin's on his way/Quinton's on his way/Quentin's on his way/with another J/and it's ok!!/(we're gonna get high!!)" ~~Pharcyde

~~~~
http://omidele.blogspot.com/
http://rahareiki.tumblr.com/
http://seatofbliss.blogspot.com/

and most youth (black, white,latino, asian, whatever) become discouraged early on knowing that they cant afford it, thereby reducing their desire to do good in school, therby reducing their ability to "be" good, thereby making them "bad", thereby making them do what they do, thereby landing them in jail or a morgue, thereby fufilling the desires of those who didnt, dont, and wont desire to see them do any better than what they have done!

b/c they (europe)want
>>PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS of society, and
>>they dont make it hard
>>for them, like america does.
>>proof that america does not
>>REALLY want PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF
>>SOCIETY, but slaves of society!
>


how do you know this?

In the past years, in france, there has been an influx of immigrants of arab and african descent...who are dealing with the same racial issues that we are struggling with here.

Now, i aint tootin no American horn. I have stated that this count can and should provide those resources....but, why to black folks keep thinking that Europe wants us there? Especially, since we are talking about a society who's sins of the past still have affect today?

i never said they wanted blacks there, or to live your life there, i just said get an education there.

then go and use your edu. where ever you want.

me personally, i would rather put up with racism in europe going to school free, than to go through racism here and have to pay an arm and a leg for edu.

but that just me.

:-)

you said its the same education...and its not.

depending upon the field of expertise....its not the same.

>having been out of college for a while now, and only taking limited courses dealing with sociology and economics, i'm trying to understand if this is in fact TRUTH, in the world view. all indications (from my standpoint) emphatically yell "YES!" but that's from an american's standpoint.<

dont you think that there is alot of propoganda involved in making us think that way though? i mean its undeniable that there are things here that are much better than other countries. i mean, i think first off, hospitals are my number one point. i havent seen a hospital system yet that has surpassed this country. but then there are downfalls, like in some countries, like italy, everyone has healthcare. no one is turned away cause they dont have insurance. but then again, their economy aint so hot. so i mean its like a trade off.

would i rather live somewhere else in the world? yeah probably cause i think this country is still lacking a rich culture like most countries. i dunno, i have lost my train of thought

i wonder if being free is necessarily good. i'd argue that europe has the best healthcare systems, with the most progressive approaches being taken in treatment (ie less time for drug approval to reach patients).

like u said, it's a give and take. i'd like to travel, live elsewhere, and SEE/FEEL what else there is before i give up on the states.

i mean...i'm sayin tho.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"my mama said/a lady ain't what she wears/but what she knows"~~India Arie

KizzMyBlakAzz: you've made yourself a shell
KizzMyBlakAzz: i know you're soft and gooey on the inside
LHoney17: I know I am....never said I wasn't
LHoney17: but that doesn't mean I get stepped on or that I'm not strong
KizzMyBlakAzz: Gooey
LHoney17: lol
KizzMyBlakAzz: Caramel
KizzMyBlakAzz: Center
LHoney17: lol....well that's a nice way to think of it
KizzMyBlakAzz: with like a hard choclate shell
LHoney17: think I'll put that in a personal ad
KizzMyBlakAzz: You're a Rollo
LHoney17: lmao
KizzMyBlakAzz: lmao

"Ignorance: The Verbal Airborne Disease" (c) my friend Ty

"Quentin's on his way/Quinton's on his way/Quentin's on his way/with another J/and it's ok!!/(we're gonna get high!!)" ~~Pharcyde

~~~~
http://omidele.blogspot.com/
http://rahareiki.tumblr.com/
http://seatofbliss.blogspot.com/

i havent seen a hospital system yet that has surpassed this country.

Come to Canada.Ain't the best perhaps, but pretty darn good.Just sayin yo

Shimmy

“Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” Anthony Bourdain

When I was travelling I got a craving for kraft dinner and toilet seats.
Its strange the things you appreciate when you get to experience less pampered surroundings???

I spent years hating Amercians(yep yep!!) and in particular their foreign policy.

Then--some light went on for me.

There is some sort of renegade energy that permeates your society.Chaotic, humourous,and at some times completely mind-boggling---I'm not sure it is truly replicated anywhere else on earth.

This energy gives an opportunity for the creation of both divine and devastating ideas. The good the bad and the ugly so to speak.

Now I just need my green card.

Shimmy

“Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” Anthony Bourdain

...as someone who grew up as you did--dad was career navy (from Georgia)- i received some of the same ideals....only in america, yadda yadda yadda. But as someone who has worked for the federal government for ten years, in a very influential department, i have learned this:

the US produces enough resources to clothe, house, feed, educate and provide basic health care for each citizen.....substantial assistance to poorer countries AND compete successfully on the world market up against the EU, Japan and other countries

yet....

we still have the homeless, childen who cannot read, etc.

among the world community, we are not seen as just some big power, we are seen often as the bully of the world community.

In theory, America is almost infallible. In dreams, it is utopia.
But in reality....

Which federal agency? HUD, HHS, something like that?

MJ

We keep it type raw, and know exactly what we fight for / when the nightfall come, we in the right war / Cats who spill blood for a cause, not just because / Defy the authority and follow God's law / Revolutionary entrepeneurs... - Talib

bismillah

please see the post in general discussion.

i saw it...

and i kinda take exception with how you implied that everyone thinks america is sooo great.

this country is not perfect.

it has the ability to be much more than it is

but its still better than a lot of other places...if not, people would not leave their homelands to come here...i truly believe that. while it is imperfect, we all know of many places where the comments, views, and ideologies expressed in this forum would not be allowed elsewhere.

we spend more time pointing fingers instead of making it better.

>we spend more time pointing fingers
>instead of making it better.

we can point and be pointed at, nahmean. bottomline is, i think our system is a great model that will prolly be improved upon by an up-and-coming nation soon after our inevitable demise. how long this is is beyond me (doubt we'll be alive, but maybe) so you know, that's something to think about as well.

don't mind me, jus talkin. btw, heard u were at the watering hole; i came later.

i mean...i'm sayin tho.

...it does serve as a model..perhaps in the future it will be made better....


yeah...watering hole...nice spot...keep eye out for article in citypaper.

hmmm, city paper eh? i kno this guy (his name's emil) that may be interested in submitting a thang er two. nahmean.

i mean...i'm sayin tho.

then it'll get all popular n stuff, and i'll have to go elsewhere. say it stinks or something. i couldnt even find a seat last night. damn american tourists!!!

i mean...i'm sayin tho.

i already swore to remy that the secret was safe..i may roll in there sometime....its got ambiance.


and yes, 'our' citypaper.....words like, revitalization, cancellation, gentrification all came up.....

and news 7 is now interested.

This country is great because of the fact that if you hustle and work hard more often than not you will be rewarded. There are always opportunities present even if you are dirt poor you can become filthy rich. It just depends on how hard you want to work and of course a little luck. You can always better your life. Some countries out there, there are no opportunities for advancement in the society, if you are born poor you stay poor. I mean despite all the shadiness that goes on in this country (racism, discrimination, etc.) there are still opportunities. I'm black and i'm not one of these kats that think that if you are black then its impossible to be successful as too many of us think, because i see a lot of black people that are making good money and doing positive things. Bottom line I feel that if you really want something in this country you can get it. And the world knows that thatz why everyone always wants a piece of the action. This is a strong country as compared to others. However, i do believe that we are in a societal decline with things like worsening (hope thats a word) education, low voter turnout, and things like that because we are not taking advantage of the things that make this country great.

Or some other tropical paradise.

Let's say I don't have to work for someone in order to feed, clothe, and shelter my family. Let's say I'm a Micronesian. There are enough resources to support not only my family, but everyone on the island.

Why would I want to come to America?

- why would I want to spend 17-25 years of my life in school?
- why would I want to spend 45 years of my life working for someone (employers or customers, you still work for someone)

The only thing I can think of, that America seems to have above all other nations is Healthcare. And that only applies to those who can afford it.

peace
k. orr

http://breddanansi.tumblr.com/

is that what you mean?

if i could do that...in some tropical or neotropical locale, and lounge on beaches during my off time, surf or something, drink local fermeneted libations, chill with my lady, ride a moto'cycle round the island....

thas the life, but rarely does that happen these days. then again, it could, but technology and western (err, american) culture is quite pervasive and those ways are rapidly disappearing. so sad.

i mean...i'm sayin tho.

...so my lickle one says.

build a greenhouse on yer property and grow yer ish hydroponically. folks were doing that....ah, perhaps it was just a trend....

i worked at vsu's farm. we did projects with aquaponics, basically growing tomatoes in a greenhouse using nutrients from 3 or 4 giant tanks of tilapia (an african fish, supposedly the species Jesus fed to the multitudes). u get the fish, run their wastewater to homemade biofilters that convert the nitrogenous waste to a usable form, then drip-line it on plants rooted in a soilless mix.

i think we grew lettuce the same way. i have a hydro system at home, and there's a surprising # of small hobbyists doing it. the expense is limiting, however. their big on it in the south and some areas of the caribbean. even iceland. the new push is toward organic hydroponics, using mixes of shit like bat guano and earthworm castings. problem with that is the smell and particles clogging sprayers and filters, but it works wonders on crops grown that way. ahhhhh, organic hydro mary j!!! but, back to the food.

thanks de..shepoet, for taking me back. i hope to have a nice aquaponic setup in my house whenever i get ta goin like i wanna be.

i mean...i'm sayin tho.

wish i knew you when my baby was doing her projects on hydronics....since kindergarten....you woulda been a great source for her.

kinda.

that's one aspect. Basic hunting and gathering works if you have a small population and lots of resources. Problem is we humans don't have enough predators, so the population increase messes it up.

k. orr

http://breddanansi.tumblr.com/

>The only thing I can think
>of, that America seems to
>have above all other nations
>is Healthcare. And that
>only applies to those who
>can afford it.

Japan, Canada, and most of the countries in Europe have health care systems that, although are sometimes clogged with waiting lists for expensive/complex treatments, help those countries to attain a higher life expectancy and a infant mortality rate than the US.

The US has the worst infant mortality rate in the industriallized world (this is 1998 data), I wouldn't call that a great healthcare system.

But yeah, like you said, if you can afford it in the US, it's pretty decent. Just pray you don't get fired when you're getting treatment for cancer or some shit.

Just thought I'd throw that in there . . .

Giving you true calcio since 1986

AIM: Marinera81
MAIL: jonah_b27@hotmail.com

Check out http://www.greatergood.com Help end world hunger, save the rainforest, help stop AIDS in Africa, help children survive in 3rd world countries, stop breast cancer, and give treatment to landmine victims in less than a minute a day! FOR FREE! NO FORMS TO FILL OUT AND NO STRINGS! REALLY!!!

Yes, there are many opportunities in America that don't exist in many other places. We have resources and such, but it all depends on what you value. Our crime rates are the highest, our poor live in squalor, similiar to those of third world countries.
The rich keep getting richer, and the poor......you know the stilo! There are more African Americans in special education, than general education. So there are actually less African American men, with career's in the armed forces, than when your dad probably enrolled. If we have more African Americans in special ed, then what are the chances that these individuals will go on to college? The statistics are smaller now, than they were 40 years ago. Racism is so systematic, that many people can't even identify with the issues. So is America the land of greatness? Depends on what your role is in this society. It depends on what you care about. Depends on whether or not you feel apart of the system, or if you are disenfranchised by the system. I know many people that leave the United States and never come back. This is the only country in the entire world with a history of slavery and systematic oppression that exists on such a grand scale. Yes, slavery has existed in other areas, but African Americans are the only group that have attempted to co-exist within the society that enslaved them, with the decendants of slave masters. It makes a difference. Moses, parted the red sea and hauled straight outa Egypt, were still trying to find a place, when a proper place was never intended. I think that this was an excellent question, and I have recently contemplated leaving the country for many of the reasons previously listed. It's a hard decision to make, when everything you know is here, but your proper place, respect, and psychological imprint. I think it's impossible to generalize the greatness of a country, when the equality of it's inhabitants varies from the lowest to the highest degree.
So what do y'all think?

I love America for it's POTENTIAL, I love America because of what some people can accomplish...


I dislike America for the fact that not all people get to partake in it's potential, I dislike America for the bad isht that is still going on.

In the end though, I love this place because we have the ability to change things. We can improve it....it has POTENTIAL....and that's true beauty of this country.



Lata,

The Blog: http://www.analyticalwealth.com/

An assassin�s life is never easy. Still, it beats being an assassin�s target.

Enjoy your money, but live below your means, lest you become a 70-yr old Wal-Mart Greeter.

What's up M2? Finally given up hope of the Boonboards going back up and wandered over here, huh? Join the club. Former lurkers on the Boonboards have formed something of an expatriate community at Okayplayer.com. There are some posts up on the Okayartists board lamenting the loss of the Boonboards, analyzing references in Boondocks strips, and the inevitable ongoing controversy over the Aaron/Rhome situation. It's not quite a return of the good ole days, but it'll have to do until Boondocks.net gets up and running again.

____________________________________________________
"You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me?
Then who the hell else are you talkin' to? You talkin' to me?
Well I'm the only one here. Who do you think you're talking to?
Oh yeah? Huh? Ok." - Travis Bickle, Taxi Driver

___________________

Mar-A-Lago delenda est

AWWWWW JUNK! Whazzup my fellow practioner of Precision African Engineering! Yes, I do miss the boondocks boards I miss them dearly. What else is a multitaskin computer nerd like myself supposed to do at work? WORK!

Anyway, it's good to hear from you.......perhaps one day.....the boards.......will...........return............



Peace

The Blog: http://www.analyticalwealth.com/

An assassin�s life is never easy. Still, it beats being an assassin�s target.

Enjoy your money, but live below your means, lest you become a 70-yr old Wal-Mart Greeter.

Is it sheer power? If so than the US is the most powerful because of it's military, economy and cultural influence.

But how did it attain that power?

American military - the strongest in the world while the mortality rate is the worst in the industrialized world.
I remember Nader saying something once: "If the US took the money it spends fighting invisible enemies in foreign countries(stationing troops in Japan & Germany for example) you could pay college tution for every child in the entire country."

American Economy - built off of slavery, nuff said.

American Cultural influence - Crushes and extinguishes native cultures.

American Diplomacy - Is concerned with creating and maintaining a system of trade in that benefits the US. The concerns of other nations are an afterthought.

America got to where it is today through exploitation and domination of other nations and it's own people. I don't call that greatness.

Just thought I'd throw that in there . . .

Marinera: It's a sauce, not a chick's name, dig?

Giving you true calcio since 1986

AIM: Marinera81
MAIL: jonah_b27@hotmail.com

Check out http://www.greatergood.com Help end world hunger, save the rainforest, help stop AIDS in Africa, help children survive in 3rd world countries, stop breast cancer, and give treatment to landmine victims in less than a minute a day! FOR FREE! NO FORMS TO FILL OUT AND NO STRINGS! REALLY!!!