How concerned are you about the state of our nation? (USA)?

Crude Oil at $120 a barrel


US dollar to Euro = $1.60 to $1.00


Food bank use up 140% since this time last year


Crippling debt due to the Iraq war


Tremendous trade deficit


Debilitating crime


Government Corruption


Inflation








Today, for the first time ever, I felt impending doom regarding the state of our nation. Is there hope? Can the next president make a difference? Are we headed for desperate, troubling times? Is the search for alternative energy sure to cause mass starvation? Will we be even worse off 5 or 10 years from now and if so, where does that leave us?





Is it just me? Am I the only one feeling like this? I am seriously worried about our fate, both as a nation and as individuals with day to day needs.How concerned are you about the state of our nation? (USA)?
It is not a President who can or will make a difference.


It is all the people in government from the smallest town major


to the President. The President, the Congress and the Judicial system shape our direction, all of them together, people forget that. Hillary, Obama, or McCain are only front people and they do have influence.


Bush alone could have never started the Iraq war no matter how much he wanted it. It was the whole government.





My first hair cut was a quarter, I used to fill my car with gas for a month for 25 dollars in 1973 a new car was 2500 dollars and comfortable home 15 to 20 thousand, and that is the problem, IT WAS.





Inflation in my adult years increased average prices 1,000% or more -


example 1: a postage stamp in the 1950s cost 3 cents; today's cost is 41 cents - 1,266% inflation;





example 2: a gallon of 90 Octane full-service gasoline cost 18 cents before; today it is $3.39 for self-service - 1,883 % inflation;





example 3: a house in 1959 cost $14,100; today's median price is $213,000 - 1,400% inflation;





example 4: a dental crown used to cost $40; today it's $1,100 - 2,750% inflation;





example 5: an ice cream cone in 1950 cost 5 cents; today its $2.50 - 4,900% inflation;





example 6: monthly government Medicare insurance premiums paid by seniors was $5.30 in 1970; its now $96.40 - 1,889% inflation; (and up 70% past 5 years)





example: several generations ago a person worked 1.4 months per year to pay for government; he now works 5 months.


And in the past, one wage-earner families lived well and built savings with minimal debt, many paying off their home and college-educating children without loans.


How about today?





When compared to a $1 in 1950 today is 11.5 cents.


It takes $10,000 cash today to purchase that which $1,190 would purchase in 1950





Crime and gangs and drugs are worse than ever.


I work in a Surgical ICU with 16 beds, on any given day 5 or more patients are gunshot wounds.





I could stay outside in front of my house til midnight, I don't want my kids out at noon.How concerned are you about the state of our nation? (USA)?
on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say a 7.5. All we need now is another really dry growing season. Its gettin a little more than a little scary. I really think the bipartisan system is about to destroy us. We keep getting the same two tired agendas, all they really accomplish consistently, is to give themselves raises every year.
Government corruption... enough said..


Every single problem that you listed could all go away if we actually had an honest, good functioning government.. If there wasnt so much conspiricy going on, then maybe they would have time to figure out how to make our country function correctly.
Adversity and doom and gloom have plagued mankind for thousands and thousands of years. Relax, the giant asteroid will kill us all before those other things will. =8^)
well what choice do you have, let's see....


you can sit back and do nothing, hopping things will get better like most of the people...
A little but things are not that bad, your looking at the worst case scenario, things could turn around anything is possibly
A lesson humans never learn.





';Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely';.
To tell you the truth, I'm not that worried. We've seen worse times and come through just fine and I believe we will again. I have faith in our country.
Very concerned. Nice image of the x-ray cameras that they're going to use at airports.
I'm buying all the guns and ammo I can because because they may try to take my constitutional rights away, but they'll have to kill me first.
THIS IS TRULY A TIME TO WORRY I WOULNT SAY WERE DOOMED BUT AMERICA IS GOING TO GET MUCH WORST BEFORE BETTER .
I am so fed up with the government I don't care anymore. I live everyday to the fullest and try to enjoy it. I don't have much but I make things go but if I feel my rights are being infringed upon I will fight and I hope others do too. It seems no matter what is done people just stay tuned to television rather than going out and making a difference. That is one problem in itself we have been so pre- occupied with television we allowed our government to be dangerously corrupt.





We are also divided as a nation people are either strictly democrat or strictly republican and neither is willing to work with each other or hear each others opinion. In order for us to accomplish our goals and move forward as a society we need to work together whether we agree with one another or not. I could care less what peoples opinions are as long as they can get the job done and come up with ideas to make things better.





But instead we sit our children in front of television, get ourselves hooked on stupid reality shows, and obsess about our materialistic BS that we forget what our real problems are until they are sitting on our front door steps. Nobody does jack **** until it directly effects them and then the world comes to crashing to an abrupt hault for that individual and they scream for change when it is to late.
I've all but given up, the last 8 years, the issues have all been there....but another game was being played. now it's late in the 3rd quarter and we are down 42-0 and our coaching staff is secretly playing for their own team...guess what America you got played off against each other while someone else got rich and now your gonna have to pay for the comforting myths you were told to cling to...life is funny that way





Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence.


Thomas Jefferson


If the American People ever allow the banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers occupied. The issuing power of money should be taken from the bankers and restored to Congress and the people to whom it belongs. I sincerely believe the banking institutions having the issuing power of money are more dangerous to liberty than standing armies.


We are completely saddled and bridled, and the bank is so firmly mounted on us that we must go where they ill guide.


The dominion which the banking institutions have obtained over the minds of our citizens...must be broken, or it will break us. Thomas Jefferson