American Culture

[slant]

Adam Smith was English...

Please explain this comment in detail.

 

[Athenian200]

Please explain this comment in detail.

According to an encyclopedia:

"The individual who comes closest to being the originator of contemporary capitalism is the Scottish philosopher Adam Smith, who first set forth the essential economic principles that undergird this system. In his classic An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), Smith sought to show how it was possible to pursue private gain in ways that would further not just the interests of the individual but those of society as a whole. Society's interests are met by maximum production of the things that people want. In a now famous phrase, Smith said that the combination of self-interest, private property, and competition among sellers in markets will lead producers “as by an invisible hand” to an end that they did not intend, namely, the well-being of society."

It was published right around the time America was declaring independence. Now tell me America wasn't profoundly influenced by European thought around the time of it's founding.

Modern Europeans may or may not take these ideas as seriously as we do, but I do think that the intellectual atmosphere of Europe (Enlightenment) at that time is responsible for a lot of what we take for granted today.

 

[Edgar]

That'll be the day! The American Dream is not rooted in American Reality at all. I wish, LOL!

They should start calling it the American Delusion. I've seen little evidence that things often work that way in America. Many can't even find a job despite searching desperately.

*sigh* America is a country where poor people are fat.

Sorry, but as many opportunities as this country offers, not everyone can be the next Bill Gates or Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Anyway, even you had the smarts, you are destined to spend your life in mediocrity due to your shitty attitude.

 

[Thalassa]

The 1920's man. The 1920's were OURS. I love the 1920's. It's really the only decade in this nation after the 18th century that makes me feel proud of this country.

Oh, and we created basketball and jazz.

 

[Athenian200]

*sigh* America is a country where poor people are fat.

Eating out of garbage cans as much and as quickly as you can before someone sees you will do that. Poor people are often fat, actually, because they go on a constant cycle between starvation mode and stuffing their face, saving all the energy they can get.

Sorry, but as many opportunities as this country offers, not everyone can be the next Bill Gates or Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Anyway, even you had the smarts, you are destined to spend your life in mediocrity due to your shitty attitude.

I'm not talking about being the next Bill Gates or Arnold Schwarzenegger. I'm talking about being able to an afford an apartment and hold down a job. How can you say there's "plenty of opportunity" if so many people (perhaps soon to be including myself) are struggling to do just that?

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Eating out of garbage cans as much and as quickly as you can before someone sees you will do that.


I'm not talking about being the next Bill Gates or Arnold Schwarzenegger. I'm talking about being able to an afford an apartment and hold down a job. How can you say there's "plenty of opportunity" if so many people (perhaps soon to be including myself) are struggling to do just that?

Unemployment is still under 10%. 9 out of 10 eligible adults have a job, that sounds like plenty of opportunity to me.

 

[Athenian200]

Unemployment is still under 10%. 9 out of 10 eligible adults have a job, that sounds like plenty of opportunity to me.

Yeah, but it's all going to older people who have experience and college degrees. And people with ridiculously good social skills who can sucker people into hiring them.

The opportunity only exists for experienced, connected, or talented people.

 

[Thalassa]

Eating out of garbage cans as much and as quickly as you can before someone sees you will do that. Poor people are often fat, actually, because they go on a constant cycle between starvation mode and stuffing their face, saving all the energy they can get.

I agree with this statement. Often when homeless people eat, it's cheap fast food because that's all they can afford or what anyone will buy them. Then of course they choose the fattiest, most filling thing possible because they don't know when they'll eat next.

Not only that, but poorly educated people are often poor, and poorly educated people are most affected by advertisements for fast food and junk food.

I work in a grocery store. It seems like the more educated or more financially secure a person is, the better their food choices are in the grocery cart. Often the people with the most disgusting quantities of cheap processed foods are also ignorant people on food stamps. That's also a part of it.

Which begs the question of why there's such a schism between the rich and poor in such a wealthy country in the first place, and why these people aren't better educated if they live in a first world nation.

 

[Athenian200]

I agree with this statement. Often when homeless people eat, it's cheap fast food because that's all they can afford or what anyone will buy them. Then of course they choose the fattiest, most filling thing possible because they don't know when they'll eat next.

Not only that, but poorly educated people are often poor, and poorly educated people are most affected by advertisements for fast food and junk food.

I work in a grocery store. It seems like the more educated or more financially secure a person is, the better their food choices are in the grocery cart. Often the people with the most disgusting quantities of cheap processed foods are also ignorant people on food stamps. That's also a part of it.

Which begs the question of why there's such a schism between the rich and poor in such a wealthy country in the first place, and why these people aren't better educated if they live in a first world nation.

Yes, yes, you seem to get it.

Those are the questions people should be asking.

 

[Edgar]

Eating out of garbage cans as much and as quickly as you can before someone sees you will do that. Poor people are often fat, actually, because they go on a constant cycle between starvation mode and stuffing their face, saving all the energy they can get.

Are you saying you can go from malnourished to fat from a single episode of stuffing your face?

Do you think before you type or are you genuinely mentally challenged?

Anyway, I can't imagine starving to death in America, unless you are insane and can't think straight enough to go to a local shelter or a food kitchen.

For all the years I lived in this country, I am yet to see a single person eat from a garbage can. And I lived in shitty parts of New York. Now I've seen bums fish out recyclable cans from garbage, but they eat in McDonalds. You might say McDonalds is a "garbage food", but there are a lot of people around the globe who view a hamburger as a fucking thanksgiving feast.

I'm not talking about being the next Bill Gates or Arnold Schwarzenegger. I'm talking about being able to an afford an apartment and hold down a job. How can you say there's "plenty of opportunity" if so many people (perhaps soon to be including myself) are struggling to do just that?

Newsflash: the world is in a deep recession. Sorry to be the bringer of bad news.

When I said "plenty of opportunity" it was in relation to opportunities afforded in other countries. So yeah, chances are you'll have a bit of difficulty finding a well paying job during current economy. But hey, you can afford a computer and internet that allows you to post about how shitty America is - a lot of poor people around the world could feed themselves for years just for the price of your computer.

 

[/DG/]

Unemployment is still under 10%. 9 out of 10 eligible adults have a job, that sounds like plenty of opportunity to me.

Well you'd better not come to Michigan. It has the highest unemployment rate of the nation.

Yeah, I don't think it would be wise for anyone to immigrate to the US to find a job right now. The "American Dream" is pretty hard to achieve with the economy today. But everything will get better. It might get worse before it gets better, but it will eventually get better.

 

[Thalassa]

Are you saying you can go from malnourished to fat from a single episode of stuffing your face?

Do you think before you type or are you genuinely mentally challenged?

Anyway, I can't imagine starving to death in America, unless you are insane and can't think straight enough to go to a local shelter or a food kitchen.

For all the years I lived in this country, I am yet to see a single person eat from a garbage can. And I lived in shitty parts of New York. Now I've seen bums fish out recyclable cans from garbage, but they eat in McDonalds. You might say McDonalds is a "garbage food", but there are a lot of people around the globe who view a hamburger as a fucking thanksgiving feast.



Newsflash: the world is in a deep recession. Sorry to be the bringer of bad news.

When I said "plenty of opportunity" it was in relation to opportunities afforded in other countries. So yeah, chances are you'll have a bit of difficulty finding a well paying job during current economy. But hey, you can afford a computer and internet that allows you to post about how shitty America is - a lot of poor people around the world could feed themselves for years just for the price of your computer.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, it's true, it's true....and I'm thankful for many things about the US...but it's as though you're comparing the US to third world countries, which is a mistake that I see people make over and over again.

The US is a first world country. Let's start by comparing it to other first world countries. There in lies the rub.

 

[Edgar]

I agree with this statement.

Is everyone here a retard?

Am I missing something?

Do you understand that more calories means more energy? As in more calories give an organism more energy to survive, with excess energy being stored in fat? The problem is that people eat too much, which leads to obesity and health problems. It's a common theme, people in America are too fat because they overindulge.

OVERINDULGENCE means you eat MORE than you should. As in you are in a position to afford MORE food than your body requires. Meaning you are surrounded by excessive resources. The problem is NOT LACK OF FOOD.

Sweet Jesus, no wonder you people are fucking broke. Idiocy will do that to you.

 

[Athenian200]

Are you saying you can go from malnourished to fat from a single episode of stuffing your face?

Do you think before you type or are you genuinely mentally challenged?

Anyway, I can't imagine starving to death in America, unless you are insane and can't think straight enough to go to a local shelter or a food kitchen.

Not a SINGLE episode. Dear GOD. Obviously bakeries throw away stale bread and donuts every day, so there's more than one opportunity there. But you have to eat it quickly before another homeless person tries to fight you for it, or the business owner chases you away.

You don't usually see it, but it happens... and those local shelters and food kitchens aren't nearly as accessible as you think.

Are YOU mentally challenged? Because as much as you're misunderstanding me, I think you must be.

You INTJs can be insufferable.

For all the years I lived in this country, I am yet to see a single person eat from a garbage can. And I lived in shitty parts of New York. Now I've seen bums fish out recyclable cans from garbage, but they eat in McDonalds. You might say McDonalds is a "garbage food", but there are a lot of people around the globe who view a hamburger as a fucking thanksgiving feast.

Why do you project stupid thoughts onto me? I never said McDonalds was garbage food. I eat there and I like it. Geez, what is your problem?

Newsflash: the world is in a deep recession. Sorry to be the bringer of bad news.

When I said "plenty of opportunity" it was in relation to opportunities afforded in other countries. So yeah, chances are you'll have a bit of difficulty finding a well paying job during current economy. But hey, you can afford a computer and internet that allows you to post about how shitty America is - a lot of poor people around the world could feed themselves for years just for the price of your computer.

Ahem. Actually, I can't. I live with my mother, and I've been looking for work for a long time. Unsuccessfully. My mom can afford the computer... barely. If it weren't for her, I'd probably be eating out of trash cans and sleeping in the streets right now.

You're completely misreading everything I say. I'm talking about finding a minimum-wage job, not a well-paying one. It's too hard to find ANY job. I'm serious.

 

[Edgar]

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, it's true, it's true....and I'm thankful for many things about the US...but it's as though you're comparing the US to third world countries, which is a mistake that I see people make over and over again.

The US is a first world country. Let's start by comparing it to other first world countries. There in lies the rub.

Sure, let's start comparing it to first world countries.

What is the unemployment rate in Germany and France (Europe's leading economies)

 

[Thalassa]

Is everyone here a retard?

Am I missing something?

Do you understand that more calories means more energy? As in more calories give an organism more energy to survive with excess energy is stored in fat? The problem is that people overindulge, which leads to obesity and health problems. It's a common theme, people in America are too fat because they overindulge.

OVERINDULGENCE means you eat MORE than you should. As in you are in a position to afford MORE food than your body requires. Meaning you are surrounded by excessive resources. The problem is NOT LACK OF FOOD.

Sweet Jesus, no wonder you people are fucking broke. Idiocy will do that to you.

Anyone who knows anything about nutrition knows that all food does not affect the body equally. A vegetarian with a low-fat diet can actually consume more food than a person with a fattier diet and still weight less, despite the volume of food eaten.

Lack of fiber in the diet also contributes to gastriointestinal disorders which can lead to weight gain. So can eating at McDonald's every day, which apparently wrecks all hell on one's liver, which is a necessity is burning fat.

For the record, I'm a college student with a 3.9 GPA and a job. Your oversimplication of the matters at hand make you look like the idiot here.

 

[Thalassa]

Sure, let's start comparing it to first world countries.

What is the unemployment rate in Germany and France (Europe's leading economies)

Most of the unemployment in France is centered on young people, most of whom are in college, because OH YEAH it's free for them to attend university as long as they can pass the baccalaurette.

Again, you're oversimplifying matters. French people also have more affordable and consistent health care in addition to their superior education system.

The quality of life there balances out better across different socio-economic spheres of people.

 

[Edgar]

Not a SINGLE episode. Dear GOD.

Ok, let's backtrack then: Are you stating that people cycle from malnourished to fat on regular basis?

Ahem. Actually, I can't. I live with my mother, and I've been looking for work for a long time. Unsuccessfully. My mom can afford the computer... barely. If it weren't for her, I'd probably be eating out of trash cans and sleeping in the streets right now.

There are social safety nets afforded to people such as unemployment insurance, welfare, and foodstamps.

Yes living on either one of those sucks (I would know), but you won't starve to death.

You're completely misreading everything I say. I'm talking about finding a minimum-wage job, not a well-paying one. It's too hard to find ANY job. I'm serious.

I know you are serious. I was out of a job just this year, so I would know first hand.

All I'm saying is, you won't starve to death in America, unless you are clinically insane.

 

[Edgar]

Most of the unemployment in France is centered on young people, most of whom are in college, because OH YEAH it's free for them to attend university as long as they can pass the baccalaurette.

Again, you're oversimplifying matters. French people also have more affordable and consistent health care in addition to their superior education system.

The quality of life there balances out better across different socio-economic spheres of people.

Really?

Read up on Algerian ghettos.

 

[Thalassa]

All I'm saying is, you won't starve to death in America, unless you are clinically insane.

And one of the finest things about the US is that in most of our major cities we allow our clinically insane to wander around the streets without factoring mental health care sufficiently into the state budget.