As a realist, I have to agree with Roodog. 

That phrase - 'May you live in interesting times' - which is also known as the Chinese curse, does seem apt these days, as we witness the fulfillment of that curse.

The U.S. isn't the only country where things are going downhill, though. 

Far away across the sea, my own country of New Zealand has this week been slammed by a World Wildlife Fund report showing that we have been shamefully neglectful of our environment, including a high rate of biodiversity loss, have allowed dairy and sheep farming to pollute our water supplies, and have not stopped putting methane into the atmosphere.

www.stuff.co.nz/environment/6998244/NZ-f...

In the twenty years since the Rio Earth Summit, we've done virtually nothing to improve not only our own environment, but our planet's.

And, sadly, we're not the only country that has done nothing.  Now there is going to be another global development summit coming up, but the outlook for change isn't optimistic.

What is wrong with us as a species that we cannot see the writing on the wall and do something before it's too late?

May 29, 2012 -- 8:10PM, Yavanna wrote:

May 29, 2012 -- 6:44PM, solfeggio wrote:

As a realist, I have to agree with Roodog. 

That phrase - 'May you live in interesting times' - which is also known as the Chinese curse, does seem apt these days, as we witness the fulfillment of that curse.

The U.S. isn't the only country where things are going downhill, though. 

Far away across the sea, my own country of New Zealand has this week been slammed by a World Wildlife Fund report showing that we have been shamefully neglectful of our environment, including a high rate of biodiversity loss, have allowed dairy and sheep farming to pollute our water supplies, and have not stopped putting methane into the atmosphere.

www.stuff.co.nz/environment/6998244/NZ-f...

In the twenty years since the Rio Earth Summit, we've done virtually nothing to improve not only our own environment, but our planet's.

And, sadly, we're not the only country that has done nothing.  Now there is going to be another global development summit coming up, but the outlook for change isn't optimistic.

What is wrong with us as a species that we cannot see the writing on the wall and do something before it's too late?

 

I wasn't aware things were going downhill in the U.S.

I've only been aware of the usual turmoil. Current times are certainly vastly improved on since the 60s-80s.

Twenty years ago AIDS was a death sentence. It was viewed as "gay  cancer". Ten years ago gay marriage wasn't even on the radar. In the 2004 election no one would have guessed the main candidates of the democratic party would be a woman and a black man.

The death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan combined is nothing compared to Vietnam. The Occupy & Tea Party protests are nothing compared to the race riots of the 60s and 70s. The anti-war protests are also a pale comparison.

While the shooting of Ms. Giffords was terrible, it's a much different climate than when MLK, JFK and RFK (among others) were gunned down.

There isn't any "realism" about the idea that things are getting worse. It's an inability to look at all the good accomplished and realize every day more people choose to do good over evil. How else do you think we survived the Cold War?

From where I'm sitting things are looking great.

All good points. 

Just to reiterate one point -- Not to minimize the suffering and anxiety of any family with a loved one in military service -- but folks who think things are bad now, might want to take another look at the causilty rates from Gettysburg, Verdun, Passendale, the Battle of the Bulge, Normandy, Iwo Jima, the three years in Korea.. and so on. 

May 30, 2012 -- 3:09PM, mainecaptain wrote:

The person who did this is an evil bast**d. He made a shooting target in the shape of a innocent MURDERED child. It could have been anyone's child. And this jerk profited from the MURDER of  Innocent Child.

By encouraging more killing.

And declared open season on "N*****s" which will be catastrophic.