What America Needs to Return to Normalcy

[nhmagic]

See, this sort of idealism is exactly why local government needs to be strengthened, not weakened.  Insane liberals who want "walking cities" with no cars can create the cities of their dreams and not infect the rest of us who enjoy the convenience and warmth (in the winter) of our cars with it.  Every time I see those unclean, voluntarily jobless hipsters walking the streets parasitically absorbing the fruits of everyone else's labor, I want to vomit.  These ideas are the sort that get spawned in the bowels of a coffee shop while people suckle down their food group of $7.00 non-fat organic chai lattes with light cream.   

The problem is that they want to force all of us into their utopia.  In reality, they have no respect for the lifestyles of others and show particular hostility to individuals who are Christian or Jewish.  In pursuit of their utopia, they force everyone else to live as they do - to heal their false god, mother nature, as their role models live entirely different lives than they do - elevated lives, lives of conscience and consideration, worthy of special treatment.  The rest of us simply become identical bricks - our individuality only determined by our willingness to continually cover (in their view) our flaws.

And, see, I don't even disagree with all of what you say Fezzy.  There is a rampant consumerism that dumbs and dulls the masses.  People have become dependent on electronic trinkets to guide their every move (In fact, I rarely encounter a person like me who shuns GPS devices in favor of discovering things for myself).  It's supported by government and encouraged and doesn't truly represent a free market.  It represents pure laziness, unsocial behavior and a willingness to believe anything a dark chap down the road will tell them.

[nhmagic]

You see, the problem with what you bring up is the personal basis of the argument, az/nh. Who cares what those other people think? If the result is positive and you agree with certain aspects, who cares about your differences? It's such a negative look on it. It's another aspect of our culture that bothers me. Highlight the differences and bash the positives you yourself agree with for the sake of not associating yourself with the filth that also supports it. It's part of our mass conformity. Hating a belief for who believes in it is absolutely absurd. While I was living in Austria, it was actually inspiring to see the way the town I lived in functioned. It was an actual community, not a haphazard conglomeration of similar people who have no interest in the people surrounding them. After school, kids would go downtown to meet up with one another. After work, adults would do the same. They wanted to be together, even in the bitter cold. People weren't holding judgments or looking down on any other people. The focus was what they had in common, not their differences. In our society, it's the exact opposite dynamic. That's what bothers me. That and the fact that viewing the opposite as better means someone is a dirty, ignorant, hippy with no grasp of reality. Really? Why? Just because some over-privileged brats think it's trendy to do those things? Who cares? That doesn't change the fact that it's a good direction to be going in. I've never suggested outlawing cars or mandating an urban life. All I suggest is ending the unsustainable subsidy of an undesirable suburban culture built on division and waste.

But see, our differences are what makes this country special.  Our differences allow us to do more as a nation than other nations.  We each have the ability to do something or be something special.  I just said that the result of what they want is not positive unless it is done within their own spheres (why local govt again needs to be strengthened against giant state/federal govt).  I do have an interest in the people surrounding me - I critique those particular individuals because I don't like lazy people.  And they are lazy, as is this generation and I'm not even that old and can see it.  They sit around and dream up ideas to force upon the rest of society.  Instead of creating a special place set aside for themselves - which we can do in this country, they demand federal regulations that force us to live and exist the way they do. 
I don't see totalitarianism as a "good direction to be going in".  I don't see rule by the uncontributing few to be a "good direction to be going in".  And a pampered suburban culture is what produced those individuals I just described.  These same people told us that the polar bears were dying 10 years ago and that all of us had to change our lifestyles when lo and behold the polar bear population has increased by 400%.