Why America Will Never Change...

[Kregisen]

...to see the stupidity of America, go here: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/azcentral

Scroll down a little bit to the "Phoenix-area homebuyers squeezed out by investors" story and read the comments. The masses are against the free market, want to limit how many houses someone can buy, think investors buying houses with cash caused the recession, and don't understand that $200,000 of cash = more than $200,000 owed.

It's just crazy that over 90% of the comments are saying things like this. It just feels like no matter how much progress we make, America is far too stupid to get better. If every American can vote, and 98% of people have never taken economics or in this case finance, then it's inevitable that we will vote for horrible laws and elect politicians who also don't understand economics.

I don't post negative stuff often, but this is just pissing me off. I feel America is hopeless.

[heavenlyboy34]

Well, consider that the vast majority of stupid people are educated in government schools. You can thank your government for creating an incredibly ignorant, lazy, illiterate, innumerate Boobus Americanus.

[Kregisen]

Well, consider that the vast majority of stupid people are educated in government schools. You can thank your government for creating an incredibly ignorant, lazy, illiterate, innumerate Boobus Americanus.

I go to a public university right now and I've taken a dozen economics or finance courses so I actually understand basic economics, or know why the recession hit in the first place. You can get an education from a public school. Most of the people commenting haven't attended college, and the few that have probably majored in women's studies or art history, yet their vote on economics issues is worth as much as mine.

[heavenlyboy34]

I go to a public university right now and I've taken a dozen economics or finance courses so I actually understand basic economics, or know why the recession hit in the first place. You can get an education from a public school. Most of the people commenting haven't attended college, and the few that have probably majored in women's studies or art history, yet their vote on economics issues is worth as much as mine.
Public universities aren't what I was speaking of. In your last sentence, you struck on one of the fundamental flaws of democracy/republicanism. Any idiot can have their worthless opinion thrown in with others that are actually informed and rational-and all will be considered "equal". Regression to the mean.

[BlackTerrel]

...to see the stupidity of America, go here: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/azcentral

Scroll down a little bit to the "Phoenix-area homebuyers squeezed out by investors" story and read the comments. The masses are against the free market, want to limit how many houses someone can buy, think investors buying houses with cash caused the recession, and don't understand that $200,000 of cash = more than $200,000 owed.

It's just crazy that over 90% of the comments are saying things like this. It just feels like no matter how much progress we make, America is far too stupid to get better. If every American can vote, and 98% of people have never taken economics or in this case finance, then it's inevitable that we will vote for horrible laws and elect politicians who also don't understand economics.

I don't post negative stuff often, but this is just pissing me off. I feel America is hopeless.

I think you're making a fallacy of thinking that a message board is representative of the population at large. I am quite certain that the vast majority of Americans do not "want to limit how many houses someone can buy" - actually I don't know anyone who thinks that.

[Black Flag]

No one changes unless they face a crisis.

Do you work to make changes in your life when you perceive things are going well or "good enough"?

People change as a response to crisis, thus so do nations.

Until that crisis happens, do not expect much change.

[otherone]

A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights
Napoleon Bonaparte

[ConCap]

It will never change till we all graduate from the SHTF school of hard knocks.

[Kregisen]

I think you're making a fallacy of thinking that a message board is representative of the population at large. I am quite certain that the vast majority of Americans do not "want to limit how many houses someone can buy" - actually I don't know anyone who thinks that.

The housing limit opinion may not be shared by many people, but the idea that investors buying up houses is "wrong" is what close to the majority of America thinks. And it's not quite just a message board, it's the facebook page of the Arizona Republic, the only statewide newspaper in Arizona. Sure, it's not a perfect sample of America, but it's pretty damn close, and it's depressing.

[Tyr]

I read that article. Generally I don't have an issue with investors investing. The little part about Canadian corporations coming to Arizona and buying up houses, no doubt to market towards snowbirds living off union pensions and government handouts I do take issue with.

[Deborah K]

No one changes unless they face a crisis.

Do you work to make changes in your life when you perceive things are going well or "good enough"?

People change as a response to crisis, thus so do nations.

Until that crisis happens, do not expect much change.

I've seen people change after experiencing cognitive dissonance. I've also seen them change after experiencing an epiphany. just sayin

[noneedtoaggress]

http://8-3coppersun1.wikispaces.com/file/view/AfricanSlaveTradePoster.jpg/113010983/AfricanSlaveTradePoster.jpg

http://marksrichardson.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/slave_kidnap_post_1851_boston.jpg

http://politicalintegritynow.com/wp-content/uploads/cache/5195_NpAdvHover.jpg

http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/abolitn/images/mobhpb.jpg

http://image.artfact.com/siteAssets/collections/subcollection242.jpg

http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/images/item/making_of_america-slavery.jpg

America is in a constant state of conflict between change and resistance to change.