Can We Do Anything About America’s Decline?

[AUFAN78 4,162]

In the next five years, either cities will seek new governance to reduce taxes, break up municipal unions, mandate charter schools, restore police funding and manpower, recalibrate pensions, and prosecute criminals and corrupt officials—or Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, and a score of others will become Detroit.

https://amgreatness.com/2023/04/16/can-we-do-anything-about-americas-decline/

[aubiefifty 18,435]

7 hours ago, AUFAN78 said:

In the next five years, either cities will seek new governance to reduce taxes, break up municipal unions, mandate charter schools, restore police funding and manpower, recalibrate pensions, and prosecute criminals and corrupt officials—or Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, and a score of others will become Detroit.

https://amgreatness.com/2023/04/16/can-we-do-anything-about-americas-decline/

it is and has been my understanding it pretty much already has in most of the cities mentioned. you know alabama is no better? a kid in alabama has a 1 in 30 chance of being shot. they were just talking about it on the news. B'ham channel.....

[CoffeeTiger 5,941]

No. nothing can be done. We're doomed. 

 

 

[TexasTiger 14,508]

11 hours ago, AUFAN78 said:

In the next five years, either cities will seek new governance to reduce taxes, break up municipal unions, mandate charter schools, restore police funding and manpower, recalibrate pensions, and prosecute criminals and corrupt officials—or Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, and a score of others will become Detroit.

https://amgreatness.com/2023/04/16/can-we-do-anything-about-americas-decline/

Some cities are in trouble. Most small towns and rural areas are, too. What’s your solution for them?

[icanthearyou 4,468]

What we need:

More guns, more prisons, more welfare for the wealthy, kill public education, more unwanted, unloved children, no more queers and trannies, get rid of the America hating liberals, more privatized government, kill Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid, not one single immigrant who has a net worth under $10 million or the equivalent in some sort of talent, more concentrated wealth/power.

 

What we do not need:

Publicly funded education, healthcare, childcare, equality, community investment, democracy, foreign policy that reflects principles not power, a total rejection of anything incorporating the words public or, social.

 

Reward the wealthy, punish the poor.

 

What this country really needs is probably impossible to achieve.  We need to value individuals based more on their ethical basis, their true character rather than,,, their earnings, their earning potential.  We need to learn that politics is nothing more than semi-civilized class warfare but,,, true prosperity is shared.  Capitalism functions best when, "all boats are lifted on the rising tide",  not when the wake of the mega yachts  is sinking all the john boats.

As long as the capital class owns the political class (regardless of party),,, the country is doomed.  It is time to restore balance between the interests of capital and, the interests of society. 

[AUFAN78 4,162]

4 hours ago, TexasTiger said:

Some cities are in trouble. Most small towns and rural areas are, too. What’s your solution for them?

I'd tackle education first. Start with teaching the basics and hold teachers and administrators accountable. No reason for a graduating senior to be reading, writing or doing math at a 5th grade level. Fix this first and many other problems listed diminish. 

[wdefromtx 3,705]

We can slow America's decline if ICHY would stop posting again........

[arein0 1,109]

54 minutes ago, AUFAN78 said:

I'd tackle education first. Start with teaching the basics and hold teachers and administrators accountable. No reason for a graduating senior to be reading, writing or doing math at a 5th grade level. Fix this first and many other problems listed diminish. 

You might want to tell your leaders that as they are actively trying to defund the education department. 

[AUFAN78 4,162]

2 minutes ago, arein0 said:

You might want to tell your leaders that as they are actively trying to defund the education department. 

My leaders? Aren't they your leaders as well?

And just so I'm clear, you think funding is the issue?

[icanthearyou 4,468]

6 minutes ago, arein0 said:

You might want to tell your leaders that as they are actively trying to defund the education department. 

I believe the destruction of public education is the goal.  There will be plenty of funding once education is fully privatized.

[TexasTiger 14,508]

1 hour ago, AUFAN78 said:

I'd tackle education first. Start with teaching the basics and hold teachers and administrators accountable. No reason for a graduating senior to be reading, writing or doing math at a 5th grade level. Fix this first and many other problems listed diminish. 

What are the small town & rural problems that fixes?

[arein0 1,109]

6 minutes ago, AUFAN78 said:

My leaders? Aren't they your leaders as well?

And just so I'm clear, you think funding is the issue?

Yes, Republican leaders are actively trying to defund the Department of Education.

I do think funding is an issue. I think teachers salaries are so low that it is pushing people away from becoming a teacher. Because of this the you aren't getting as many new teachers and are being forced into keeping the bad teachers. I think the top public schools in the nation are that because they have a lot of extra funding being donated from parents. The top teachers desire to go to those schools because they know they will essentially be able to get whatever they need to teach their class. Counter that scenario to the inner city schools where the teachers salaries are low, cost of living is high, and they have to cover their supplies out of pocket. Most teachers are looking to get out as quickly as possible. 

[icanthearyou 4,468]

Communities will decline when the residents have no ownership, no stake, little hope of ever attaining any ownership.

[AUFAN78 4,162]

10 minutes ago, TexasTiger said:

What are the small town & rural problems that fixes?

Ultimately poverty and crime to name a couple. And I wouldn't say it completely fixes, but rather addresses the issues and they diminish over time.  

[TexasTiger 14,508]

7 minutes ago, AUFAN78 said:

Ultimately poverty and crime to name a couple. And I wouldn't say it completely fixes, but rather addresses the issues and they diminish over time.  

Small towns and rural areas are dying due to economic forces brought on by global trade & modernization. Not easy to fix.

[AUFAN78 4,162]

21 minutes ago, arein0 said:

Yes, Republican leaders are actively trying to defund the Department of Education.

I do think funding is an issue. I think teachers salaries are so low that it is pushing people away from becoming a teacher. Because of this the you aren't getting as many new teachers and are being forced into keeping the bad teachers. I think the top public schools in the nation are that because they have a lot of extra funding being donated from parents. The top teachers desire to go to those schools because they know they will essentially be able to get whatever they need to teach their class. Counter that scenario to the inner city schools where the teachers salaries are low, cost of living is high, and they have to cover their supplies out of pocket. Most teachers are looking to get out as quickly as possible. 

I honestly haven't kept up with the issue, but will look into it further. 

I can agree teachers deserve more money. I hope you can agree they should earn it. Having graduates with skills of 5th and 6th graders tells me someone is failing the children. I don't see that as acceptable. You?

Edited April 19, 2023 by AUFAN78

[AUFAN78 4,162]

6 minutes ago, TexasTiger said:

Small towns and rural areas are dying due to economic forces brought on by global trade & modernization. Not easy to fix.

Perhaps I misinterpreted your question. Apologies. I do agree with your sentiment.

[arein0 1,109]

2 minutes ago, AUFAN78 said:

I honestly haven't kept up with the issue, but will look into it further. 

I can agree teachers deserve more money. I hope you can agree they should earn it. Having kids graduate with skills of 5th and 6th graders tells 

I do agree they should earn it. I just think the demand for teachers is higher than the supply and the wages are not going up with the demand, so schools are forced having to keep/hire bad teachers.