America today

[Flaptail]

Where are we today as Americans? Are we better off? Are we respected in the world? Are we moral or immoral as a nation? The anniversary of this nation's founding brings cause to reflect and think of these things. I believe we as a nation must take a collective breath and step back from the world stage and look to heal ourselves before we go forth back into the world to be the leaders we once were.

This country needs to heal the family wounds before we can offer assistance to any other. Unfortunately there are people in the world who will suffer intolerable tragedy but in order to properly help them we must help ourselves first. Isolationist as this may seem, at this point in time, it is the only course America can take before we drop further into the abyss of our spiraling problems.

20% percent of Americans hold 50% of the countries wealth. The cost of living outpaces the average workers paycheck by a ever widening percentage. No country can survive if the population's income continues to lose ground with the cost of surviving. Dual income families are a must, Living paycheck to paycheck is a common thing and savings accounts continue to become less common. Debt ratios climb as corporate greed runs rampant and unwilling legislators continue to look the other way. Paying for gas, groceries with a credit card, unless you are among the fortunate few who can pay the monthly balance in full, is insane at 18 to 22%.

Our policy of forced democratizion on countries whose existence has been and will be for centuries governed by tribal and other less than democratic principles must cease. Conversion by force is not the answer.

Lastly our own government has become one of an imperial nature where civil liberties have been tossed out in the name of Homeland defense. A situation created by failed policy and inept leadership both at home and across the global front by the current and recent past administrations. We bring to bear on places we have no business interfering our will without a clear understanding of another's culture and history. There are just causes and unjust causes. Iraq was an unjust cause in my opinion for military intervention. Bin Laden and Al-Qaida was and is a true just cause for intervention as was Hiltler and Japan in the 40's. Our most valuable resources of young American lives, as in Vietnam, are being wasted when the true perpertrator's of the problems in the world continue to raise arms in hate in the name of radical religious extremism(s).

It's time for the people of this nation to take back the government, to seek the healing within our nation, to bring prosperity back to the general population and to elect leaders who will seek to re-establish our place in the world as partners and leaders, a place where the American flag is again respected as a symbol of the people and values of a nation who can be looked upon as an example of what being a world leader should be. It's time to close our doors and fix our own house before we can fix another.