Politics

[M70375!]

As a retired farmer from the border state of North Dakota when I was still farming. Nafta was a disaster for us. One thing that really hurt me as a sugar beet farmer, Mexico was allowed to dump their sugar on our markets. What was for many years a very profitable crop, was that it completely destroyed that industry. No the guys farming the land that I used to farm are loosing hundreds of dollars per acre every year. I saw the writing on the wall got completely out of it, and to this day,I just don't understand why the guys continue to raise beets at a loss.
So much for nafta.
What I can't understand now is the 100,000 plus troops we lost in Korea and Vietnam , supposedly to stop the spread of communism. Those troops died in vain.Why are we now allowing America hating communist to run for and hold office and spread the hate America agenda.
Commies should be deported or executed as a threat to our national security.
My 2 cents worth.

 

[rigbymauser]

One element that doesn't seem to be covered much by social scientists that I believe is a real factor: shame and embarassment. The concept of "have you no shame?".

I remember growing up lower middle class and there was a lot of shame and stigma in society. Mothers of the poorer kids were obsessed that shoes were shined and girl's dresses were spotless for Sunday church. Discipline was stricter for the poor kids than the rich kids, because there was social-stigma trying to prove the lesser means people were just as good, just as ordered, and with equal earned dignity.

The midwest has always been Scandinavian and Dutch culturally influenced. The mindset that "if you have to stoop in your dignity to ask for welfare, you must surely need it". It is this shame/dignity concept of Northern Europeans.

People of all stripes today have less shame. Less embarrassment. A child's guest misbehaves at a private club...no big deal. A kid lies or steals...not a big deal. Dirty clothes or inappropriate attire for an event...no big deal.

Back in the day, fear of being ostracized due poor protocol was a very, very real threat. Those trying to socially climb (most people) were acutely aware of social queues and were very careful to avoid shame.

My point is that in the name of tolerance and acceptance, society has accepted really bad behavior overall. As pertains to multi-generational African-Americans, they are typically a bellwhether of bad things that hit their demographic first, and then migrates to Caucasians second. (e.g. unwed pregnancy)

African-American male youth culture is a culture without any shame. Their role models they emulate are undignified thugs and harlots, which does them no favors. Their tolerance for deviating from social norms has altered the clientele of major businesses like Carnival Cruise lines, Popeyes Chicken, and Red Lobster which is now struggling to regain decorum and re-appeal to other races as clients to no avail.

My hypothesis is that since it is proven that African-American youth have the highest self-esteem of any racial group, coupled with the phenomenon of no social stigma for modest infractions of societal norms, things are in a death-spiral that is unchecked.

My evidence is the dignity and propriety of the African American family circa 1950-1960 when racial issues were very real, poverty was far more profound, yet their dignity and propriety was far more noteworthy. (e.g. men in hats, proper church attire, just look at any of the old photos and video of their gentile nature)

Well said!. No shame is often=no moral principal. Just like the leftwing.

We had some social studies some years back(2010) in regards to people comming from the 3rd world(primarly muslims) in regards to cognition and empathy. Here the muslim male fall behind already from early childhood. Their ability accumulate knowledge and problemsolving by the age of 7 was 3 years behind the average ethic dane of same age. By the age of 14 their ability to feel compassion was just about zerro. It was measured in their behavior plus an overrepresentation in diciplinary sanctions from school and in police incounters. By the age of 18 some 87% of muslim males have in one way another been in contact with the courtsystem. The ability to abide law and social structures is reduced with this group of people.

Karen Blixen well describe in her book "my african farm"(1937) the blacks of africa. They all mature sexually much faster than the europeans but when they reach the teenage stage all maturity stops.

 

[Killingtime]

I was looking at and comparing the whole of Europe. Primarily the EU. Its 14% in the EU, vs. 23% in the US. Since Europe spends almost 2x on social welfare programs, this heavily debunks the claim that welfare is solely to blame for the rise in single-parent homes, or even a primary factor.

1 in 8 EU households with children rely on one adult - News articles - Eurostat

EDN-20260601-1

ec.europa.eu

This article breaks it down by country. The wealthier ones have higher rates. But not as high as we do.

I see. I thought it would be more relevant since it was Europe and social programs that I thought was being discussed. To pick the ethnic equivalent in America to the more homogeneous Scandinavian countries that had higher percentages of social programs. I only did that because in America the single parent household is quite different based on race. From worst to best it’s blacks, native Americans, Hispanic, whites, Asian, and Jewish. The interesting observation I have is while poverty increase does have some link to race and percent of single parent households in America. Why is that not observed in the world at large. The world has a single parent rate roughly 1/3 of America and half of Europe. How is it that we have the highest standards of living and consumption but also the highest single parent household rates if poverty is the only issue . Same with Europe?

 

[Big_Easy]

Everyone is screaming trades today, and I agree; the problem is that public education in this country has done every thing possible to destroy trades classes in school, while at the same time telling every student that if they didn't go to college "for any degree" then they would end up poor and flipping burgers.

You're partially correct. My school district shut down those programs at my old high school as well. But not because the educators or administration asked them to. The politicians did that. The politicians in charge decided that they no longer wanted to spend money on them. It looked good to all of their voters when they told them how much money they were saving.

My senior "life skills" teacher Mr. Cosper told us........
"You MUST get a degree, get a degree in ANYTHING and you will make more money; figure out how to pay for it later because you'll be making MORE MONEY!"

Every baby boomer told our generation that, spend less time blaming teachers and more time blaming the boomers.

 

[KJE81]

I guess it might be the only way for Trump to get an aircraft carrier named after himself...he doesnt seem to care about optics in anything he does...

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/20/politics/navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-black-war-hero-to-trump