/ America?
In the classic style of debate you begin with a declaration (RESOLVED) and then the participants explain why the resolution is affirmed or denied. If you know anybody who would be interested in this send them along.
RESOLVED: The American experiment is over and has failed.
To affirm: The divisions that exist in the general society today are so toxic and severe that the country has ceased to exist as a united community capable of solving its problems and/or defending itself. In this and the preceding two Presidential administrations people have become more and more comfortable with vocalizing the idea that the death of prominent public officials would not be unwelcome. No reconciliation or co-operation seems possible or likely between blacks and whites, liberals and conservatives, or even amongst neighbors. The facts of its history are angry fuel for debate, accepted scientific conclusions are challenged on the basis of faith and the effectiveness of our schools is and has been falling behind the rest of the world because of it. Charity is given lip service and the accepted trend in society has turned more and more to self-protection as a trump over group survival. The less fortunate are ridiculed, aid to them is viewed suspiciously and the divide between rich and poor continues to increase. The cumulative condition of these and other aspects of modern American life have left the United States of America a nation in name only, held together by a facade of unity and the weight of its military power presented to the world. In actuality there is no longer a country here beyond its basic functions and proximities
To deny: The action of democracy is always messy and loud. It has been this way since the start. That voices seem angrier is merely a result of the abundance of new social media that prevails in the culture, and a shift to people being more comfortable expressing their opinions. There have always been extremes on all sides of an issue and these newer social networks have merely given those extremes - which have always existed - a ready platform and pulpit that never existed before. But the appearance of a lack of civility and common purpose only seems more prominent because those extremes are always the more sensational picture to watch. In times of crisis the American people, despite their differences, always band behind their President regardless of his party and work to fix their problems. America exists and remains as it has always been; a little loud, probably too brash, and forever free. Our freedoms are based on our ability to dissent, to protest, to argue, and to campaign for what we believe in. This can be frustrating at times, but it will always lead to a vibrant society. beneath the surface of discord great advances have been made and there is no reason to expect that to change any time in the future. America is not finished or over, even by a de facto measure, but in tune with its heritage and bound to keep it alive.
Affirm or deny.
posted by RW @ 9:31 AM
14 Comments
Links to this post
14 Comments:
Yes.
Seriously, I see both sides of it. I tend to agree a little more with the first paragraph, but the whole time I was also thinking, "But wanting to see certain politicians dead is nothing new", etc.
So, yes.
Affirm. Like Rome, we are crumbling from the inside out. It will not be the Gauls who finally sack us with their violence, it will be the Chinese with their corporations.
"I took LSD when I was young just to prepare me for this time." - Lewis Black on America today
Yeesh. Tough one.
I think I'm on the side of deny. Both are extremely valid points, and the angry lib inside of me (rowr!) was shouting "huzzah" at the affirm argument. But when I calm down and try to look at it reasonably, I want to go with the deny argument. I may come across as a curmudgeon often, but generally I'm an optimist. And I've always liked the idea of America AS AN idea. One that still has the possibility of coming to fruition. So yeah, deny.
I think.
Deny. What are perceived as a loss of civility and lack of unity are in fact products of unprecedented communication and interconnectedness (both socially and technologically) which make unavoidable an awareness of the pluralistic society that we are and have always been.
(I've got more, but I really have to get back to work. Maybe more later.)
affirm.
the bell began tolling when citizens figured out that they could vote themselves largess from the national treasury.
Deny. Over the course of the last century, the rest of the world has become much more like America than it the rest of the world. Republicanism is no longer a quaint colonial experiment, it is the norm in the developed world. American culture is (for better or worse) global. English is the language of international commerce, diplomacy, and science, and the English didn't have much to do with that.
Not only has the American experiment succeeded--it's been replicated.
Poor people in America are fat and have cell phones.
During America's bleakest decade in a generation, hundreds of thousands of people risked an agonizing death in the desert for the chance to cook our french fries, care for our fat spoiled children, and become the scapegoats of our most craven politicians.
Point of order: "Poor people in America are fat and have cell phones" is a rather egregious stereotype in the face of some of the grinding poverty that still exists in America in rural places the poster has obviously never seen, and detracts from his general eloquence without cause.
point of inquiry:
where in America might i find skinny poor people without cell phones?
I'll retract the cell phones but I'm standing by fat.
Affirm: Since the height of the industrial revolution and the corporate take-over of our monetary system in the form of the Federal Reserve, we have slowly but surely evolved into a corporate feudal system. The corporate CEOs are our feudal Lords and we their serfs. The only escape from it now is for the whole system to crumble and for us to go back to the drawing board and start over.
gino, forgive me if I can't produce internet pictures to satisfy your query. You can believe me or not as you see fit. I've seen what I consider rural poverty in Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri and West Virginia. I only mention these places because I've seen them with my own eyes. I wouldn't doubt it exists elsewhere. That it can't be imagined is not an argument for it not existing. It might only be that a person hasn't run across it in the course of their life. But that is also not an argument for it not existing.
Brian - Having lived on bread and jelly for a time I can tell you why. Quite often a high fat and salt content is found in what is affordable. Fast food is usually more affordable than a balanced meal because we don't have honest prices for food in this country. Farm subsidies and corporate welfare assures us of that. Organic carrots are no economic match for the highly subsidized meat of six hundred cows that is often found in one Big Mac.
However none of these points, and the comments it addresses are in line with the debate over the resolution.
Hmmm...
While I will neither affirm or deny, I will safely take the middle ground and declare....
I was absent that day. :)
I deny there was an experiment.
Deny. Emphatically so.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home