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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (55779)	3/24/2008 11:18:47 AM
From: Dale Baker	Respond to of 543056

I find it difficult to understand how Americans could fail to appreciate the specialness of our foundation. Most likely they are looking more at equality of outcome, whatever one thinks of that as a valid metric. It's really a separate issue from the words that make up our founding documents, but this is where it's easy to conflate criticism of our country as it is with criticism of what our country was founded to be. And while our Constitution says little about foreign policy, many expect our policies abroad to reflect our best values at home, and criticize the current state of affairs when they don't, in their opinion.

To: Lane3 who wrote (55779)	3/24/2008 1:45:17 PM
From: Cogito	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 543056

>> I find it difficult to understand how Americans could fail to appreciate the specialness of our foundation.<< Karen - If I were a black man, I think I might not appreciate that specialness as much as I do. The Declaration of Indpendence asserted that "all men are created equal", but the Constitution did not even guarantee that men could not be bought and sold by other men. - Allen

To: Lane3 who wrote (55779)	3/24/2008 2:27:03 PM
From: Mary Cluney	Respond to of 543056

<<< I find it difficult to understand how Americans could fail to appreciate the specialness of our foundation.>>> Put it in some kind of perspective. The Constitution was a great document in its time, but it is a work in progress. We had to end slavery. Allow women to vote. But, more needs to be done. When the time is right, we will need a Second Bill of Rights to provide economic and social rights for all. The advanced industrial nations are headed in that direction. We have fallen behind because of some selfish resistance <g>, but we will catch up.

To: Lane3 who wrote (55779)	3/24/2008 2:58:54 PM
From: Thomas A Watson	Respond to of 543056

"I find it difficult to understand how Americans could fail to appreciate the specialness of our foundation." It's cloying as my best analogy. It is so good in America and most really do not see just how bad other places are. And most grew up in a climate where they don't ask and don't really care. And then in education I believe more stress is placed on all the things we are doing wrong as opposed to how we got to where we are. I grew up in a heated house that had food and toilet paper. My youth schooling had a lot about how we got to where we are. I had two parents who worked multiple jobs, but spent lots of time with me in youth activities. There is a foundation of life experience that creates what folks think is important. Literature is full of characters who don't have a clue about how well off they are.