Not My Father's America

[ICU 812]

My father came to the USA at age 17 from central Europe in 1935 to escape persecution. He fought in the US Army in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany and participated in liberating two concentration camps in Czechoslovakia. Half his family that remained in Europe did not survive the war. Those that did were "liberated" by Russian troops which was nearly as bad as the concentration camp.

His post war life was dedicated to healing as a medical doctor. . .and supporting the ideals of a free society; opposing both McCarthyism and Communism. What is now going on in American politics, and society in general (on both sides of the spectrum) would have driven him nuts.

What we have today is not what my father fought for back then. What we have today is not what he expected would be he America he left for his grandchildren.

[rexdutchman]

Correct sir , very sad what politics has caused and we the people have let happen

[dilbert firestorm]

I wonder what the surviving vets have to say about this

[ICU 812]

Vets? Not many left now.

In the mid 1980s, I worked with a man who had run off and joined the Marines in 1944 at the age of 16 (back then it could be done). He managed to survive Iwo Jima, landing on the foist day. So, 16 in "44 and now it is 2021 . . .should make him 93 today. My father was in his twenties when the war broke out in 1941; born in 1918 he would have been 103 this February.

They have been called "the greatest generation".

Not many of 'em left.

[oeb11]

Veterans of teh 'Greatest Generation' - of WW2 - few remain.

Some do honor our Veterans of Korea and Viet nam - many are still around.

some - denigrate and hate our military for protecting America's Freedoms -

many Haters are in teh fiden administration and the marxist AOC congress.

[Yssup Rider]

Originally Posted by oeb11

Veterans of teh 'Greatest Generation' - of WW2 - few remain.

Some do honor our Veterans of Korea and Viet nam - many are still around.

some - denigrate and hate our military for protecting America's Freedoms -

many Haters are in teh fiden administration and the marxist AOC congress.

And as a veteran yourself, how do YOU feel oeb? Don’t mince words now, you’re among friends.

And suddenly, AOC is In charge of Congress.

You’re singlehandedly keeping BSC alive and well in this forum, man.



And, ICU812, your father’s America was far from perfect. But people pitched in to overcome crises and made a country that gave rise to Trumpism.

The children of his America are ... you!

[ICU 812]

Ummmm. . .never said it was perfict "back then" or in the hear and now.

Sen McCarthy attempted a social and political purge. Today we call that the "Cancil Culture". A black-list is still a black-list whatever you call it and whom ever it aims to exclude professionally. In the McCarthy era it was liberal Hollywood and other creative people, theater, music, literature and academia. Today these are the folks doing the black-listing.

In my own youth, the liberal left was the champion of our rights regarding the free and open expression of ideas. Entertainers such as Lenny Bruce, George Carlin and The Smothers Brothers could only book events on college campuses because they were forced to work "clean" and politically neutral on TV. Today, no comedien or political satirist would go to a college campus. Today they would be howled off stage and face physical threats. Think of the reception that would await Mark Twain or Will Rogers.



Heaven forbid some misguided fool should advocate not wearing a face mask today. . . .oops, Dr Faucci has done that. Now he is no fool, but was he miss-guided or misleading?

No, this is not the America my father fought for and hoped to leav us. It isn't even the America MLK dreamed about. Whatever their goals and intentions, the Revered Doctor King would not have advocated for or condoned the gopings on of this past summer.

The Democratic party once espoused the ideals JFK expressed when he said, " . . .ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country!" Today the mantra of the liberal left is, "What's in it for me?"

[pfunkdenver]

Originally Posted by ICU 812

Today mantra of the liberal left is, "What's in it for me?"

Really? Is that why Republicans like to cut taxes on the wealthy?
Reduce/eliminate the inheritance tax.

Give government grants to large, profitable corporations?

You sir, are full of shit! "What's in it for me?" is clearly the mantra of the wealthy right.

[ICU 812]

pfunk denver: Thank you for arguing in the arena of ideas. I note that the explecitive is directed at the content of my remarks and not at the content of my character. We could debate the points you raise around and around. Sadly, the subject is complex and this forum isn't.

Now refute my remarks on free speech and black-listing.

[1blackman1]

In your fathers America they did worse than blacklist, they had blatant racism and segregation. And fought to keep it that way. Shit there’s some still fighting to keep that alive today.

Blacks fought side by side with whites in all the wars of this nation and whites still wanted them to have use different water fountains and to not eat at the same tables. What’s that tell you aboutAmerica.

[winn dixie]

Originally Posted by 1blackman1

In your fathers America they did worse than blacklist, they had blatant racism and segregation. And fought to keep it that way. Shit there’s some still fighting to keep that alive today.

Blacks fought side by side with whites in all the wars of this nation and whites still wanted them to have use different water fountains and to not eat at the same tables. What’s that tell you aboutAmerica.

Give it a rest. Divisive rhetoric

[farmstud60]

Originally Posted by pfunkdenver

Really? Is that why Republicans like to cut taxes on the wealthy?
Reduce/eliminate the inheritance tax.

Give government grants to large, profitable corporations?

You sir, are full of shit! "What's in it for me?" is clearly the mantra of the wealthy right.

That isn't the problem. There are really two things at play. One is that progressive tax rates and the complicated tax code does nothing but give too much power to politicians and blackmails people to donate to their campaigns. What is really needed is a flat tax.


Two, the press is all about talking about winners and losers with tax code changes, so it automatically makes things more contentious.


I won't even get into the how revenue's with tax rate changes are often opposite what people think.

[Ripmany]

Fighting in the world is dumb cuz you never going to get anything anyway out of it reminds her called a Muslims in and gets real law

[1blackman1]

Originally Posted by winn dixie

Give it a rest. Divisive rhetoric

Not nearly as divisive as segregation and racism.

[winn dixie]

One track mind