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selftitled85
09/17/08, 08:44 AM
As most of you know I am not a President Bush fan, nor have
I ever been, but this is not about Bush, it is about us, as
Americans, and it seems to hit the mark.

'The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came
across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It
must be true given the source, right?
The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are
unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69
percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of
the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just
ain't happy and want a change. So being the knuckle
dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What are we so
unhappy about?''

A.. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24
hours a day, 7 Days a week?

B.. Is our unhappiness the result of having air
conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

C.. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks
have a job?

D.. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store
at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has
seen in the last year?

E.. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks
from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having
to present identification papers as we move through each
state?

F.. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we
would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

G.. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying
cuisine from around the
world is just not good enough either.

H. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency
workers show up and provide services to help all and even
send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

I.. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who
own a home.

J.. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate
case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear
in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the
flames, thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.
K.. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat
screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer
equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to
defend you and your family against attack or loss.

L.. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of
bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents.
Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and
computers.

M.. How about the complete religious, social and political
freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the
world?

Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled
brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the
U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us
for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do
nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what
we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord
we live here.
I know, I know. What about the president who took us into
war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a
measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same
president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11?
The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of
recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called
every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the
spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The
commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out
there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk
show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy
you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all
the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you
upset at the President because he actually caused you
personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you
he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every
day.
Make no mistake about it.

The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to
serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom.
There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't
have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with
either a ''general'' discharge, an
'other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case
scenario, a ''dishonorable' ' discharge
after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69
percent of Americans?

Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds
it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will
watch a car crash with blood and guts How many will watch
kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this
and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer
what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions
by 'justifying' them in one way or another Just ask
why they t ried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to
write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if
he did he would have done it this way......Insane!

Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times
for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful
for all we have as country. There is exponentially more good
than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and
should thank God several times a day, or at least be
thankful and appreciative.' 'With hurricanes,
tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe
thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to
another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist
attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God
out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

David Letterman

open mind
09/17/08, 08:53 AM
with all due respect to david letterman (who in this case probably isn't even the late night host but just some random neo-con idiot with the same name) no one is unhappy about any of the things he listed.....we're unhappy about (i'll just touch on a few things here) being misled into unneccessary wars, a energy policy lacking any sort of forward thinking vision, politicians with a penchant for abusing thier power, unaffordable healthcare, an uncompetitive education system, and a mismanaged economy......basically things that threaten our ability to continue to access and enjoy those great things he listed if they aren't addressed in a timely manner......just because things aren't so bad now doesn't mean they will perpetually stay that way on thier own and we can all ignore what's going on in the world, because maintaining a democracy takes an informed public willing to be critical and demanding of it's leadership.

i'd also argue that most of the world doesn't despise the people of this country....they despise our interventionist/pre-emptive foreign policy implemented by our overly aggressive leadership.

one more thing.....blaming the media is akin to shooting the messenger and doesn't make any sense......especially when the media just plays cheerleader to our leadership instead of holding it accountable and questioning it more often then not.

Adeniz19
09/17/08, 09:12 AM
so, i guess the only people who are allowed to complain right now are the people in the gulf coast?

s.t.e.v.e.n.
09/17/08, 09:17 AM
source?

loveisdead
09/17/08, 09:30 AM
I got this email from a conservative friend of mine but it said it was from Leno.

open mind
09/17/08, 09:36 AM
I got this email from a conservative friend of mine but it said it was from Leno.

hope the late night hosts nail whoever's using thier names in that case.

i don't get this tactic.....i thought republicans disliked celebrities.

Mercy Medical
09/17/08, 10:20 AM
In the end it's all relative to where you live and what you're accustomed to. I hate these types of arguments. Yes, everyone could be in a worse possible position, but they're not.

s.t.e.v.e.n.
09/17/08, 10:24 AM
I got this email from a conservative friend of mine but it said it was from Leno.

hope the late night hosts nail whoever's using thier names in that case.

i don't get this tactic.....i thought republicans disliked celebrities.

seemed like bullshit

if it were really Dave it would have at least been funny

open mind
09/17/08, 10:29 AM
seemed like bullshit

if it were really Dave it would have at least been funny

what made me suspicious was that "letterman" was talking like a right wing christian....when i'm pretty sure he's jewish.

saysmydoctor
09/17/08, 10:35 AM
one more thing.....blaming the media is akin to shooting the messenger and doesn't make any sense......especially when the media just plays cheerleader to our leadership instead of holding it accountable and questioning it more often then not.
While everything else you said is spot on, this I disagree with. The media can take on numerous roles, journalist as watchdog, as lapdog, etc, and like you said, they are playing the cheerleader/lapdog. However, to accept that is disturbing. The Founding Fathers created the freedom of press with the goal of the media acting as a de facto fourth branch of the government, the branch that should inform the public in full but without bias.

Instead, the media has been taken over by four companies (News Corp, Disney, NBC, and Time Warner) and with the newspaper by Gannett, the Times Company, News Corp, and the Post. I should be allowed to shoot the messenger. We benefit them, the least they could do is the news--straight. The messenger is distorting the message.

driftsandpulls
09/17/08, 10:37 AM
We're unhappy because we don't want to lose those things.

captainhampton
09/17/08, 11:36 AM
i liked that letter, but it doesn't seem like something Letterman would write.

x togepi x
09/17/08, 11:41 AM
snopes said he didn't write it.

wrppdarndyrfngr
09/17/08, 12:03 PM
We're unhappy because we don't want to lose those things.

Exactly

No where in there does he support either political party.

who ever wrote this is just trying make us think : WHY?

WHY ARE WE SO UNHAPPY WHEN WE HAVE SO MUCH GOOD THINGS GOING FOR US ?

He is just trying to point out how well we actually have it off compared to other countries.

Before you attack the letter : STOP and THINK and ask yourself :WHY

wrppdarndyrfngr
09/17/08, 12:04 PM
And yes I am unhappy with this country. we have alot of problems facing us but we have alot of opportunities other dont.

Jason Tate
09/17/08, 12:55 PM
Snopes.

thespearkid
09/17/08, 01:06 PM
David Letterman did not write this haha.

wesgemm08
09/17/08, 01:21 PM
"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position."

Machu505
09/17/08, 01:44 PM
I got this email from a conservative friend of mine but it said it was from Leno.

Same here.

Broken Parachute
09/17/08, 03:18 PM
Exactly

No where in there does he support either political party.

who ever wrote this is just trying make us think : WHY?

WHY ARE WE SO UNHAPPY WHEN WE HAVE SO MUCH GOOD THINGS GOING FOR US ?

He is just trying to point out how well we actually have it off compared to other countries.

Before you attack the letter : STOP and THINK and ask yourself :WHYwut?

loveisdead
09/17/08, 03:45 PM
"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position."
What is that from?

oldwirehands
09/17/08, 04:28 PM
This was the dumbest thing I've read in a long time. Whoever wrote obviously is either ignoring, or completely ignorant to, the real problems America is facing and the possible roads that can be taken.

GiggsOho
09/17/08, 05:09 PM
I didn't need Snopes to tell me that Letterman didn't write this, because if he did, the media lambasted in that letter would have been all over it.

Furthermore, whoever did write it gets a big Fuck You from me. I don't wanna say "come walk a day in my shoes" to sound like woe-is-me, but more of the fact is 95% of people out there have very little idea how the media operates. I'm not saying it's some complex matter either, but if you have no idea what you are talking about, shut the fuck up.

open mind
09/17/08, 07:50 PM
While everything else you said is spot on, this I disagree with. The media can take on numerous roles, journalist as watchdog, as lapdog, etc, and like you said, they are playing the cheerleader/lapdog. However, to accept that is disturbing. The Founding Fathers created the freedom of press with the goal of the media acting as a de facto fourth branch of the government, the branch that should inform the public in full but without bias.

Instead, the media has been taken over by four companies (News Corp, Disney, NBC, and Time Warner) and with the newspaper by Gannett, the Times Company, News Corp, and the Post. I should be allowed to shoot the messenger. We benefit them, the least they could do is the news--straight. The messenger is distorting the message.

i'm tempted to just copy and paste a big GTFO picture and say something dismissive like "you fail"....but in this case i see your point and auctually kinda agree with you.

saysmydoctor
09/17/08, 09:38 PM
i'm tempted to just copy and paste a big GTFO picture and say something dismissive like "you fail"....but in this case i see your point and auctually kinda agree with you.
My journalism classes have completely changed my perspective.

GiggsOho
09/17/08, 09:44 PM
My journalism classes have completely my perspective.

Obviously haven't helped with your writing.


Hi-oooo. I got jokes, people, jokes.

open mind
09/17/08, 09:48 PM
Obviously haven't helped with your writing.


Hi-oooo. I got jokes, people, jokes.

haha

sayyes
09/17/08, 09:57 PM
My journalism classes have completely my perspective.
McCain?

singyoutocoma
09/17/08, 10:07 PM
snopes said he didn't write it.

Figures.

WHY ARE WE SO UNHAPPY WHEN WE HAVE SO MUCH GOOD THINGS GOING FOR US ?

He is just trying to point out how well we actually have it off compared to other countries.

The letter misuses a statistic about dissatisfaction with a certain man's leadership, not about general dissatisfaction with the world or even the country around us. No one's questioning that most of us have food, water, shelter, and many other benefits. The statistic reflects the number of people who are happy with the way the President has done his job. What the article was just trying to do was to confuse people who know thankfulness for the blessings we have is appropriate into misdirecting this thankfulness into blind allegiance to a regime that hasn't done its job and support for religious propaganda in government.

"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position."

That's well-said.

saysmydoctor
09/17/08, 10:15 PM
Obviously haven't helped with your writing.


Hi-oooo. I got jokes, people, jokes.
YOU GOT ME.
x


Wow, though, seriously lol.

But still, don't see why there would be a need for a GTFO picture. se1046fuckingidiotposter#### is worse.

sdbrown
09/19/08, 03:13 AM
what made me suspicious was that "letterman" was talking like a right wing christian....when i'm pretty sure he's jewish.
He's not Jewish, I think he's some sect of Christianity, I used to live by a chapter of the frat he belonged to and their flag has a pretty prominant cross on it. But I agree with the sentiment that it doesn't sound like a letter he'd write.