Progress or Decay? (Complete Vanity)

"National progress is the sum of individual industry, energy, and uprightness, as national decay is of individual idleness, selfishness, and vice." -Samuel Smiles

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"Conservatism is the sum of individual industry, energy, and uprightness, as liberalism is of individual idleness, selfishness, and vice." -TruthShallSetYouFree.

The bad guys are in charge of most of the media, most of the Judicial Branch (Supreme Court is a tossup, depending on Sandra's mood swings), nearly all of academia, the entire minority community (with a few notable exceptions, like Thomas Sowell and Clarence Thomas), and form a clear majority in important states like California, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

The good guys have a nice stronghold in Talk Radio (even if Rush goes down in flames), and are in control of The White House, The Senate, The House of Representatives, and a majority of the State Houses. The states that Bush carried, particularly the Red ones in "flyover country" are a stronghold of virtue and old-fashioned values.

So, we are at war, internally. The war is between the givers and the takers, the doers and the slackers, those that will study difficult subjects (and pursue high-stress careers) and those who will do minimal work in preparing for a career (and expect and demand maximum reward.)

The biggest advantage we have is that The Truth is on our side. The democrats can lie, weasel, obfuscate, slander and attack but, eventually, The Truth will win out. If it does not, I offer no hope for this country, nor any other.

"National progress is the sum of individual industry, energy, and uprightness, as national decay is of individual idleness, selfishness, and vice." -Samuel Smiles

I ask you, to which side has the scale tipped in these United States?

Since "individual industry, energy, and uprightness," is selfishness, and "individual idleness and vice" are self-destructive (unselfishness), and since this is the kind of insipid pap by which one is supposed judge the moral state of the nation, I'd say its done for.

Hank

While I agree with most of your (brilliant, as always) assessment, are we not seeing decay (even among the good guys) all around us? Consider how selfish young people are today (and they are yet politically unformed). Consider the vice we are seeing (and accepting) in even the most conservative (Bennett, Limbaugh, Gingrich, et al). And are we not surrounded by people at work, those who serve, etc. with a "just good enough" attitude? (After all, I can recount at least 3 instances of less than satisfactory service I have received just this morning - and it's only 11:30 ET.)

I wonder if we, as a nation, have lost the will and the way on industry, energy, and uprightness.

After all, I can recount at least 3 instances of less than satisfactory service I have received just this morning

I read you loud and clear, Miss Annie. Here's my little anecdote:

A local company that paves driveways put their flyers into all the mailboxes in town. My driveway, along with those of several of my neighbors, is in need of some blacktopping. We thought we'd get together and negotiate a group rate. I called the number on the flyer--got their answering service. They didn't reply. About a week later, I left a second message, explaining that I was the "block captain" for four or five homes, and that this was a nice business opportunity for the guy. Still no response. This "businessman" went through the exercise (and expense) of making up and distributing thousands of flyers, and now, when it's time to do the work, not even a reply. When this putz goes out business, he will probably blame it on bad luck.

And here is one of my stories from this morning: I'm about to drop $3K on a dinner/banquet. I also call (thrice over two week period) to local country club known for good chef and never get a return call. So today I drop by, am left 10 minutes to wait for dining room coordinator. She acknowledges my calls and apologizes for not returning them. I tell her, "dont' worry...I'm used to it. I just want to know if it's an indication of the kind of service our banquet might receive?"

Now, I fully intend to take my $3K elsewhere, but I just couldn't resist the temptation to rub it in. Perhaps the coordinator will consider the loss. However, more likely, she'll simply replace our intended date with a wedding reception. She still gets her cash, her boss has no idea how inefficient and disrespectful she is, and the country club goes on claiming it delivers "first rate" service.

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