<p>Musicprnt…that is a great post.</p>
<p>Farmers tend to be big on that kind of thing, evil government, etc, yet they collect 10’s of billions of dollars in subsidies when commodity prices are at all time highs, or corn farmers make out like bandits because of the idiotic government subsidies for ethanol</p>
<p>Do you know any farmers?
My family has been farming in the Midwest for generations. They know the importance of community, their lives depend on it.</p>
<p>I think you are confusing the independent farmer with the mega corporations that have bought up land to grow ingredients for General Mills & ConAgra.</p>
<p>[Local</a> Harvest / Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food](<a href=“http://www.localharvest.org/]Local”>http://www.localharvest.org/)</p>
<p>Fatalistic??? I find it optimistic and heartening–focusing on what’s the best in human beings.</p>
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<p>just grade school</p>
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<p>library wasn’t my thing…lol</p>
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<p>no aid, no loans</p>
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<p>nope</p>
<p>Now what I did have is the help of my parents and I will do the same for my children. Taking care of my family is my number one priority. I’m sure most would say the same, but in reality, that doesn’t always happen to the extent it should.</p>
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<p>Merely the formative years of your life. ;)</p>
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<p>Um, this isn’t really sounding like you needed to bring yourself up by your bootstraps…</p>
<p>^ didn’t say anything about bootstraps…no need to get argumentative.</p>
<p>My simple point was that families should look after each other…should be their main priorities.</p>
<p>Well, for me, taking care of my family includes teaching compassion. And, compassionate action. No one’s talking about ignoring family needs.</p>
<p>I was going based on what you quoted, Geeps. That’s all. It’s great you care about taking care of your family.</p>
<p>Bus driver, No question - if an unemployed person is making no effort whatsoever to find a job then the priorities are screwed up.</p>
<p>As someone who does not perceive our country as “selfish,” I ask those of you who do to explain what needs to happen in order for us to not be “selfish” people in your minds.</p>
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<p>well, they should be…that’s the main problem why parts of our society are failing.</p>
<p>" I have heard terms like ‘self reliance’ and ‘self empowerment’ used by people who are doing so denigrating others. There are a ton of people in this country, including a lot of the tea party types, who make out like they have to pay for everyone else, they get nothing from the government, are ‘self reliant’ and when you look under the covers you can see outright the hypocrisy behind that"</p>
<p>I think many times, people hear certain phrases and it evokes emotions that makes them assume what is being said, different than the context that others hear. From your post, it appears that you hear, “tea party,” and instead of hearing what I think is their main message, “Stop spending. You are going to bankrupt the country, be fiscally responsible,” you focus on the hypocrisies that you think are being offered up as policy. Whether I agree with other messages being put up by individuals and local groups or not, I appreciate that they have loudly talked about the deficit. Though it may not have done much good, seeing as the all important deficit commission offered some interesting solutions that were immediately ignored.</p>
<p>When I hear about self reliance and self empowerment, what it means to me is that no matter your background in this country, you can make decisions that shape your future. It has nothing to do with “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” or doing it by yourself, or ignoring the contributions that others have made towards your benefit. It means that you have control, that you can achieve whatever you choose, your life is in your hands. If you don’t like something, change it. You are not powerless, paralyzed by, “I can’t do this because of reason A, B, or C.” That often only you can choose to make things happen to improve your life. I don’t see that as a negative or selfish way of thinking at all, and I’m sure that people who do not feel they are powerless and victims of circumstance are far happier than those that do.</p>
<p>Bus, can you remember a time when the wool got pulled out from under you, when you didn’t know if you were going to be able to stand again? I’m all for empowerment, but compassion, to me, means realizing some people never had the wool under them to begin with or are hanging on to a teeny piece of it for dear life.</p>
<p>^^I completely understand that. And I don’t think the concepts are conflicting at all.</p>