andybob said:
Texan, when you are forced to become self-sufficient you find you will exceed everyones' expectations in adjusting, we did when comprehensive sanctions were imposed on Rhodesia by the united nations in 1965, within a few years we were (illegally) exporting manufactured goods that we had previously imported, and as we initially set out to supply the home market, national pride ensured the quality was of the highest standard.
Due to the arms embargo and the increasing insurgency, we not only manufactured weapons suited to our conditions, but pioneered landmine proof vehicles and mine detection vehicles, the advanced versions of which are now being manufactured in the United States for use in Afganistan and Iraq. The bottom line, Texan, is we CAN do it if we want or need to!
Great success story, andybob. I hope you're right about it working in this country...
Maybe I'm being too cynical or pessimistic, but the problems I see that would keep that from happening seem to be getting worse and worse with each generation. We have to look beyond the area that most ranchers live in. We need to look into the inner cities where most of the people are. What's important to those people? The vast majority of them?
Family values? Nope.
Do they have any desire to better themselves? Nope.
Desire for higher education? Or even finishing high school? Nope.
Are they willing to
work for something important? Nope.
Do they even know HOW to work? Nope.
Are many of them willing to engage in criminal activity to provide what they want out of life? Yep.
Are most of the rest of them content to sit around and wait on the federal government to provide all of their needs? Yep.
The bad thing about all of that is that the generation I'm describing is now having kids of their own. A LOT of kids. A helluva lot more kids than the rest of us are having. And they're having them simply because they know they don't have to pay for them - the rest of us do. They're now 'raising' kids with their own 'values' - or lack of values.
Sure we see the occasional city kid and many of the rural kids that counter that impression. But only slightly - they counter the impression, but not the trend.
The sheer numbers of the bums with their hands out can't be overcome by people who are conservative by nature. Conservatives will never reproduce enough to stop it. This is LBJ's dream come true - liberalism at it's finest.
One of these days, the working class in this country will be outnumbered by the welfare class. When that happens....???????????