America is only the greatest to those that have never been anywhere else. Once you experience different cultures, cities, foods, etc, you know that there is no 'greatest' just good and bad everywhere. If America could readily accept the best from other cultures, and see its own shortcomings, then it could be much 'greater'. Instead, the Tea Party and conservatism in general wants to take us to an insular fear mongering lifestyle and country.

This was like my rant when Reagan was elected.

I'm so sad. We prefer propaganda over truth.

I wonder when free speech will be curtailed under the Patriot act.

"Shut the fuck up or we will declare you an enemy combatant and send you to Gitmo!"

Aaron Sorkin is one great writer.

1) what movie is that from?

2) Why can't we get this guy to run?

Awesome!
Now I got a new show to watch.

I like the clip but I reject the idea that there was a time when America was the greatest.

America has had great moments, Americans have had great visions, and Americans have done great deeds but no golden age.

GuitarsandGuns wrote: I wonder when free speech will be curtailed under the Patriot act.

I think it was about a year ago...

gendoikari87 wrote:1) what movie is that from?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Newsro ... _series%29

gendoikari87 wrote:2) Why can't we get this guy to run?

'Cause he's a fictional TV character. Sure as hell models what we should be looking for, though.

Even when we were (arguably) "the greatest" during some periods, we were doing some pretty fu%$#@cked up things at the same time...

-Moon race/Vietnam
-WWII/segregation, Japanese detention camps
-The 50's/Red scare, segregation
-Manifest Destiny - The Mexican War/Manifest Destiny - The Mexican War
-Reagan/Iran Contra, El Salvador

You name the "greatest" period, we fuck*&^%ed something up.

Xela

America does a good job of bringing together good ideas other countries had first.

The UK beat us to ending slavery.
Numerous countries, like New Zealand and Finland, beat us to women's suffrage.

And so on.

Greatness is over rated. I've been great all my life and look what it's done for me. I'm only 55 and damned near crippled. I feel like the horse in Animal Farm.

WillCarry wrote:Greatness is over rated. I've been great all my life and look what it's done for me. I'm only 55 and damned near crippled. I feel like the horse in Animal Farm.

You will work harder.

SwampGrouch wrote:

gendoikari87 wrote:1) what movie is that from?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Newsro ... _series%29

gendoikari87 wrote:2) Why can't we get this guy to run?

'Cause he's a fictional TV character. Sure as hell models what we should be looking for, though.

Even the actor isn't a bad model at all.
He's been married since 1979 to the same woman.

The character is loosely based on Oberman.

Who the hell would want him to run? I'm still holding out for Jed Bartlet in 2016.

inmediasres wrote:Who the hell would want him to run? I'm still holding out for Jed Bartlet in 2016.

I prefer Ed Clampett

WillCarry wrote:Greatness is over rated. I've been great all my life and look what it's done for me. I'm only 55 and damned near crippled. I feel like the horse in Animal Farm.

Whose name was Boxer.

inmediasres wrote:Who the hell would want him to run? I'm still holding out for Jed Bartlet in 2016.

You and me. That was the best TV show EVER.

One of the best TV quotes ever ^^^^^^

GuitarsandGuns wrote:This was like my rant when Reagan was elected.

I'm so sad. We prefer propaganda over truth.

Funny, I felt that way as I grew up in the Reagan/Bush era. I was young yet, but I knew what he was saying was bullshit. All that ranting about USA! USA! somehow seemed fake.

As I grew up and saw the famous "malaise" speech and looked back at what we had chosen; we simply chose to be satisfied with being ignorant and powerful. We rested on laurels which we really didn't have. We could have gone the route the Carter suggested and reinvested in being sustainable but we chose "full steam ahead" conspicuous consumption and militarism.

telecat wrote:

inmediasres wrote:Who the hell would want him to run? I'm still holding out for Jed Bartlet in 2016.

You and me. That was the best TV show EVER.

Same producer. This is making me wish I had Showtime.

(I don't want to give those evil bastards at Comcast any more money than I absolutely have to. Ads for $24.99 for the first six months with no mention of what the seventh month's bill will look like is evil in my book.)

It's not Showtime. It's HBO. Also, you should be able to view it online at their website or something. I had a friend of mine link me to it. They'll still get there money through advertising and such, but at least you don't have to pay anything out of pocket.

I don't know that it is the same producer, but it is certainly the same writer. Aaron Sorkin is famous for writing A Few Good Men, Moneyball, The Social Network, The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and now The Newsroom.

SwampGrouch wrote:

telecat wrote:

inmediasres wrote:Who the hell would want him to run? I'm still holding out for Jed Bartlet in 2016.

You and me. That was the best TV show EVER.

Same producer...

and writer.

telecat wrote:

inmediasres wrote:Who the hell would want him to run? I'm still holding out for Jed Bartlet in 2016.

You and me. That was the best TV show EVER.

Wow, fantastic clip. I never watched the show. I posted the OP's clip in my local Indiana gun board and you would have thought I took a dump in their cereal bowls. Wow, what a response.