the american dream

In nz even tho there's no official nz church...we have british heritage and so recognise the Queen..its just by the grace of God she's a born-again Christian...it would be quite different if she wasn't and head of the anglican church as well as our crown!
Even our PMs are accountable to the crown.
 
Lanolin said:
Thats weird cos many do believe that money is what makes america great. If they worship mammon that is, and their dream is to make it big in america.
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The ability to own a business or earn for one's family without intervention was the original American concept -- and I think that is a great thing. It isn't a love of money but love of family and God to be able to use one's earnings in His glory.

The Federal Reserve only prints money. Many people (including myself) would argue that money isn't strictly what is printed. I'd consider it fiat if anything, but that's just me.
 
Lanolin said:
When watching american tv just amazed at the amount of materialism...everyone wears different outfits everyday..lots of advertising for brand name footwear...everything it seems is for sale.
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Not me. I wear the same underwear weeks at a time.

But seriously..... what you are talking about is called "CAPITILISM".

It is a system where the government leaves markets (buyers and sellers) free to run on their own without interference.

The opposite is socialism and or communism where governments have a say in every aspect of markets, such as price, what is produced, who can buy, how much is produced, and so on.

Some social goods would never be available because it is either difficult for one person or group to build and would be easy for other people to use anyway, or more beneficial if everyone used. Like roads, libraries, police forces, fire departments, postal service.

Capitalism is based on paying the value people have attached to items to make sure sufficient quantities are produced. That is the backbone of the system which is SUPPLY AND DEMAND.

However, what value do YOU attach to YOUR life? What about shelter in the face of going homeless? What about eating food if you are hungry??? The system doesn't balance off such human issues in decisions. If left unchecked you end up with people who could easily be treated for illnesses but can't afford to while someone else making excessive profits.

Again as in most all things it is about CHOICES!!!!
 
LysanderShapiro said:
The ability to own a business or earn for one's family without intervention was the original American concept -- and I think that is a great thing. It isn't a love of money but love of family and God to be able to use one's earnings in His glory.

The Federal Reserve only prints money. Many people (including myself) would argue that money isn't strictly what is printed. I'd consider it fiat if anything, but that's just me.
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Absolutely correct. The European concept of that past day did not allow for land ownership by the individual.

THAT is one of the reason why America has been different and successful. Men were able to OWN land and produce a work ethic that has resulted in a way of life that others look at and wish for.
 
Lanolin said:
In nz even tho there's no official nz church...we have british heritage and so recognise the Queen..its just by the grace of God she's a born-again Christian...it would be quite different if she wasn't and head of the anglican church as well as our crown!
Even our PMs are accountable to the crown.
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But in America, our government is ultimately accountable to the PEOPLE.
 
Hmm..ok. Why you writing in CAPITALS?

Lol.

I think most countries are capitalistic and also socialistic it depends on who is in power at the time.
Both systems arent ideal. You can have benefits of both capitalism if you a landowner..but then you need capital, where you get it from? Not everyone has it,
You can have benefits of socialism if you work for govt. but thats dependant on you having that office. Not everyone gets that office.

We arent to set our minds on earthly things, Bible tells us. If you miss out, the Bible says, well Jesus says something very profound. The meek shall inherit the earth.
Not the powerful, or those that worked really hard or grabbed it or were lucky. It says the meek.
 
I think that for Czech people it means:
- go to America
- do what you are good in
- become extremely rich
- live happily ever after
The point is in the certainly true fact that everything is possible in America. And everybody knows that this is not possible in Czech Republic. I do not know why :LOL:

(I think that this idea was modern 15-20 years ago. Now people know more about America and more about possibilities in CZ.)
 
That sounds like what my cousin believed. But now hes separated from his wife. Dont know why...don't ask. Still got pots of money...but alone.
 
Its funny how theres diaspora everywhere. Everyone searching for their own promised land. Lord knows I dont have any...
 
I did mean fiat money, the kind they can just conjure out of thin air it seems. You dont need paper money these days. Its all electronic.
 
Hmm i didnt know that. Entrepeuneralism isnt that like the pioneering spirit? Surely that did not just originate in america or did it?
Im glad those slaves are free now. Imagine if america still did slavery...shudder.
Still, its hard to own land if you starting from zero and theres barriers. I did read that with emancipation, every negro was to have 40 acres and a mule. 40 acres! Thats heaps. Although probably they did not get the best land. Ppl been stealing land off each other for centuries.
 
Hmm naomaos thats an inspriing dream..but whereabouts in america can you fish for marlin?

I guess if I were to dream of america it would be a road trip perhaps and to see the grand canyon and redwood forests...and worship in the open air. It would be hard to pinpoint exactly what would be a dream for me..sailing down the mississippi on a raft like Huckleberry Finn? Eating lobster and crabs in old cape Cod? Seeing if any families actually resemble the Simpsons.

I wouldnt go to Hollywood, but I would try Dollywood. Eating burgers and tacos. Meeting all my american brothers and sisters on Friendly christian forums. I thought about doing a Forrest Gump but Im not that crazy. maybe just take a big yellow taxi across the states insead.

One of my friends is going on an american road trip for three months in a campervan.
 
Lanolin said:
Hmm i didnt know that. Entrepeuneralism isnt that like the pioneering spirit? Surely that did not just originate in america or did it?
Im glad those slaves are free now. Imagine if america still did slavery...shudder.
Still, its hard to own land if you starting from zero and theres barriers. I did read that with emancipation, every negro was to have 40 acres and a mule. 40 acres! Thats heaps. Although probably they did not get the best land. Ppl been stealing land off each other for centuries.
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Entrepreneurship is definitely an old concept that predates America. It predates Europe. All capitalism is is voluntary exchange. That's all. One guy wanting a good or service, the other guy being able to provide it with an exchange for something he'd prefer to have instead. It's a good system. Cronyism is what we have today, which undermines free trade. The reason why America is usually cited when talking about free trade was because that was the whole point of its foundation -- to be able to do this without intervention.

While the material is extremely secondary and what's most important is our souls, the act of charity and provision for others, say our own families, which is aligned with the supernatural, gets undermined, which is why these things are a concern for Christians as well.

That's a whole other discussion for a different time. After 150 years of Lincoln's presidency (the anniversary of his death was just last week or so), there is still division on the subject. Many people believe he was a heroic president who worked hard to free the slaves. Others (probably a minority) believe he was wrong for imposing on States rights and could have ended slavery like other countries did, without waging war on his own country. Not to mention the Emancipation Proclamation permitted slavery in bordering states.

The 40 Acres and a mule, from my understanding, was still an effort that was going to be put in place until the death of Lincoln. His successor, Andrew Johnson, reversed this act. So no one received 40 acres and a mule.
 
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Lanolin said:
Hmm..ok. Why you writing in CAPITALS?

Lol.

I think most countries are capitalistic and also socialistic it depends on who is in power at the time.
Both systems arent ideal. You can have benefits of both capitalism if you a landowner..but then you need capital, where you get it from? Not everyone has it,
You can have benefits of socialism if you work for govt. but thats dependant on you having that office. Not everyone gets that office.

We arent to set our minds on earthly things, Bible tells us. If you miss out, the Bible says, well Jesus says something very profound. The meek shall inherit the earth.
Not the powerful, or those that worked really hard or grabbed it or were lucky. It says the meek.
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Because I wanted to!

Your knowledge in social situations of government are wanting my sister.

A country can be socialistic or capitalist but not both.

Socialism only works as long as there is an ability to take money from the people to run the govt. IT CAN NOT operate in a vacuum.
 
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The civil war sounded terrible. Although I am in no way an expert on that. All I know about it is from the book Gone with the Wind..and it was a little biased toward the South.
 
Lanolin said:
What? Nobody got 40 acres and a mule??
What happened? Was it just an empty promise??
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We can't say it was an empty promise because, I believe, this was an act done by Executive Order...however, before it could be fulfilled, the president had died, so the successor was able to reverse it. Had Lincoln lived long enough, we perhaps he would have gone back on his promise, or he would have fulfilled it. We don't know.
 
Lanolin said:
The civil war sounded terrible. Although I am in no way an expert on that. All I know about it is from the book Gone with the Wind..and it was a little biased toward the South.
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Gone with the Wind is one of my favorite movies. The book was difficult for me to read when I read it in 7th grade..perhaps I should revisit it.

The Civil War itself is still something of much disagreement, though most side with the idea that it was necessary. The purpose of the war was to ensure that no states seceded from the Union, which I do think was a violation of the 11th Amendment, but that doesn't necessarily mean I would have agreed with the Confederacy either. I do, however, think that the southern states had every right to fight back as many of those individuals in those southern states weren't interested in protecting slavery so much as they were interested in protecting their state itself. A few of them wanted to nullify Confederate laws too, meaning slavery.

It's definitely much more grey than people see it, in my humble opinion.
 
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