Problems with our current government and society
Wow. I've tried to write this three times already and cannot find a good place to start. Maybe I'll split up the problem some. Well, there are three elements in society:
All three of these elements conspire against the individual to make him/her fit into a very particular mold that can be called "normal". Normal in this case means college graduate, employed, straight, married, with children, owning a house in the suburbs, cutting the turkey on thanksgiving, decorating a tree at christmas, watching football, talking about the big game with your friends, teaching your kid to play baseball and such things. This is just the male model of normality, there's a female one too. The female model of normality is not so different, but looks to include alot of what looks like servitude to her husband. This is what is called "The American way". I may have some details missing or wrong, but what's important is that there is an American way. This is bad, there shouldn't be an American way other than "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". Where did this stereotypical "American way" come from? The media.
People are easily influenced. Whatever they see on TV, they accept as normal and try to emulate. This is one of the biggest inherent flaws in our society. People no longer think for themselves. They are characterized by an archtype from their favorite television show. After the movie "Wayne's World" came out, people adopted Waynespeak for almost a year and dressed like they did. After the Simpsons became huge, the Bart craze started and everyone way saying "Don't have a cow man" and other snippets of bartspeak. The point is that popular media changes the way the populace thinks. Don't allow yourself to be influenced by that crap! Define yourself in terms of yourself, not in terms of TV characters. Think for yourself !
Another big problem with our society is government regulations. A philosophy that I'm fond of is "An it harm none, do as thou wilt". This allows everyone to live in peace with each other. How wonderful and simple that is. All that the government need be concerned with is what to do when someone does harm another. This does require that people relax and not try to impress their belief systems onto others. An example of this is how southern baptists seem to get upset by gay people. That's bad. Everyone should relax alot more.
An intrinsic flaw in the american system is how much we watch out for each other. I agree that some solidarity is good: Everyone needs someone to cover their back and pull them out of tight spots, but that's the job of your friends and associates, not your government. Virtually all social services should be either dissolved, or privatized (converted into independent businesses). Welfare, unemployment, social security, medi-caid/-care should all be either removed or privatized. When a member of society here is too stupid or lazy to earn what they need to live, our government takes care of them. Welfare is a perfect example of what's wrong with our society. It encourages those who should be weeded out, to breed so that they get bigger welfare checks. If someone is diligent or smart enough to become rich, why punish them with a higher tax rate? We should encourage people like that and discourage those who live like parasites on our country. If someone has absolutely nothing to offer to the system, the system has no responsibility whatsoever to take care of them. Animals in nature kill parasites they find on themselves, why don't we? A dog kills the flea that sucks it's blood and gives nothing back.