Nation of Debt

[Bindare_Dundat]

[garebear]

You ain't seen nothing yet.

I am an American currently living in China.

As far as eclipsing the US economy, this place is just getting warmed up. China is just getting their infrastructure in place. This next generation is going to dwarf what has already happened. They are teaching their children English as young as three and many more young people are getting an education than what was before ( a direct result of the growing middle class).

Going in debt is not even an option the way it is in the US. The mentality is a reverse negative.

Don't be fooled by the communist label, either. These people are pure capitalist, everyone is out to make a yuan.

[shootfighter1]

More and more Americans are living outside their means.  There is no pride in conserving and delayed gratification for many.  Look at many poor neighborhoods now...its nothing like the poor working class neighborhoods of past generations where family was strong and work was honorable.  Much value is placed on fancy clothes, cars, rims, stereos, and Bling instead of paying bills, paying mortgages, supporting each other, and investing in their future.  The culture of some Americans is completely backwards and its getting more prevalent, not less.  Its often not what can you contribute to society and others around you....its what are they going to give me.

Also, we can partially thank the rap culture for teaching our kids exaggerated materialistic values.  We should have never elevated that music culture to such a degree to influence so many kids. 

[garebear]

More and more Americans are living outside their means.  There is no pride in conserving and delayed gratification for many.  Look at many poor neighborhoods now...its nothing like the poor working class neighborhoods of past generations where family was strong and work was honorable.  Much value is placed on fancy clothes, cars, rims, stereos, and Bling instead of paying bills, paying mortgages, supporting each other, and investing in their future.  The culture of some Americans is completely backwards and its getting more prevalent, not less.  Its often not what can you contribute to society and others around you....its what are they going to give me.

Also, we can partially thank the rap culture for teaching our kids exaggerated materialistic values.  We should have never elevated that music culture to such a degree to influence so many kids. 

I'm not sure how much 'rap culture' plays a part. Perhaps this is life imitating art, more so than the other way.

Actually, your post conjures up other things that have floated in my head, in my time here.

This generation, in China, makes me think of the US in that post ww2 era. Can you imagine how hungry they were? GI Bill was a fresh and new idea. For the first time in any real way, US citizens could understand the true slide of upward mobility. I think China sees this now.

You cannot pass this on to a second generation, however. Not in any real way. If you are born on top, you don't know what it took to get there.

Do yourself a favor and teach your kids Mandarin, they're gonna need it.

[shootfighter1]

I hear you, there's many factors in changing the minds and attitudes of a generation but rap has played its part.  Rap had a great influence on a generation in a way few music genres have in the past (outside of the hippies and anti-war groups of the late 60s).  It certainly may have started as music representing life but grew way beyond that.

We elevated a small genre of music into the most popular mainstream media for nearly 15 yrs now.  Kids immitate what they see their peers doing and the popular people on tv.  We glorify chaos and irresponsible materialistic, low educated assholes.  I looked up to very different kind of people when I was a kid and it set my foundation very differently.

Personally, my favorite music is fusion jazz (a rock/jazz mix).  I have gone to jazz clubs for 10+ yrs, they have their own amazing culture and they are some of the best people I have met, regardless of class, religion or race.  Many real musicians hate rap and what the rap culture has done to music and to their kids.

[Bindare_Dundat]

You cannot pass this on to a second generation, however. Not in any real way. If you are born on top, you don't know what it took to get there.

Do yourself a favor and teach your kids Mandarin, they're gonna need it.

Very well said and I totally agree.

You're not kiddding about the "learn Madarin" part either, there are schools on the west coast that are doing this, (its the third most sought foreign language to learn) and I know  parents that believe they are securing their childrens future by having them learn it. Who would have thought this 10 years ago?