Sorry if this has been posted before.

[sartwell]

This is very important to think about?..




No wonder he was selected by Forbes as the most powerful person in the world!!
This is one time our elected leaders should pay attention to the advice of Vladimir Putin. I would suggest that not only our leaders but every citizen of USA should pay attention to this advice.
�
How scary is that? It is a sad day when a Communist makes more sense than our LEADERS but here it is !!!!
Vladimir Putin's speech - SHORTEST SPEECH EVER.
�
On August 04, 2013, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, addressed the Duma,
(Russian Parliament), and gave a speech about the tensions with minorities in Russia:
�
In Russia, live like Russians. Any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in Russia, to work and eat in Russia, it should speak Russian, and should respect the Russian laws. If they prefer Sharia Law, and live the life of Muslim's then we advise them to go to those places where that's the state law.
�
Russia does not need Muslim minorities. Minorities need Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how loud they yell 'discrimination'. We will not tolerate disrespect of our Russian culture. We better learn from the suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are to survive as a nation. The Muslims are taking over those countries and they will not take over Russia. The Russian customs and traditions are not compatible with the lack of culture or the primitive ways of Sharia Law and Muslims.
When this honorable legislative body thinks of creating new laws, it should have in mind the Russian national interest first, observing that the Muslims Minorities Are Not Russians.
�
The politicians in the Duma gave Putin a five minute standing ovation.
�
If you keep this to yourself, you are part of the problem!

 

[mrjarrell]

So, you're citing the words of a dictator for....what? Russia has reasonably lax immigration laws and you can even own guns there.

 

[Shiver]

The problem is America has no traditional "Identity" to speak of. We have no "native culture". Unless you count the Natives, which most ironically don't. And we try desperately to suppress our past because it is, in the grand scheme of things, not so long ago that We were a country built by slaves, and immigrants. We have become an amalgamation of all of the identities of all the immigrants that built this country and along the way we forgot to make one for ourselves. One that is uniquely American. We don't have that. That is only something that comes with age. And as a country we are VERY young. What roughly 240 years? Russia is thousands of years old with a tradition that is set in stone and engraved into the very DNA of those who live there. And they have an Identity that they are Russian.

Americans are still the young punks making noise and trying to prove something to the world. We haven't made an "Identity" yet as a people. We don't even have a true "nationality" yet.

 

[Expat]

Funny, for many years we were an English speaking, Christian morals, Constitutionally based country. Some people don't like that. It looks like those people have won. I don't think our country is going to benefit from that change.

 

[indyjohn]

Funny, for many years we were an English speaking, Christian morals, Constitutionally based country. Some people don't like that. It looks like those people have won. I don't think our country is going to benefit from that change.

+1

 

[Shiver]

Funny, for many years we were an English speaking, Christian morals, Constitutionally based country. Some people don't like that. It looks like those people have won. I don't think our country is going to benefit from that change.

Is that how you define the identity of a country? By what language, religion, and form of government they have?

What I am talking about is something deeper within the people of that country that makes them all feel unified. We had a glimpse of that feeling after 9/11. But it is lost again, and how quickly it was is amazing to me.

America needs hardship. The Great Depression all over again but on a larger scale. Even during the GD we were not a 3rd world country. We need to feel what it is like to be 3rd world, so we can appreciate what it means to be 1st world. The people here today do not suffer. We need that to build our identity together. America, as it is, needs to fall so that it can grow again. Bigger and better than ever. Every other country in the world has done this multiple times.

We never have.

I do not mean this as starting a revolution, or anything like that. I am saying America has reached the end of a cycle. Where it has gotten to big and can no longer efficiently or effectively govern itself or the people of the land. If nothing changes it will eventually fall. If something does change it will only delay the fall or possibly soften the blow. But America WILL fall. Like Rome, Greece, England, Russia, and all great empires of history. It is just a matter of how we as a people deal with the aftermath and whether we can rise from the ashes or be buried by history.

 

[tetsujin79]

It is just a matter of how we as a people deal with the aftermath and whether we can rise from the ashes or be buried by history.

Better hope there's an app for that...

 

[poptab]

Is that how you define the identity of a country? By what language, religion, and form of government they have?

What I am talking about is something deeper within the people of that country that makes them all feel unified. We had a glimpse of that feeling after 9/11. But it is lost again, and how quickly it was is amazing to me.

America needs hardship. The Great Depression all over again but on a larger scale. Even during the GD we were not a 3rd world country. We need to feel what it is like to be 3rd world, so we can appreciate what it means to be 1st world. The people here today do not suffer. We need that to build our identity together. America, as it is, needs to fall so that it can grow again. Bigger and better than ever. Every other country in the world has done this multiple times.

We never have.

I do not mean this as starting a revolution, or anything like that. I am saying America has reached the end of a cycle. Where it has gotten to big and can no longer efficiently or effectively govern itself or the people of the land. If nothing changes it will eventually fall. If something does change it will only delay the fall or possibly soften the blow. But America WILL fall. Like Rome, Greece, England, Russia, and all great empires of history. It is just a matter of how we as a people deal with the aftermath and whether we can rise from the ashes or be buried by history.

Are you seriously glamorizing hive mentality?

Nationalism is a bad thing.
I'll take rugged individualism for 2000 Alex.

We need to suffer? You are crazy. Go self flagellate elsewhere.

 

[ModernGunner]

...Even during the GD we were not a 3rd world country. We need to feel what it is like to be 3rd world, so we can appreciate what it means to be 1st world... Every other country in the world has done this multiple times...We never have.

This sounds, eerily, exactly like what the Liar-In-Chief is attempting to do. Turn the U.S. into a 3rd world country out of some paranoid, misdirected 'need' to so, because the U.S. 'has gotten too big and too successful for the world'.

It's a hollow, straw-man argument, and quite simply, wrong. There is NO need to tear apart the U.S. 'for it's own good'. That's the ideology of the terrorist, whether that terrorist is Osama Bin Laden or Bill Ayers.

The other countries mentioned; Rome, Greece, England, Russia are not 'just like the U.S.'. ALL of those countries, and others that might be mentioned were begun or still are Dictatorship-oriented countries. A single leader 'calling all the shots', whether they evolved from that or not.

The United States was founded specifically against such a concept. Whether we have actualized that objective some (relatively) couple centuries later is, of course, debatable. The subject, perhaps, for a different thread. But that's irrelevant here.

We have many issues and complaints regarding the manner in which the concept of the U.S. has been / is being carried forward; some valid, some not. But again, irrelevant to the concept and ideas upon which the United States was founded.

'American English' is not 'proper English'. LOL, any Brit will happily bring that up. That's fine, but that 'improper English' is but one thing that makes us specifically American. Nor do we, generally speaking, believe in 'segmented law', such as Sharia law, which forces many to suffer for the benefit of the few. In fact, we frequently 'fight' among ourselves as to the applicability of any given law as to it's 'rightness'; whether it maintains the sovereignty of the individual while benefiting the majority. This is a major reason for political and legal 'gridlock'.

The United States does have an 'identity', one that makes us 'uniquely' "American". One which other nations, try as they might, have had a most difficult time attempting to emulate. As we have here in the U.S.A., as a matter of fact.

No, the 'gridlock', the arguments, the (some times quite heated) debates and 'table pounding', the struggle to achieve and move forward no matter how difficult the challenges may be, is what makes America "America".

Few times will you hear, openly and honestly, many individuals ever emphatically state, "I want to be Iranian", or North Korean, or even Russian. No, they want to be 'American'.

There are some who are not happy with this concept. And that's fine. The U.S. has no 'rule' against leaving and finding a better opportunity in another country. That's called 'choice', and it's permitted and encouraged in the U.S. To be sure, a few make that choice. But, I offer that, collectively speaking, it's a 'very rare' choice. Most often, it's those from foreign nations that seek, some times at great peril to their own life and the lives of their children, to come to our shores, by their choice.

They want to come here, to be here. With all the 'problems' and 'issues' and 'things wrong' and 'struggles' and 'challenges' we loudly and frequently complain about and fight over, they still want to come here. To be a part of the very 'mess' we call the "United States of America".

It's a 'horrible' concept, a 'messy' philosophy, an 'untenable' position. The 'worst' form of government ever invented!

Except... for everything else.

 

[Dean C.]

The only part I agree with is nobody should try to force their religious laws upon everyone else.

 

[Shiver]

Are you seriously glamorizing hive mentality?

Nationalism is a bad thing.
I'll take rugged individualism for 2000 Alex.

We need to suffer? You are crazy. Go self flagellate elsewhere.

It may be an unpleasant idea but it is the other side of your coin. Whether I truly believe in the idea is irrelevant. But America IS losing what identity it had by catering to the lowest common denominator.

 

[Shiver]

This sounds, eerily, exactly like what the Liar-In-Chief is attempting to do. Turn the U.S. into a 3rd world country out of some paranoid, misdirected 'need' to so, because the U.S. 'has gotten too big and too successful for the world'.

It's a hollow, straw-man argument, and quite simply, wrong. There is NO need to tear apart the U.S. 'for it's own good'. That's the ideology of the terrorist, whether that terrorist is Osama Bin Laden or Bill Ayers.

The other countries mentioned; Rome, Greece, England, Russia are not 'just like the U.S.'. ALL of those countries, and others that might be mentioned were begun or still are Dictatorship-oriented countries. A single leader 'calling all the shots', whether they evolved from that or not.

The United States was founded specifically against such a concept. Whether we have actualized that objective some (relatively) couple centuries later is, of course, debatable. The subject, perhaps, for a different thread. But that's irrelevant here.

We have many issues and complaints regarding the manner in which the concept of the U.S. has been / is being carried forward; some valid, some not. But again, irrelevant to the concept and ideas upon which the United States was founded.

'American English' is not 'proper English'. LOL, any Brit will happily bring that up. That's fine, but that 'improper English' is but one thing that makes us specifically American. Nor do we, generally speaking, believe in 'segmented law', such as Sharia law, which forces many to suffer for the benefit of the few. In fact, we frequently 'fight' among ourselves as to the applicability of any given law as to it's 'rightness'; whether it maintains the sovereignty of the individual while benefiting the majority. This is a major reason for political and legal 'gridlock'.

The United States does have an 'identity', one that makes us 'uniquely' "American". One which other nations, try as they might, have had a most difficult time attempting to emulate. As we have here in the U.S.A., as a matter of fact.

No, the 'gridlock', the arguments, the (some times quite heated) debates and 'table pounding', the struggle to achieve and move forward no matter how difficult the challenges may be, is what makes America "America".

Few times will you hear, openly and honestly, many individuals ever emphatically state, "I want to be Iranian", or North Korean, or even Russian. No, they want to be 'American'.

There are some who are not happy with this concept. And that's fine. The U.S. has no 'rule' against leaving and finding a better opportunity in another country. That's called 'choice', and it's permitted and encouraged in the U.S. To be sure, a few make that choice. But, I offer that, collectively speaking, it's a 'very rare' choice. Most often, it's those from foreign nations that seek, some times at great peril to their own life and the lives of their children, to come to our shores, by their choice.

They want to come here, to be here. With all the 'problems' and 'issues' and 'things wrong' and 'struggles' and 'challenges' we loudly and frequently complain about and fight over, they still want to come here. To be a part of the very 'mess' we call the "United States of America".

It's a 'horrible' concept, a 'messy' philosophy, an 'untenable' position. The 'worst' form of government ever invented!

Except... for everything else.

To find answers both sides of the argument must be presented. I simply stated the extremist side that would most likely be the opposite of most on this forum.

America is losing what Identity it has and in this way I agree with Putin. If they want to come let them come. But if they want to be Americans then they better plan on being American.

 

[jamil]

The identity we're losing is rooted in individual liberty. We've traditionally come together in crisis. And we lived our own lives after the crisis was over. That's how it should be. A nation of neighbors living our own lives however we see fit. If your truck gets stuck on my road, well, I'll come help you get back on your way. Maybe invite you over for some ice tea first. That's the Identity we're losing.

 

[Hornett]

The problem is America has no traditional "Identity" to speak of. We have no "native culture". Unless you count the Natives, which most ironically don't.

No identity?
Really?
We are a Christian nation that was FOUNDED on freedom.
Part of our identity is individual freedom and liberty.
We are cowboys that can survive on our own. If no other nation helped us, we could thrive, because that's who we are.
If any nation needs help in a crisis, or food for a hungry population, it's Americans that are typically there first to help out.
We are pretty easy going as a nation and like any family, we have our differences, but if you mess with any of us, you mess with all of us.
We are the Nation that ended WWI and WWII.
With our individual independence we have forged what became the most powerful nation in the world.
Culture? There is American cuisine, just as there is French cuisine. Need examples?
Turkey and dressing, American.
Fried chicken, American.
Chili, Chicken Pot pie, Collard Greens, Wisconsin cheese, Mashed potatos... All American.
French Fries, yup, American.

No identity, my foot.

 

[Bogan]

It's a Friggin' HOAX! Why do you people always fall for this sh&%???

Vladimir Putin's Supposed Speech to the Duma on Minorities and Sharia Law