What do you dislike/frustrates you the most in/about American society as a whole?

Anyone who voted for Bush. Or McCain.

I’m venting, right? So I don’t have to offer any further explanation.

@Les

That’ll do :)

Anti-intellectualism. People need to learn it’s not bad to be smart… and then learn to think more.

Bigotry, racism, political polarization with a refusal to keep an open mind, a small percentage of any given group speaking for the whole in a way they dont agree with, paying for the UN, being a part of the WTO, invading Iraq for oil, Bush, anyone who voted for Bush, Christians who think Jesus would be all about passing oppressive legislations to force people to act morally. Internet Explorer, Microsoft, cell phone contracts, the health care indusry that gets rich off people that are sick, the pharmaceutical industry for the same thing, Not intervening in the genocide happening in Darfur, gang violence, any violence.

I’m sure there’s more.

added:
obesity
greed
America claiming to be a “Christian Nation” and then acting like Rome. -paradox (ex: peace through war, death penalty)

people who fulfill the various sterotypes of people that suck at driving
people who cannot use a roundabout

Obesity, our greed. And the newest trend. Not being polite in public. Either texting while having a face to face conversation or taking a call while talking to someone else. Drives me nuts. Reality in more important than virtual.

@minderrantry: nice. Lurve.

@patg7590 ahh cell phone contracts. So stupid. Ugh

Death penalty…..... really ticks me off!

Smugness about our position in the world. We take as axiomatic that however we do things is “the best”, and that we have nothing to learn from anywhere else.

And I think we’ve largely lost our ability to think in grand terms. The idea seems to have settled in that we’re not really capable of making bold, ambitious initiatives work, because somehow anything big the government undertakes is doomed to failure because of incompetence, inefficiency, and/or corruption. But at the same time, we don’t seem to feel that it’s worth, or even possible, to fix what’s broken about our government so that we can have confidence in it. We just write it off as hopeless, and look for other ways to get things done. We face big issues these days, and need to find a way to mobilize our collective power to address them.

I’m not sure any of these are strictly germane to “American society” (although they are annoying).

I would say blind, narrow-minded allegiance to the U.S. bothers me most.
I see this mostly perpetrated by GOP wannabe types. Rush Limbaugh fans I suspect (as they often parrot what he says).

Specifically, articulating the belief that the U.S. is better than any other country.
The that other countries should follow our lead/bow before us/get out of the way “or else”.

The arrogance and smugness really bother me.

{ Oops – Sorry Harp. Posted near you. Same idea. }

Lack of knowledge of the rest of the world. I swear, half of Americans have no idea there are any other people in the world besides Americans. Of course more don’t have a second language. Pathetic.

Too little social responsibility. That’s the main thing that I feel is the problem in America. Too many people want everything handed to them, and that just isn’t going to work. Why do you think we’re in the trouble we are now economically? Because of presidents like Clinton and Obama. Sure, let’s let everyone, even the ones who don’t deserve it, have a chance to get a home. Oh, and not just any home, but a home that they’ll never be able to pay for. Why? Because it’s gonna’ make my pockets a little bigger! Hardy har har. Is it making them bigger now? Hardy har har. Now Obama isn’t even trying to fix the problem, he’s just going to make even more things for us to have to worry about paying for. Why did the people put him in office? Cause he apparently brings ‘hope’, that we can all have a chance. Well, at least everyone that is living right now that is over the age of 50, and all the college kids that want this ‘new’ stuff. What about our kids? How are they going to have a chance, if they have to pay for our ‘chance’?

I’m getting off-topic I think, but I think the answer to the crisis would be to just pay off everyone’s loans that the government allowed them to take out in the first place. Then everyone will be out of debt, and can start worrying about purchasing products again, the products that keep our ‘Capitalist Economy’ running. Oh, and also, don’t allow people to take out these ridiculous loans again. My two cents.

So yeah, a lack of social responsibility really ticks me off. Take care of yourself man, quit asking for everyone else in the nation to take care of you. And Politicians, if you have a pet project, don’t use an earmark to get funding. Raise the money locally. I don’t want to have to pay for something you’re building in your state, something that I’ll probably never see. That isn’t what federal funding is for!

K. I’m done.

I despise that Americans feel it’s okay to impose their way of thinking on their fellow Americans, as well as the world. Why do we have the right to say who can and cannot have nuclear weapons? Why must we be the warriors of democracy? Imposing ideas makes people angry. If people come to it themselves then it becomes part of them.

over-patriotism that leads to mindless justification of anything america does.

Christians and religious nuts

Athiests

ding ding ding

In this corner…

Religious wars such as IE vs. Firefox, Windows vs. Apple, or Evangelicals vs Atheists.

Megalomania.

Actors making 100 times as much per year as architects.

Capitalism. Consumerism. Athletes making millions while civil servants make $40K if that per year. Black Friday. CHRISTMAS. Fast food. Hummers. Indulged children.

If only the public were willing to shell out millions to watch architects or civil servants in action!

@steelmarket Oooo! Fighting words!

I think an insensitivity is the thing that makes me the most, be it a refusal to acknowledge the full cost of a product, or an ability to easily view people as an “other”.

That, and lack of funding for the arts by the government.

Also, I commend everyone for not devolving into a flame war here! Bravo!

@essieness
yes Hummers def

@patg7590 Here’s a funny site about Hummers; I just wish they’d update it.

People’s constant struggle to stay pretty and fit. I just wanna stay happy. Some people detroy themselves on the outside just to be pretty and destroy themselves inside just to be fit.

Loans
money trouble
gas prices
mortgages
apartment/condos
drving
paying bills
not being accpeted for who i am
rejection
stupid fast food jobs
lack of creative jobs for creative pople ike myself
cheaters- people arent original these days
dishonesty
lieing
illnesses
negative comments
evil people
bad politicians
being powerless

I guess that sums it up! Thanks ya’ll!

people bugging people to have kids when they dont want them

Stupidity, Republicans,Conservatives, racists, homophobes, elitists, misogynists, misanthropes, the anti abortion crowd, religious fanatics, Christianity, Christians, Republicans, the co-mingling of Church and State, did I mention Republicans? Reality TV, the educational system, the health care system,Conservatives, slow drivers in the fast lane, people who take two spaces with their shitty parking, and last but certainly not least…...Republicans and conservatives.

Where to start? ethnocentrism, neo-patriotism, bigotry, homphobia and other ills justified by religious mythology; xenophobia, people that whine about being a victim instead of taking personal responsibility for their actions, (not sure what the term is for that), ad hominem attacks on people over politics, religion, beliefs, lifestyles rather than simply disagreeing with that person’s views. A preponderance of ‘sue-happy’ individuals that think they deserves millions of dollars for being stupid/doing idiotic things when they should have known better.

On the other side, I love that in America you can complain about these things and you don’t have to worry about the Secret Police spiriting you or your family away in the middle of the night, never to be seen or heard from again. Freedom of speech is a very important right in this country, and one we should remain diligent to keep.