Ben Stein - Does America Lack a Sense of Community?

[eraldb12]

Pathetic...

[adrianriviera]

Ben Stein is a jerk

[Electrica990]

Ben Stein--you are a big fat boob with a brain that probably looks like a cow udder that the right have been sucking on too long. I am presently listening to you blather about the 99 percenters. The police just beat the shit out of a soldier fresh from Iraq for God sakes so fuck you! Come down on the streets and we'll show you a message...but no you won't will you? Stay on the TV set where it's nice and safe and spew your venom.

[jowsmith100]

I agree on this also.

[jowsmith100]

i dont agree with him either all that much but he does make some sense on this

[TheMaxkriz]

ben stein for president

[ljp7c4]

I don't agree with this guy on much, but on this I do!

How can some of you people dismiss everything he says just because you don't agree with one of his opinions?!

[Sumoto999]

@ljp7c4 agree.



[MrNewkingjames]

Ben Stien is not"smart " he is intelligent He is an instructor an economist a lawyer an actor and a public speaker. To dismiss him because he rejects Darwinism says more about you than him.The purpose of his recent film is to demonstrate how people are persecuted simply because they don't accept the "religion " of Darwin and apparently you are one of the people who are oppressing dissenters.

[flibberswooper0]

Oh wow. I never agree with Ben but I'm with him on this one.

[EcrossH]

I don't normally agree with Ben Stein, especially on his creationist views and his views that there's a "scientific community conspiracy" regarding evolution, BUT he is absolutely correct here. America, particularly corporate, banking, and military-industrial America, is so steeped in corruption. These people in power (and money) OWN a significant part of our government, and are actively trying to erase rules that keep their them from raping trillions more and destroying the planet.

[Whatever4690]

Well racism and patriotism were the things that promoted community in the past,like it or not its the truth,people no longer indentify themselves with a group.

I could of course be totally wrong and i dont care either way.

[Rao665]

@Whatever4690

I guess your right, in order to feel part of a "brotherhood" you need to find like minded people. the easiest way to do that is on how you look: racial pride. with racial pride comes racism.

[49jubilee]

this is why too many people are on ANTIDEPRESSANTS because we didnt NEED THEM BEFORE======people knew their neighbors----if we keep this up, China will take our country, squeeze all of the oil out, and to hell with the environment because THEY DONT CARE AS A COUNTRY for the US---and we OWE them

[heartlessvietboy]

AMERICA'S WRITING IS ALL WRONG!! OMG!!

1. Civilization is Country.

2. Society is Region.

3. Community is a Village or a Block.

[Rao665]

@heartlessvietboy

There was Civilization long before Country. Society is like Culture. you cant put a regional boundary around "Society" and "culture".

Community can be a Village or block. Agreed with you there.

[heartlessvietboy]

The only time a girl wants you to blow her mind is when she wants to give you a blow job!!

[heartlessvietboy]

By the way, that is right. I was just using examples.

[Br00ke19]

This entire speech is amazing. Either way, the speech is for the greater good of our economy. Who cares if he is a hypocrite or a religious nutcase..The fact is that, the change he is talking about is for the better, not for the worse. That is what is important here.

[Br00ke19]

This entire speech is amazing.

[Elazar40]

Ben Stein reminds me of American born economic philosopher, Henry George. Both National & International Socialism, are secular political ideologies. Neither aspires to act in accord with the principle of social justice. Although George is identified as a "Socialist," this is incorrect. Henry George was an advocat for an open & fair market, one in which all free men own the fruits of their labor. At this juncture in American history, all Americans must familiarize themselves with George's ideas.

[primenemisis]

Bueller, Bueller......Bueller...

[LemUUU]

no matter how dumb ben stein may be, he makes a damn good point here

[hempartist420]

what a hypocrite, suck on some clear eyes ben

[materiom]

Truer words have never been spoken about economic plight and how it relates to our nation's lack of community. Government and business view the people as looting opportunities...plain and simple. Whether you like Ben Stein or not, this problem transcends political boundaries.

[senorfarqueso]

wow, so ben stein is a communist in addition to being a religious nutcase.

[Elazar40]

A quest for social justice has nothing to do with atheist Communism. Whether Mr. Stein is a "nutcase" or not, is pure conjecture, maybe even projection.

[websuspect]

You explain corporations and government working together to loot the American citizens as Facism and depostism. We have lost our sense of foster hood and brotherhood as Americans that the founding fathers instilled in us. What do you call it when the military Industrial complex pays off the politicats and the politicians reward them with contracts and the banks get paid off and the American citizen pays for it.

[augiedogp]

JBBlitz- listen to Ben Stein's points in the video on YouTube titled "America's Education Crisis." Judging by your incredible grammar skills, I think he actually refers to you in that video...

[JBBlitz]

Ben Stein makes good points he a smart man he should be president.

[tom133991]

Look at Thunderf00ts videos about his, you will seriously change your mind

[jknightglfr]

I appreciate Mr. Stein's perspecitive, but is it not a bit hypocritical to say you spend time in a gated community?

[Raford146]

I used to like Ben Stein before he became a creationist nutjob.

[skategeezer99]

Wow again intolerance? You do know what you are saying is intolerant.

[Raford146]

Maybe, but it's also the truth.

[skategeezer99]

There is no truth in intolerance.

[4me2cclearly]

It irritates me when people like Ben Stein, claim science leads to killing people. How can you take someone with these kind of view seriously? We have in our hands now the ability to destroy this plant many times over. Can you imagine this power in the hands of the religious tyrants of the old?

There would be no us.

Science has dramatically improved the world for mankind. It is everywhere, all around us. Science is more real than your god will ever be.

[skategeezer99]

"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

Albert Einstein, "Science, Philosophy and Religion: a Symposium", 1941

[4me2cclearly]

ID is not a scientific theory.

Hypothesiss doesnt just become theories because we want it to, it requires the process of refined research and peer reviews. So far ID have yet to provide any of these.

ID is a pseudoscience that deserves to be in the school, no more than heliocentric teachings, astrology, or alchemy.

ID has already been ruled as non-science and creationism in disguise in court. Check out Nova's report on the Dover Trial.

[Cockknocker99]

America will always have the brilliant elite that will always be rich and always a bunch of fucking retards who will always be poor.  It's a continuous trend....

[DyeTyme]

This bastard was one of the people pretending nothing was going to happen before the subprime crisis. Economist? Complete bullshit.

[procommenter]

Do Americans attend school? Yes, but not to learn. School is so much more than that! We Americans learn what we need from each other, through gossip & hearsay.

[RealTime88]

That's a scary thought though. You are SUPPOSED to learn at school. Not gossip or have sex or do drugs. I went to a HS like that. It wasn't like that when I walked in but it has now become something of that. We need to listen to our teachers, work hard, study, and do something postive with our life and help others as Ben says we should.

[ianwhy12345]

@RealTime88 a lot of textbook information, especially history is wrong

[weirdoweirdo]

I believe that Americans and much of the world recently have confused private and short-term greed with public-minded ambition. Ben Stein is kind of making similar point.

[Davotheravo123]

America lacks intelligence, and the remainder of it is spiraling down the dark plug of religion and prejudice.

[Hopeful71]

It's strange hearing these words coming from one of the ultimate free market militants who even advised the progenitor of revolution, Dick Nixon, talk about the dangers of greed and rugged individualism.

Did it take him over 10 years to read "Bowling Alone"?

Never too late to grow.

[davidscalling]

It's not easy either when our school teachers are either far right wing or far left wing. Specially in our colleges where 99% of the professors are so far left they are teaching us to hate our country, to hate our government, and these liberals are fudging statistics to push their agendas. I used to be a democrat but switched to republican, but today I am simply an "Independent" because I think both sides are too extreme. But our liberal professors are teaching kids to hate our country.

[jakethejeckel]

thank you finally someone that thinks the same way i do. both sides are just going to hurt the country if they are to extreme. this county's gov't was not suppose to be a two party system like it has become because the extremities of both sides are dangerous. even if a person is a far left wing liberal they are probably still closed minded because while they say they are open minded to everyone they wouldnt listen to a word of a republican and vice versa for republicans.

[davidscalling]

Thank you jakethejackel, I think Americans have overly subjective and irrational expectations of our parities too. Take Obama for example, despite him saying over and over again that fixing our country will take a long time, may take longer than one term and that he will only do the best he can based on weighing the data, most Americans keep calling him the next Lincoln, JFK, M.T.King, and saying that he's going to "Save us all". Even he doesn't want to be seen in such laughty hights. ps....

[davidscalling]

pss... Like I was saying Obama despite all his speaches about being Objective and a long road ahead, everyone is placing laughty ideals upon him. He even said that he doesn't think of himself as black but 'american' but this election has become a BLACK issue. I agree it's ground breaking, but the news and the public and both parties are seriously overshadowing Obama with very unrealistic god like features and resting everything on his shoulders. I didn't vote this year. But I feel bad for him

[fireandice100]

Uh, no they are not. They are teaching us to hold our great nation accountable for their actions and not to not let them get away with sweeping things under the rug. That is what any educated nation should do...question their authority instead of being herded like sheep to our own demise. We owe it to our fellow citizens to hold our big businesses and government accountable.

[maghra]

he talks like he has some sort of disease

[RealTime88]

All we give a damn about is money and we need to grow the fuck up and care about our neighbors like family. This country is supposed to be a family who cares about each other. At least my father raised me to think that way. I haven't seen that in recent years we need to grow up!!!

[cannuckistan]

In my experience, americans live by the dictum "there's a sucker born every minute...". It's the loneliest country to be in, if you want to live for more than just your own 'pursuit of happiness'. It amazes me how commited you all are to getting rich...

[bkelsey4]

Yeah, the American philosophy is basically "He who dies with the most stuff and having screwed over his brother the most wins".It's so very sad.Paying $10 billion a month for a criminal war is great;paying a fraction of that so people can have health care is "evil and socialist".Capitalism is the process of how you get a person to pay for the weapon of his own execution and have a smile on his face as he does it.Sad.

[drunkenmonkey379]

yeah

Unfortunately Communism and socialism usually only work on paper, too bad people are bad with power

but he who dies with the most toys wins is right for this world

[bkelsey4]

Hi, cannuckistan.There are a few of us here who do care about more than having five houses and a yard full of cars,but we usually get branded as being "socialists" or even "communists".It's so very sad.

Are you a Trek fan?The American obsession with greed puts me in mind of the Feregi.Their religion was literally no holds capitalism.A part of me weeps when I look into the future of the American dream,and find no heart;just selfishness and greed.

[drmodestoesq]

Yes, bkelsey what is one of the laws of acquisition "A man with dignity and an empty sack is worth one empty sack." A good way to ameliorate today's economic woes is for people with a job to spend less time at work. Say a car plant employs 5000 people (lets make the math easy) and they have to lay 2000 of them off. I say (and I'm in the minority) why don't we just go to a 3 day work week. I know, I know, people will say I can't get by on 750 dollars a week. Well, then your fired.

[RealTime88]

Yeah I agree, we need to start caring about our neighbors. We are too selfish as a country and I think we need to grow up and do good deeds for others and smile more. That helps a lot and goes a long way. I'm learning that more as I grow up.

[scata99]

fuck you

[LongLiveEthan]

Boring= Good when Ben Stein does it

[Brettah31]

once again, i completely agree with stein on this one.

and yet im the eeevvviiiilll scientist.

[random0815]

elders get respect if they deserve it, like everyone else! this kind of community usually breeds provinciality, social oppression and ethical decay, progress never came from such "community", american communitarism is a hollow propaganda myth

[Dannyjjango]

this guy is voting for mccain..a complete idiot

[a1mint]

If McCain is either an idiot or else a son of a bitch. If he gets voted in, I wonder who gets to take over when he keels over.

[nhtyger]

a1, your posts are filled with no thought, only hatred. Surely you're capable of thought and reason, so why not try it?

If you don't like McCain, say why. Instead of coming across as another left-wing extremist, you might actually convert people

[a1mint]

Ok then, let's begin shall we?

First, let's define what a neocon is. Watch the following video and then get back to me:

watch?v=6dappb82loo

[danieleriskay]

Norton's summary of neoconservative is kind of childish and vapid, missing the essential points.

Besides, McCain is hardly a neoconservative. He's just a goofy guy who wants to be president but is not sure for what reasons. He's basically much like Obama, just white, old, and cranky.

[a1mint]

No he's not. He offers the same neocon crap. He sucks up to the same corrupt bastards, and the same corrupt bastards support him.

McCain will die during his term, and some other evil fuck will take over. That is, if he gets voted in, which I think he will not.

Obama '08 - by a landslide.  Stupid people: move over.

[nhtyger]

daniel, while I agree McCain is far from a neocon-in fact, some conservatives refer to him as a liberal!-there are some pretty big differences between he and Obama. And I don't find him especially cranky, nor is there anything wrong with being old or white-you are what you are...anyway, this is off topic, it's supposed to be a discussion about how we treat each other. And hell, I agree, we're too self absorbed to care about each other-but what do you do about it, other than practice kindness?

[danieleriskay]

hi, I should point out that I wasn't specifically making an issue of McCain's age or whiteness, other than making a contrast between the candidates. While not personally relevant to me, I do believe that it is an underlying and frequently not fully recognized reason for the different responses between the two candidates.

The important thing is, I really don't think Obama or McCain are all that ideologically different. I don't think most Obama supporters can really articulate Obama's beliefs.

[danieleriskay]

" I agree, we're too self absorbed to care about each other-but what do you do about it"

I agree.  i think a big problem is that both left and right in the US, and I think particularly the Left, does not regard the problem with society as being within themselves. It's all about scapegoating others. How some other party, demographic, or organization is just mucking everything up.

Our biggest problem is the satisfaction we take in blaming others.

[danieleriskay]

And when you blame others, when you regard people of different ideologies, parties, social classes, education levels, etc, as "the problem" or inherently bad.. it becomes fully justifiable to demonize them, take advantage of them, and be indifferent to their problems.

[KaoriBlue]

What strikes me as odd is that the ID people give 'God' a lot less credit than he might deserve. To me, it's a lot more impressive and elegant to design a universe where intelligent life can arise via an extremely simple set of physical laws that govern how particles/strings/(whatever it ends up being) can interact. The fact that a small seed can grow a tree is much more impressive than the fact that a tree can exist.

[SatanicCod]

This guy is a creationist, can we take him serously?

[ibbergeblibben]

How to take 88 subjects ranging from Lindsay Lohan to the Stock Market to gated communities and throw in a little creationism and a little sub prime and a little wifey story and you have it... A BEN STEIN SPEECH.

He makes no sense. It's like an AA drunkalogue...he just keep babbling. And he doesn't care what anyone thinks. And he should respect Lindsay as much as anyone.

Hypocrite. I think they should make the gate at his desert complex higher and SOUND PROOOF so nobody could hear him.

[KaoriBlue]

I think if you dig enough, you'll find that everyone believes things that are off or crazy. This is especially true for scientists (especially especially) true for mathematicians. However, it doesn't mean that the person ISN'T competent and worth listening to. He's an excellent economist and lawyer - belief in ID doesn't diminish that in my mind.

[SatanicCod]

Yes, of course you can dig crap out of everybody's past. The point is, since he's the main drive behind the movie "Expelled", I have to assume that he's a irresponsible propagandist.

If you want a REAL economist, go read Alan Greenspan's book. It is quite informative.

[KaoriBlue]

I'm a big Greenspan fan and I've already read his book. I guess my point is that, I know a bunch of math/theory-phys people in academia - a lot of them are crazy and believe in conspiracies, some of them are very religious, etc. But they're still excellent at what they do, and their work deserves to be taken seriously. Lastly, I don't have a problem with this film or with the whole 'ID Debate'. Why? Because it isn't a debate - neither side will ever win or change their minds.

[EpiGnosin]

So . . . assume. You just said it. You're going to assume. The guy can make great statements - but you're going to ignore those statements, because you have to assume.

"Assumptions are the termites of a relationship" - Henry Winkler.

And relationships is what this man is talking about. We don't KNOW or want to know one another. We don't want to be a community in this country. When you are a community - it's much easier to hate other people. Rather than tolerate differing viewpoints

[budtweed2002]

This is our choice to cheat our neighbors or help, God will respect our choice. Those who choose to help along with 10 guide rules to help us develop our sole and the true belief in Jesus will be the ones that will inherit the earth after the ones that choose not to care (there choices) will sent to there paradise.

Think about this, is really that hard to smile with good intentions behind it? I will put on my parashoot, I do not know you, but I care and ask please do the same.

[JohnR22926]

Robert Putnam wrote a book "Bowling Alone" in 2001 that talked about the vanishing sense of community in the US. As people work harder to maintain their standard of living, and as we sit in front of our TVs/PCs, we don't engage in as many community activities as we used to. This in turn, creates more suspicion and distrust of neighbors because we no longer know them. This is an oversimplification, but I think it's worth considering. Check out the reviews on Amazon for a good summary.

[littleredbirdy]

Actually Americans naturally stand further away from one another than most. (this is during everyday activities, like talking)

[zydarking]

he HAS a point, to a certain extent. the US does lack a sense of community - course then again, so is the rest of the world. it ain't just the States, it's also the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe etc. that's in danger of losing a sort of human kinship with the rest of mankind due to our pursuit of material wealth, comfort & so on & so forth.

[chrispaps24]

Yes, but that pursuit is even stronger in the more individualistic nations, like America, compared to the collectivist nations, according to research. Consider the 'American Dream' - that's all about personal economic prosperity. But in the more collectivist countries, it's less about personal success and more about group happiness, interdependence over independence, and therefore they have a stronger community sense. Read Harry Triandis and Gert Hofstede's work on this matter

[SatanicCod]

Did the USSR had a great community?

Collectivism sometimes means that there's a sucker who pays for the lifestyle of others.

[EpiGnosin]

This isn't about communism (which I despise). This is about not even talking to your neighbor. If I even try to strike up a conversation with my neighbor, I get funny looks. It's just about inviting my neighbor over, and having dinner with him, despite the fact that he might not make as much money as I do, or the same level of education. Just getting to know one another.

If I just go to talk to my neighbor, and state that I'd like to get to know them? I get stares. WE DONT KNOW EACH OTHER

[SatanicCod]

I understand your point and I share it with you. Yes we need a broader sense of community. On the other side, the previous poster seems to claim that such a ideal is mostly present in "Collectivist"(I.E. Communist) countries, witch i refute.

Tolerance and a better knowledge of others helps when we need to take decisions. Since making choices if a sign of a free society (I.E. Democratic and Capitalist), this knowledge is much more important here than elsewhere.

[RealTime88]

Well I think kidness goes a long way. Just keep that good person attitude and people will appeciate it. Getting rich quick and not caring how you do it or who you hurt, will make you a lonely person.

[chrispaps24]

If you compare the States to other countries in the world, especially those from the Mediterranean and the East, they are without a doubt far more individualistic and therefore also often lacking in a community sense. There is an abudance of qualitative and quantitative research evidence that supports this.

[zydarking]

this is quite true, as far i can tell from gleaning information scattered throughout the web. when it comes to worldly comforts & the like, American have a tendency to pursue these comforts far more aggressively than any of their other interests such as philosophical or spiritual matters. 'course this is just my observation; merely my 2 cents worth...

[SatanicCod]

Seeking confront is a spiritual quest. Is there not a noble think to seek something you love? Why the mind should quest for raw sawdust when you want a bowl of strawberries? Why staying in the cold when you can be warm? If you are working hard to ensure that your needs are met, what's wrong about enjoying a just reward?

The truth is, I believe there's more spirituality from four guys playing Halo online than a group of catholics in a mass, blaming themselves for sins they dint committed.

[chesterandreduction]

did he sell out or did he always suck? fuck you ben stein.

[shambu5]

Glad I'm not the only one who hates this guy.

[NermalsChannel]

FUCK YOU Ben Stein

[studio7manga]

Ben Stein is a fool, I don't feel like repeating myself since I've already commented on the other videos but needless to say, the man shouldn't be taken seriously, he is out in left field (or rather ultra ultra right field) A disgusting human being, imo.

[Whoo69]

this couldn't be more ridiuclous. A staunch conservative like Ben Stein is talking about America lacking "a sense of community", but he and his party oppose things like workers' rights, "socialist" health care reforms, etc.??

[nadiaTeeze]

he uses the words "darwinists" and "evoulutionists". I believe that says enough about him and how he chooses to be. 

I live in a gated community so all of America is living like me. I don't understand evolution so it can't be true.

Good thing you don't have to be smart to act smart in a movie.

[DaXue]

If you separate the speech from the speaker, it's perfectly acceptable. However, this is coming from the same guy who, during the holiday season, sent out a mass email opining the lack of religious influence and how it's causing the failings of society.

[wdporter20]

so how are these two messages incongruent or mutually exclusive?

[DaXue]

I didn't say they were. I was simply noting that, were this speech to come from someone a little less in the fray, as it were, it could have more of an impact. Saying that America has gone the way of me-first is hardly news.