Does the USA suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ?

[charge_of_glory]

I understand where you're coming from and I think you may be right. It seems like America fits a lot of the symptoms of PTSD. I know the Civil War definitely generated a lot of hard feelings between people of the North and South in the 1860's. That hasn't gone away yet. The two still fight with each other. There are perfect examples in these forums. If those hard feelings can be passed down through generations, I don't see why PTSD couldn't be passed down too. Although, I think it's more so the population than it is the country. Three milion fought. That's three million families affected by the CC. With millions of people related to those soldiers, they all feel the pain of those in 1861-65. The fact that people reenact the battles and that the original sites from the war are preserved possibly contributes to the intergenerational PTSD too. But even though the US may still be healing from the Civil War, I think it had to happen and the PTSD from it is a good thing in some ways. It's like a reminder not to let a civil war happen again.

[charge_of_glory]

I think people keep doing it because they've lost touch with our species' mortality. They think that humans are the ultimate beings and that we'll never become extinct. They don't realize that one day something will happen and humans may not survive. I think it's all a result of our advancing civilizations and medical technology. It's a real shame too. But while I think all this pointless violence is terrible, I don't think the same about some wars. The Revolutionary war and the Civil War were needed and those who fought and died weren't murderers, they were heroes. Of course there were a handful of not so honorable men in the armies, but they were just bad people. Unfortunately, it seems like people think that if you can do it in a war, you can do it all the time.

I believe that in the next 1,000 years, some huge natural diasaster will strike and the whole world will be affected. While it will be terrible and some will die, I think it will cause people to work together as a species fighting for survival instead of individuals just worrying about themselves. It will be a horrible, but needed event. But until then, we just need to hope that humans don't completely lose touch with each other.

[charge_of_glory]

Well only a few Americans are actually like that lol. They just happen to run the country. But come 2008, that will hopefully change.

[charge_of_glory]

Wow, the US government really is quite a bully. It sucks too since most of the people here don't like what they do. Thanks for sticking up for us though. It's kind of hard to be hated by so many different countries. You start to feel a little alone in the world.

Sometimes I wonder if I would've fought in the Civil War and it's hard to decide what my choice would've been. But then I think about how my government is today and how it was back then, and I think I would rather die for my country in the 1860's than now. Back then at least the government wasn't so corrupt. It's a shame what the world is becoming nowadays. I only wish there was something we could do about it...

[charge_of_glory]

Yeah, you're right. If people be nice to one another and do what's right, the world can be a good place. As long as the citizens of their countries don't let themselves be pushed around, maybe all the governments of the world can come together and work out some type of global peace treaty. They just need to feel the pressure from their people and have the heart to do the right thing. It sounds a bit farfetched, but maybe it will be a reality someday.