so do you think that the US has become a "nation of whiners" as former Senator Phil Gram - (R) Texas, stated..

“We have sort of become a nation of whiners,” he said. “You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline” despite a major export boom that is the primary reason that growth continues in the economy,"

Is the full statement and he is correct. We constantly complain in this country, but it is always the fault of someone else.

Can't pay your mortgage? It's not because you didn't read the fine print about what you were signing. It was because those greedy lenders tricked you.

Can pay your electric bill? It's not because you bought that new car or big screen on credit. It's the fault of those greedy oil companies.

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Gramm is right we are not in a recession yet, the factors have not been met. However to listen any average person tell it we are and have been for years. Whining leads to self fulfilling prophesies as confidence drops.

Yes, we are a nation of whiners. I read a post today where someone mentioned how the USA is only place where homeless people are fat. I sorta understand the saving and loan scandals long ago, these were banking people investing other people's retirement money in junk bonds, there should have been safe guards. You know, when the Clinton's cleaned up in that white water scandal and ripped off all those old retirees. I was glad there was some bail out for that. But this housing stuff stinks from high heaven. Ever watch those shows on fixing a house and selling it and out in California they have a little 2 bedroom shack and they want 1/2 million dollars for it ? What the heck is that ? Those houses go for 50K where i live and you get an acre of land too. You bought an expensive property with a balloon mortgage and you got stuck. The government can't guarantee that your house will go up in value every 2 years. If a man bets his house in Las Vegas and loses...do we take tax payer money to bail him out ? Many of these people were essentially gambling

I think that whoever mentioned that this country has become a nation of whiners is very " in touch".

This country is raising it's children to be absolute wimps- everybody feels it's their duty to be the squeaky wheel while wrenching the grease out of their fellow man.

Yeah- we're raising a nation that takes offense at absolutely the most perceived slight

a nation full of victims of an imaginary crime

a nation full of people who believe they are owed their very existence

a nation full of people who couldn't beat their way out of a wet paper bag or drive their finger up their butt even if they had a map.

Yeah sounds like McCain and his strategist have their hand on the weak pulse of America.

Television and the change-agents behind it always spread fear. Listen to all the commercials on TV and radio, they play on our fears, or greed.

The Liberal and Conservative folks try to motivate us through fear. The left has rewarded people for having achieved victim status. Whining is rewarded as a badge of honor, you can make a claim if you've been screwed.

It's like an Ayn Rand novel. Who is John Galt?

As for McCain's crew, think about it; none of these folks have had to drive themselves to work or do their own grocery shopping for many years. Washington insiders, probably fairly out of touch with the street.

I don't think we are a "nation of whiners". I think America is waking up. We've been riding the gravy train for so long, decades. Americans think we're special. Now we have to face the world on more and more equal terms. There's going to be a certain amount of grumbling as we adjust.

Well, I do think many people have come to rely way too much on the government to solve their problems, so yes, I agree that many Americans are whiners. They expect the government to do everything for them, then they complain about the government. They don't take responsibility for their own actions.

Personally, I love the free market economy and if something is too expensive, I either don't buy it or I make the decision to buy it and not complain about it. I prefer to succeed or fail based on my own personal efforts, not based on getting hand-outs or bail-outs from the government.

"Nation of Whiners" is an understatement!!! People in the US think the government owes them everything. They think the government should take care of all their needs and "wants" and that life should be an "easy ride". Travel to other countries and talk to people there, look at there governments, etc. America has to many hand outs and people waiting in line for them and still wanting more.

Actually, I don't disagree with the statement itself, as much as I am offended by the context.

We do tend to whine more in this country than we should, considering how much easier we have it here than in most of the world.

To coin that phrase at a time when the working class is taking the majority of the beating from the economic issues we are currently dealing with, is a very "Let them eat cake", elitist, statement, and McCain needs to cut Dr. Phil loose, and replace him with someone with a little more compassion for the peasants.

He was only partly right. We have actually become an immoral nation of whiners, sissies, fraidy cats, heathens, and illiterates growing up in one-parent households, waiting for the government to give us a handout while we watch reality TV instead of reading a newspaper.

Yes I do.

People are always asking what the government is going to give them and many people complain endlessly about everything.

I think that McCain and his advisors are much more in touch with reality than Obama who thinks he can change the world if he's elected president.

The US has become a nation of whiners ! It's become an "I want it now societey" People overextend themselves, then whine that it wasn't their fault.

People rack up huge amounts of debt, then complain they don't make enough money. These people have never heard of saving for the things they want.