America

[Gringo]

The Grapes of Wrath revisited: The changing face of Valle Vista, Arizona

Seventy years on from John Steinbeck's tough take on depression-era America, Chris McGreal continues his series tracing the route of The Grapes of Wrath and finds that the foreclosures of this decade are stripping homes to the rafters in one Arizona retreat

Levine is not losing her house. "I was just lucky that I had enough savings to get me through. It's gonna be different for all of us. We're gonna have to work a lot harder and we're gonna have to pay attention to what we're spending."

It's not clear if the "we" having to work a lot harder refers to the country club folk – unlikely, as few work at all – or whether it means the less fortunate in the rest of America. Levine isn't sure who to blame for it all going so wrong. She says she's a rampant capitalist at heart but is frustrated that so much of her money has been gobbled up by the stock exchange.

Still, there are deeper concerns. Levine complains of the burdens on the rich, and her voice rises as she vents against Barack Obama and his liberal agenda. "I'm a capitalist and it's changing to socialism. I really believe that, and I believe if we work hard and we earn what we earn, we should be able to spend it on ourselves and not the guy that doesn't want to work. And right now we're being forced to pay for the guy that doesn't want to work. I've been watching the internet and they say we're going to have a revolution. I'm waiting," she says.

Levine found out something else on the internet too. The US president plans to brush aside the constitutional right for citizens to bear arms, enshrined in the second amendment, and to "come for the gun owners". She says: "They're talking about taking our second amendment rights away. In fact some of our representatives I understand have already promised other countries we're going to be disarmed. That won't happen in this country as far as I'm concerned."

The Martins listen to Levine with a quiet exasperation. They stand out as a couple of New Yorkers not only from their stylish dress and east coast accents but by their decidedly liberal views in a sea of Republicanism.

"We're in the minority here," says Andi Martin. "We're the liberals."

Go the internet - we're going to burn the socialist liberals.

[mjmooney]

This

[Zatman]

Like most countries in the world i couldnt care less about America as they have done nothing for me or against me and im sure most Americans couldnt care less about Ireland

[RJA1703]

Im gonna vote once i have moved over there in 12 days. AHHH.

[The_Rev]

MarksFriggin"]

Auction Winners David And Stewart Sit In. 08/31/09. 9:45am

Howard said they had a couple of guys in the studio watching the show. They gave some money to a charity to win the chance to sit in. David and Stewart are friends. David said that he lives in Japan and it's pretty awesome. Artie asked if it was true that you can get laid easy over there. David said that he got married but it is pretty easy to get laid over there. He said that any foreigner can get laid there.

David said that he runs a web site where they tell people where to get cheap video games. He said that he actually does better than his wife does and she's a lawyer. The site is CheapAssGamer.com

Artie offered the guys his pancakes but Howard told Artie that Pat Priest might need them more than they do. Howard said that he might want to give them to her instead. Artie said he would if she sent a delivery guy to pick them up.

Geraldo's on the replay of the show right now... should get to CheapyD within an hour or so.

Yeah, I heard it now. He was only on air for about two minutes.

CheapyD is an internet space pimp though.

(The person referred to as "Wombat" is Stewart) (and a little follow up on the next show

[tonyh29]

The UK is Johnny Depp in Gilbert Grape with the USA as the Leonardo DiCaprio retarded little brother who looks up to Depp .. The relationship between the brothers being one of both care and protection

[TheSufferingVilla]

The UK is Johnny Depp in Gilbert Grape with the USA as the Leonardo DiCaprio retarded little brother who looks up to Depp .. The relationship between the brothers being one of both care and protection

I reckon it's more like these brothers:

With the UK as Ronnie and the US as Reggie.

[Chindie]

America's like the bully of the world going up to countries and saying 'Give us your sweets or I'll smash your face in!' and Britain leans round the back and goes '...Yeeaahh!'

[The_Rev]

America's like the bully of the world going up to countries and saying 'Give us your sweets or I'll smash your face in!' and Britain leans round the back and goes '...Yeeaahh!'

Id say we are more like the proud (retired) father. After all, we spent a good 150 years going around the world saying "Give us your sweets or I'll smash your face in!" to countries that hadnt invented the gun yet.

Ill have to say that we did actually take sweets and smash faces in on a more regular basis than the States too. Hence the size of the Empire.

[Bazdavies79]

America's like the bully of the world going up to countries and saying 'Give us your sweets or I'll smash your face in!' and Britain leans round the back and goes '...Yeeaahh!'

Bill Bailey?

I love and hate the US in equal measures.

[maqroll]

The UK is Johnny Depp in Gilbert Grape with the USA as the Leonardo DiCaprio retarded little brother who looks up to Depp .. The relationship between the brothers being one of both care and protection

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

[leviramsey]

Id say we are more like the proud (retired) father. After all, we spent a good 150 years going around the world saying "Give us your sweets or I'll smash your face in!" to countries that hadnt invented the gun yet.

Ill have to say that we did actually take sweets and smash faces in on a more regular basis than the States too. Hence the size of the Empire.

And like an East London hooligan, the old guy gets rousted out of retirement when there's a good fight going on and moans about how the new generation of hooligans don't do it properly.

[Chindie]

America's like the bully of the world going up to countries and saying 'Give us your sweets or I'll smash your face in!' and Britain leans round the back and goes '...Yeeaahh!'

Bill Bailey?

I love and hate the US in equal measures.

Indeed. Posted more for it's comedic effect than historical relevance.

[Voinjama]

I love the country and hope to move there in 2014

[Voinjama]

Its the most fascinating place on the planet for me. A continent masquerading as a country.

Exactly this.

[PieFacE]

I'd love to move there, just too stupid to have any kind of specified line of work.

[wiggyrichard]

I'd move there tomorrow if i could.

[BOF]

Love the people. Dislike the state's hypocritical approach to most things.

[coda]

Only place I've ever visited where someone said 'I like your accent'. For a Brummie it was an emotional moment.

[Stevo985]

I've always had an urge to live there for a period of my life. I don't really know why, I just think I'd enjoy it (even though I'v eonly been there once. For 2 weeks)