Why are Americans so Vengeful?

reply to post by mileysubet


I laugh when I hear people talking about Americans being the best people in the world...
That hit home for me...that's it

Originally posted by hawkiye
Most Americans continue to support the death penalty even though most Americans also believe innocent people are occasionally put to death.

As long as said innocent people aren't you, though, it doesn't matter how many of them die.

We have a right to reasonable security from violent criminals. It's not about revenge it is about self defense and never allowing someone to kill again.

That might be true in your individual case, but it isn't in the case of many. The reality is that there are a vast number of Americans who enjoy nothing more than seeing someone else get crucified by the legal system, all the while basking in a glorious sense of moral superiority. If you doubt that, all you need to do is read any number of posts here on any given day.

Said Americans refuse to allow themselves any empathy for such individuals whatsoever, because they of course aren't criminals; but they do not look at how morally repugnant said attitude of gloating, gleeful sadism in itself is.

Why should we feed these dangerous scum in a cage for the rest of their lives?

Again; the fact that you engage in the degree of judgement necessary to refer to others as "scum," is itself indicative of the problem. Having that type of attitude towards anyone, demonstrates that you are nowhere near as morally superior as you would like to think.

It is very noteworthy that the more socially and economically degenerate America becomes, the more her citizens are concerned with purging individuals who they consider undesirable. This is not a coincidence.

These are about as ignorant of statements as I have heard. It's just anti-gun BS rhetoric!

I actually *do* advocate the idea of people being able to own firearms; but at the same time, I think a denial of the degree to which chronic violence is inherent in American culture is fundamentally dishonest.

This is really just a veiled anti-gun rant full of prohibitionist talking points. Many gun owners in America will be the first to tell you we need to bring our troops home and stop our empire building.

As far as I am concerned, there *is* undeniably a connection between the second amendment and the overall American cultural predisposition towards violence. We can say that governments don't want their citizenry to be armed; I'd agree with you on that. We can also agree, to an extent at least, on the idea that mutual gun ownership is likely to be a deterrent against crime.

You can also talk about what wonderful human beings your friends who are individual gun owners are, as you want. That doesn't change the fact that if guns are available, then at least *some* less responsible members of society are going to use them inappropriately. That isn't a statement that gun ownership should be banned, but it is an acknowledgement that gun ownership can and does have an effect on the culture.

reply to post by radosta

Interesting how everyone who's opinion matches yours "speaks the truth", You, my friend, would make a great addition to the Republican Party.

What's even more interesting is how you have singled me out to create some reason to take a jab at Republicans in a thread that has nothing to do with partisan politics.

When someone makes a statement you wholeheartedly agree with in these forums, aren't you of the opinion that they speak the truth? It may not be everyone's truth, but it is the truth as you see it, right? Tell me I'm wrong, Radosta......Do you never have occasion to think someone on ATS speaks the truth? Would you care if I thought you were wrong about it being the truth? I doubt it.

Maybe I should put it this way.....why don't you point out in the post we're speaking of which things you believe are not true, then we can talk. I mean, if you're gonna condemn me to the conservatives because of my beliefs, at least tell me why you think I'm wrong. If you can't do that, perhaps you should go play with someone else.....like someone who enjoys ragging on Republicans and playing other silly games.

America isn't perfect,and in this,we are just like every other country.What makes America special is the concept that an individual citizen has the right to decide what direction their life takes,regardless if anyone else thinks its cool or not.While this might not sound like a big deal to you,that is proof that you take this freedom for granted.We are vengeful because we have a more old testament view of morals,and we are trained to believe that our individual lives have value,and that if ANYONE ANYWHERE wants to harm us ,we have the God given right to defend our lives,even to the point of someone elses death.If they wish death on another,we wish death on them.I am currently living in Europe,and the sentences handed out for serious crime in the country I live in prove to me that the feudalistic ideal that a human life is only valuable if they are in the "right" family is alive and well.I was born in Texas,and I can tell you from personal experience that if a truly bad person does something horrible,killing them shows the victim's family that the life of their loved one is prized over and above the lives of those who would prey on others.Anyone who tells you that the death penalty is for detterence is delusional,it IS revenge,pure and simple.But is that so wrong?Aren't ALL forms of "justice" merely revenge in a suit,as opposed to animal skins?I hope and pray that you are NEVER put in the position where you yearn for revenge,because that would mean that someone had done something horrible to you or a loved one,and since you are a human being,you DO have the desire for revenge within you ,we ALL do,it simply hasn't been awakened .

Originally posted by m1991
Like compared to Europeans, Canadians, and most other First Worlders? I'm an American, and it's pretty obvious to me that American culture puts vengeance on a pedestal. I mean New Zealand police don't even carry guns, but we shoot people just for looting TV sets.

Just think about it I mean. America has the largest military the Earth has ever seen, and most people in America don't feel outraged about using it for whatever reason, unless a lot of American troops die and a lot of American money is wasted. Bombing entire nations into the Stone Age is acceptable retribution to many Americans for killing 3,000 of us.

Most Americans continue to support the death penalty even though most Americans also believe innocent people are occasionally put to death. I guess it's a price worth paying to exact full payback? To be fair, most Canadians also supported the concept of the death penalty until very recently, and even now it's probably a 50/50 split, but many European countries oppose it by a vast majority. If you compare Hong Kong's crime demographics (a place with no death penalty) to culturally and socially similar Singapore's (a place that uses it so much Texans might blush) you will see no evidence that the death penalty has any kind of deterring effect.

And let's face it, the reason Americans are gun-crazed isn't just because of the Second Amendment. It's because a lot of people here just love the idea of blowing someone's head off if they intrude on their property. Not to mention people love guns because they wanna feel like they're in a Hollywood movie or on the TV show Lost (love the show, but how many hundreds of gun scenes are in it?) The argument that banning guns would increase crime because only criminals would have them is wrong. If that were true, Australia, Canada, and Britain would have far more gun-related murders than the States. Besides, otherwise law abiding citizens who loved guns could still obtain them illegally if they wanted to badly enough, so it wouldn't be that ONLY thugs had guns, it would be simply a lot less people in general would have guns.

The worst thing too is Americans are especially unforgiving of the less fortunate. We hate people who go on SSI yet re-elect those who steal billions of dollars. Isn't our indignation misplaced?

The point is, I would like to see a change from this vengeful and militaristic attitude in America. I would like us to become a peace loving and forgiving kind of people. Until then, I'm gonna laugh every time I hear people talk about Americans being the best people on Earth.

edit on 2-9-2011 by m1991 because: (no reason given)

Its our culture..think our founding fathers overthrew their government.....they had the balls to risk that and move over here to start a new life....for example...my grandfather moved over here for a better life in the 50s....that is an aggressive move....to leave what you know behind to start new...those genes are in me. I think naturally americans have more aggressive genes...just in general. And next ill move on to movies and tv...when i lived in germany they aired gladiator once....they edited all the violent scenes...it made the movie so lame...but then they showed a commercial of a woman in the shower and they showed her breast....i thougth wtf.....but it makes sense...they edit out violence...we edit out nudity....we are more violent...they are more open about sex. Its culture.

What is the point?
Where do you live?
I don't know many 'average americans'. Thanks for spreading the meme about how satanic and evil america is. Thanks for elevating the darkest aspects of humans while eclipsing all of the wonderful, beautiful things about us. America is heavily chemically and electromagnetically engineered....did I mention GMO? Yes, the people are being affected. It's sad to watch....and a bit frightening too. Demonizing the people instead of the government is silly. It's your reality.....you will get what you think about.

I noticed that not a single comment addresses mind control, predictive programming, it's influence on populations and the need to have mind control to keep democracy alive. It's what is controlling popular opinion. Oh, by the way, our elections are rigged (so you have no clue what americans actually think) and our politicians are actually business owners and investors who are controlled by others or their greed. The rest of the world isn't in much better shape.

I think you may be projecting some of the inner attitudes that you possess onto America.

Say that again and I'll smack you in the head!

"Europeans" didnt start WW1 or WW2, it has nothing to do with DNA or Nationality. Same as the Japs bombing Pearl Harbor brought the yanks into the war, and to the Americans were not gung ho about entering the war either.

So whoever said we decend from them (British) remember Britain only started a war against Germany because someone invaded Poland and Britain didnt like to see smaller countries "bullied", then they stood by their friends to the end in a selfless fight against the enemy.

Just wanted to say this - you cant always use history as a lipmus test for current behaviours.

The united states was a nation born in violence, and built on genocide, slavery and greed.
Nothing much has changed in the intervening 235 years since its founding. You can dress
it up in self righteous christian morality and the american dream, but its bloodsoaked origins
still remain just under the surface. You can still see it in its modern form in the militization of its whole culture, people are fed a diet of propaganda from cradle to grave, its good to kill, war is 'just' when we do it, god is on our side, greed and lust for power should be celebrated, so on and so forth.. The united states controls most of the planet through violence or the threat of violence. You ask why are you so vengeful? because vengence and violence are two sides of the same coin, and the u.s is the most violent nation ever to have existed.

Nationalism is the root of all evil.

Doesn't anyone know that both sides of every war are ALWAYS owned by the same people? These are not national conspiracies.....these are WORLD conspiracies. That's why the little people need to unite and stop fighting each other.....and reading outrageous propaganda created by governments who seek to divide and conquer. Don't be played.....

Originally posted by RainbeauBleu
Nationalism is the root of all evil.

Doesn't anyone know that both sides of every war are ALWAYS owned by the same people? These are not national conspiracies.....these are WORLD conspiracies. That's why the little people need to unite and stop fighting each other.....and reading outrageous propaganda created by governments who seek to divide and conquer. Don't be played.....

No they are not national conspiracies, they are not WORLD conspiracies, I agree on the divide and conquer rhetoric but dont go down the conspiracy route between warring people, there is no sense and as far as I am aware, nothing evenly remotely suggests that has ever happened before your post today.

Originally posted by m1991
The worst thing too is Americans are especially unforgiving of the less fortunate. We hate people who go on SSI yet re-elect those who steal billions of dollars. Isn't our indignation misplaced?

Americans are among the most generous on the planet. Among those people, so called "conservatives" give the most charity and blood. So basically, your entire post is generalizations based on your own bigotry.

reply to post by m1991


I wouldn't put it past the millitary, the gov't and other secret services to use
EMF waves and other specific Frequencies to abuse the minds of Americans.
Just look at all the Subliminal Advertising, Commercialism, and dumbing down
of the entire Education System. People i feel... are in defensive mode due to their
higher subconsious to protect themselves from things they cant differentiate or
understand. Like an animal being hunted.

There is so much Disinformation, crap reality shows, and control techniques now
that people just can't function properly, not like they once did. The food source is
yet another DIVIDE AND CONQUER technique along with so called race wars.And
now the Govt is saying that creating a False Alien Invasion, yes they said that..
would be good for the general public. The crazy ### controlling everything are laughing
at everyone because people are reacting exactly as they planned. Nothing happens
on this level unless it was planned out meticulously.

People don't even question why all the Presidents are Related, even Obama. Yet still
believe anyone can become President. Remember that America is a Corporation, most
countries are.

Here's a video for your angst, OP!
I hope you enjoy it!

I could buy several houses in Key West on my modest Australian salary and with the exchange rate. There are an abundance of jobs which I could choose from over here. Minimum wage is pretty good, actually its $15 dollars per hour which is the same pretty much as the USA. Crime rates are pretty low, our military is small and well looked after, its got great weather, we arent war mongers but we supported the US in Vietnam and supported the Allies in WW1,2 Iraq and Stan.

We dont project world power, we have an abundance of natural resources.

We would need the USA's help if China or Vietnam or Indonisia or anyone tried to invade us.

What if America was like Australia - who didnt own any aircraft carriers, do you think Indonesia or China might just 'have a go'?

America is pretty messed up right now, but I blame that on a few years misguided politics, look at Russia, it is starting to rise from the collapse of the USSR and America will rise from the collapse of its foreign policy, the birds have come home to roost but they will fly again. You cant keep a good man down, and deep down the Americans are the good guys!!

Originally posted by awareness10
reply to post by m1991

 

I wouldn't put it past the millitary, the gov't and other secret services to use
EMF waves and other specific Frequencies to abuse the minds of Americans.
Just look at all the Subliminal Advertising, Commercialism, and dumbing down
of the entire Education System. People i feel... are in defensive mode due to their
higher subconsious to protect themselves from things they cant differentiate or
understand. Like an animal being hunted.

There is so much Disinformation, crap reality shows, and control techniques now
that people just can't function properly, not like they once did. The food source is
yet another DIVIDE AND CONQUER technique along with so called race wars.And
now the Govt is saying that creating a False Alien Invasion, yes they said that..
would be good for the general public. The crazy ### controlling everything are laughing
at everyone because people are reacting exactly as they planned. Nothing happens
on this level unless it was planned out meticulously.

People don't even question why all the Presidents are Related, even Obama. Yet still
believe anyone can become President. Remember that America is a Corporation, most
countries are.

Your paranoid ranting would result in your detention in a medical facility if you werent hidden behind a PC or had some human rights, given to you by the people you claim are brain washing you.

Originally posted by awareness10
reply to post by m1991

 

I wouldn't put it past the millitary, the gov't and other secret services to use
EMF waves and other specific Frequencies to abuse the minds of Americans.
Just look at all the Subliminal Advertising, Commercialism, and dumbing down
of the entire Education System. People i feel... are in defensive mode due to their
higher subconsious to protect themselves from things they cant differentiate or
understand. Like an animal being hunted.

There is so much Disinformation, crap reality shows, and control techniques now
that people just can't function properly, not like they once did. The food source is
yet another DIVIDE AND CONQUER technique along with so called race wars.And
now the Govt is saying that creating a False Alien Invasion, yes they said that..
would be good for the general public. The crazy ### controlling everything are laughing
at everyone because people are reacting exactly as they planned. Nothing happens
on this level unless it was planned out meticulously.

People don't even question why all the Presidents are Related, even Obama. Yet still
believe anyone can become President. Remember that America is a Corporation, most
countries are.

Your paranoid ranting would result in your detention in a medical facility if you werent hidden behind a PC or had some human rights, given to you by the people you claim are brain washing you.

reply to post by m1991


the people who have power are often the ones who feel they are most worthy of it..
it really comes down to survival i guess, but in a modern world most of our ancient behaviours are pointless and end up doing us more harm..

reply to post by MisterBurns


Maybe if you'd stop thinkng like a McDonalds happy meal you'd get
what the topic of the conversation is about.

Originally posted by rigel4

Originally posted by NightShift
Americans are vengeful because they are different. They are worse.

Canadians never take vengeance. They never go to war! They only fight when the King or Queen of England is in trouble, because even though Canadians love peace, the Kings and Queens of England are delicate and need to be protected from Germans.

Europeans are very peaceful and cooperative by nature. For thousands of years, the only thing they ever disagreed on was religion and race. Genocide is very rare in Europe, and everyone gets along all the time!

When Europeans go to other places, they always make friends with the locals and participate in fair trade. Europeans never went to America and killed Indians. That was the Americans, from the beginning. The Americans were too busy trying to keep all the slaves that the Europeans accidentally moved to America.

Europeans know Americans are vengeful, because American wine isn't as good. Plus, Europeans like to live in diverse countries, and never split up or fight because of ethnic differences. Americans all came from somewhere else and live together, because they are too stupid to know any better.

Europe only destroyed itself twice in the past 100 years because, as everyone knows, the Americans started it. And the Germans. The Germans are all Nazis, and so are the Americans. But the Germans love peace now, they never tell other European countries what to do!

When Europeans go to America, which almost never happens anymore (no one moves to America, why would they?) they get fat and stupid, because of NASCAR. They forget how to play football, and start putting on helmets and shoulderpads to have wars all the time.

All Americans do is fight. Europe never fights, that's why there are so many battlefields and castles there. Because they love peace.

All you have said is true, but aside to that we don't invade country after country.
sooner or later you Americans are going to start WWIII. someone will stand up to you.

That really does sum up Europe quite well. Take it from someone who has lived and goes to vacation all over europe frequently.