The Dangerous and Destructive Mythology of American Exceptionalism

a reply to: jaffo

I was recently attending last year,until my funding was pulled for a BA in media arts and Computer animation. I had already completed all but the math of the academic cmoponents and the computer programs were proving to be difficult .
The academics were cake. I couldn't tell if they were that way on purpose or the school just dumbed down it's classes to accomodate artist metality. If I could have made a living I would have LOVED to go for Europeans studies ,but a 54 yr old can't waste such time and I wanted to exploit my art talents.

ADMIRALTY law is the biggest scam in our system and IS edcation for CASH dimwit.
Unless you CONSTANTLY wirk PROBONO,which wouldn'rt cover you BMW.



THE CABAL is the OTHER side the liberals run higher academia.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: StalkerSolent

Yes. All empires end eventually. Though if you think that empires implode or are overrun in this day and age, you are wrong. What happens is that empires usually grow too large to continue to manage centrally then they start losing territory and relevance until they are a fraction the size of their original size. America won't disappear though, we'll just become second fiddle to the next empire.

Also, the Roman Empire in the east continued up until the early 1900's.

^ A la the British Empire, which just sort of faded away...or, a more extreme, chaotic example, the USSR.
I rather hope that next time, there is no "second fiddle..." I'd much rather see a multipolar world. But that's just me.

And yes, Russia! But they didn't have the awesome culture of the Romans.

a reply to: mister.old.school


I like to think in terms of "evolution" when I think of countries that are exceptional. Since the earth is still in kindergarten in terms of its spiritual and conscious growth, for a country to qualify on my list, they have to be somewhat further along in their evolution than say, a community of cave men.

Unfortunately, a great deal of the world is still very unevolved. Their record of human rights, their idea of government, their lack of freedom or understanding of universal truths, their treatment of women and children, their forms of punishment, etc.

So, when I say that America is exceptional, I don't mean that we're "better" in some comparative, materialistic way.... I mean that we've done well in some of the categories that matter.

We've abolished slavery, we're working on fair treatment of gay people, we are champions of women's rights, we have enlightened views of children and their rights..... the list goes on.

Personally, I really hate to hear people bashing America. Especially when they're typing the words on their computers and iphones and using the internet. An open market created these things. Free enterprise is the mother of creativity and invention.

THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF GOOD THINGS AMERICA HA DONE FOR THIS WORLD.

originally posted by: MRuss
a reply to: mister.old.school

We've abolished slavery,

after setting it up big in your country Achievement unlocked

we're working on fair treatment of gay people,

Working on it, while other countries esthablished it.

we are champions of women's rights

like to see that in numbers

we have enlightened views of children and their rights

You mean entitled views of children and their demands?

..... the list goes on.

I´d like to see that list

Personally, I really hate to hear people bashing America. Especially when they're typing the words on their computers and iphones and using the internet

.
Why? Because you think these things were invented by the USA?
That was a good one.

BTW you are talking about USA, not America. Totally difference.
I call this deludism.

THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF GOOD THINGS AMERICA HA DONE FOR THIS WORLD.

As long as the list of started wars?

originally posted by: SubSea

Appears it was a "bash America" thread from the get go.

Wrong. It's a thread constructively criticizing America and predictably some Americans can't handle this so fall back on the old "they're bashing America" line. I am actually surprised you didn't use the word "haters" also.

a reply to: Kryties

As english is not my first language, I had to run this through my dictionary, just to not fall into language pitfalls.

Exceptional
adjective
1.
forming an exception or rare instance; unusual; extraordinary:
The warm weather was exceptional for January.
2.
unusually excellent; superior:
an exceptional violinist.
3.
Education.
being intellectually gifted.
being physically or especially mentally disabled to an extent that special schooling is required.

So I might not say USA did nothing exceptional. We really need to define "the exceptional" we´re talking about here

a reply to: alldaylong

Why should I do any research when all I have to do is say something positive about the USA in an area I'm interested and people like you will trip over each other to point out how the USA has apparently done nothing except ride on the coat tails of Russia and England and everybody else.

Also tossing in a few comments about how brutal and war like we are while conveniently omitting the past brutality of all Developed nations.

originally posted by: MRuss
a reply to: mister.old.school


I like to think in terms of "evolution" when I think of countries that are exceptional. Since the earth is still in kindergarten in terms of its spiritual and conscious growth, for a country to qualify on my list, they have to be somewhat further along in their evolution than say, a community of cave men.

Unfortunately, a great deal of the world is still very unevolved. Their record of human rights, their idea of government, their lack of freedom or understanding of universal truths, their treatment of women and children, their forms of punishment, etc.

So, when I say that America is exceptional, I don't mean that we're "better" in some comparative, materialistic way.... I mean that we've done well in some of the categories that matter.

We've abolished slavery, we're working on fair treatment of gay people, we are champions of women's rights, we have enlightened views of children and their rights..... the list goes on.

Personally, I really hate to hear people bashing America. Especially when they're typing the words on their computers and iphones and using the internet. An open market created these things. Free enterprise is the mother of creativity and invention.

THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF GOOD THINGS AMERICA HA DONE FOR THIS WORLD.

Sure by those categories the USA is exceptional but by that logic so are a few other countries.

Take the UK

when it comes to human rights its abolished slavery 30 years before the USA and has been about equal give or take a year on granting other rights.

And being a free market country it too has given the world many inventions.


So yes the USA is exceptional but so are a few other counties in there own ways.

originally posted by: Irishhaf
a reply to: alldaylong

Why should I do any research when all I have to do is say something positive about the USA in an area I'm interested and people like you will trip over each other to point out how the USA has apparently done nothing except ride on the coat tails of Russia and England and everybody else.

Also tossing in a few comments about how brutal and war like we are while conveniently omitting the past brutality of all Developed nations.

I did start a positive USA thread about its great scientific achievements. Sadly not many were interested in it.

a reply to: Irishhaf

Nobody said anything of the sort.

You are trying to say USA saved the day in WW2 and others are simply pointing out that it was a collaborative effort and not the might of the US alone that won the war. By pointing this out they are saying that you are sugar-coating everything the US has done in order to make it seem like the US is better than every other country - Exceptionalism if you will.

It is YOU who cannot accept that your views of the US being the best country in the world are wrong, all the others are trying to do is help you see that. The fact you are (ignorantly or deliberately) misconstruing what they are saying is doing nothing more than completely proving our point.

a reply to: Kryties

Point out where I said the USA alone saved the day?
Did our man power and industry tip the balance.. I would say yes..Does that mean we won the war alone.. No.

Also what alternative to any issue in this thread have you offered.. Cause if your not offering one it's bashing not constructive criticism.

Also when did I say the USA w as the best country in the world?

a reply to: StalkerSolent

Well it may be turning into a multipolar world with how Russia is behaving, and China just kind of sits in the background and watches everything. It is tough to say truly what the future holds for us. The only thing I know for certain is that America's time at the top is limited.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I agree 100% without immediate change of leadership in all branches of govt we are done, even with the leaders we need, we are probably
still finished.

a reply to: Irishhaf

I think there is more wrong than just the leadership. The system has too many holes that have been left untended for too long that need addressing. These holes have allowed sponges of all walks of life to exploit the system. Each time they use these holes, they slowly make them larger. More people become aware of them and eventually they become a way of life to the point that the system relies on the holes. We call all of this corruption, but make no mistake. It isn't just the elite that are corrupt. The corrupt come from all social and income levels.

If we wanted to extend our time at the top it would require addressing these large holes in our system, but that won't happen. Our government doesn't fix long term problems. It can only think short term because of the election cycle. But even if we DID fix these holes, we still wouldn't be on top forever.

There are just too many factors out there that go into one country or another being the best, and remember nothing lasts forever. I say worry more about enjoying the time we have left at the top instead of worrying about what other countries are going to take our place.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

No argument!

I love her fiercely warts and all but her days are numbered, I hope the final fall comes after I die... But it feels like that finished point is coming rapidly.

Not enough people care to rock the boat in an attempt to fix the issues.

Edit: it's not even about remaining number 1, life as we know it will change for the worse.. In my opinion.

a reply to: Irishhaf

I'm not too worried. I'm sure that whatever direction society goes in, people will continue right on living. And they will go on saying that they are living in the imminent end times just like always.

To paraphrase the Bible, "the most populous will inherit the earth."

At this point, that recommends either China or India as the future world/human Primaries.

The rest of us are mostly dying off, comparatively.

Even sans some global catastrophe (and we're way, way overdue, statistically speaking) it would seem that seen as a simple logic problem, "they" win.

We'll always have Paris, though.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: StalkerSolent

Well it may be turning into a multipolar world with how Russia is behaving, and China just kind of sits in the background and watches everything. It is tough to say truly what the future holds for us. The only thing I know for certain is that America's time at the top is limited.

I'm sorta hoping it balances out with little factions forming around the EU/Russia & friends/India/China/the US/Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea. There's enough sanity in there, enough neutral/buffer states, and enough nuclear weapons, to hopefully keep everything stable.

Then hopefully we can keep investing in Africa and South America and raising their quality of living.

originally posted by: crazyewok

I did start a positive USA thread about its great scientific achievements. Sadly not many were interested in it.

The USA is pretty good at that. If we fell behind, we kidnapped German scientists to keep up
But seriously, though, I think that's one excellent demonstrator of how Anglo-American style freedom is really beneficial.

originally posted by: Kryties
a reply to: Irishhaf

It is YOU who cannot accept that your views of the US being the best country in the world are wrong, all the others are trying to do is help you see that. The fact you are (ignorantly or deliberately) misconstruing what they are saying is doing nothing more than completely proving our point.

No, you seem to have some kind of defect. Could be the media, in your area playing a part in that. Personally i have never heard the the phrase "American Exceptionalism" outside of what seems like these types of threads.

And spend some time reading about what the world was like at least 200 years in the past and the hair on the back of your neck will stand up...and these are only the things we know about...dear god i can only imagine what we dont know about.