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#1 4/13/11 8:19 am
- Claptrap
- CL4P-TP
- From: Pandora
- Registered: 4/16/06
- Posts: 4610
A reminder
Things around the nation have been looking pretty grim to me as of late and I've been feeling pretty down about it. Then I happened upon this thread on Reddit that served as a wonderful pick me up.
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comme … here_what/
It's about what people from other countries were surprised about on their first visit to America. What's encouraging (and surprising) to me is how much positivity there is for Americans.
In particular, this comment by Valituris:
I agree with almost all these opinions. Here is another compliment I will foist upon you Americans: You generally are the first to admit your own shortcomings as a nation, and want to do something about it. If that sentiment could somehow get into government (because it definitely is the consensus among the majority of average Americans, based on having met thousands through my work) the US would become the model for all other nations in the world.
I've been downvoted for saying this before: You Americans are sometimes too hard on yourselves. That's a compliment btw. It seems to me no other nation tries as hard to hold itself as accountable as you. And that's a good thing: Maybe someday that public pressure will find solutions to the corporatization of the world
The whole page is a good read, and helped remind me that we're not all that bad.
Superhero Time! A Power Rangers/Masked Rider/Sentai/Tokusatsu Podcast
http://www.tfradio.net/superhero-time/
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#3 4/13/11 1:24 pm
Re: A reminder
When you think you're the best (hooray, American Exceptionalism!), you are usually insecure about that status.
The same goes for the nation, i suppose... Americans may consider our country the best one on earth, but enough embarrassments and stains have appeared in the last 60 years to make us say "hey, guys... c'mon. We're America. We're supposed to be better than this."
We dont accept that we're as bad as our actions tell. When we fuck up, its more of a "oops, that was a mistake.. we're not normally like this" instead of "This how we operate. get over it." At least we're still ashamed of our 'uncharacteristic' foul ups... JFK assassination, Vietnam, Watergate, Iran/Contra Scandal, Iraq, etc. And thats not counting our 'ancient' shames... namely, Slavery and how we've treated the Native Americans for 500 years.
We're ashamed of our horrible actions. and thats a GOOD thing. we KNOW better. we KNOW we KNOW better. Its when we no longer feel shame or remorse for crimes against humanity that we become monsters. America is many things, but, by and large, in our collective national identity, we're not monsters. Stalin, Mao, Hitler... monsters. Gaddafi, Mubarak, Hussein... monsters. Charles Taylor of Liberia, Mugabe... the list goes on.
-=The Believer is Happy; the Skeptic is Wise=-
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#4 4/13/11 3:06 pm
- Sparks
- M-F'er
- From: Currently Mobile
- Registered: 8/13/09
- Posts: 540
Re: A reminder
Our problem is that our representative government is not very representative of the people, but rather business and corporation.
Sadly I think 1st comers optimism of the US is just because their dreams haven't been crushed yet.
Mess with the Bulls and you get the horns.
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#5 4/13/11 4:28 pm
Re: A reminder
I hate to rain on the parade, but this image is very, very appropriate...
http://files.sharenator.com/So_wise_The … -92846.jpg
-=The Believer is Happy; the Skeptic is Wise=-
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#6 4/13/11 4:59 pm
- Sparks
- M-F'er
- From: Currently Mobile
- Registered: 8/13/09
- Posts: 540
Re: A reminder
And that statement was made before we spent billions of our dollars save wallstreet and banks.
I keep batting the idea around in my head to run for the House when I'm 25, but to run you need money just to get your name on the ballot. Maybe the Internet, Twitter, and YouTube will help change the face of politics, but unless the youth begin to actively take part in shaping their country the system will continue to be rigged in the favor of the Haves in an effort to create more Have Nots.
Mess with the Bulls and you get the horns.
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#8 4/18/11 8:51 pm
- Sparks
- M-F'er
- From: Currently Mobile
- Registered: 8/13/09
- Posts: 540
Re: A reminder
I don't see you fitting in long at a Tea Party rally
Mess with the Bulls and you get the horns.
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