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Given all the various authoritarian regimes the US has enabled or installed [1], I must disagree strongly with your assertion. Certainly the arrogance you see i

by tensor 10y ago

Given all the various authoritarian regimes the US has enabled or installed [1], I must disagree strongly with your assertion. Certainly the arrogance you see in US nationalism is something not easily matched in history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_authoritarian_regimes_supported_by_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_authoritarian_regimes_...

dismantlethesun 10y ago
The idea set forth by the parent poster is that America's does a lot of good, more so than any other country---not that the good is outweighs the wrong. I think it is reasonable. The US international involvement far surpasses any other countries, which gives it a lot more chances to do right (and wrong).
- jernfrost 10y ago
  I don't think you can speak of the good without considering the bad. Nobody celebrates Adolph Hitler for the good he did, although he did get Germany out of a serious recession and got rid of a huge unemployment problem quickly. Of course that is an extreme example, but we often use extreme examples to make a point. The problem with just speaking of good things is that many good things are intrinsically linked to bad things. Getting rid of Saddam Hussein was clearly a good thing viewed in isolation. But viewed in context with all the problems it caused it was probably a bad thing. Far more people have suffered due to the invasion of Iraq than people who have benefitted. Opposing a socialists dictatorship in Afghanistan was in principle a good thing. But when the alternative becomes Taliban and bin Laden then clearly it was a bad thing. Encouraging a capitalist democracy in Vietnam was also seen in isolation a good thing. In practice in turned into a horrible thing, causing huge amounts of suffering, not just in Vietnam but also triggering genocide in Cambodia. This is a reoccurring thread with American foreign engagements. So much of what America does is theoretically good, but ends up being horrible in practice. As long as Americans think they are mainly a force for good and don't acknowledge all the screwup properly, America will keep screwing up things. The best way for America to do good I think is to accept they are not exceptional, don't know all the answers and actually have to listen to others to find the best solutions. I have no doubt that there is a tremendous will in America do to the good thing. The problem is that the will is not matched with the wisdom and humbleness needed to accomplish it.
  - darawk 10y ago
    No one is not acknowledging the screw ups. The point is that on balance America is a force for good in the world. At least, compared to every other country in the world.

by tensor 10y ago

dismantlethesun 10y ago

The idea set forth by the parent poster is that America's does a lot of good, more so than any other country---not that the good is outweighs the wrong. I think it is reasonable. The US international involvement far surpasses any other countries, which gives it a lot more chances to do right (and wrong).

jernfrost 10y ago
I don't think you can speak of the good without considering the bad. Nobody celebrates Adolph Hitler for the good he did, although he did get Germany out of a serious recession and got rid of a huge unemployment problem quickly. Of course that is an extreme example, but we often use extreme examples to make a point. The problem with just speaking of good things is that many good things are intrinsically linked to bad things. Getting rid of Saddam Hussein was clearly a good thing viewed in isolation. But viewed in context with all the problems it caused it was probably a bad thing. Far more people have suffered due to the invasion of Iraq than people who have benefitted. Opposing a socialists dictatorship in Afghanistan was in principle a good thing. But when the alternative becomes Taliban and bin Laden then clearly it was a bad thing. Encouraging a capitalist democracy in Vietnam was also seen in isolation a good thing. In practice in turned into a horrible thing, causing huge amounts of suffering, not just in Vietnam but also triggering genocide in Cambodia. This is a reoccurring thread with American foreign engagements. So much of what America does is theoretically good, but ends up being horrible in practice. As long as Americans think they are mainly a force for good and don't acknowledge all the screwup properly, America will keep screwing up things. The best way for America to do good I think is to accept they are not exceptional, don't know all the answers and actually have to listen to others to find the best solutions. I have no doubt that there is a tremendous will in America do to the good thing. The problem is that the will is not matched with the wisdom and humbleness needed to accomplish it.
- darawk 10y ago
  No one is not acknowledging the screw ups. The point is that on balance America is a force for good in the world. At least, compared to every other country in the world.