8 ms·

> That's an odd standard to set. Racial discrimination, based on ethnicity, also used to be a global norm, yet that didn't and doesn't excuse the crimes of the

> That's an odd standard to set. Racial discrimination, based on ethnicity, also used to be a global norm, yet that didn't and doesn't excuse the crimes of the Third Reich. It's a terrible habit we have as a nation. We are happy to forgive or excuse our sins but hold others to theirs.

aaron-lebo 9y ago
How exactly do you determine the habit of 300 million people? How do you differentiate that habit from the Japanese who refuse to officially recognize war crimes in China or the Belgians and Germans whose grandparents wre killing Congolese and Jews respectively? If people in this thread were being honest they'd be well aware that this particularly American flaw isn't so specific to the US.
- eighthnate 9y ago
  > If people in this thread were being honest they'd be well aware that this particularly American flaw isn't so specific to the US. Sure. It's probably a human trait. But I'm not japanese or belgian or german so I wouldn't know. But I'm responding to a comment which "excused" our sins and I'm an american so that's why I made the comment. If it is a human trait, so be it. But the fact that you are pointing to the sins of others kinda proves my point doesn't it?
  - aaron-lebo 9y ago
    I see no "excuse" of American sins, only a response to a tirade which makes very targeted and laughable statements like "unlimited slave labour and IP from Europe". Who established the Atlantic slave trade if not Europeans? Only pointing out the sins of others because some dick decided to turn a fun historical thread into smug hate the US thread. Any educated American is aware of this stuff. The most voted response is unrelated to the story and only getting upvoted because a lot of people in other countries are disappointed the book isn't about them and their formerely rapacious culture.
    - eighthnate 9y ago
      > I see no "excuse" of American sins, only a response to a tirade which makes very targeted and laughable statements like "unlimited slave labour and IP from Europe". Okay. I can see you are passionate about this but you need to calm down. The guy offered his opinion. It wasn't a tirade. > Who established the Atlantic slave trade if not Europeans? Sure. And britain was the largest slave trading nation and they were the largest world economy, until the US took over. I don't think anyone is denying that it was the europeans who created the atlantic slave trade. > Only pointing out the sins of others because some dick decided to turn a fun historical thread into smug hate the US thread. There is really no need for this. You are better than this. I can see this is getting a bit too heated so I'll just end it here. You are entitled to your opinion and the op is entitled to his. No need to attack people or use vulgur ad hominems.
      - aaron-lebo 9y ago
        Sorry, I just have a real problem with ignorant hatred and prejudice, which this thread is dripping with. Just because they don't use words like dick doesn't mean they aren't using vulgar ad hominems. The mistake is believing that people can distort history but as long as they're being nice about it, it's cool. The US is no more the beneficiary than any other country, so acting like the US is what it is only because of 400 years of loot and plunder (OP's phrasing) is ignoring that the Germans, French, and Russians would have looted and plundered each other and others (and did) for centuries. Therefore, the loot and plunder can't be the sole or even main reason behind American success, which is what the article was talking about. If an African-American was to wander into a thread with similar sentiments about African-Americans, it'd be recognized for the prejudice it is, and ironically most of the posters here would recognize it there, too.
        Mithaldu 9y ago
        You're forgetting the unique differences in geography and demographics of the USA area compared to what the germans, french and russians had to "work" with.

aaron-lebo 9y ago

How exactly do you determine the habit of 300 million people? How do you differentiate that habit from the Japanese who refuse to officially recognize war crimes in China or the Belgians and Germans whose grandparents wre killing Congolese and Jews respectively? If people in this thread were being honest they'd be well aware that this particularly American flaw isn't so specific to the US.

eighthnate 9y ago
> If people in this thread were being honest they'd be well aware that this particularly American flaw isn't so specific to the US. Sure. It's probably a human trait. But I'm not japanese or belgian or german so I wouldn't know. But I'm responding to a comment which "excused" our sins and I'm an american so that's why I made the comment. If it is a human trait, so be it. But the fact that you are pointing to the sins of others kinda proves my point doesn't it?
- aaron-lebo 9y ago
  I see no "excuse" of American sins, only a response to a tirade which makes very targeted and laughable statements like "unlimited slave labour and IP from Europe". Who established the Atlantic slave trade if not Europeans? Only pointing out the sins of others because some dick decided to turn a fun historical thread into smug hate the US thread. Any educated American is aware of this stuff. The most voted response is unrelated to the story and only getting upvoted because a lot of people in other countries are disappointed the book isn't about them and their formerely rapacious culture.
  - eighthnate 9y ago
    > I see no "excuse" of American sins, only a response to a tirade which makes very targeted and laughable statements like "unlimited slave labour and IP from Europe". Okay. I can see you are passionate about this but you need to calm down. The guy offered his opinion. It wasn't a tirade. > Who established the Atlantic slave trade if not Europeans? Sure. And britain was the largest slave trading nation and they were the largest world economy, until the US took over. I don't think anyone is denying that it was the europeans who created the atlantic slave trade. > Only pointing out the sins of others because some dick decided to turn a fun historical thread into smug hate the US thread. There is really no need for this. You are better than this. I can see this is getting a bit too heated so I'll just end it here. You are entitled to your opinion and the op is entitled to his. No need to attack people or use vulgur ad hominems.
    - aaron-lebo 9y ago
      Sorry, I just have a real problem with ignorant hatred and prejudice, which this thread is dripping with. Just because they don't use words like dick doesn't mean they aren't using vulgar ad hominems. The mistake is believing that people can distort history but as long as they're being nice about it, it's cool. The US is no more the beneficiary than any other country, so acting like the US is what it is only because of 400 years of loot and plunder (OP's phrasing) is ignoring that the Germans, French, and Russians would have looted and plundered each other and others (and did) for centuries. Therefore, the loot and plunder can't be the sole or even main reason behind American success, which is what the article was talking about. If an African-American was to wander into a thread with similar sentiments about African-Americans, it'd be recognized for the prejudice it is, and ironically most of the posters here would recognize it there, too.
      - Mithaldu 9y ago
        You're forgetting the unique differences in geography and demographics of the USA area compared to what the germans, french and russians had to "work" with.