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This comment is as mindless as the generalisation it's applying to an entire population.

by g105b 7y ago

TazeTSchnitzel 7y ago
It's more about American governance than anything else.
sbarre 7y ago
This is not about the US citizenry but about the state. If you can't actually see how the American state (not population or country) has devolved into something to be concerned about over the last 20 years, perhaps you're not looking hard enough. Domestic politics and policies are cruel and divisive, international policies have regressed dramatically (i.e. they've pulled out of major international treaties around arms and climate and trade). In the eyes of the average world citizen, America used to export an aspirational culture, now they export greed, cynicism, and technological dystopia (and I don't mean Facebook, I mean mass surveillance and drone warfare). They are of course not alone in all this, but they are the biggest and most powerful country on the planet, so they lead by example, and it's becoming a shittier example every year. So yeah, as an outsider looking into the US, I don't find that comment mindless at all.
- euroPoor 7y ago
  The United States government is legitimized by its people. While I highly disagree with the ‘America terrible’ feeling your argument does not hold.
  - incongruity 7y ago
    I’d instead say that it is legitimate as long as it continues to align with and perpetuate the interests and values of its people. To that end, if our government has strayed from that in significant ways, it delegitimizes itself and we, the people have an obligation to ourselves and others to rein it in. America, the people, is still a source of pride for me but one can hold that view and still see significant flaws with how our government acts on our behalf - or despite it.
- throwaway6734 7y ago
  > If you can't actually see how the American state (not population or country) has devolved into something to be concerned about over the last 20 years I find this timeframe strange. Although the US has had major policy mishaps in the last 20 years (Iraq war, NSA surveillance, etc), imo policy is still better than at any other time in America's history. What timeframe do you think had "better" policy?
  - BurnGpuBurn 7y ago
    The fact that you refer to the murdering of a couple of million Iraqis as a 'policy mishap' just underscores the other guys point.
    - AnimalMuppet 7y ago
      ... and doesn't actually answer the guy you're replying to at all. Mind you, I'm not saying that he's right. I'm just saying that you didn't actually answer him.
  - WarOnPrivacy 7y ago
    Q1 & Q2 2001. After that began US's relentless creation of the modern, comprehensive surveillance state. It is the largest possible government and will effectively repress our great-grandchildren and theirs. As an American, I advocate some isolationism to protect other countries. The reason is that other nations are proving grounds for the future mistreatment of US citizens. Protecting other countries now protects future Americans.
- fauigerzigerk 7y ago
  >This is not about the US citizenry but about the state. So "stop dealing with the USA" is supposed to mean stop dealing with the US government? I don't think so.
  - AnimalMuppet 7y ago
    Kind of hard to live here without dealing with the US government. Even harder to visit here without dealing with the US government. (The US government's actions when you cross the border was the original topic, after all.)

This comment is as mindless as the generalisation it's applying to an entire population.

by g105b 7y ago

This comment is as mindless as the generalisation it's applying to an entire population.

TazeTSchnitzel 7y ago

It's more about American governance than anything else.

sbarre 7y ago

This is not about the US citizenry but about the state. If you can't actually see how the American state (not population or country) has devolved into something to be concerned about over the last 20 years, perhaps you're not looking hard enough. Domestic politics and policies are cruel and divisive, international policies have regressed dramatically (i.e. they've pulled out of major international treaties around arms and climate and trade). In the eyes of the average world citizen, America used to export an aspirational culture, now they export greed, cynicism, and technological dystopia (and I don't mean Facebook, I mean mass surveillance and drone warfare). They are of course not alone in all this, but they are the biggest and most powerful country on the planet, so they lead by example, and it's becoming a shittier example every year. So yeah, as an outsider looking into the US, I don't find that comment mindless at all.

euroPoor 7y ago
The United States government is legitimized by its people. While I highly disagree with the ‘America terrible’ feeling your argument does not hold.
- incongruity 7y ago
  I’d instead say that it is legitimate as long as it continues to align with and perpetuate the interests and values of its people. To that end, if our government has strayed from that in significant ways, it delegitimizes itself and we, the people have an obligation to ourselves and others to rein it in. America, the people, is still a source of pride for me but one can hold that view and still see significant flaws with how our government acts on our behalf - or despite it.
throwaway6734 7y ago
> If you can't actually see how the American state (not population or country) has devolved into something to be concerned about over the last 20 years I find this timeframe strange. Although the US has had major policy mishaps in the last 20 years (Iraq war, NSA surveillance, etc), imo policy is still better than at any other time in America's history. What timeframe do you think had "better" policy?
- BurnGpuBurn 7y ago
  The fact that you refer to the murdering of a couple of million Iraqis as a 'policy mishap' just underscores the other guys point.
  - AnimalMuppet 7y ago
    ... and doesn't actually answer the guy you're replying to at all. Mind you, I'm not saying that he's right. I'm just saying that you didn't actually answer him.
- WarOnPrivacy 7y ago
  Q1 & Q2 2001. After that began US's relentless creation of the modern, comprehensive surveillance state. It is the largest possible government and will effectively repress our great-grandchildren and theirs. As an American, I advocate some isolationism to protect other countries. The reason is that other nations are proving grounds for the future mistreatment of US citizens. Protecting other countries now protects future Americans.
fauigerzigerk 7y ago
>This is not about the US citizenry but about the state. So "stop dealing with the USA" is supposed to mean stop dealing with the US government? I don't think so.
- AnimalMuppet 7y ago
  Kind of hard to live here without dealing with the US government. Even harder to visit here without dealing with the US government. (The US government's actions when you cross the border was the original topic, after all.)