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Isn't the republican party dismantling democracy right at this moment? Also, America is a friend of human rights mostly as lip service, see Hague Invasion Act.

Isn't the republican party dismantling democracy right at this moment? Also, America is a friend of human rights mostly as lip service, see Hague Invasion Act. And the calling American corporate media independent is a stretch. If these are the most fundamental values to Americans, they do a poor job defending them.

analognoise 5y ago
We donate more to humanitarian causes than the next 10 countries combined. We openly admit we're not perfect and work to make things better. We do more good than anyone else - by a MASSIVE margin. We openly admit we've made mistakes. Where does this reflexive anti-American bullshit come from?
- cycomanic 5y ago
  The what you call "reflexive anti-american bullshit" comes because of post like yours, which without evidence spout claims such as "we do more good than anyone else - by a assive margin". The US (as in government) like all large powers are doing a lot of self interested power politics. They have overthrown many democratically elected governments and supported (and sometimes even put in place) some of the worst dictatorships in the world, because it was in their geopolitical interest. They invaded a sovereign country and presented lies to justify the invasion. They jave introduced a massive worldwide surveillance system, that is essentially spying on everyone. Have used that aperatus to spy on allies, and used it for to gain every economic advantage they could get. Is pointing this out "anti-american bullshit". Has someone who did these things done more good than anyone else by a massive margin?
  - analognoise 5y ago
    Go look up humanitarian giving. These are quantifiable numbers. We do more than the next 10 countries rolled up. We AGREE about the negative bullshit the US has done. We're actively trying to work on that shit, none of us like it. We've actually done a stellar job looking at our history and current practices and saying "That was fucked up" and "We should fix this going forward." But we still do WAY more good than, like I said, the next 10 countries combined. https://www.statista.com/statistics/275597/largers-donor-countries-of-aid-worldwide/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/275597/largers-donor-cou... So it's not all roses, but... Yeah, I wouldn't dismiss us as a net benefit.
    - nautilius 5y ago
      Your source says that, per capita, Germany pays more than the US.
      - analognoise 5y ago
        Did your per Capita calculation roll up the populations of the next 9 countries it would take to equal the US?
        nautilius 5y ago
        So your point about why the US are great and morally ‘stellar ‘ (to use your word) is that it’s —- big? Wow, that’s anticlimactic.
        analognoise 5y ago
        Add up all those populations. We're exceedingly generous, although less so than the Germans.
        nautilius 5y ago
        You may want to run the numbers on Norway (5 mio people), Sweden, Netherlands, etc. and all the others that aren’t even on a list that only shows totals and not per capita ‘generosity’. See, I don’t know if this is helping the case you are trying to make against cycomanic. You come here claiming you are more generous than the next 10 combined, when, in reality, you aren’t even in the top 5.
        analognoise 5y ago
        In terms of total dollars given, by far and away? If you add up the populations of the next 9 countries, it dwarfs the US population. Norway would fit in 1/3 of the most prosperous part of Los Angeles. I assumed we were talking about geopolitical powers.
- Intermernet 5y ago
  You know how you just got all defensive and insulted about a generalization made about America? That's how the Chinese, Iranians, Russians, Iraqis etc. feel when you make generalizations about them. The recent US leadership hasn't done a very good job of representing "American Values". You can expect anti-American sentiment from this. It may not be justified when referring to individuals, but neither is the xenophobic response to any of the countries listed above. Fight the governments, not the people.
  - long_time_gone 5y ago
    There is some inherent human nature to viewing your own actions with incredible nuance, while reflexively generalizing the actions of others. If it happens to me it’s bad luck, if it happens to you it’s bad planning.
  - analognoise 5y ago
    ...the countries that repress their own citizens and don't have a free press? You go to China and point out abuses. See how it goes. Or Russia - just don't stand by any windows. Those countries have legitimate issues we call out. We call ours out too. That's the difference.
    - baby 5y ago
      Have you heard of Navalny?
      - analognoise 5y ago
        Yeah he's legit - he was poisoned twice trying to speak the truth. That's not something that happens in the US. Surely that counts for something?
overgard 5y ago
If you're looking at the dismantling of human rights I think the left and right are equally culpable.

analognoise 5y ago

We donate more to humanitarian causes than the next 10 countries combined. We openly admit we're not perfect and work to make things better. We do more good than anyone else - by a MASSIVE margin. We openly admit we've made mistakes. Where does this reflexive anti-American bullshit come from?

cycomanic 5y ago
The what you call "reflexive anti-american bullshit" comes because of post like yours, which without evidence spout claims such as "we do more good than anyone else - by a assive margin". The US (as in government) like all large powers are doing a lot of self interested power politics. They have overthrown many democratically elected governments and supported (and sometimes even put in place) some of the worst dictatorships in the world, because it was in their geopolitical interest. They invaded a sovereign country and presented lies to justify the invasion. They jave introduced a massive worldwide surveillance system, that is essentially spying on everyone. Have used that aperatus to spy on allies, and used it for to gain every economic advantage they could get. Is pointing this out "anti-american bullshit". Has someone who did these things done more good than anyone else by a massive margin?
- analognoise 5y ago
  Go look up humanitarian giving. These are quantifiable numbers. We do more than the next 10 countries rolled up. We AGREE about the negative bullshit the US has done. We're actively trying to work on that shit, none of us like it. We've actually done a stellar job looking at our history and current practices and saying "That was fucked up" and "We should fix this going forward." But we still do WAY more good than, like I said, the next 10 countries combined. https://www.statista.com/statistics/275597/largers-donor-countries-of-aid-worldwide/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/275597/largers-donor-cou... So it's not all roses, but... Yeah, I wouldn't dismiss us as a net benefit.
  - nautilius 5y ago
    Your source says that, per capita, Germany pays more than the US.
    - analognoise 5y ago
      Did your per Capita calculation roll up the populations of the next 9 countries it would take to equal the US?
      - nautilius 5y ago
        So your point about why the US are great and morally ‘stellar ‘ (to use your word) is that it’s —- big? Wow, that’s anticlimactic.
        analognoise 5y ago
        Add up all those populations. We're exceedingly generous, although less so than the Germans.
        nautilius 5y ago
        You may want to run the numbers on Norway (5 mio people), Sweden, Netherlands, etc. and all the others that aren’t even on a list that only shows totals and not per capita ‘generosity’. See, I don’t know if this is helping the case you are trying to make against cycomanic. You come here claiming you are more generous than the next 10 combined, when, in reality, you aren’t even in the top 5.
        analognoise 5y ago
        In terms of total dollars given, by far and away? If you add up the populations of the next 9 countries, it dwarfs the US population. Norway would fit in 1/3 of the most prosperous part of Los Angeles. I assumed we were talking about geopolitical powers.
Intermernet 5y ago
You know how you just got all defensive and insulted about a generalization made about America? That's how the Chinese, Iranians, Russians, Iraqis etc. feel when you make generalizations about them. The recent US leadership hasn't done a very good job of representing "American Values". You can expect anti-American sentiment from this. It may not be justified when referring to individuals, but neither is the xenophobic response to any of the countries listed above. Fight the governments, not the people.
- long_time_gone 5y ago
  There is some inherent human nature to viewing your own actions with incredible nuance, while reflexively generalizing the actions of others. If it happens to me it’s bad luck, if it happens to you it’s bad planning.
- analognoise 5y ago
  ...the countries that repress their own citizens and don't have a free press? You go to China and point out abuses. See how it goes. Or Russia - just don't stand by any windows. Those countries have legitimate issues we call out. We call ours out too. That's the difference.
  - baby 5y ago
    Have you heard of Navalny?
    - analognoise 5y ago
      Yeah he's legit - he was poisoned twice trying to speak the truth. That's not something that happens in the US. Surely that counts for something?

overgard 5y ago

If you're looking at the dismantling of human rights I think the left and right are equally culpable.