4 ms·

Absolutely nothing makes it okay. I think the assertion is that if the USA looked inward and led more by example then that would make the world a better place.

Absolutely nothing makes it okay. I think the assertion is that if the USA looked inward and led more by example then that would make the world a better place. Leading by example is always best. Just these last recent Olympics the Russians couldn't compete under their own flag as punishment for various serious transgressions. But the greatest scandal in the history of Olympic sports by a mile is the American Nassar child abuse scandal. Were we Americans punished and banned from having our flag flown at the Olympics? So maybe next time we don't look the other way on decades of abuse? Nah, Michigan and it's insurers are on the hook for a up to a cool billion and life moves on for us none the wiser. Edit: we have to show people (non-westerners) there is a better way and not assume it is self-evident! If they are exposed constantly to propaganda on [true] western hypocrisies it makes it so much more difficult for them to believe that the west's liberal order, though imperfect, is not as rotten as the alternatives. So that's why I advocate for Americans to look inward

another_story 5y ago
You don't think many Americans are equally upset about all the things their government does? Bernie Sanders was just on CSPAN talking about the US overthrowing leadership in S. America. Many Americans are fully aware of how messed up their country is. That being said, anytime anything anywhere bad happens a line of people forms to say “What about America,” as if that somehow absolves others. Also, the Olympics have been a joke for decades. I don't even understand why countries still waste the time and energy supporting it.
- erosenbe0 5y ago
  Yes, Americans have strong distaste for some things that are happening but are pretty complacent in the grand scheme of things. We are allowing very high levels of crony or state capitalism. For example, everyone complains about healthcare, housing, climate, or war and little is accomplished Plenty of smart kids could be doctors but we have an inefficient, exclusionary training system that lasts 11 years minimum post-secondary. Some inroads are made to improve but way too slowly. At age 18, go to school 36 weeks a year? Kindergarten kids who can barely wipe their butts get more instruction than our adult university students who will be treating our cancers? WTF! You go to the pharmacy to get a medicine that has been around 80 years and costs $3 in India due to having 20 [legit] suppliers (like tylenol) and there are 1-3 suppliers in the USA and it costs $80. Because FDA is now very Soviet and creates onerous, stonewalling barriers in the name of crony profit. The FDA did this with the initial COVID testing -- stonewalling on the approval of foreign developed tests -- and it certainly had some element of domestic (crony?) profit motives involved. How many people died? How many? I mean WTF? I go to WalMart once a week and it seems like every week the TVs are better and cheaper. I can buy gigabytes of RAM from state of the art factories but 80 year-old drugs are as expensive as ever. WTF! Everyone wants housing to be cheaper except many are either NIMBYs or asset holding boomers who won't make a sacrifice in the name of long-term economic development or equity. American young men (and women) who could be pridefully building or renovating housing and learning trades are sitting uneducated in their parents basements, obese and depressed at very very high rates. Same with climate. Many want clean energy as long as it's over-subsidized solar and EVs rather than a community investment in solar, wind, or nuclear that is efficient and fair. Not enough want to foot the bill for some upfront investment that will pay off in the long-run. It's all me me me.

another_story 5y ago

You don't think many Americans are equally upset about all the things their government does? Bernie Sanders was just on CSPAN talking about the US overthrowing leadership in S. America. Many Americans are fully aware of how messed up their country is. That being said, anytime anything anywhere bad happens a line of people forms to say “What about America,” as if that somehow absolves others. Also, the Olympics have been a joke for decades. I don't even understand why countries still waste the time and energy supporting it.

erosenbe0 5y ago
Yes, Americans have strong distaste for some things that are happening but are pretty complacent in the grand scheme of things. We are allowing very high levels of crony or state capitalism. For example, everyone complains about healthcare, housing, climate, or war and little is accomplished Plenty of smart kids could be doctors but we have an inefficient, exclusionary training system that lasts 11 years minimum post-secondary. Some inroads are made to improve but way too slowly. At age 18, go to school 36 weeks a year? Kindergarten kids who can barely wipe their butts get more instruction than our adult university students who will be treating our cancers? WTF! You go to the pharmacy to get a medicine that has been around 80 years and costs $3 in India due to having 20 [legit] suppliers (like tylenol) and there are 1-3 suppliers in the USA and it costs $80. Because FDA is now very Soviet and creates onerous, stonewalling barriers in the name of crony profit. The FDA did this with the initial COVID testing -- stonewalling on the approval of foreign developed tests -- and it certainly had some element of domestic (crony?) profit motives involved. How many people died? How many? I mean WTF? I go to WalMart once a week and it seems like every week the TVs are better and cheaper. I can buy gigabytes of RAM from state of the art factories but 80 year-old drugs are as expensive as ever. WTF! Everyone wants housing to be cheaper except many are either NIMBYs or asset holding boomers who won't make a sacrifice in the name of long-term economic development or equity. American young men (and women) who could be pridefully building or renovating housing and learning trades are sitting uneducated in their parents basements, obese and depressed at very very high rates. Same with climate. Many want clean energy as long as it's over-subsidized solar and EVs rather than a community investment in solar, wind, or nuclear that is efficient and fair. Not enough want to foot the bill for some upfront investment that will pay off in the long-run. It's all me me me.