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None of that is relevant. The fact is that other nations simply have not done those things that make America special, for whatever reason. Not everybody has t

None of that is relevant. The fact is that other nations simply have not done those things that make America special, for whatever reason. Not everybody has the literal means to be able to just leave their country, and most people certainly don't have the means to improve it. You are again making pronouncements from atop your elitist throne here.

WalterBright 4y ago
> The fact is that other nations simply have not done those things that make America special That's right. They chose not to. > most people certainly don't have the means to improve it There are many, many historical examples of individuals of no means rising to strongly influence and even command a nation. There are also many examples of citizens toppling their government and replacing it. You know, like the American Revolution, which revolted against the British that ruled the world at the time.
- actually_a_dog 4y ago
  None of those are the least bit relevant at the individual level. You sound like you subscribe to the "great man" theory of history. That theory is, quite frankly, bunk. No man is an island, and one, single person can't accomplish anything meaningful without the support of others. You allude to this in another comment, but I do know who you are, and, no, you didn't build that. Everything you accomplished was built on the backs of what people who came before you did, and you got lucky to end up in such a privileged position to be able to even have some of the opportunities you had, much less take advantage of them. Do you even remember what your argument is? Because I don't.
  - WalterBright 4y ago
    > Everything you accomplished was built on the backs of what people who came before you did, and you got lucky to end up in such a privileged position to be able to even have some of the opportunities you had, much less take advantage of them. Yeah, if I'd just watched TV the whole time, the outcome would have been the same. Right? > single person can't accomplish anything meaningful without the support of others. Great men go out and get the support of others. Do you think Apple would have existed without Steve Jobs? SpaceX/Tesla without Musk? The Soviet Union without Lenin? The Church of England without Henry 8? The US without Washington? Why is the US so different from the other North and South American nations? The Haber process without Haber? Do you know about Norman Borlaug, who is credited with saving over a BILLION lives? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug There are great men, and they have great influence over history.
    - actually_a_dog 4y ago
      Do you think Steve Jobs could have done any of the things he did 30 years prior? Haber and Borlaug? Yeah, I know they bear a lot of responsibility for overconsumption in the world today. Likewise for every single person you named. You couldn’t have done what you did had you been born a serf in 1375, and had you been so born, I would wager nobody would know your name even 10 years after you died. No, sir, you didn’t build that.
      - WalterBright 4y ago
        > any of the things he did I see you admit Jobs did it. Oops! > what you did You admit what I did, too. Oops! > you didn’t Too late!

WalterBright 4y ago

> The fact is that other nations simply have not done those things that make America special That's right. They chose not to. > most people certainly don't have the means to improve it There are many, many historical examples of individuals of no means rising to strongly influence and even command a nation. There are also many examples of citizens toppling their government and replacing it. You know, like the American Revolution, which revolted against the British that ruled the world at the time.

actually_a_dog 4y ago
None of those are the least bit relevant at the individual level. You sound like you subscribe to the "great man" theory of history. That theory is, quite frankly, bunk. No man is an island, and one, single person can't accomplish anything meaningful without the support of others. You allude to this in another comment, but I do know who you are, and, no, you didn't build that. Everything you accomplished was built on the backs of what people who came before you did, and you got lucky to end up in such a privileged position to be able to even have some of the opportunities you had, much less take advantage of them. Do you even remember what your argument is? Because I don't.
- WalterBright 4y ago
  > Everything you accomplished was built on the backs of what people who came before you did, and you got lucky to end up in such a privileged position to be able to even have some of the opportunities you had, much less take advantage of them. Yeah, if I'd just watched TV the whole time, the outcome would have been the same. Right? > single person can't accomplish anything meaningful without the support of others. Great men go out and get the support of others. Do you think Apple would have existed without Steve Jobs? SpaceX/Tesla without Musk? The Soviet Union without Lenin? The Church of England without Henry 8? The US without Washington? Why is the US so different from the other North and South American nations? The Haber process without Haber? Do you know about Norman Borlaug, who is credited with saving over a BILLION lives? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug There are great men, and they have great influence over history.
  - actually_a_dog 4y ago
    Do you think Steve Jobs could have done any of the things he did 30 years prior? Haber and Borlaug? Yeah, I know they bear a lot of responsibility for overconsumption in the world today. Likewise for every single person you named. You couldn’t have done what you did had you been born a serf in 1375, and had you been so born, I would wager nobody would know your name even 10 years after you died. No, sir, you didn’t build that.
    - WalterBright 4y ago
      > any of the things he did I see you admit Jobs did it. Oops! > what you did You admit what I did, too. Oops! > you didn’t Too late!