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The biggie, of course, is that US exceptionalism is pushing the US down the wrong track. That will be the economic and probably military downfall of the US and

The biggie, of course, is that US exceptionalism is pushing the US down the wrong track. That will be the economic and probably military downfall of the US and will likely occur within the next 5-10 years. (You may call me 'Cassandra'.)

hayst4ck 3y ago
Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny, likes to restate the idea of US exceptionalism as both the politics of inevitability and democracy is not something you are, it is something you do. Many people wrongly think that democracy is an inevitable result of capitalism, but if that's true then there is nothing extra you have to do to remain democratic other than participate in capitalism. If freedom is an inevitable result of being an American, then there is nothing you have to do to be free as long as you are American. If peace between two countries is an inevitable result of both countries "having a McDonalds", there is nothing extra you need to do to achieve peace except trade. If you want freedom, peace, or governance that represents you, you can't just be something, you actually have to hold beliefs and conduct yourself in a way conducive to those outcomes. You will love this video (12m): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eghl19elKk8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eghl19elKk8 (edited to make some statements more correct)
- dragonwriter 3y ago
  > Many people wrongly think that if democracy is an inevitable result of capitalism, then there is nothing extra you have to do to remain democratic other than participate in capitalism. It is not wrong to think this, it is true by definition. OTOH, it is very wrong to think “democracy is an inevitable result of capitalism”. Democracy is in fundamental conflict with capitalism; their co-existence is fundamentally unstable.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
- simonblack 3y ago
  A problem in the US but not in many other parts of the world is that 'Socialism' is conflated with 'Communism' and is therefore bad. Most countries in the world are mixed-economies, with both Socialism and Capitalism. Pure Capitalism is as bad as pure Communism. Maybe another way for Americans to consider Socialism is that Socialism is "Capitalism with Compassion".
kypro 3y ago
As a European it makes me sad to read this. The US is exceptional in almost every way – morally, technologically, economically, politically. While the US makes mistakes, and when it does its power means the consequences of those mistakes can be extreme, it's still overwhelmingly a force for good in a world that's becoming increasingly autocratic. Don't let critics put you down. The world needs you, and I for one am glad America exists.
- gnz11 3y ago
  What makes you think the US is morally exceptional?
- latexr 3y ago
  > it's still overwhelmingly a force for good in a world that's becoming increasingly autocratic. The two people who hold the record for most votes received in a US presidential election¹ are Joe Biden in first and Donald Trump in second. They set those records in the same election, which was the last one. Donald Trump has said he wants to be a dictator, and plenty of his supporters have said on tape that they want that outcome. Did you also miss the worldwide ripple effect after Trump won the first time where the autocrats came out of the woodwork and start winning elections and gaining more power in government in several countries? ¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_candidates_by_number_of_votes_received https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presiden...
  - Gerlo 3y ago
    >Donald Trump has said he wants to be a dictator Then he did a piss poor job of that considering he's not the president anymore.
    - latexr 3y ago
      1. He said that during this election cycle. 2. It’s irrelevant to the point whether he can do it or not.
- simonblack 3y ago
deleted 3y ago
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hayst4ck 3y ago

Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny, likes to restate the idea of US exceptionalism as both the politics of inevitability and democracy is not something you are, it is something you do. Many people wrongly think that democracy is an inevitable result of capitalism, but if that's true then there is nothing extra you have to do to remain democratic other than participate in capitalism. If freedom is an inevitable result of being an American, then there is nothing you have to do to be free as long as you are American. If peace between two countries is an inevitable result of both countries "having a McDonalds", there is nothing extra you need to do to achieve peace except trade. If you want freedom, peace, or governance that represents you, you can't just be something, you actually have to hold beliefs and conduct yourself in a way conducive to those outcomes. You will love this video (12m): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eghl19elKk8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eghl19elKk8 (edited to make some statements more correct)

dragonwriter 3y ago
> Many people wrongly think that if democracy is an inevitable result of capitalism, then there is nothing extra you have to do to remain democratic other than participate in capitalism. It is not wrong to think this, it is true by definition. OTOH, it is very wrong to think “democracy is an inevitable result of capitalism”. Democracy is in fundamental conflict with capitalism; their co-existence is fundamentally unstable.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
simonblack 3y ago
A problem in the US but not in many other parts of the world is that 'Socialism' is conflated with 'Communism' and is therefore bad. Most countries in the world are mixed-economies, with both Socialism and Capitalism. Pure Capitalism is as bad as pure Communism. Maybe another way for Americans to consider Socialism is that Socialism is "Capitalism with Compassion".

kypro 3y ago

As a European it makes me sad to read this. The US is exceptional in almost every way – morally, technologically, economically, politically. While the US makes mistakes, and when it does its power means the consequences of those mistakes can be extreme, it's still overwhelmingly a force for good in a world that's becoming increasingly autocratic. Don't let critics put you down. The world needs you, and I for one am glad America exists.

gnz11 3y ago
What makes you think the US is morally exceptional?
latexr 3y ago
> it's still overwhelmingly a force for good in a world that's becoming increasingly autocratic. The two people who hold the record for most votes received in a US presidential election¹ are Joe Biden in first and Donald Trump in second. They set those records in the same election, which was the last one. Donald Trump has said he wants to be a dictator, and plenty of his supporters have said on tape that they want that outcome. Did you also miss the worldwide ripple effect after Trump won the first time where the autocrats came out of the woodwork and start winning elections and gaining more power in government in several countries? ¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_candidates_by_number_of_votes_received https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presiden...
- Gerlo 3y ago
  >Donald Trump has said he wants to be a dictator Then he did a piss poor job of that considering he's not the president anymore.
  - latexr 3y ago
    1. He said that during this election cycle. 2. It’s irrelevant to the point whether he can do it or not.
simonblack 3y ago

deleted 3y ago

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