5 ms·

I'd say this is easier in a society like Sweden, with a homogeneous culture and relatively small population.

by dx4100 13y ago

richardjordan 13y ago
I think the reason it's easier in Sweden is the key cultural value of fairness. America is more of a "mine" society, where everyone cares about what's "mine" and lacks an ability to self-moderate based on what's fair or right.
- primitivesuave 13y ago
  I wouldn't generalize here since there are people in every society who are above petty desires for material gain. It's just that in the US, we have significantly more wealth-addicts than any other country, and it leads to a bad perception of the nation as a whole. Another thing about self-moderation: my consulting firm gets an occasional contract at a public school. I know it sounds terrible to say this, but if these kids are the future of the US, I want to move somewhere else. I went to public school myself, and the value system that the kids subscribe to nowadays is bloated by our celebration of people who make immense amounts of money. There's also this fucked up sense of entitlement, an addiction to social media, and a lack of desire to explore anything beyond the assigned schoolwork.
  - brianpgordon 13y ago
    > I know it sounds terrible to say this, but if these kids are the future of the US, I want to move somewhere else. > fucked up sense of entitlement, an addiction to social media, and a lack of desire to explore anything beyond the assigned schoolwork. Has it occurred to you that since your generation is responsible for the profoundly sad state of our economy, educational system, and justice system, you don't have much room to criticize Generation Y?
    - primitivesuave 13y ago
      That's a strange argument. I'm a person. I didn't cause economic or education downturns, and my firm actually does the opposite - we create jobs in education and improve core standards. This is a classic situation of critic meets the generalist.
sliverstorm 13y ago
No kidding. Just think of all the political squabbles that would vanish overnight if the USA was, for example, 99% WASP
- lotsofmangos 13y ago
  I assume you are being sarcastic, given the history of protestantism. Come to think of it, that reminds me of an Emo Phillips joke: I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said "Stop! don't do it!" "Why shouldn't I?" he said. I said, "Well, there's so much to live for!" He said, "Like what?" I said, "Well...are you religious or atheist?" He said, "Religious." I said, "Me too! Are you christian or buddhist?" He said, "Christian." I said, "Me too! Are you catholic or protestant?" He said, "Protestant." I said, "Me too! Are you episcopalian or baptist?" He said, "Baptist!" I said,"Wow! Me too! Are you baptist church of god or baptist church of the lord?" He said, "Baptist church of god!" I said, "Me too! Are you original baptist church of god, or are you reformed baptist church of god?" He said,"Reformed Baptist church of god!" I said, "Me too! Are you reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1879, or reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1915?" He said, "Reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1915!" I said, "Die, heretic scum", and pushed him off.
  - sliverstorm 13y ago
    I don't know if I'm being sarcastic or not. On the one hand, you & your joke are totally right. On the other hand, if we get into a bitter battle over just 1 or 2 things, maybe we really could make lots of progress everywhere else.
    - lotsofmangos 13y ago
      I am not so sure, the pilgrims who settled in New-England were running away from persecution in old England, not for being protestant, as England was protestant, but rather for being the wrong sort of protestant. Then, they proceeded to spend the first really bad winter eating each other and when numbers picked up with more colonists, they got into the swing of hanging Quakers.
lotsofmangos 13y ago
That seems rather simplistic and is not borne out by looking at other small homogenous cultures. I suspect it is more to do with having a very long history of democratic and social decision making in Viking culture. The Viking Thing was electing kings by vote a millennium ago.

I'd say this is easier in a society like Sweden, with a homogeneous culture and relatively small population.

by dx4100 13y ago

I'd say this is easier in a society like Sweden, with a homogeneous culture and relatively small population.

I think the reason it's easier in Sweden is the key cultural value of fairness. America is more of a "mine" society, where everyone cares about what's "mine" and lacks an ability to self-moderate based on what's fair or right.

primitivesuave 13y ago
I wouldn't generalize here since there are people in every society who are above petty desires for material gain. It's just that in the US, we have significantly more wealth-addicts than any other country, and it leads to a bad perception of the nation as a whole. Another thing about self-moderation: my consulting firm gets an occasional contract at a public school. I know it sounds terrible to say this, but if these kids are the future of the US, I want to move somewhere else. I went to public school myself, and the value system that the kids subscribe to nowadays is bloated by our celebration of people who make immense amounts of money. There's also this fucked up sense of entitlement, an addiction to social media, and a lack of desire to explore anything beyond the assigned schoolwork.
- brianpgordon 13y ago
  > I know it sounds terrible to say this, but if these kids are the future of the US, I want to move somewhere else. > fucked up sense of entitlement, an addiction to social media, and a lack of desire to explore anything beyond the assigned schoolwork. Has it occurred to you that since your generation is responsible for the profoundly sad state of our economy, educational system, and justice system, you don't have much room to criticize Generation Y?
  - primitivesuave 13y ago
    That's a strange argument. I'm a person. I didn't cause economic or education downturns, and my firm actually does the opposite - we create jobs in education and improve core standards. This is a classic situation of critic meets the generalist.

sliverstorm 13y ago

No kidding. Just think of all the political squabbles that would vanish overnight if the USA was, for example, 99% WASP

lotsofmangos 13y ago
I assume you are being sarcastic, given the history of protestantism. Come to think of it, that reminds me of an Emo Phillips joke: I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said "Stop! don't do it!" "Why shouldn't I?" he said. I said, "Well, there's so much to live for!" He said, "Like what?" I said, "Well...are you religious or atheist?" He said, "Religious." I said, "Me too! Are you christian or buddhist?" He said, "Christian." I said, "Me too! Are you catholic or protestant?" He said, "Protestant." I said, "Me too! Are you episcopalian or baptist?" He said, "Baptist!" I said,"Wow! Me too! Are you baptist church of god or baptist church of the lord?" He said, "Baptist church of god!" I said, "Me too! Are you original baptist church of god, or are you reformed baptist church of god?" He said,"Reformed Baptist church of god!" I said, "Me too! Are you reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1879, or reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1915?" He said, "Reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1915!" I said, "Die, heretic scum", and pushed him off.
- sliverstorm 13y ago
  I don't know if I'm being sarcastic or not. On the one hand, you & your joke are totally right. On the other hand, if we get into a bitter battle over just 1 or 2 things, maybe we really could make lots of progress everywhere else.
  - lotsofmangos 13y ago
    I am not so sure, the pilgrims who settled in New-England were running away from persecution in old England, not for being protestant, as England was protestant, but rather for being the wrong sort of protestant. Then, they proceeded to spend the first really bad winter eating each other and when numbers picked up with more colonists, they got into the swing of hanging Quakers.

lotsofmangos 13y ago

That seems rather simplistic and is not borne out by looking at other small homogenous cultures. I suspect it is more to do with having a very long history of democratic and social decision making in Viking culture. The Viking Thing was electing kings by vote a millennium ago.