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>We are still, despite our shortcomings, the most successful experiment in self-government in history. I'd like to know what metric they are judging that by.

• zo1 12y ago
  Or where they get their definition of "self-government". I take issue with that, and I'd submit that it's pretty much an oxymoron. Then again, I don't think any of us should be surprised at the use of such double-speek from a government official (if confirmed).
  • vegetor 12y ago
    It's a synonym to democracy, and yes, I agree to some extent. Still, self-control with regards to any system is a widely accepted term, and a comparable metaphor.
• MrBuddyCasino 12y ago
  I'm not from Switzerland, but over here most people consider them to be the best example of government there is, so this statement seems a little weird.
• IkmoIkmo 12y ago
  Agreed, the US doesn't rank first in virtually any metric that citizens would consider to be desirable (like healthcare, education, safety, freedom of the press etc). And it's no more democratic than say most European states. Taking into context its size is a whole different matter, though. It's relatively easier to build an awesome small country (say the Netherlands where I'm writing from) than a massive union of states spanning multiple time zones and climates. Perhaps if the US is compared to the entirety of the EU, then Congress and the American system of governing can be said to be one of the most impressive, if not the most impressive, experiment in government in history at that scale (although I'd much prefer Europe to the US even on average). But that's more a function of it being the only 300m+ country in the world that is also rich than it being the best among many of them.
  • theiostream 12y ago
    I wouldn't say the US being rich is a question of government organization, rather of not having been a colony whose sole purpose was to export raw materials. Higher dimensions also means more tax collection, which could be perfectly invested into making the standard of living of Americans better (it seems absurd to me that you don't have any public universal healthcare). The government prefers to invest 50% of it in Defense though. Consequence (also) of arms industry lobbyists and geopolitical strategy etc. but certainly not of size.
    • maxerickson 12y ago
      The US has extensive public healthcare. Medicare and Medicaid are huge programs. I realize there is a fair chance that you mean some baseline universal care, but imprecise terms make the conversation more difficult. Large corporations are also hilariously micro-socialist in the way health care is provided to workers (partly by government rule, partly because they hire productive workers and can afford to compete with benefits). Edit: The ACA (Obamacare) was also a big step towards universal care. The funding/payment model is messy, but all someone needs to do in the US to get health coverage now is apply for it and make payments, they don't have to hope they get accepted by the insurance company (and I guess it is also much harder to drop coverage).
      • happyscrappy 12y ago
        Europeans visiting the states are genuinely worried that they will be carjacked, which I always find hilarious. Life is not like the movies or the news.
        • goodcanadian 12y ago
          It is unsettling the number of Americans I meet that seem to have the same worries in their own country. The level of fear and paranoia is great.
          • 12y ago
• humanrebar 12y ago
  When people say that, they are usually referring to the age of the government. There has been one constitution since the 1780s.
  • a3n 12y ago
    If that's the metric, then I would say that we are the most tragically squandered successful experiment in history.
• skwirl 12y ago
  I don't think this line was important to the central points of the article, so it's kind of sad that this reddit-style "zinger" is the top comment in this discussion. I expect better here.
• DoubleMalt 12y ago
  Revealed Preferences. The US is still one of the prime targets for people to go to. This magnetism might be in decline but it's still there.
  • IkmoIkmo 12y ago
    Absolutely, but I think it has a lot to do with culture. My girlfriend is American and I've considered moving, but purely on the basis of cultural interest, much like say my position towards living in Japan or France, it'd be an awesome experience from a cultural point of view. But I've got absolutely no interest in moving to the US because the middle-class standard of living is so much better than the Netherlands, in fact it's the prime reason that's holding me back.
• deleted 12y ago
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