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Although I'm no hater of the good old USA, this is a little self-congratulatory. You're certainly technological leaders in most fields for the understandable re

Although I'm no hater of the good old USA, this is a little self-congratulatory. You're certainly technological leaders in most fields for the understandable reasons of wealth, size and necessity (military driving cutting-edge research in order to maintain position as the dominant world superpower). But I'm afraid the 'unprecedented human happiness' you cite is only readily available to an elite few. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/23/swiss-reign-supreme-in-world-happiness-ranks http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/23/swiss-reign-sup...

javert 11y ago
> You're certainly technological leaders in most fields for the understandable reasons of wealth, size and necessity This ignores the history of capitalism, which is more important than the factors you mention. And capitalism was a philosophical and legal development. > But I'm afraid the 'unprecedented human happiness' you cite is only readily available to an elite few. That's just not true. The American sense of life is a happy one, unlike the British or continental European sense of nausea, dread, anti-semitism, nationalism, requiring one's brother to be one's keeper, and so on. Unfortunately I think the American sense of life is mostly gone in the east coast cities.
- josai 11y ago
  > unlike the British or continental European sense of nausea, dread, anti-semitism, nationalism, requiring one's brother to be one's keeper, and so on What utter nonsense.
  - javert 11y ago
    It's not nonsense. The latest case is trying to completely fuck over Google just 'cause. Oh, here's another one: Tall poppy syndrome. That unspeakable evil is not present in the U.S. I was horrified to hear about it.
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
- lotsofmangos 11y ago
  requiring one's brother to be one's keeper I'm not religious, but given that the context of that quote, being your brother's keeper is not that bad a plan. Better than murdering them. To be simultaneously jingoistic about the USA while wagging a finger at Europeans for nationalism and bigotry reminds me of another bible quote. First cast out the beam out of thine own eye.

javert 11y ago

> You're certainly technological leaders in most fields for the understandable reasons of wealth, size and necessity This ignores the history of capitalism, which is more important than the factors you mention. And capitalism was a philosophical and legal development. > But I'm afraid the 'unprecedented human happiness' you cite is only readily available to an elite few. That's just not true. The American sense of life is a happy one, unlike the British or continental European sense of nausea, dread, anti-semitism, nationalism, requiring one's brother to be one's keeper, and so on. Unfortunately I think the American sense of life is mostly gone in the east coast cities.

josai 11y ago
> unlike the British or continental European sense of nausea, dread, anti-semitism, nationalism, requiring one's brother to be one's keeper, and so on What utter nonsense.
- javert 11y ago
  It's not nonsense. The latest case is trying to completely fuck over Google just 'cause. Oh, here's another one: Tall poppy syndrome. That unspeakable evil is not present in the U.S. I was horrified to hear about it.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
lotsofmangos 11y ago
requiring one's brother to be one's keeper I'm not religious, but given that the context of that quote, being your brother's keeper is not that bad a plan. Better than murdering them. To be simultaneously jingoistic about the USA while wagging a finger at Europeans for nationalism and bigotry reminds me of another bible quote. First cast out the beam out of thine own eye.