One thing worth considering, is that on a global/historical basis it is not unheard of for whole societies (strong majority if not overwhelming majority) to descend into degeneracy, chauvinism and corruption.
In a sense, this is not something specific to the US. These things unfortunately happen.
I see where you are coming from, but I think it’s dangerous to give too much benefit of the doubt and to look at things as we want them to be, not how they are.
I don’t disavow that potential. It’s a real potential. It’s a terrifyingly real potential. And shit like the comment above and the mentality it expresses certainly doesn’t make that potential better.
I’ve travelled and lived for several years in many countries across NA (including the US), Europe and Asia.
One thing that I’ve learned is that it’s important to keep an open mind, to look at the good things in a given society/culture and to not be overly judgmental. It’s important to not frame thing in terms of expectations from another environment.
That being said there are limits to everything. Looking at the trajectory of American society, it is not unreasonable to speculate that their march towards a chauvinistic, corrupt plutocracy is not going to stop.
I would love to be wrong (it’s a disaster that the US has essentially turned into a mafia state), but to deny reality is the definition of cope.
“Comment above” referring to our ancestor comment, not yours. That comment just strives to paint a starkly black and white image, because black and white certainty (even if it’s wrong) serves the emotional needs of the poster. It does not offer any practical value against the slide into autocracy. It only makes things worse. Everyone should keep their coping to themselves, cope privately, and not inflict it upon others. We need to conserve our common spaces for better forms of thought.
While I agree that a black and white approach isn’t exactly accurate, you can get to a point where the situation becomes close enough to black/white as a matter of practical considerations (i.e. outcomes). Again, not something specific to the US, it can and does happen everywhere.
I am still clinging to the hope that the Americans will turn things around (i.e. no Obama “hope and change” while avoiding addressing crime and corruption), but it’s becoming increasingly difficult.
And claiming that the overwhelming majority of the US far right is incapable of empathy (or that they are fundamentally supportive of crime and corruption) isn’t factually incorrect to my knowledge.
Everyone (*) is capable of empathy. You decide not to have empathy for vulnerable individuals suffering actual atrocity three times a day when you decide to visit cruelty and violence on them on the way to your plate. When was the last time you shed a tear? Cuz it fucked me up pretty bad just this morning. Do you have no empathy? Of course you do. You just choose not to use it.
You are correct, it’s a choice. But no one (IMO even the thread OP) is arguing there is a physiologic reason for the lack of empathy. It’s shorthand for saying they choose not to show empathy and this won’t change any time soon (i.e. definitely not in the next 20-30 years).
Look, I am probably more on your side than our conversation would suggest, but I cannot imagine any realistic scenario of positive developments in American society. Can you? If yes, what is this scenario?
Hey please drop the bullshit “holier than thou” narrative.
You’re pathetic and rather try to hold hands with Nazis than stand up to them. How very Nevillle Chamberlain of you.
And actually it is quite black and white.
There is zero nuance to mass kidnappings of brown people by white supremachists. Its indisputably evil.
There’s zero nuance to destabilizing a developing nation for the purposes of your rich buddies raping it for resources. Its indisputably evil.
There’s zero nuance to threatening to annex an ally’s territory, again for your rich buddies to rape it for resources. Its indisputably evil.
There’s zero nuance to befriending the CEO of elite pedophiles incorporated, and trafficking and raping kids with him for a decade, its indisputably evil.
And there’s zero nuance to gleefully and openly supporting genocide, foreign nor domestic. Its indisputably evil.
The fact you can’t the black and white nature of the evil of these crimes shows you are fundamentally morally bankrupt, intellectually barren, and untrustworthy with even the most basic and fundamental critical analysis of any serious situation.
Sit this one out, Jr. The adults don’t have time to make kids like you feel better about their insecurities.
One thing worth considering, is that on a global/historical basis it is not unheard of for whole societies (strong majority if not overwhelming majority) to descend into degeneracy, chauvinism and corruption.
In a sense, this is not something specific to the US. These things unfortunately happen.
I see where you are coming from, but I think it’s dangerous to give too much benefit of the doubt and to look at things as we want them to be, not how they are.
I don’t disavow that potential. It’s a real potential. It’s a terrifyingly real potential. And shit like the comment above and the mentality it expresses certainly doesn’t make that potential better.
I disagree with this framing.
I’ve travelled and lived for several years in many countries across NA (including the US), Europe and Asia.
One thing that I’ve learned is that it’s important to keep an open mind, to look at the good things in a given society/culture and to not be overly judgmental. It’s important to not frame thing in terms of expectations from another environment.
That being said there are limits to everything. Looking at the trajectory of American society, it is not unreasonable to speculate that their march towards a chauvinistic, corrupt plutocracy is not going to stop.
I would love to be wrong (it’s a disaster that the US has essentially turned into a mafia state), but to deny reality is the definition of cope.
“Comment above” referring to our ancestor comment, not yours. That comment just strives to paint a starkly black and white image, because black and white certainty (even if it’s wrong) serves the emotional needs of the poster. It does not offer any practical value against the slide into autocracy. It only makes things worse. Everyone should keep their coping to themselves, cope privately, and not inflict it upon others. We need to conserve our common spaces for better forms of thought.
I misunderstood. Apologies.
While I agree that a black and white approach isn’t exactly accurate, you can get to a point where the situation becomes close enough to black/white as a matter of practical considerations (i.e. outcomes). Again, not something specific to the US, it can and does happen everywhere.
I am still clinging to the hope that the Americans will turn things around (i.e. no Obama “hope and change” while avoiding addressing crime and corruption), but it’s becoming increasingly difficult.
And claiming that the overwhelming majority of the US far right is incapable of empathy (or that they are fundamentally supportive of crime and corruption) isn’t factually incorrect to my knowledge.
Everyone (*) is capable of empathy. You decide not to have empathy for vulnerable individuals suffering actual atrocity three times a day when you decide to visit cruelty and violence on them on the way to your plate. When was the last time you shed a tear? Cuz it fucked me up pretty bad just this morning. Do you have no empathy? Of course you do. You just choose not to use it.
You are correct, it’s a choice. But no one (IMO even the thread OP) is arguing there is a physiologic reason for the lack of empathy. It’s shorthand for saying they choose not to show empathy and this won’t change any time soon (i.e. definitely not in the next 20-30 years).
Look, I am probably more on your side than our conversation would suggest, but I cannot imagine any realistic scenario of positive developments in American society. Can you? If yes, what is this scenario?
Oh god you’re still ball tucking to other people.
Hey please drop the bullshit “holier than thou” narrative.
You’re pathetic and rather try to hold hands with Nazis than stand up to them. How very Nevillle Chamberlain of you.
And actually it is quite black and white.
There is zero nuance to mass kidnappings of brown people by white supremachists. Its indisputably evil.
There’s zero nuance to destabilizing a developing nation for the purposes of your rich buddies raping it for resources. Its indisputably evil.
There’s zero nuance to threatening to annex an ally’s territory, again for your rich buddies to rape it for resources. Its indisputably evil.
There’s zero nuance to befriending the CEO of elite pedophiles incorporated, and trafficking and raping kids with him for a decade, its indisputably evil.
And there’s zero nuance to gleefully and openly supporting genocide, foreign nor domestic. Its indisputably evil.
The fact you can’t the black and white nature of the evil of these crimes shows you are fundamentally morally bankrupt, intellectually barren, and untrustworthy with even the most basic and fundamental critical analysis of any serious situation.
Sit this one out, Jr. The adults don’t have time to make kids like you feel better about their insecurities.
cope harder, but i’m not gonna read it chuckles
Its ok, I’ll summarize:
You’re a colossal pussy and know nothing about politics, let alone reality.