American Greatness is American Goodness

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

At the end of the day, what makes America great is what your brain accepts as greatness. If we opened our borders there’d be a billion people here as soon as they could get here. That’s a pretty good endorsement of our values, as wonky and fraught as they are.

I can appreciate what you said about America, but most of what you said isn't unique to the US. It could also be said of Canada, France, Germany and the UK, for instance.

I can't help but think that most people who say "America's the greatest!" have never really been anywhere else. Otherwise, they're mostly ex-military who, ya know, kind of have patriotism built-in, given they gravitated toward the military.

Patriotism is a nice sentiment, for certain, but it's feels over-the-top and unrealistic in America.

I mean, the same could be said of anyone expressing love for patria, be it a Brazilian or Russian. What I’m getting at is patriotism is an internal perception of someone’s sentiments toward what they perceive their country to be. Their sentiments aren’t going to work for you, just as yours isn’t going to work for them. It’s subjective, and no one is under any obligation to accept someone else’s love of country.

Lest I come across as adversarial, I’ll admit that my patriotism has nosedived over the last five years. Between our homeless crisis destroying the fabric of our cities, wealth distribution shifting quickly toward the 1%, Trump’s callous Presidency, the electorate as outing themselves to be irreparably stupid and unable to stave off brainwashing, and the unabated consumerism driving us all toward an extinction event because we lack long-term thinking I’m very sympathetic to your point of view.

That’s why I have to go for another long walk in a few weeks. It’s a mental, physical, and emotional health break for my wife and I.

- Doc

[ajax18]

Of course, I want to believe in American generosity, but I have to admit that my view of the average American has suffered significantly in the last four years. A lot of Americans are great. A significant number really aren't.

One could compare wealthy people in America to wealthy people in Latin America and see how much each gives to charity?

https://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Ne ... d=19220475

Today, 100 Latin Americans have a net worth of over a billion dollars, according to Forbes' latest list. None of them, though, have engaged in practices that are comparable to those of Gates and Buffet. Latin America trails the rest of the world in terms of charitable organizations and philanthropic endeavors. Unfortunately, the region's recent economic success has not been attended by the massive donations that other countries have seen. And though there are promissory signs of change, deep-rooted cultural and financial reasons still seem to hold back Latin America's magnates.

American greatness originally was in distinguishing the US from Britain and other monarchies, which by in large part was having a military victor like George Washington who didn't want to be king or emperor. You can also see the difference by comparing the American and French Revolution. I say former greatness because Washington's statutes are being removed and the dominant leftist culture disparages him as nothing more than slave holding white supremacist. We're essentially seeing a repeat of the French Revolution but here in America.

[Themis]

American greatness originally was in distinguishing the US from Britain and other monarchies, which by in large part was having a military victor like George Washington who didn't want to be king or emperor.

And yet you have admitted you want an authoritarian government with Trump as emperor.

[ajax18]

And yet you have admitted you want an authoritarian government with Trump as emperor.

That would be far better than what I have now.

[Bret Ripley]

And yet you have admitted you want an authoritarian government with Trump as emperor.

That would be far better than what I have now.

"He loved Big Brother."

[canpakes]

One could compare wealthy people in America to wealthy people in Latin America and see how much each gives to charity?

https://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Ne ... d=19220475

Today, 100 Latin Americans have a net worth of over a billion dollars, according to Forbes' latest list. None of them, though, have engaged in practices that are comparable to those of Gates and Buffet.

Well, I never thought that I’d see the day when you hold up Bill Gates as an excellent example of what’s Good in America.

This is going to kill your street cred with your fellow Trumpers and Q-bots.

o_O

[Themis]

And yet you have admitted you want an authoritarian government with Trump as emperor.

That would be far better than what I have now.

Unfortunately you don't understand what you have now, or what you would get with someone like Trump as your overlord.

[Gunnar]

And yet you have admitted you want an authoritarian government with Trump as emperor.

That would be far better than what I have now.

One would have to be insane and almost completely divorced from reality to believe That! Look at the facts, man!

1. There is no real controversy about the fact that no President in history had been caught in more lies than Trump.

2. Few. if any, Presidents has had a more corrupt administration, or has had more of his associates and aides who had to resign or be fired in disgrace for corruption or outright incompetence.

3. It still remains an inescapable fact that no nation on earth handled the covid-19 epidemic worse than ours, under the corrupt and willfully ignorant Trump and his administration.

4. Probably no other national leader on earth has a greater ignorance or disdain for scientific, evidence based reality than Donald Trump. It appears, from many of your posts, that despite your claim to be an optometrist, that you share that disdain for science and evidence, whenever it casts legitimate doubt on what you prefer to believe.

5. No other President in history has incited an insurrection in an attempt overturn a fairly run and legitimate election, and reinstall himself in power, despite the clear will of the vast majority of the electorate. Even you have, in effect, admitted that there was insufficient evidence of widespread election fraud and irregularities to justify overturning the election. What little evidence has been found of real election fraud and irregularities has proven to be at least as often attributable to Republicans, as to Democrats. But as you have already admitted, you would rather live under abject tyranny that imposes your view on the world, than respect the majority will of your fellow Americans.

6. Whether you are willing to admit it or not, things, including the pandemic, are already looking up and improving under the Biden Presidency. Biden has a 79% approval rating already, whereas Trump's approval rating never rose even as high as 50% at its best, and has sunk to the low 30s (and even lower, according to some polls).

There isn't the slightest doubt in my mind that Trump will go down in history as the worst U.S. President in history. I predict that in time, even you will eventually find it impossible to escape that conclusion.

[Gunnar]

That would be far better than what I have now.

Unfortunately you don't understand what you have now, or what you would get with someone like Trump as your overlord.

Apparently, based on his posting history, ajax really doesn't understand much of anything, with the likely exception of his profession, optometry.

[ajax18]

But as you have already admitted, you would rather live under abject tyranny that imposes your view on the world, than respect the majority will of your fellow Americans.

Working people just want freedom to keep their earnings. As it stands our childrens childrens children will be paying China in debt servitude to fund this $500 milllion political impeachment charade. And while that is democracy, it's not freedom. Our freedom is gone and we see it every two weeks with each paycheck.