That is debatable. The inverse could be argued that successive administrations have masked what we are all seeing now...Obama could do nothing about gun control after Sandy Hook. Nothing! America is what it is.
They are not any better or worse than the rest of humanity. They just believe in mythology that makes them think they are. And yet the result of being the richest nation on earth is...pretty uninspiring and occasionally a horror show.
Djozer, thank you your reply earlier made my day. And this by Giono rings very very true to this American
As a kid I never thought about how often we god dropped, like "ok kids god bless first period and home room! 'OUR FATHER, WHO....'" and I grew up in capitalist pig city not Bible Belt.
To my untrained eye we've run hog wild with capitalism, where profits not merits determine success or failure. And we dress it up with God and America is the greatest country ever, because most people here don't embrace learning from history, that other empires have been preeminent and then lost to history. The GOP's all encompassing message is, to me, greed. I'm an independent voter but I feel forced into a corner, so I'll use the us, but I think us Dems are guilty of it too, to a lesser degree...I hope? It feels inescapable both my need for the dems, who build pressure on things like gun law to get things changed like here in Vermont, and the American mentality of more more more now now now. There are so many of us who are good people, kind, smart, funny, you'll get the best jokes out of the least likeliest sources, we're capable in a pinch, but I traveled much before I settled down and from my extended family, friends and travels I do get the sense that we largely are soft. In a cocoon. Don't get me wrong, things aren't hunky dory, heroin and it's cousins are everywhereeeee, Trumps is really helping mend our fucked up history of racial animus, and the change in technology in last 20 years from "no internet" to "everything online" has been as jarring here and left as many people confused and angry as anywhere else, which I think largely factors into the Brexit and Trump voters, because if everything is a mystery where's the harm in tearing it up (and from what I've seen angry at a mystery you-can't-see-them cloud of bees it must seem like, as the RustBelt predictions of 40 years all became true and finance became one of our biggest industries....leading to a need for enemies, stoking racial and religious animus.....GUYS ITS A GREAT MIX)
I'm a child of the NYC area and I live in VT but I'm thinking of NJ, Maryland, Virginia, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Washington State, Oregon, Texas, Arkansas, CT, and others typing this. The people and the way we talked about what we talked about.
Now, I think everything I've typed is pretty downbeat, and accurate fwiw. And I think America is going to do better by the world because of this generation coming up now. I think America will always be a profoundly fucked up place with poorly weighted values (e.g. Doors>children) but I think we can make a change. I hope in the meantime America doesn't fuck up the world too bad, and unfortunately I think the results of trump are going to be way more far reaching and divisive long term than we can see today, but I still have hope that America is that place that respects and protects freedom
Sincerely,
A person who by sending this is knowingly, given current NSA and American Telco co. practices under the Patriot Act, creating a copy of every word typed in both their databases. Freedom! Freedom?
PS- There's always more to think about and change. In the meantime if you're American and you believe it's right- support candidates who will not accept NRA donations, for one.
Liverpool always gives me hope. I mean, Jay Spearing. John Arne Riise might have only had one foot! But ohhhhhhh what a beauty......
