- This topic has 41 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 10 months ago by
scaredyclassic.
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May 30, 2020 at 9:22 AM #22899May 30, 2020 at 10:05 AM #817642
outtamojo
ParticipantIt’s either all of the above or a return to political correctness- Make America Politically Correct Again!
May 30, 2020 at 10:23 AM #817643zk
ParticipantMy 2 cents:
America can easily be broken. Well, turned into a more disgusting, more violent, more reviled version of a once-world-dominating but now second-rate country like The U.K.
The difference is it won’t take very long for that to happen to us, given our leadership and our culture.
On a longer time frame (but not that long – say, 40 or 50 years), if we keep electing “leaders” like trump, we could be much, much worse off than that. Our only hope of avoiding that fate is – and don’t hold your breath for this – for common sense to prevail among the American people. For Americans to stop believing the propaganda that tells them that “trump only lies about little things” and “trump is trustworthy and honest” and “Hillary runs a pedophile ring” and “Joe Scarborough murdered his assistant” and “Obamagate is the worst political scandal in American history” and “trump was completely exonerated by the Mueller report” and the million other emotionally-manipulative bits of propaganda that cause otherwise-normal people to support one of the most vile and incompetent human beings ever to “lead” a country.
May 30, 2020 at 2:35 PM #817650
svelteParticipantI don’t care much what my image is. Or what my country’s image is.
Not saying I don’t care at all, but for the most part I care what I think about me. Sometimes folks comment that I do things to be flashy. I respond NO I would do that even if no one was around. What you think of it I couldn’t care less.
May 30, 2020 at 3:05 PM #817652ParticipantYeah image is not really important…unless it accurately reflects what one is.
May 30, 2020 at 4:10 PM #817654FlyerInHi
Guest[quote=svelte]I don’t care much what my image is. Or what my country’s image is.
Not saying I don’t care at all, but for the most part I care what I think about me. Sometimes folks comment that I do things to be flashy. I respond NO I would do that even if no one was around. What you think of it I couldn’t care less.[/quote]
That’s when the country needs to worry because you’ve given up. You know the country is not moral or righteous so you focus on your own well-being only. It’s like well-to-do people in Brazil only caring about their own comfort.
I care, but to tell the truth, I have given up. Trump has really unmasked what America is all about and it not pretty — nothing to be proud of. We have an a huge uneducated segment of our population and we aren’t prepared for the 21st century.
Of course as individuals, we will make the best of the situation, But we can no longer claim that America is great, much less that Trump is making America great again.
BTW, if you follow non-English media, you can clearly see that nobody trusts us anymore. Even DW English is critical of the US. One reason I am pessimistic about the future is because our culture does not allow any critique, and without self reflection, we will not change. Americans tent to take any criticism as not being patriotic, so people who work for change have to be very careful what they say.
The US Dollar will remain the reserve currency for our lifetimes. In an uncertain world, investors the world over will want the strongest currency. The pound sterling was strong well after the British empire was no more. That’s an American strength, but also a weakness because will continue our old ways and debts will accumulate.
China and India will surpass us eventually for the law of numbers cannot be overcome. So if we want to live in a peaceful world, we’d better be careful how we act for the rules we set now will eventually be applied to us.
May 30, 2020 at 5:09 PM #817656Participant[quote=svelte]I don’t care much what my image is. Or what my country’s image is.
[/quote]
You don’t have to care what your country’s image is. But your country definitely should.
If your country has an image of being untrustworthy, it will be significantly harder to deal with other countries.
If your country is suspected of planning a first strike, the other side might beat you to it.
If your country has an image of not giving a shit about other countries, other countries are less likely to come to your aid.
Et cetera.
If a country thinks it can go it alone, then it doesn’t have to worry about such things. Actually, that’s not right. If a country actually can go it alone and is willing to give up the benefits of cooperating with other countries, then it doesn’t have to worry about such things
Being a good person or a good country and not worrying about your image is one thing.
Being a bad country or a bad person and doing bad shit because you don’t care about your image is something else. As an individual, you’re exposed to thousands of people, and probably a couple will like you no matter what kind of schmuck you are. And, as long as it’s not enough to get you fired from your job, you’ll be ok. Countries are different. There are only a couple hundred countries, and only a few dozen that really have the potential to be significant partners. So being a piece of shit country that doesn’t give a shit about its image is likely to end with your country in a bad place.
May 30, 2020 at 9:06 PM #817661svelteParticipant[quote=FlyerInHi][quote=svelte]I don’t care much what my image is. Or what my country’s image is.
Not saying I don’t care at all, but for the most part I care what I think about me. Sometimes folks comment that I do things to be flashy. I respond NO I would do that even if no one was around. What you think of it I couldn’t care less.[/quote]
[/quote]I haven’t given up. I have never given a flyin’ F what anybody else thinks. I go my own way.
It has paid off very handsomely.
Even if it hadn’t paid off, I’d still be a rebel because that’s what is deep in my soul. Lead, follow, or get the F out of the way.
May 30, 2020 at 9:40 PM #817664GuestAmericans care a whole lot what others in the world think. We are actually very fragile when people don’t give us adequate appreciation.
Take NATO to example. If we truly were confident in our righteousness, we wouldn’t care if Europeans didn’t appreciate our contributions because we are doing right by the world.
Americans are always outraged for one reason or another that such and such country is not giving us enough credit. they just pretend because we are mean and crazy and inspire fearWhat you personally do for yourself as an individual is besides the point. America’s image is important because that’s soft power we can use get others to follow us. Failing that, we have to use hard power which is costly.
May 30, 2020 at 10:24 PM #817663Participant[quote=svelte]
Even if it hadn’t paid off, I’d still be a rebel because that’s what is deep in my soul. Lead, follow, or get the F out of the way.[/quote]
I don’t think that quote fits a rebel at all. In fact, the first time I heard that quote as a teenager, I called it the “herd mentality” philosophy. According to that philosophy, nobody who is doing anything would be doing his own thing. They’d either be leading a crowd or part of a crowd. A rebel does his own thing. He’s certainly not following anyone. He’s not getting out of the way. He’s not really leading anyone, either. He’s doing his own thing, regardless of whether anyone else agrees with him or follows him or not.
Some rebels are leaders, but only because others choose to follow them. But that’s not their goal. Their goal is to do what they want, indifferent as to whether anyone follows. A “rebel leader,” i.e. leader of rebels, isn’t really a rebel at all. Not as an individual. He’s not just part of a movement, he’s the leader of it.
Also left out of that philosophy is the lone wolf. A close relative of the rebel, he more quietly goes about making the world a better place (or worse, or whatever his deal is), and he doesn’t need anybody’s help doing it. He’s not in your face, but he won’t “get out of the way” if you try to push him off of doing what he’s doing. He does all this without concern over what others think, just like the rebel. But maybe less boldly or shrilly or noticeably.
May 31, 2020 at 7:11 AM #817672ltsddd
ParticipantThere should be a weight threshold for gov’t officials at any level. America should always project the image that we’re serious and strong. Hal is the antithesis of that. People around the world who don’t know better and saw this video would think that America is the land of the fat slob pigs – starting from the top down to a small town mayor in Petal, MS.
May 31, 2020 at 12:38 PM #817686ParticipantThe world judges us https://news.yahoo.com/world-uneasily-watches-us-protests-130003544.html
Our image is true. America on fire and dying- was any other result possible given that we are led by a 6 time failed
narcissist “businessman”?There is hope tho- the young people are pissed. Gotta get out there and vote, overcome the gerrymandering and voter suppression in the red states.
May 31, 2020 at 8:55 PM #817720GuestAsk ourselves how the Americans press would cover the protests if they were in another country.
May 31, 2020 at 10:45 PM #817723ParticipantDude went to hide in his bunker for a while. Apparently the lights are off at the White House. This is surreal.
June 1, 2020 at 7:35 AM #817730scaredyclassic
ParticipantHe will need a lot of security as an ex pres.
Maybe we are just iraq circa 2003. Rumsfeld says looting is a sign of good things to come. Stay invested!
DEFENSE NEWS APRIL 11, 2003
WASHINGTON, April 11 (UPI) — U.S. forces should not be blamed for the lawlessness and looting in Baghdad as it is a natural consequence of the transition from a dictatorship to a free country, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Friday at the Pentagon.
“The task we’ve got ahead of us now is an awkward one … It’s untidy. And freedom’s untidy. And free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things. They’re also free to live their lives and do wonderful things. And that’s what’s going to happen here,” Rumsfeld said.
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