ManOeuvre
Posts: 277
Joined: 3/2/2013
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quote:
ORIGINAL: freedomdwarf1
I think this is where the US and the rest of the world part company.
They are sooo distrustful of those they elected to govern them that they cling to an ancient parchment that was contrived with provisions for the populace to defend itself from tyranny.
They have lived with paranoia and fear for soo long that it has become a 'natural' way of life for them.
They have no trust in anyone or anything except the gun in their hand and their big bad mouths.
In reality, those of us that live in a much more peaceful environment, have much more confidence in our elected officials to do what is best for the country as a whole; and that's what scares the shit out of them.
They really can't see beyond the end of a gun barrel.
That's also why they will never be able to comprehend a life where they let elected governments do their job instead of eyeing them with extreme suspicion right from the time they cast their ballots.
They brag that it's their 'freedom'.
I see it as a population cowering in a self-imposed corner, with no trust, and with only their 'freedom' to scratch and growl at those feeding them.
Such a waste of humanity.
fd1, the tendency to to identify people's basest possible motivations as the correct ones is unbecoming.
I have travelled extensively throughout the US, and have worked alongside American citizens overseas. Aside from a slightly unsavoury (to me) propensity towards religiosity, I have never seen an American comport himself with anything other than integrity and gallantry as the situation demanded. While I wouldn't accuse the average yank of being particularly worldly, and they tend towards being monoglots, I have found that the stereotype of the ugly American, with his fast food, revolver on his hip, drawl his on lip and arrogance on his mind to be just that, a stereotype.
There is no doubt that those people exist, but they are not in the majority and I think you would do well to keep to aim your communication, and perhaps even your commentary at the demographic most capable of meeting you eye to eye, rather than the obese daytime talk-show audiences and southern baptist click-bait youtube ignoramuses.
I think you'll find that outside of the occasional standup routine, Americans largely refer to and address citizens of the UK in terms of respect for their best, and not derision for their worst. That Americans choose not to talk about the least savoury aspects of UK society is not, I think for lack of material.
I think the darkest sign in American society today is in fact the trend, currently expressing itself in the academy and slowly leaking into wider society, of knocking free speech down from its deserved primacy in favour of speech codes designed to protect people's feelings, and this is something that much of western Europe has a similar problem with.
Nymph, I'd like to understand your position with respect to the question I asked earlier. Based on your response, can I say that you place your trust in some authority outside of yourself to determine what you can and cannot read or hear?
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RE: Left Folks and their notions of Free Speech - 
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