WE Americans think of ourselves in glowing lies….we are patriotic, but few actually knows what that means, we love our Constitution and yet elected a dick that is stripping it of all the benefits it provided, we think of ourselves as free thinkers (a joke at the best of times and finally that we are anti-racist.
Let’s look at two of these considerations….free thinking and racism and I shall begin with racism…
I know a guy, we will call him Al to protect the innocent….he does not think he is a racist but he believes that the Civil War was about taxes and people of color are all ‘welfare queens’ to use a Reagan insult…
But deep down we all are a bit racist maybe not to the extent of some of the more mouthy of Americans….the twice elected Donald the Orange illustrates just how much racism effected the election…
The country is going backward in terms of civil rights, women’s issues and equality for all. His “America first” mantra should be called “white Americans first” because that is what it is. The fact that he pardoned some of the Jan. 6 participants is understandable. The fact that he pardoned those who committed violence is unacceptable. Anyone in law enforcement who supports him are in the wrong occupation.
…
I never thought I would see such chaos caused by an arrogant, petty man-child and it is sad that this country reelected him. It demonstrates that, sadly, a large segment of our residents are racist and white supremacist. Even when most don’t think they are, in fact by definition, they are racist.
Americans like to think of themselves as individuals and free thinkers….a pipe dream….
America has long been celebrated as the land of the free — a place where agency, independence and self-determination are enshrined in our national mythos. Whether idealizing the rugged frontiersman or the daring entrepreneur, Americans take pride in the idea of forging their own paths. Yet despite these stated ideals, we often surrender our liberty in surprising ways.
Compliance is the act of going along with something — often imposed by a person or system — through reactive or passive obedience. It’s vandalizing a book on command, going against our better judgment when someone tells us to or administering electric shocks to another person, as in Stanley Milgram’s famous experiments. We say yes when we could and should say no.
Experiments I’ve conducted suggest that Americans regularly comply with advice even when they know it is bad. In a series of studies, I gave participants obviously poor recommendations to choose a clearly subpar lottery over one in which they stood to win twice as much. I found that compliance rates soared as high as 85%. In a nation that so cherishes independence, why are we so inclined to comply?
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-02-28/american-liberty-obedience-research
Conclusion is the Americans are not who they want to believe they are….it takes a certain ability to be a free thinker and most Americans do not have that ability without social media.
Anything to add?
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
From an outsider’s viewpoint, it seems that America is divided. There are the outright racists, fundamentalist Christians, and climate change deniers, the same types who support abortion bans and the deportation of anyone they don’t like the look of. On the other hand there are tens of millions of others who do not support any of that, but do not seem to have the courage to organise against it. That said, it is not just in America. I see exactly the same thing happening in the UK, Germany, Hungary, and some other European countries. It is a return to the 1930s and no good can come of it.
Best wishes, Pete.
Americans are lazy….how much will they take before a breaking point? chuq
Being an outsider, I wonder how Trump won election while I see all criticism here and there..
Thanx for the comment….many of us here are asking that same question…..chuq
Yesterday I watched the news that he is going to remove the Department of Education. I mean what!!!
I still do not understand why he hates education…..chuq
Over 77 million votes for Trump. Some 85 million for Harris.
75 million for Harris.
Pretty much of an even split.
May be difficult to continue to function as one country.
That is what some are saying…..chuq
Scary thought chuq
While we don’t have to agree on everything, you make a great point: pretending facts aren’t facts, or that history isn’t what history is, just helps create an environment of hatred, racism, sexism and everything else that is driving a wedge between us all…
Misinformation….the bane of politics. chuq
Yes, rather than the old days of being angry about something, the new normal is to pretend it never happened, or say it didn’t…truth means nothing. I have a book from a Movie Producer that could be the Donal Trump story….the title was something she wrote about a devious Studio Executive: “Hello He Lied.”
Ignoring the obvious is the new norm chuq