Philosophy Now Forum

PeteJ wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:31 pm The idea that the USA is the greatest country is hard to compute. All we can say with confidence is that its residents are inclined to think it is. Quite why is unclear. I suspect it's the constant propaganda. Oddly, this view is less common outside the US.

Walker wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:29 pm Then why are all those folks illegally crossing the US-Mexico border, and sending their children off with non-family adults for a journey of a thousand miles which involves illegally crossing into a foreign country, an act for which they could be shot elsewhere in the world, a journey whose first step is mothers giving daughters birth control pills and condoms and a hearty farewell, good luck and hope you make it?

Answer: because border jumpers want to get into the United States, not out of the United States. We can objectively say they want to get to the best rather than something worse.

Besides, the best is enemy of the good, which is a plausible motive for all the good folks who happen to be USofAphobes being secretly jealous of the New World promised land, the land of milk and honey. As Al Bundy says, "where the beer flows like wine."

Al Bundy's beer philosophy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spIrhYfwi5c

henry quirk wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2019 3:42 pm "America is great at fucking up humanity with their brash stupidity , attempting to copy the imperial nature of Great Britain but proving to be a foolish brat of an offspring that only thinks to cash in on providing 'arms' to the world without a care for anyone ....because...they ain't amerrrycaaaan."

Yep, we ARE overblown, short-sighted, way too stuck on ourselves, opportunistic. and completely lacking in sophistication and subtly.

We're also not goin' anywhere.

#

"I struggle to understand how Americans come to think theirs is so uniquely special and priveledged"

It's (our) Manifest Destiny to unite this globe under Old Glory. Once we Americanize Earth we can switch over to the Gadsden and move on to Americanizing SPACE.

Resistance is futile.

A_Seagull wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2019 10:05 pm Would you rather live in USA or China?

Tough choice I reckon.

Pro China: Less likely to get shot by some gun toting lunatic or verbally assaulted by some bible bashing red neck, not such a target for nuclear attack, free tea at cafes, Chinese food.
Con China: They don't speak English, totalitarian government control and bureaucratic corruption.

Pro USA: Nice state parks.
Con USA: Hamburgers and Disneyland. Handguns and bible bashers.

Maybe China by a whisker...

A_Seagull wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2019 10:07 pm

A_Seagull wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2019 10:05 pm Would you rather live in USA or China?

Tough choice I reckon.

Pro China: Less likely to get shot by some gun toting lunatic or verbally assaulted by some bible bashing red neck, not such a target for nuclear attack, free tea at cafes, Chinese food.
Con China: They don't speak English, totalitarian government control and bureaucratic corruption.

Pro USA: Nice state parks.
Con USA: Hamburgers and Disneyland. Handguns and bible bashers.

Maybe China by a whisker...

henry quirk wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2019 11:55 pm You forgot one...

Pretend you have connections to the powers that be (intimidate enemies! impress friends!)...

Age wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 2:20 am If the usa is still the greatest country in the world, then the slogan "Make america great again" seems redundant.

Unless, of course, that slogan refers to the whole of the american continent and not just a part of it.

A_Seagull wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 5:01 am

Age wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 2:20 am If the usa is still the greatest country in the world, then the slogan "Make america great again" seems redundant.

Unless, of course, that slogan refers to the whole of the american continent and not just a part of it.

Ignoring the question of whether the USA was ever great; how would it be possible to make America great?