RobinG · 41-45, M
You can question whether any country is a force for good. It's complicated, obviously!
In the 1800's Great Britain banned slavery, and tried to get other countries to do the same. On the face of it, that sounds like a good and noble thing, but part of me really feels like GB was trying to hurt other countries economically as much as actually freeing slaves.
Every country is going to put itself first mostly, or every country's government (the people running it) will put its wants/needs ahead of other things.
So, to answer the question, is America a force for good? I think it has been, and can be, but I don't know if it IS more of a force for good right now. There are certainly many US citizens who are admirable and have their hearts in the right place. I think the government can have them too. I'm just dubious of the government from the past decade or so.
In the 1800's Great Britain banned slavery, and tried to get other countries to do the same. On the face of it, that sounds like a good and noble thing, but part of me really feels like GB was trying to hurt other countries economically as much as actually freeing slaves.
Every country is going to put itself first mostly, or every country's government (the people running it) will put its wants/needs ahead of other things.
So, to answer the question, is America a force for good? I think it has been, and can be, but I don't know if it IS more of a force for good right now. There are certainly many US citizens who are admirable and have their hearts in the right place. I think the government can have them too. I'm just dubious of the government from the past decade or so.
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ViciDraco · 41-45, M
It's a mixed bag. We do some good things, we do some bad things. Our history of protecting and patrolling trade routes for the last several decades brought a lot of prosperity to a lot of places and enabled global trade and stability that created a significant peaceful period between large powers. That was largely good, but also it was done in our own self interest as well, not altruistically. We've also done a lot of bad, interfering in foreign affairs that sometimes made things worse for some nations, enabling certain dictators and autocrats because it was beneficial for us to have them in place and favorable to us. We've engaged in economic warfare to try to topple democratic governments that we didn't like, often because said governments were socialist and protectionist and didn't allow our wealthy people to exploit their nation's wealth for private gain. That's pretty bad.
So yeah, very mixed bag.
So yeah, very mixed bag.
rinkydinkydoink · M
@ViciDraco
This is a very - and much welcomed - honest appraisal of how the U.S. has been a boon to many and a bust for some others. Imperial Japan was toppled and so was Fascist Germany so, over all, aren't we ALL better off in total?
Now, what if the Soviets won the Cold War? YIKES!! Thank God the world has (despite all its flaws) the U.S. in the number one spot.
This is a very - and much welcomed - honest appraisal of how the U.S. has been a boon to many and a bust for some others. Imperial Japan was toppled and so was Fascist Germany so, over all, aren't we ALL better off in total?
Now, what if the Soviets won the Cold War? YIKES!! Thank God the world has (despite all its flaws) the U.S. in the number one spot.
rinkydinkydoink · M
DeWayfarer · 61-69, M
Well that is dependent on the perspective.
I'll say on a scale of zero to one hundred, the USA rates a ten with none doing better than eleven.
In other words, the whole world badly needs improvement by eighty nine points.
There's not a single country in the world without racism. There's not a single country in the world without poor. And the top one percent of the world make more money than the bottom ninety nine percent combined.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-35339475
This is only improved in the USA by nine percent. With it being the top ten percent making more than the bottom ninety percent combined.
Hence my ten point score for the USA!
When will the whole world improve?! 🤷🏻♂️
I'll say on a scale of zero to one hundred, the USA rates a ten with none doing better than eleven.
In other words, the whole world badly needs improvement by eighty nine points.
There's not a single country in the world without racism. There's not a single country in the world without poor. And the top one percent of the world make more money than the bottom ninety nine percent combined.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-35339475
This is only improved in the USA by nine percent. With it being the top ten percent making more than the bottom ninety percent combined.
Hence my ten point score for the USA!
When will the whole world improve?! 🤷🏻♂️
ffony · M
@BumblesMagnificent? Only after sitting on the sidelines for about 2 years - for the SECOND time - and not until the US itself was attacked and war had already been declared against it by Germany and Italy (11 Dec 1941)
Anyway, a country is NOT a force: Its militia can be, and to varying extent the government of the day & the population behind them.
And anyway, anyway ... nationalist and militaristic bragging are the cause of much EVIL and best avoided..
Anyway, a country is NOT a force: Its militia can be, and to varying extent the government of the day & the population behind them.
And anyway, anyway ... nationalist and militaristic bragging are the cause of much EVIL and best avoided..
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pancakeslam · 46-50, M
Moneyonmymind · 31-35, M