• @iagev@lemmy.ml
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    2 years ago

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism lists out lots of the historical reasons. Essentially: successful propaganda over several centuries. Also helped: winning the last big war, winning the cold war, being the source of most of the entertainment/art in the western world.

    In some ways, several places in the US probably are among the best in the world. And some are probably the worst. It’s a large place in many ways.

  • art
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    142 years ago

    I live in the US. Half this country is completely delusional. The other half feels that doing anything to improve the situation is socialism™ or communism™. So we better not improve anything.

  • dinomug
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    132 years ago

    It’s the most lobotomized society in the world. As a Cuban soldier (close to Fidel) once told us:

    It is a country with all kinds of technological development, comparable to other first world nations, but take away the high technology, especially weapons and you will notice that its social and political system is only comparable to those of third world nations.

    The elites apply the most brutal chauvinism on their own population, to justify all kinds of crimes within their borders and in the world.

  • @Eighei2e@lemmy.ml
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    92 years ago

    There are only a couple hundred countries, and only one can be “the greatest”. You’ll get different answers based on which metric you pick, but clearly the right metric is “quality of US-style BBQ restaurants”. And that’s why the United States is the greatest country in the world.

    • art
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      62 years ago

      I actually heard the South Korea’s got a pretty good one. 🤣

  • @Nyaa@lemmy.ml
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    2 years ago

    We are taught that from school and in our families. People like my father think that America is number one, and that all other countries have no freedom and that everyone is trying to escape to the US. It’s just (attempted) to be passed down to the children.

    We learn barely anything about other countries history in school except for the bad. A lot of our history taught, while accurate (hopefully), leaves out a lot to understand other countries and commonly portrays us to be the “good guy”.

  • @sexy_peachA
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    92 years ago

    Because they are told so starting in school. And it’s an easy lie to believe.

    • @PP44@lemmy.ml
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      42 years ago

      I 100% agree with you, and I think education, heavily so when you are young, but during your whole life, is a really strong part of your personal construction. I am really horrified by how much patriotism is a strong part of how america raise its citizen…

    • Benjamin
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      42 years ago

      It’s a disgusting mindset but it’s not entirely their fault considering their educational system.

        • Sr Estegosaurio
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          12 years ago

          And I can bet that to some extent is responsible for people thinking that (literally any country aside of the USA) is a “communist™” non free regime.

  • Gritty
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    32 years ago

    Years of internet social media has disabused many of that idea, whether orchestrated by an outside entity, or simply via intermingling with other peoples. The backlash is the rampant nationalism that is sure to take over next go around.

  • mekhosM
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    32 years ago

    Yep, Winning a competition of 1 participants.

    I get that the states are big and have a lot of their own drama, but I gotta say it comes accros as fairly up-ones-self for adults to be so ignorant of the rest of the world.

    • Sr Estegosaurio
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      12 years ago

      I really love when I heard someone saying that Mexico and Spain are the same, or something around those lines.

      • mekhosM
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        2 years ago

        Fair enough, they do pretty much border each other /s

  • @HelixNebula@lemmy.ml
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    32 years ago

    It obviously isn’t the greatest for standard of living. But it certainly is in soft and hard power towards the world (closely followed by china). Honestly though, as a german, I would much rather be controlled and spied on by the United States than China.

    • @gigamo@lemmy.ml
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      -12 years ago

      You do you, but I don’t think the two are even remotely comparable. I’d much rather live in a country run by marxist principles than one serving capital interests. The rise of China and simultaneous decline of US hegemony is one of the main sources of hope for a better future for humanity in these times, imo.

      • @beansniffer@lemmy.ml
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        22 years ago

        Isn’t China practically state capitalism and not very marxist nowadays after the days of Deng Xiaoping, or did I just fall for the propaganda memes? (no downvotes please, just a legit question)

          • @beansniffer@lemmy.ml
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            2 years ago

            …but it kinda doesn’t tho? Also dropping a 7000+ word article without context of my question doesn’t really mean anything. Its a trend I’ve noticed a lot with communists: asks simple question, drops a really wordy article that doesn’t answer the question. That article has an estimated reading time of over 26 minutes. Aint nobody got time for that.

            • @gigamo@lemmy.ml
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              02 years ago

              You’re asking a genuine question, I’m providing you with an elaborate answer, and yes, it does answer the question. I could have also summarized the situation and said: “yes, China is still building socialism guided by Marxist-Leninist principles, using state capitalism as a tool with which to boost their productive forces in order to eventually reach ‘real’ socialism”, but then all you’d have is my word without any explanation or substance. The fact that you deem it “too long” isn’t my problem :)

      • @HelixNebula@lemmy.ml
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        -22 years ago

        In my opinion it is very unrealistic that “real” communism will ever work, because of how humans are and behave. Unfortunately I think capitalism is currently the only answer if you desire a high standard of living.

        • Halce
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          02 years ago

          If communism didn’t work on its own, capitalist countries wouldn’t need to constantly sanction and strangle those societies, whose goal is implementing it.

          If it was a failure, they’d just let it fail on its own. But they never do that.

          The only reason the American capitalists fight it so hard, because its success exposes their failure at home.

          • @HelixNebula@lemmy.ml
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            02 years ago

            I don’t want to start a debate here and you are free to believe whatever you want. I am not saying I am right, this is - as stated - just my personal belief and opinion. Maybe you are right, but you should be careful to not be indoctrinated into a certain mindset. Try to keep an open mind at all times and don’t give in to confirmation bias, while creating an echo chamber around you. It is always important to hear people thinking differently than you.

  • @dohpaz42@lemmy.world
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    13 months ago

    Ignorance is bliss. It’s that simple. There are a lot of Americans people no lack the emotional intelligence and maturity to admit when they are wrong. Add to that a lifelong indoctrination (in-school pledge of allegiance, national anthem at sporting events, Hollywood, and country music), and the social stigma of going against the patriotic grain, and you’ve got a recipe for America is the best. It also doesn’t help that schools are mandated to teach a one-sided history that makes America look good.