• AllonzeeLV@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The US has been drunk on the delusion of how noble and benevolent we consider ourselves since World War II.

    We like to conveniently forget that at the time, many Americans looked up to the Nazis and were embracing eugenics. We were legally sterilizing subjective “undesirables,” often without their knowledge, and we had no plans to do shit until the Axis, already steeped in conflict, decided to attack us directly from half a world away, committing one of the greatest self-inflicted tactical blunders in history thankfully.

    America is all about subjugation, exploitation, and genocide. It just got a propaganda team to soften the way in which it talks about it since the mid 20th century.

    At the end of the day, that’s the magic of America: bullshitting. Lying. To ourselves and others. From “all men* are created equal” (Only applies to wealthy Caucasian land owners) to “manifest destiny” (genocide the people that already live here because its our destiny) to “separate but equal”(even apex American bullshitters couldn’t say this one with a straight face) to “turning the bull loose”(get back to work slaves, this isn’t a society) to “don’t ask, don’t tell” (we refuse to accept you as a human being, but hey come die gruesomely so our greedy fucks can access foreign oil markets). Our bullshit machine runs so deep, we are a nation capital exploitation farm that practically doubles as a religion.

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26322647/#:~:text=In the United States%2C members,upheld such laws in 1927.

    • EatYouWell@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      People also forget that the people who came to the New World to escape religious persecution were being persecuted because their beliefs were so radical that no one wanted to deal with their bullshit anymore.

      • AllonzeeLV@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Yep!

        And we’re still the sexuality phobic weirdos of the developed world, which stems out of our puritanical backwards forerunners.

        Glorification of gruesome, bloody hyperviolence all day baby, we’ll show it on a loop on the news for the kiddos! Don’t forget to like and subscribe!

        One flaccid dick or vagina in public, on the other hand, and everyone loses their minds!

        This is an us thing. We are the prudes of the developed western world. “Omg a boobie AAAAHHHH my child is scarred for life!“

          • Daft_ish@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Half these people just love the drama of it. It works to your advantage if you’re a spiteful prick.

            The puritans are dead an buried and the only quaker I see is on my steel cut oats.

        • diprount_tomato@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          You think we don’t consider public nudity to be indecent? Like, do you think people outside of America go around naked and nobody bats an eye?

          • Swedneck
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            1 year ago

            i mean yeah in many places it is perfectly normal to basically be naked, mostly in really swelteringly hot areas. And here in the nordics there’s plenty of contexts where being naked is fine, and even outside of that the reaction to nudity is moreso “you okay bro?” than “OH GOD A NAKED PERSON ARREST THEM FOR INDECENCY”

            the idea of raising a stink about a woman breastfeeding is so fucking stupid, who gives a shit if they have a tit out to feed a baby??? just look away if it’s so bothersome.

            • diprount_tomato@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Breastfeeding is not going around naked, and going around naked is definitely something considered indecent. Like, people might not scream but they’d definitely report a maniac to the police if someone is walking down the street dressed like when he was born

    • ivanafterall@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      One of the best examples of U.S. government PR is the rebranding of the Department of War to the Department of Defense, even though its function didn’t change. People don’t like war, but call it defense and you’re golden.

      • wololo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        1 year ago

        It goes both ways. Nazis were inspired by the US specifically the Jim Crow era, And US were looking up to Nazis until Japan nuked pearl harbor.

      • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
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        1 year ago

        It was an extreme minority opinion regardless, this idea that America was almost on Germany’s side is just revisionist bunk. Even the Republicans just wanted to stay “neutral.” So neutral they didn’t even want to sell anyone guns, the unAmerican swine.

        The native fascist parties were clowns that started as a pyramid scheme and couldn’t even do a coup right.

        Of course, America was an apartheid state at the time, so it’s really only the democracy and not invading your neighbors bit that we were doing better in the first place.

    • masquenox@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      many Americans looked up to the Nazis

      And the Nazis were looking up to Americans! House on fire and all that…

    • p_cells@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      To be fair, every nation feels good about themselves. Be proud of the good things, neglect the bad things. Who would want to be the bad guy? This is how human mind works.

      • Gabu@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Except that’s not the case at all. Lots of people in lots of nations will gladly tell you their country is shit.

      • masquenox@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        So what is Iceland’s equivalent to the whole “being the most prolific funder and enabler of fascist terrorism in human history” that they are (supposedly) neglecting?

        • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Best I could find is that they were one of the largest beneficiaries of that funding. Also they extended their fishing rights well beyond their coast, but it’s unclear to me if it breached international law or not.

          Supposedly they had broken some international agreements and rules, because the Wikipedia article mentioned that the US defended them in those instances and let the infractions happen.

          That’s the best I’ve got though. They’re surprisingly quite clean. Depends I guess on how you view their accepting American money.

          • masquenox@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            They’re surprisingly quite clean.

            Yeah… it’s actually really difficult to think of them as “western” or even “white.”

    • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      we had no plans to do shit until the Axis, already steeped in conflict, decided to attack us directly from half a world away

      This is not accurate. “We” (specifically FDR) were already keeping Britain afloat financially in their war with Germany and were already literally fighting German U-boats in the Atlantic prior to Pearl Harbor. Even as far as Pearl Harbor was concerned, we were waging economic warfare against Japan by cutting off their oil and steel in response to their depredations in China - which embargo precipitated their sneak attack in the first place.

    • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      God I wasted so much time writing this… it might be the longest ill ever write here.

      There is a case to be made to show there is a clear representation and motive for exploitation and genocide. It would be tempting to dive into their happenings and those outcomes. However, it is important to acknowledge that US actions and policies have generated both positive and negative outcomes. While the US has championed democratic values and made significant contributions to global development and stability, it has also faced criticism for its military interventions, perceived imperialism, and involvement in conflicts with questionable justifications. Some examples

      1. The colonization of America by European settlers resulted in displacement, mistreatment, and, in some cases, genocide of Native American tribes. The forced removal of indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands, such as the Trail of Tears, and the establishment of reservations had devastating consequences for Native American communities.

      2. The institution of slavery played a significant role in the early development of the US, particularly in the southern states. Millions of Africans were forcibly brought to America as slaves, enduring inhumane treatment, exploitation, and a denial of basic human rights. Slavery’s legacy has had lasting impacts on the social, economic, and political landscape of the nation.

      3. The US has engaged in military interventions and supported proxy wars in various countries, often driven by economic and geopolitical motivations. Examples include the Spanish-American War, the Vietnam War, and more recent conflicts in the Middle East. These actions have been criticized for their human rights implications and for perpetuating cycles of violence and instability.

      4. Rapid industrialization and economic growth has been accompanied by the exploitation of natural resources, both domestically and internationally. This has led to environmental degradation, displacement of local communities, and unequal distribution of wealth.

      I would like to remind that it is just as important to note that these examples represent a dark chapter in America’s history and acknowledging them is essential for learning from past mistakes. The outcomes from these mistakes do not reflect or recognize the progress made over time and the diverse perspectives and contributions of individuals. It is also essential to acknowledge that the benefits derived from contributions in various fields do not justify or negate the historical injustices committed. The impact of genocide and exploitation cannot be dismissed or overlooked but recognizing and addressing historical wrongs is crucial for creating a better society overall. (This is an easter egg, i dont think you anti-US types read comments this long and love to do these exaggerated and stupid long strings) In my experience, i would say there are 3 things we can do as a community to rectify these injustices.

      1. Chill the fuck out and respectfully engage in critical reflection of policy decisions to ensure they align with principles of justice and respect. Just because we want to have a certain history represented does not mean we need to break society to get that message told. Nevertheless, we should seek to prioritize diplomacy, dialogue, and peaceful conflict resolution always regardless of the scenario. I do not think someone coming at me to berate on my inexperience or lack of knowledge is helpful.

      2. Help establish people into power to acknowledge wrongdoings done to marginalized groups. Theres a lot here, it will require effort for education and awareness into a variety of topics but again, dont shove it in our faces.

      3. Take steps to rectify economic exploitation by promoting fair trade practices, ethical investment, and responsible business conduct. Fight for transparency and accountability in multinational corporations’ operations to ensure that economic activities do not perpetuate exploitation or exacerbate inequalities. This goes hand in hand with step 2 on education.

      Rectifying the past is an ongoing process that requires active commitment, introspection, and engagement with affected communities. We should avoid tokenizing measures just as much as imposing unilateral judgements and solutions.

      TLDR: Grog think we big bad but grog big heart. Grog work hard, make we good. Also, dont forget to SMASH that like button. If im a good boy i can add a bunch of links so some kind stranger can give me reddit gold

      Edit: holy shit thanks for gold kind stranger! Much fedora tippings to you

      • Girru00@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Edit: holy shit thanks for gold kind stranger! Much fedora tippings to you

        Wut? Is this a reddit copy bot?

        • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Yes it is me. An advanced AI from the future.

          Edit: holy fuck i love reddit gold thanks frienderino

          Edit2: my girlfriend just broke up with me so im sad

          Edit3: all this attention from my fellow redditors is chearing me up

          Edit4: ghejufbebsjdkcnf

      • masquenox@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I would like to remind that it is just as important to note that these examples represent a dark chapter in America’s history

        You say that as if it has ended - extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

      • diprount_tomato@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago
        1. The colonization of America by European settlers resulted in displacement, mistreatment, and, in some cases, genocide of Native American tribes.

        Only some cases? Unless you’re talking about ALL of the Americas, it was the vast majority

    • TheSanSabaSongbird@lemdro.id
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      1 year ago

      This is revisionist tripe. The real reason we were slow to enter the war was that doing so was hugely unpopular among the two largest ethnicities in the US; Irish-Americans and German-Americans, for very obvious reasons. There were other reasons as well, but it’s just a fact that Irish-Americans, many of whom would still have a living memory of the famine, were hostile towards the British, and German-speaking Americans, of whom there were millions, entire towns in fact, had no desire to go to war against Germany.

      You leave this out because it’s not convenient to your narrative.