| ▲ | icantevenhold 2 hours ago |
| This kind of sums up my sentiment. All throughout my adult life the US (for all its apparent faults) was to me a shining example of progress and humanity. It was the best large scale implementation of human rights, laws, and democracy. Sure it was far from perfect but “as good as it gets, for now” Became very disillusioned with that image of the US in the last couple of years.
Maybe it’s always been like that - but the recent cronyism, the blatant openly displayed corruption and complete disregard for all the values it used to champion really destroyed the good image I had of the US. In years to come they will realise what this loss of image (or “aura” as the kids would say) really means in a very practical and blunt sense. |
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| ▲ | j_maffe 2 hours ago | parent | next [-] |
| > was to me a shining example of progress and humanity. Which country was the US bombing to the ground at this period you're reminiscing on? |
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| ▲ | mrtksn 2 hours ago | parent | next [-] | | You don't get it, the US government could have been bad or good but that wasn't the concern when it comes to America. America was a separate thing from the folks in Washington, some politicians and might have done very bad things or the military industrial complex might have pushed the politicians to start wars but this wasn't what America stands for. Americans used to be the good guys, even when bombing kindergartens in the Middle East because whoever was responsible for that would have had paid for it in front of the American legal system or American people. | | |
| ▲ | j_maffe 2 hours ago | parent [-] | | > because whoever was responsible for that would have had paid for it in front of the American legal system or American people That literally never happened. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haditha_massacre?wprov=sfla1 > By June 17, 2008, six defendants had their cases dropped and a seventh was found not guilty.[5] The only one of the eight charged to face punishment was Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich. On October 3, 2007, the Article 32 hearing investigating officer recommended that charges of murder be dropped and Wuterich be tried for negligent homicide in the deaths of two women and five children.[6] Further charges of assault and manslaughter were ultimately dropped. Wuterich pled guilty to the only remaining charge, one count of negligent dereliction of duty, and was convicted on January 24, 2012.[7][8] | | |
| ▲ | mrtksn an hour ago | parent [-] | | It doesn't matter, that was the perception and the expectation. Americans themselves were used to seen as blameless, since those things were against what US stands for. | | |
| ▲ | notabotiswear 40 minutes ago | parent [-] | | Dude, seriously, what are you smoking?
Some nutcases literally flew a plane into civillian buildings as a response to the works of these Washington minority. | | |
| ▲ | mrtksn 34 minutes ago | parent [-] | | I think you need to read more carefully, you are arguing against things you imagine I said. Write down what you believe you are objecting to, try to find that in the things I wrote. |
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| ▲ | ForHackernews an hour ago | parent | prev [-] | | American soldiers committed the Mỹ Lai Massacre. American soldiers trained their weapons on those Americans to halt the killing. America has always contained multitudes, but chose to see the best in itself and the world saw it reflected in that light. One of the most shocking things to me was visiting Vietnam and going to the Museum of American War Crimes in Ho Chi Minh City and almost the first thing you see walking in is the words of the US Declaration of Independence in enormous letters, printed across an entire wall: "We hold these truths to be self-evident..." They are throwing America's own principles back in its face, castigating America for behaving in a way that is un-American. The world believed in what America claims it believes. | | |
| ▲ | SidewaysView 36 minutes ago | parent [-] | | The constitution is a piece of paper written by dead white men. Principles have never been about that. The world has never been about that. It's never been something anyone who wasn't "that kind of nerd" could believe in. Not even up for debate. |
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| ▲ | mrtksn 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-] |
| Yes, US was also the guide star when it comes to dilemmas. When not sure, check out what Americans do and they will probably have it figured it out without the bias that we may have due to historical reasons. I firmly believe that the dominant feeling towards US today isn't anger or hate, its heartbreak and disappointment. |
