Is the USA a 2nd-Rate, Undesirable Nation to be a citizen of?

[Revoltingest]

The problem is that many Americans like to double down and entrench themselves in their beloved narratives, essentially chaining themselves to the mass of a sinking ship.

I'm not chained.
If Trump tries to draft me for some war, I'm off to Canuckistan.

 

[Father Heathen]

I'm not chained.
If Trump tries to draft me for some war, I'm off to Canuckistan.

You wouldn't need to worry. It's young, hapless, middle to lower class kids who would be drafted and sent off to die in some frivolous conflict.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

The problem is that many Americans like to double down and entrench themselves in their beloved narratives, essentially chaining themselves to the mass of a sinking ship.

Well, Americans are spoonfed the national mythology from an early age, to the point where many never even think to question such foundational beliefs, and seeing anyone else do it triggers cognitive disonance which makes them irrationally angry and prone to lash out as a sf defence mechanism, rather than contemplating inconvenient new information.

 

[Revoltingest]

You wouldn't need to worry. It's young, hapless, middle to lower class kids who would be drafted and sent off to die in some frivolous conflict.

Trump is a different breed.
He might come after the geezers.
I always have spare gas, & my bags packed just in case.

But until that day, business is good, doing remodeling without building permits, landscaping daily, enjoying great restaurants, watching great TV shows, enjoying my new pavement, getting some new roofs, & the new snowplow truck is wonderful. Life is good.

 

[Father Heathen]

Trump is a different breed.
He might come after the geezers.
I always have spare gas, & my bags packed just in case.

So you wouldn't stick around to help put out the dumpster fire that you inadvertently helped to start?

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

You wouldn't need to worry. It's young, hapless, middle to lower class kids who would be drafted and sent off to die in some frivolous conflict.

The cannon fodder warfare paradigm has lost favour. We're probably never going to see mass use of draftee armies lining up across from each other to grind each other down again. In the current era, lower and middle class kids, and to a slightly lesser extent, their parents, will be chewed up as economic casualties, rather than military ones. Less bloody, just as life destroying.

Don't worry, though, automation and bloated defence spending makes frivolous wars easier than ever.

(Former young, hapless, middle class kid who was sent off to some frivolous conflict)

 

[Spiderman]

That's basically Russia's long term strategic goal.

What makes you think it would be "epic"? It sounds frankly terrifying to me.

It would be scary.

But Napoleon's wet dreams come true!

 

[Revoltingest]

So you wouldn't stick around to help put out the dumpster fire that you inadvertently helped to start?

I prevented the bigger dumpster fire by booting the incompetent corrupt war monger.
But I understand that some people wanted that.
At least the pantsuits were OK.

 

[Father Heathen]

I prevented the bigger dumpster fire by booting the incompetent corrupt war monger.
But I understand that some people wanted that.
At least the pantsuits were OK.

Clinton might've turned out unfavorably, but Trump has turned out to be so terrible that he makes Bush look good. Besides, that's all hypothetical and irrelevant now, anyway. It gets tiresome how every time Trump ****s his pants, his supporters go "...but Hillary!"

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

It would be scary.

But Napoleon's wet dreams come true!

And we'd want that because...?

 

[Revoltingest]

....that's all hypothetical and irrelevant now, anyway.

I'm always happy to respond when it's brought up.

 

[Father Heathen]

I'm always happy to respond when it's brought up.

I didn't bring up Hillary.

 

[Revoltingest]

I didn't bring up Hillary.

When you carp about electing Trump,
it's an invitation to explain why.

Silly analogy time.....
Bob: "You stuck a needle in me!"
Dentist: "You need an anesthetic before I pull that tooth."
Bob: "But you poked me with a needle!"
Dentist: "Would you prefer no anesthetic?"
Bob: "Are you trying to justify using a needle to fill me with drugs?"
Dentist: "Yes."

 

[sun rise]

I hope things will change too, but the techniques for manipulating public opinion have grown so effective over the past few decades that I wonder whether most of us know all that much about what's really going on these days.

True, as we've seen. But I believe that sooner or later a deep hunger for truth will start manifesting.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

Is the USA a 2nd-Rate, Undesirable Nation to be a citizen of?

I mean, in terms of the developed world - living conditions and the politics that govern the USA seem to be not just lagging behind the rest of the West, but actually far backwards.

I'm still an an American citizen, but we have found a better place to live. America has nothing to offer us. So my answer to your question is yes if the word citizen is changed to resident. There is no reason for a retiree to live in America, and plenty of reasons not to.

 

[Revoltingest]

True, as we've seen. But I believe that sooner or later a deep hunger for truth will start manifesting.

I'm an optimist by nature, but pessimistic about your prediction.
People will (& do) hunger for bias confirmation of their "Truth".

But if we're to dream....
It would be great if they sought skepticism & civility.

 

[fantome profane]

I'm not chained.
If Trump tries to draft me for some war, I'm off to Canuckistan.

Build The Wall!
Build The Wall!
Build The Wall!
Build The Wall!

 

[Revoltingest]

Build The Wall!
Build The Wall!
Build The Wall!
Build The Wall!

That wouldn't be enuf to inspire leaving.