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The Fourth of July

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Re: The Fourth of July

#321

Post by cookie_monsta »

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #320
cookie_monsta wrote: post #310

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's your conception of your country? I'm sorry to have to break this to you, but they're all dead now. All of the slave owners and all of the slaves are dead. Their children are dead. Their children's children are dead. It has been seven generations. Or are we cherrypicking the past for things that mean something today as well?

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson is dead. Independence is not. If you want to take down a statue of a Jefferson, go take down a statue of Jefferson Davis. If you can find one.

> Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson is dead. Independence is not.

So, even though his children are dead and their children are dead, it's almost as if what he did in his life had ramifications through the ages and still shapes society today. I'd never considered that possibility. I wonder if there are other situations where that applies?

Re: The Fourth of July

#322

Post by AnthonyMouse »

cookie_monsta wrote: post #321
AnthonyMouse wrote: post #320

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson is dead. Independence is not. If you want to take down a statue of a Jefferson, go take down a statue of Jefferson Davis. If you can find one.

> Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson is dead. Independence is not. So, even though his children are dead and their children are dead, it's almost as if what he did in his life had ramifications through the ages and still shapes society today. I'd never considered that possibility. I wonder if there are other situations where that applies?

The obvious difference being that "all men are created equal" is something we should want to preserve whereas slavery is something we should want to destroy forever.

Re: The Fourth of July

#323

Post by brokenkebab »

filleduchaos wrote: post #312
brokenkebab wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>decline of the United States' image since the turn of the century. That seems to be almost universally accepted among American intelligentsia. But as a guy from outside of US, I dare to say it's false, and also built on a false premise. USA as a culture, or as a political power was never especially popular, except for a few particular places. But as an economuc destination it has been since at least the beginning of…

What gives you the idea that I'm American? > But as a guy from outside of US, I dare to say it's false, and also built on a false premise As someone who is also not from the US, I dare to say you've entirely misunderstood what I meant. "Image" there is not referring to agreeability or popularity, it's referring to the near-monopoly on global consciousness as the paragon of the successful West which the US held throug…

I made zero assumptions about you personally. I mentioned that it became a cliche in some circles.

>there are so many other options for relocation, many of which are now objectively better for a given individual,

Not so many options unless you are very rich, or your skills are in high demand globally. Which is not typical. In most cases migration works like buying houses: I'd like to have a verandah with ocean view, but there are permissions, and there's price I can afford. US is very on top of the list, but in many countries it's complicated/expensive to get there. It has nothing to do with image, or current political state of affairs in the US, or in general what is in the news.

Re: The Fourth of July

#324

Post by adamsea »

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #146
adamsea wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think lots of white collar crime occurs in “white neighborhoods”; it’s just not a priority for law enforcement.

"White collar crime" means things like fraud and embezzlement. It overwhelmingly happens over the phone or the internet or in corporate offices, not in residential areas.

Yeah but the financial irregularities and crimes around events like the '08 crash are, I'd think, much bigger, in terms of dollars, than those other things?
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