Quote:
Originally Posted by Ledgem
The first step to solving any problem is admitting that there's a problem. Despite being behind other countries in various metrics, many Americans choose to believe that we are #1 in just about everything. In areas where we're not #1 the reason is never because other countries have a superior method, but something else: the government is to blame, someone was corrupt, funds aren't being spent properly, the system is receiving too much money, the system is receiving too little money... it's as if admitting superiority of another country's system, culture, or way of life with regard to some particular aspect would be too painful.
The American identity is critical to many Americans. Maybe Europeans live longer, get more vacation, are happier overall (if you buy into those "happiness indices" that come into the news here and there), and are just as productive - if not more so - than Americans are. Well, we're America, which makes us better than those socialists in Europe. If we're not better, it doesn't mean that our system is at fault, it just means we need to tweak it and work harder to get better. It just means we need to elect better leaders, it just means that God is trying to tell us something. The general sentiment is "screw you if you want to make America more like Europe, go move there if you think it's so great." Nobody wants the perceived uniqueness of America to be touched.
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Not gonna work. I tried this in the gun thread. Trying to compare our country to others using facts and figures, only gets you a "Well, our country is DIFFERENT! There are DIFFERENCES so you can't compare us to anyone else... ever!"
So, all I can do is try to reason and convince those around me, and hope it spreads. That we can have a "socialist" health care program that is cheaper and provides better care. That we can reduce guns by banning them and thus reduce gun death. That we can shift emphasis and funds to schooling and training and away from the military, and it will make our country stronger, healthier, and more free.
But American has too many selfish extremists, who would rather grab onto their guns, would rather shaft people into the ER, and would rather pump money into our military and worship the "free market" rather than follow real world evidence that shows what works and what doesn't.
America is one that relies on faith, not evidence, and that's the most damning, scary thing about our country. We put ourselves first, and screw anyone who isn't me. I don't care about anyone else who dies. THAT is the attitude you have to change. From a "ME ME ME! FAITH!" attitude, to a "we're in this together, so let's put belief aside when evidence contradicts it, and follow science."
And if you spent any time in the gun thread, you would have realized that is impossible.