Just wondering. Nowadays, since the United States now has secret laws, secret courts, secret evidence, spying on any American citizen anywhere for any reason, and secret prisons, it seems rather obvious that the American experiment, with all that "liberty" and "freedom" stuff, is over. The question is, was the experiment worthwhile? Did it add anything to the world during its short lifespan of a little over 200 years?
Just curious. What do you think?
The only thing I know for certain is that, for the majority of Americans, this isn't a question they care about. They care respectively about a) their job, b) their family, and c) their close personal friends. That's it. All this "freedom" and "democracy" stuff? They might emit meaningless babbling sounds in support of such, but they certainly don't care enough to, like, do anything about it. I mean, what's in it for them?
- Badtux the Observant Penguin
Perhaps Americans are drunk on their freedom? Their political Maslow's hierarchy was at such a high mark that they don't realize the base is being eroded out from under them.
ReplyDeleteOne day we might all be fighting for simple freedoms. We'll see.
Meanwhile, if this was an experiment I'm certainly happy as a lab animal.
I believe that although certain sectors of society had freedoms, other did not, which causes us to fail misreably at this experiment.
ReplyDeleteTruly, the noblest aspect of the American experiment is not those who received freedom as a birthright, but those who were born in this "free country" as poor laborers or minorities and had to struggle to gain a minimal amount of fair treatment.
ReplyDeleteI think it'll get worse before it gets better, but it will get better. The fact that the US has been a beacon of freedom for the oppressed just speaks to the yearning of all normal people. Jeez, we just want to be able to make a living and be left alone, what's so hard about that???
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with all these power mongers, anyway?
Sorry, can't tell you that, it's a secret!
ReplyDeleteEvery time that I start to mourn the death of the U.S. and dream of freedom, I remember that it was born of genocide, slavery and war. I remember the Trail of Tears, Wounded Knee and Sand Creek. I remember Hiroshima, Nagasaki, My Lai. I remember missionaries cutting the tongues out of the "savage" children who refused to abandon their own language.
ReplyDeleteI would say we almost have it coming. Some nasty Karma we've created.
That's the kind of question that requires an essay for an answer. If I were to write one, its summary might read like this:
ReplyDeleteThis ain't over yet. A dude named Oscar Wilde once said, "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." As long as some of us are looking at the stars, there's hope...
We survived McCarthyism. I'm sure we can survive this.
ReplyDeleteThe question is, was the experiment worthwhile?
ReplyDeleteI'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Secretly.