Some Schmo wrote: ↑Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:26 pm
I've asked this question here several times before, and I never get an answer: what is it about America that makes Americans think it's so great? It's "the greatest country in the world," apparently.
One of the reason I've asked this is because what is the country, if not for the organizing principles of that country? Sure, you can site climate, or the scenery, or even its economic strength as factors that contribute to a favorable country, but it's always seemed like there was a disconnect between people's love of this country and their utter disdain for their system of government.
So I guess I like this fresh take, MDO. I would say there are many things about American culture that make it a great country. Americans can be very generous. I'm not sure I'd say they were inherently any more generous than the average citizen of any other country, but I would say that generosity is a cultural marker in the US.
Of course, I want to believe in American generosity, but I have to admit that my view of the average American has suffered significantly in the last four years. A lot of Americans are great. A significant number really aren't.
History aside, what makes America great
today is you can post what you just posted, and you don’t have to worry about the state ‘security’ gestapo kicking your teeth in, haranguing your family for your views (or worse), and you have recourse through the judicial branch of the government. Hell, you can be whatever you want to be, and not worry about being thrown in jail or catching a bullet in your head. You can organize and not have your cranium crushed in. You can be whatever religion you want, or not. From Reddit:
Non Muslims are not subjected to Sharia law. So if you are a Christian or Hindu on paper, then Sharia law will not affect you whatsoever.
How Sharia law affects me:
1) I can't eat out during Ramadhan (I have to watch my back, there are religious police)
2) Can't consume alcohol. (As with the 1st point, you can avoid the religious police by going to high end bars, they will never catch you there)
3) Islamic eduction (Primary and secondary education was the WORST period of my life. I had to be separated from my friends to go to Islamic classes 3 times a week. I can't even express how much this scarred me. I damned despised it. Sitting in class as an agnostic, I was taught that apostates should be given the death penalty. And this was in a textbook provided by the government. The teacher that taught the class would pester me everyday why I'm not wearing a hijab. She bought me one and told me to wear it beginning the next day, I threw it in the bin in front of her. Everyday when prayer time comes, a disciplinary teacher who monitors the halls will ask me to see her outside the class and she'll ask me why I'm not praying. I always gave her the excuse that I'm on my period, literally every day. One time, she touched my private area to check if I had a pad on. I'm still traumatised by that. I still remember what she wore that day. I don't think I'll ever forget.)
4) Continuation from third point. I have become terrified of Malays and Muslims. I can't help it. If I see a Malay in an event or public space, I don't talk to them, I don't want to be their friend, I avoid them at all cost. Why? Because I'm terrified of them. If I meet 1000 Malays and they for whatever reason suspect me as an apostate, 999 of them are cool with me and 1 person will report me to the religious police, I'll avoid them all. I do have some friends I met from work that are non practising Muslims and they are one of my best friends now. Made me realise how much I'm missing out by avoiding an entire race of people. But I can't change this out of my own safety.
5) I can be prosecuted for premarital sex. Religious police conduct random raids of hotels and anyone can also report me to the religious police if they suspect me doing it. I remember going on a trip with my friends to another state. There were guys and girls, and we all stayed in an Airbnb together. I was terrified of handing over my Id to the house owner. During the entire trip, I kept thinking that the religious police will come and get me.
6) This is the one that hurts me the most. I cry thinking about this every time. I can't marry or have children of my own. Who I marry has to convert to Islam and has to pretend just like I have my whole life. And if I have any children, they will automatically be Muslims, they won't have a choice. And they'll be subjected to everything I gone through from point 1 to point 5.
In conclusion, I just want freedom. That's it. I don't care if a person is a Muslim. That's up to them, I genuinely don't care. I just wish I can believe in anything I want. It doesn't harm anybody.
This is why I wish reincarnation was real, if I had a choice, I'd like to be reborn as a human again. Of course, in a normal country, not one where there's no freedom of religion. At the same time, I also look on the bright side, at least I wasn't born in Iran or North Korea right? Ahhahaha
The above is just what’s great about not being a fascist country.
What’s great about not being a truly Socialist country is you’re not forced to work some crappy job at the point of a gun, because sugar cane production is lagging. You don’t have to sell your soul to corrupt politburo members just to get a on a list for some crappy housing. You can set the market for your labor. You have freedom of movement. You can have a different opinion from the state, or you don’t have to toe the party line. Re-education camps aren’t a thing, neither is a gulag. We have food abundance and excellent supply lines. There’s no stasi.
At the end of the day, what makes America great is what your brain accepts as greatness. If we opened our borders there’d be a billion people here as soon as they could get here. That’s a pretty good endorsement of our values, as wonky and fraught as they are.
- Doc
