all 8 comments

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

It's part of the pendulum-swing against American Exceptionalism. It was once popular, woke, thoughtful, and anti-establishment to second-guess the great things you were told about America... back when people were actually told great things about America. But dumb people only understand the surface level, so the only principle they've extracted from that cultural movement is that it's cool to shit on America. And since more is always better to these morons, there is no limit to the extent of it.

[–]PencilPusher55[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

In your opinion, do you tend to lean toward the more favorable side or not? Clearly it's not black and white.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I believe in a realistic assessment, but the way some Americans talk about communism, without applying the same level of cynicism to it, seems strangely blinkered. The same people who purport to be disgusted by genocide seem to be stepping over a lot of corpses with their hands over their eyes.

[–]slushpilot 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

There was no Czech Republic in 1945. Fake news.

Seriously though, you're absolutely right. I don't know exactly why it is. It bothers me that the nation that has brought the world the most progress on every front in the last 200 years is only judged on the worst details, and not its ideals in the big picture.

Things like "400 years of slavery" instead of "400 years of progress towards equality and civil rights". It's an purposefully narrow view that excludes any positive points.

[–]PencilPusher55[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Was it Czechoslovakia? Didn't the Germans take the Czech soldiers and make them fight? I sound like a real clown, I just remember it being part of saving private ryan, haha.

But yes - Isn't it tiresome? It's not even a race thing. I mean, of course they attack that too. But it's an American thing.

[–]slushpilot 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yes, between the wars it was the "first republic" of Czechoslovakia, which was quickly becoming an industrial & economic powerhouse in central Europe... and then it basically became Germany overnight:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_Agreement

After this betrayal by western allies, once the official outbreak of war came, the Czechs just folded under Hitler instead of trying to fight for their sovereignty—and handed over their armed forces. There were many resistance fighters though, and even squadrons of Czechs and Poles in the RAF. (You want to watch a cool movie with Spitfire dogfights? Look up "Dark Blue World" which is all about this.)

[–]suckitreddit 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

America is literally #1. You spit upwards, don't you?

[–]PencilPusher55[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Good response. Just insult me instead of contributing. No specifics, just "#1 at everything". Not one example.