Share your experience, tips, advice, questions…
As it seems most communities world-wide are going into voluntary or enforced quarantine that involves staying at home and avoiding physical contact as much as possible, I thought we could have a thread where we could try a bit of mutual support by cheering each other up over the next few days, weeks, months… Who knows?
I don’t know: suggestions on films to watch, books to read, gardening tips, exercise ideas
Usual rules apply plus a guideline. Let’s be kind and supportive to each other.
Mitch McConnell is pushing the Senate to pass a measure that would let the FBI collect Americans’ web-browsing history without a warrant.
https://www.businessinsider.com/mcconnell-patriot-act-renewal-fbi-web-browsing-history-2020-5
They will sell it as More freedom!
Probably. Nevertheless, it is unwise for an academic to be publicly seen as engaging in politics. At most good universities, you would not get into trouble with normal casual conversation. But, going beyond that might be risky.
You don’t want a student accusing you of political bias in the classroom. And making political jokes in the classroom can be misinterpreted. The extremists of today engage in making false accusations, so best to avoid giving them ammunition.
If you wish, there is a public record. Probably the place to start is the original sin, slavery and the extermination of the original inhabitants. Though neither is unique to the US.
And neither address the claim that in China “ Police don’t go around bossing people around all the time. Then don’t handcuff little kids. They don’t act like they have some divine right of superiority over the citizens. ”
But this is the original question. “What is unique about America’s “freedom” compared to 190+ other countries.
Every country is unique, perhaps what you mean in the concept of American Exceptionalism. That is more a religious belief, that the divine designer bestowed upon the US a divine approval.
Sorry , don’t believe that. That is more your deal, divine purpose. That everything cannot be whipped cream so suffering, mostly of the powerless, is necessary for a greater good. Unavoidable even for the omnipotent
Free for whom? Lots of countries being a woman is less free than being a man, not having the right religious persuasion, wrong complexion, sexual orientation, being poor ,a foreigner.
So I guess all countries are less free than they could be, everything cannot be whipped cream as long as countries are made up of people with their fears and ignorance, selfishness.
Luckily, it has to pass the House as well. And stand constitutional challenges.
Colonialism.
I’m still smarting about the Roman invasion of Britain.
Alan Fox,
Aye, but the Romans did bring some benefits.
</John Cleese>
The Normans, for all their fancy ways, were a just land-grabbing bunch of bullies. It’s been all downhill since the Treaty of Abernethy…
What???
You think that is the root of American exceptionalism?
O goodness me.
So the whole “Its’s a free country” and “land of the free” , no one sells this as American exceptionalism? Instead it is the chosen ones, sort of like Israel.
I suppose you are going to come back and say you were joking?
Yes, it is. I cannot tell what newton was thinking, but it seems clear to me that the main proponents of American exceptionalism are religious conservatives.
Neil Rickert,
So when you brought up the first amendment, you were talking from a religious perspective?
Total nonsense. The idea of America as land of the free has nothing whatsoever to do with being the chosen people of God.
The non-religious in America, they don’t think of America as land of the free? Yea, right.
No. But I was not proclaiming American Exceptionalism.
What have the Romans done for us?
Without claiming exceptionalism, the US does have a few areas where it is above average. When it does something like Waco, it’s not to suppress religion; it’s to save the children.
petrushka,
You only think America is exceptional because you are a religious wacko. Newton will tell you.
Exceptionalism.
Never said wacko, just religious.
Just like Manifest Destiny.
I agree, though even Mississippi must be above average in some area.
It that case, saving children required suppression of a certain religion.
newton,
So Jews think that God chose them and American people? I never heard that.
Yep, we encoded in our founding document the inalienable rights , of certain people, bestowed by the Creator.
A Judeo-Christian nation, what did you think that means?
The land those “free” live on was not unoccupied. Slaves built Monticello.
The US Myth reveres independence, the Pioneer Spirit ,beholden to none, don’t fence me in. Opportunity.
Exceptionalism is a result.
Lots believe Trump is anointed by God,
God had no comment
Possibly, even if I was not.
You can be both
newton,
You know, I never asked you why Americans think they are exceptional. I asked why they claim to be so free, when they are no different than 90% of the world (actually less free than 90% I would say).
They are also individualistic — just like all of the other individualistic people whose individualism they mimic.
To some extent, these things are fads that become accepted as cultural traditions.
Best to just be mildly amused, and not take it too seriously.
Aye, it seems to me that pretty much every country reckons that they are the best country. This is generally achieved by cherry-picking the criteria that “should” be used for the comparison — native cuisine or military might, to name just two.
What is amusing is the different stereotypical ways in which this superiority is expressed. Just because one sees more USAians chanting “We’re Number One! We’re Number One!” than Frenchmen or Englishmen doesn’t mean that these other countries do not harbor similar feelings of superiority…
The ‘Land of the Free’ does rather poorly in terms of social mobility, but rather well in terms of freedom of speech. I remain unconvinced that this is a good thing.
Freedom/Capitalism results in exceptionalism is the link. The country was founded on so much freedom until it lost its way trying to help the undeserving.
But you need to keep up with current affairs, Make America Great Again, means the government has taken away the liberty this country was founded on. The deep state, Amazon, the press , fluoride in the water all seek to steal the vital essence of freedom, only carrying the magic talismans of firearms can slightly restore that revolutionary spirit.
To these patriots, without the freedom to discriminate, there is not freedom.
Maybe, what are the criteria you are using? Even within countries freedom is unevenly distributed.
List the criteria you are using as a basis for your conclusion.
This policeman doesn’t think people in the US are so free, anything but since Okies are no longer free have public hangings anymore.
I love the #
“A police officer in Lexington, Oklahoma admitted that he wrote on Facebook that the mayor of nearby Norman, Breea Clark, should be hanged for issuing a stay-at-home order to combat the coronavirus, the The Oklahoman reports. Eddie Zaicek wrote: “Mayor (expletive), needs to be pulled out of office and tried on the court house lawn…the problem with politicians, they don’t get hung in public anymore….#bringbackpublichangings!” Zaicek, a member of a “Re-Open Norman” Facebook group, at first said his account had been hacked but later admitted to writing the comment. The mayor reported the threat, but the Norman Police Department said it found no direct threat to public safety. The Cleveland County District Attorney declined to file charges. “
https://oklahoman.com/article/5662448/coronavirus-in-oklahoma-officer-admits-posting-facebook-threat-against-norman-mayor
Just glancing at Worldometer figures that seem to show Covid-19 under control in most countries that had serious outbreaks( eg Italy, Spain, France) but some countries still seem to be in the thick of it, Russia, Brazil, USA.
Can we draw any tentative conclusions, I wonder?
Is it how well people comply with the rules and advice on social distancing? Tracing and testing is keeping second waves at bay? Here in my part of France, life is beginning to resume some normality but restaurants and cafes are still closed and I doubt they will all reopen when they are permitted to. Life here won’t ever return to old normal, I’m sure.
Apparently scientists have identified a strain of coronavirus more closely related to SARS-CoV-2 than any other previously known one.
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)30662-X
Thoughts, please?
Deaths in USA Are down 50% and falling.
Stats on new cases reflect increased testing. By under control, I assume you mean the epidemic is dying out. Exact reason unknown.
But I assume that cross immunity is more influential than first thought.
I think social distancing died today. I haven’t heard it mentioned.
Strangely , the deaths from pneumonia are skyrocketing .
petrushka,
Perhaps events such as the killing by indifference* of George Floyd and the reaction to it has been a bit of a distraction.
*Watched the video once. Too stomach-churning to watch again. Is this where Trump’s leadership has taken the US?
I only have first-hand experience of my local situation. Looks to me the main cause of the spread was people in close contact, churches, restaurants, sports gatherings, aircraft, cruise ships and infectious individuals travelling long distances. This has stopped for the moment. People here seem to have adapted to social distancing with strangers which carries more risk than within one’s own social bubble. We humans are not out of the woods yet.
I don’t excuse bad policemen, but I will note that medical errors are the third greatest cause of death in the USA. 250,000 per year, compared to about 900 per year killed by police. Three fourths of those are white or hispanic.
Suppose we agree that the acceptable number is zero. How do you propose getting there? The cities that have sparked riots are mostly run by democrats. I believe, without any hint of sarcasm, that the leaders of those cities have done everything they can think of to reduce these incidents.
You can take the following any way you want:
I remember Richard Nixon being elected after a series of riots. I suspect these riots will benefit Trump.
The social distancing thing is just an indicator that the pandemic is over. Cases and deaths will continue, but young people are no longer afraid of it.
Looks like some young people in Lake of the Ozarks are going to find out what fear is.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lake-of-the-ozarks-partygoer-coronavirus_n_5ed22951c5b65c5a49952b60
https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2020/05/27/thoraxjnl-2020-215091
That concern died with George Floyd. Young people have seen the stats for their own risk.
Sorry, how so?
The significance of the stats of the risk change considerably when you find out at least one contagious person and all the people who came in contact with him were hanging out at the same bar you were, was at the other party you were at, standing line waiting for a drink next to you, yelling at his friends at next table. Is that little cough allergies? Slight fever?
It is all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
Wondering where this statistic comes from. Is it other than from the [USA] National Center for Health Statistics? They list the third cause as “unintentional injuries”.
Young people are beginning to realise that they’re fucked. When you have nothing to lose…
Alan Fox,
No it’s a thoroughly debunked 2016 study from JHU.
petrushka seems eager to discuss anything that is not the current administration’s failings.
DNA_Jock,
Ah OK, thanks.
Sorry to have taken Johns Hopkins seriously. There’s a lot oft that going around.
I’m still a bit puzzled why you mention medical errors in the same sentence as police brutality. Whatever the level of medical failures, it would be good to improve training, monitoring and support for medical staff. Performance of medical care establishments doesn’t seem to equate with money spent.
Had someone video’d a doctor strangling his patient while the doctor stared blankly at the camera, I could understand your point.
Police brutality is an empty slogan. The policeman who killed Floyd was using an approved technique. He did so knowing he was being filmed.
I really don’t know what he was thinking, or whether he was thinking. I don’t know if he was evil, or merely stupid.
But thoughtful people need to think about how to reduce unnecessary deaths.
What is happening now is not thoughtful. In fact, it will almost certainly help Trump.
There is now video of three of them on at once, which seems to answer the question as to why the others present did not intervene.
petrushka,
Ha, right; because the turnip is handling these situations SO well!
You happy with the country’s direction Petrushka? You must be a masochist.
Are you sure? The chief of Minnesota police says not.
Not to the recipients of it. It is real.
Usually not arrested for using approved techniques appropriately, in the heat of the moment hard to say what he knew.
If stupid , it seems he has demonstrated the same stupidity repeatedly. At some point, it becomes something else.
Agree, but protesting the deaths of three people does not preclude caring about the malfeasance of medical care.
No it is an emotional reaction, it matters to the the folks protesting. They are criticizing the looters. The looters and burners are just taking advantage of police being occupied elsewhere. Look at the response after a major sports win, people go crazy.
Might help Trump, might not. One thing we can be sure of , he will lie about it no matter what happens
The cop has been charged with third degree murder, which sounds like something that will stick.
Burning down one’s own neighborhood is an emotional reaction? My understanding is that the people who live there and who owned the businesses are pissed.
On some of the videos you can hear black women yelling at white men to stop destroying property.