(August 18, 2021 at 10:27 am)HappySkeptic Wrote: I think Americans have always been very self-absorbed, but the average American is very friendly, and believes they have as much charity and moral values as anyone else.
But I agree that something is happening in the political realm that is dangerous and self-destructive.
The current Western system of democracy, global trade, and global rules was largely put together by the U.S., as the sole superpower at the end of WWII. Since then, democracy increased around the world, until now, when I believe it is in retreat - especially in the U.S. On the rise are autocrats, oligarchs, single-party dictatorships, and strong-men who say "only I can fix it".
I agree that Americans are generally friendly, but I've come to realize that this is nothing but window dressing. I have lived in the south all my life and it's common curtesy in the south to greet people with friendly small talk, regardless of what you really think about them. This has often elated people from other regions and they just love how friendly the south is. I have to bring them down to earth and explain that no, those people don't actually like you; that's mostly pretend. Southerners have been covering up their prejudices for a long time now because those prejudices have become socially unacceptable. Trump, for whatever reason, stripped away that sheen of civility and now we see what Americans are truly made of. I mean, it's possible to congratulate him for at least revealing the lie that America is a welcoming place for everyone. It took a New Yorker to do that.
I am also concerned about the obvious retreat in liberal democracy across the globe. Great Britain, Hungary, Poland, France, the US...populism is rising almost everywhere and it is usually accompanied by in-group complaints about diversity. I fear the age of liberal democracy may soon be over and as you said, dictators will likely be the replacement.
Why is it so?
~Julius Sumner Miller
~Julius Sumner Miller