Conversation

May 31, 2018

US politics is a hoot to me as a Norwegian because every time I see Bernie Sanders, I see a hawkish moderate a bit too keen on war, and every time I see any other prominent politician I see someone who's escaped from the local asylum and everyone is interviewing for some reason.

Show this thread

On one hand you have MAGA clowns and their various fascistic notions of what America should be. On the other hand, most of their more vocal opponents genuinely seem to believe there is this better US lurking under the surface that has now, JUST NOW, been destroyed. Delusional.

Every bad thing the US does now, barring some previous technological restrictions, has been endemic since at least the 70s - and often not only that, but since the forming of the original federal republic. There is no call to say "this isn't America." It's all exactly that.

Still, you know, there is no grounds for comparison with schizophrenia - even though it can and does induce delusions - or any other mental illness. This stuff is heavily culturally determined. It's basic social contagion stuff, growing up in a profoundly violent society, etc.

For all that people in most Western cultures - *particularly* Americans - purportedly value their independence of thought, we're just social apes. It takes a lot of different things going right to not just ape along to whatever surrounds you.

And for the US specifically, that means being surrounded by heavily embedded racism, various fascist "ideals" and a whole lot of other garbage. Garbage in, garbage out - mostly.

Even the notion that our thoughts are particularly independent of our environment is itself just a culturally transmitted idea. Ever noticed how it's not a very popular concept in China? Do you have an explanation for that other than culture (without resorting to racism)?

This Tweet was deleted by the Tweet author. Learn more