Yeah, because it's a really fucking stupid point to make. I didn't choose to be born in America and I'm forced to pay taxes. It's blaming every day citizens for their government's actions regardless of the citizen's actions or votes.

The majority of Lemmy is leftist, and the majority of Americans on Lemmy do not support what's happening right now. Should I blame you for the actions of your country? I'm sure we can find some awful shit if we look through history, especially if you're European.

[–] sad_detective_man@leminal.space -1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (9 children)

I'm also American. yes we are to blame for the actions of our country because our country was founded on the principle that we would get a say in what it does no matter what. We even have a hierarchy of rights to protect our ability to take responsibility for our country's actions. From our right to free speech that protects our ability to protest, to our right to vote which protects our right to choose (in theory when we prevent vote fixing like gerrymandering ), to our right to own guns which allows us to protect the first two rights (when we don't let anyone limit 2a), to our right to be educated enough to exercise all the previous rights.

When things have gone as wrong as they have, sure there are bad actors involved but at some point we fucked up and that's on us. There will always be bad actors and we gotta be more responsible than just letting it go saying "well I didn't have a choice ". Our failures affect the whole world.

[–] zalgotext@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

our country was founded on the principle that we would get a say in what it does no matter what.

Eh, there are some pretty good arguments against that being the case, but even if it were, that principle hasn't really been in effect since before most of the people on Lemmy were even born.

I think it's fair to say we're responsible for improving the system if we don't like the way it currently works. But I don't think it's fair to say we're responsible for the actions of the system, if the system was stood up before we had any way to influence it.

[–] sad_detective_man@leminal.space -2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

My dude we severed ourselves from an empire over the literal phrase "no taxation without representation". that's what it means. and yeah, back then we only meant white people and now we only mean people with money but the tools to effect change are right here. we built them into our national identity. if you really don't see it, I encourage you to look harder. seek communities of like-minded potential voters or capital stormers.

we're all connected and effect the system we live in small ways that add up. you may disavow your contribution but that in itself is a decision that effects everything. our parents pretending otherwise is why it got like this. us continuing to do so is causing the next genocide.

[–] zalgotext@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

My dude you can't just gloss over the "we only meant white people" bit in an effort to support your claim that the system was set up to accept everyone's input from the beginning lmao.

Feel how you wanna feel, but you won't make me feel guilty for the outcomes of a system I had no hand in setting up.

[–] sad_detective_man@leminal.space -2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Look if we benefit from living in this country, which we do don't be ignorant, then we also have a responsibility to help make the world less shitty using whichever priveledges we can.

don't pretend what I'm doing here is trying to make you feel bad, you obviously feel too bad to even try anything except looking out for you. what I'm trying to do here is make someone reading this give a fuck. hopefully they will care more about our home than you do.

[–] zalgotext@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I agree that we have a responsibility to improve things, I've said that multiple times now. Are you even reading my replies? If you were, you wouldn't be putting all those words in my mouth. You're literally making shit up to create an adversary to argue against at this point.

[–] sad_detective_man@leminal.space -1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

look, I'm not a quote text guy. if you can't keep track of which of your statements I'm replying to, sure maybe I'm speaking Greek or having a seperate imaginary argument. But also it's possible that you were just the wrong person for me to attempt responding to. Some people can't introspect and need to make excuses for every thing they said that might have sounded weak and childish. it's fine, maybe I'll remember that next time somebody paragraph-replies to a three word observation I make literally about taking responsibility

[–] zalgotext@sh.itjust.works 1 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

The fuck are you talking about? My first interaction with you was a reply to your several-sentence-long, multi-paragraph comment, not a "three word observation". Are you ok?

[–] sad_detective_man@leminal.space 0 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

okay that's where I'm calling it. your memory issues or inability to scroll up this emberassing ass thread aren't my problem. feel free to continue this conversation in your vapid fucking vacuum but I won't be receiving the notifications.

[–] zalgotext@sh.itjust.works 1 points 18 hours ago

Lmao tells me to scroll up and blocks me because they can't read the username on replies, how embarrassing

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