They just don't want that.

You beat me to it

You can awaken someone who is truly asleep
You cannot awaken someone who is pretending to be asleep

Or one more...

A person won't understand something if their salary depends on them misunderstanding

I even have it saved on my phone...

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it." 

-- Upton Sinclair

mind to knowledge but you can't make it think.

Last edited Sun Feb 3, 2019, 11:16 AM - Edit history (1)

we always seem to be way behind the rest of the world

The right wing disinformation machine has us begging for crumbs instead of demanding the benefits that other countries have for their tax paying citizens. It is past time to step up and demand Civilization!

America is all about large capital expenditures for defense, but not for things that directly impact our daily lives.

Much of those 9 things are related to short term thinking as opposed to long term investments. Americans often want immediate gratification and assume we'll probably die before seeing returns on big investments

If we weren't spending double what China and Russia spend on their military COMBINED.

or causes it. One of those two.

when we have a dozen or more aircraft carriers and the rest of the world has 3. Russia spent far less money to wage cyber warfare against us and install their puppet as our president.

One must also wonder, if we can't have healthcare, can't educate our children without bankrupting them, can't build infrastructure, can't clean up our environment, can't lift up the poor--what are they defending?

it is simple
they need to be called out every day
progressives need to make them own it

the 1950s mindset of military might being superior. As it turns out cyberwarfare is making armies obsolete as the measurement of superiority.

through NATO, for which we bear about 75 % of the expense.

Our bloated military is a major threat to national economic security whether we raise taxes or not. To continue to support it at its current size while our infrastructure crumbles around our ears is just crazy.

of too much military spending. He said we have a choice, (paraphrasing) between baby buggies and bombs, between tanks and good roads, between bullets and food.

Republicans "talk" about balancing the budget because there is no way to balance the budget while we spend most of our money on the MIC. A Republican balanced budget in real talk means cutting our social programs for the poor. We can still have social programs for the rich; subsidies for soybean farmers, tax dollars to build stadiums and arenas. We always find a way to subsidize the rich, the FoxCon factory in Wisconsin is a perfect example. We would never have a single nuclear power plant if they weren't subsidized.

Britain's national religion, they have no "separation of church and state". That fact would make them rather inappropriate "mentors" on the subject.

and led the formation of NATO.

I'm starting to think that the major thing not understood by Americans on this thread, at least, is US History.

Americans understand that in the context of arms agreements and a military presence protecting "world order". Americans do NOT understand that in the context of a global economy.

Ask 100 Americans to give you a synopsis of the creation of the EU from its nascency immediately following WWII. In fact, I'm willing to bet that you would need to broaden that to 200 before you could get a satisfactory answer. Ask 100 Americans to explain the effects of Brexit on the British and European economies. It would have been highly elucidating to have asked 100 Americans about the tariffs prior to them taking place and compare their answers then to what they think today.

Perhaps this self-trashing aspect wasn't what readers were intended to focus on (or maybe that's exactly what the creator intended?), but misinformation about just who are causing our problems is not conducive to solving them.

Nor is pushing the idea that well over half of all Americans do not understand all these things perfectly well and support them. We do.

Liberals are fake Americans

Sophistry.

understand all these things perfectly well and support them.

"Here are nine things Americans can learn from the rest of the world." America was once recognized as a world leader in social and progressive advances. Now we're supposed to be trailing the rest of the planet?

The tattered flag design is pretty, but it's tattered. How about the claim that "Americans" aren't principled enough to understand or address issues like these -- EVEN AS the Democrats we elect to federal and dozens of state legislatures are doing just that.

We'd all do much better if we questioned who's spreading these subversive things and why.

What is this? Why is this, for what purpose? Who?

understand or address issues like these is false, in truth it's quite the opposite . The article is pointing out the far-right ideologues of Fox News and AM talk radio, the Republican party, conservatives, neocons the Tea Party, and white Protestant fundamentalism . None of those groups have any principles and have worked hard using propaganda making sure that those issues don't get addressed.

Did you read the whole article? I don't see the article as being subversive either. I see a lot of truth.

I do not think even half of Americans actually do understand how these kinds of advancements are possible or would do for them, at least do not believe they are doable because they are told over and over that they are impossible. Or, if done, The USA will turn into the USSA. Not only Fox News and RW radio, but even the corporate owned MSM is decidedly disingenuous about issues like Medicare for All and in their network owners best interest.

If its only Bernie Sanders, maybe Elizabeth Warren and AOC, who are fighting for universal healthcare for instance, they are simply branded as far far left extremists by the MSM, and the idea is mocked into silence. Even our candidate for the Democrats last time said how single payer "just isn't going to happen". The defeatist attitude is the first thing that has to change. Then its more, many more politicians coming out in support. Convince enough folks to jump on the bandwagon. Its all about changing the conversation with numbers. Trumpism is working on normalizing racism, sexism, nepotism. We could at least try and normalize the basic principles like health care being a right, and not a privilege, and insurance of that, and people's lives, should not be decided by a profit margin and private shareholders.

It doesn't mean they cannot understand ever - how much they could have if they wanted. Its about fighting the big catapult of propaganda and disinformation by compromised corporate news networks and papers, Republicans (and some Democrats), whose bread is buttered by private health industry oligarchs who want things to stay exactly the same.

Rec.

despite being a part of it, even while voting themselves out of it. :

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/06/24/the-british-are-frantically-googling-what-the-eu-is-hours-after-voting-to-leave-it/?utm_term=.ace17e2fea62

Precisely this topic where he suggested that the English don't have a defined identity, unlike the Celts. I'll dig it up in the morning.

makes some really salient points

Fox News will have none of that nonsense!

most here certainly do "understand" and have been discussing it for ages.

I’ll be using this often for my lesser informed friends.

they do not understand that:

Jesus was NOT an American

Nazis are from Germany

Betraying your country is NOT patriotic

Bookmarked.

But most of the Earth isn't WEIRD.

1. Universal Healthcare Is Great for Free Enterprise and Great for Small Business
Even countries that have made progress in that direction without enacting it (such as Germany, where I live) enjoy advantages for most citizens (far from all)

2. Comprehensive Sex Education Decreases Sexual Problems
That SHOULD be a big "DUH!" and indeed, it is in much of America.

3. American Exceptionalism Is Absolute Nonsense
Best expressed by this famous American scene:

That must have run a hundred times here when it first emerged.

people will stop posting it.

I had forgotten about it.

Thank you, whathehell for refreshing my memory.

diminishing American demographic.

In addition, we're not the first, last, or only nation with a segment of its populace that over-idealizes their country.

P.S. You missed the misogyny aspect completely, didn't you?

Everybody is entitled to have one.

...a Russian-style oligarchy.

As i believe 3/4 of Americans understand the need for these things mentioned. Its the 1/3 who don't. Sad but true.

I really doubt anyone on this board needed a "primer" on any of the points mentioned
The Brits seem to be having a hard time understanding the very Union they're trying to extract themselves from -- Maybe the OP's time would be better spent with them.

pointing out the far-right ideologues of Fox News and AM talk radio, the Republican party, conservatives, neocons the Tea Party, and white Protestant fundamentalism. It's not directed at Democrats or Liberals.

...as stated.

4.Adequate Mass Transit Is a Huge Convenience.
Actually it helps workers keep and find their jobs, get to and from child care, and addresses much of climate change.

It's a huge economic stimulus and improvement for the lives of the non-taxied.

Watashi wa 6-ban ga sukidesu. (I like number six)