Do you think that the United States is evil?

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Do you think that the United States is evil? I call the United States evil, as they can get away with things that other countries can't get away with. An example of that are medical experiments conducted without the populations knowledge or consent. They did things that the Japanese and Germans did and didn't even compensate or tell the victims. I also call the United States evil as the government can get away with abusing it's citizens, and making it harder for people to get evidence and a fair trial against them.

Not really, allthough I don't think much of it's government.

Cite

The US government has done things that were not desirable but were necessary to hold greater evils at bay. There were some medical experiments, there were some nuclear experiments, there were some cloak and dagger activities that aided some really disagreeable people, but it was the price to be paid otherwise we would be having this conversation in Russian if we were even authorized to have it at all. Some things were questionably necessary but I don't use that as the sole basis for my opinion of the government in a historical view and not just the current administration.

You err in assuming that other countries don't so such things, when in reality, they do. You are simply ignorant to them, and those countries tend to have less transparency than the US, relying on NGO's to report ethics breaches and atrocities instead.

That you view the US as having less than desirable ethics and morals is actually a result of the high ethics and morals that permeate American mentalities. You see instances of corruption committed by your country, and you respond with a strong sense of revulsion and criticism because they are counter to the values instilled in you.

In many countries, corruption and poor treatment of others is tolerated because it is so endemic and permeates society so thoroughly that few people see anything wrong with it or care to put in any effort to do anything about it. That is how corrupt or low their standards are.

As of 2010, the US ranked 22nd on the Corruptions Perceptions Index out of over 178 countries, with Denmark being the least corrupt and Somalia (though it has no officially recognized formal government) being the most corrupt.

So the US isn't perfect but it's certainly not as horrible as you believe it to be. I've crossed paths with many individuals from various countries and many of them were utterly perplexed when they heard Americans talking about how corrupt America was because their own countries were so much more corrupt.

I don't think it's good or bad. It just is.

Not evil, but collectively far from smart. I guess it's harder to hold a global perspective if you're riding on top than if you're pedalling.

Look at any part of the world and sooner or later you will find someone there has done something horrible, in the same way look at any place and sooner or later you will some some saint like person. I think you will find good and bad in every race, country, creed and social group.

The difference is it is easier to spot the nastiness in other countries. I was always told that serial killers don't look like how they are stereotyped to, but rather look respectable or generally harmless. I've known many who believe Islam is the antiChrist, but forget that all the descriptions in the bible (I'm not a Christian) point to a unified powerful angel of light. Sounds more like the 'America the righteous' than the 'Evil Arab Terrorist' stereotypes.

USA is too money oriented for my taste. Even your medical system of all things (if I understand the situation correctly, is tainted by greed.

[quote="John_Browning"]There were some medical experiments, there were some nuclear experiments, there were some cloak and dagger activities that aided some really disagreeable people, but it was the price to be paid otherwise we would be having this conversation in Russian if we were even authorized to have it at all.[quote]

You're absolutely nuts. This conversation in Russian? Also thanks for telling me that you believe that the ends justify the means.

(Thread moved from Autism Activism to PPR)

All nations and empires are evil to some degree. The U.S. is less evil than most nations. We gave up killing off aboriginals in the 19th century and some substantial progress has been made in eliminating racism and racial based political restrictions. We were almost 200 years late in observing our own Declaration of Independence --- All Men are Created Equal...... But, better late than never.

ruveyn

In a more perfect world they wouldn't, but we were stuck trying to hold of a set of foreign policies originally shaped by Stalin, who could care less about moral superiority. We gave that a try in Vietnam and they regularly used that against us, do you remember? Or are you even old enough to know where to begin researching the subject?

But we stopped doing some of those things without being conquered by another nation.

The 19th century was our century for attempting cultural genocide on the aboriginal nations. We finally stopped doing that. Slavery was ended in the 19th century. Our greatest "sin" has been our tardiness in implementing the vaunted ideals stated in The Declaration of Independence. But better late than never.

ruveyn

During the 19th century, people generally regarded the genocide as positive. "The only good Indian is a dead Indian" was the popular refrain.

At the same time, few non-slaves in the South regarded slavery, or Jim Crow laws, as evil.

Perhaps some future generations of Americans will come to regard some things that we presently take for granted as evil.

Perhaps none of the things that happened in America's past are now morally irrelevant, especially when both the victims and perpetrators of certain atrocities - and even their children - are long since dead.

Think about it ... there are no more Civil War veterans from either side. Their children are all dead, as well. Same for anyone who was a slave or who "owned" a slave during or before that time. The evil of Antebellum slavery is no longer relevant.

World War One veterans are all dead; only their children remain, and most are in their 80s and 90s. The Kaiser's evil is no longer relevant.

World War Two veterans are all in their 80s and 90s; in another 20 years they will all be gone. The evil of the Third Reich is no longer relevant.

The dead no longer matter. Only the living can make a difference.