Under fat donnie America is no longer "the good guys" in world politics

[kimbutgar]

He has eroded the respect of the US.

[rampartc]

1. i'm not sure we were ever the "good guys"

but trump has dropped the pretense of "American exceptionalism."

[kimbutgar]

2. Metaphorically we were but not now.

[applegrove]

4. No you were. Under republican presidents and a few dems mistakes

Last edited Sun Jun 30, 2019, 02:49 AM - Edit history (1)

were made. But the US saved the world and built liberal democracies around the world. The mistakes were mistakes of their times (slavery, indigenous genocide) until Reagan who started deregulating and the GOP decided to turn back the hands of time and do things that had once been considered wrong or sabotage things that correct market failures. In fact they don't believe, it seems, that a market can ever fail. And they run their markets hard at that no matter what it does to inequality or people's lives. We miss Obama. We miss the old America. The world needs a bold leader to handle the stars wars bar scene of characters who end up running autocracies. Family had a summer job in DC last year. She was amazed at the depth of talent everywhere. We need that talent back and working. We need that talent to be in power. They listened to the scientists and incorporated discouveries into their policies.

This lot of GOP-Trump-push-me-pull-you currently sit on top of power and ban anyone not in the buble (of myths and conventions that is power). And they are changing the myths and conventions to entrench their power more. Truth, if we lived only by that, would be chaos. People need stories to be the connective tissue in centers of power. But power without the truth is a vaccume where only raw power, the best liars and heartlessness survive. Read Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st Century for more on these ideas. America was the gatekeeper between truth and power in the world. Do we need you? Yes!

https://www.ynharari.com/book/21-lessons/

[Voltaire2]

6. If you think we 'saved the world' with respect

to WWII you are wrong. And the only liberal democracy we can be credited with creating is Japan. That was an anomaly.

[Turin_C3PO]

8. The point is, we were basically a force for good.

We defeated the Axis, we led NATO, etc. Other countries looked to the USA for leadership. Now we have no moral authority at all.

[SamKnause]

3. We never were the good guys.

[Voltaire2]

5. We never were.

[USALiberal]

7. Why "fat"? Why a weight insult? Nt

[kimbutgar]

10. I can't stay his name and I heard he doesn't like to be reminded of his weight

And it’s a good mafia name for him.

Plus I have a few unwanted pounds but not like him.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

9. The term "protecting American interests" is the raw spot for many nations.

I think we're still admired and even respected in some parts of the world, but powerful resentments and anger exist that probably counter-weights most of the good. And, most of the admiration is misplaced toward our entertainment industry and envy of our rampant consumerism.

Not a highly studied historian, but I do know we have a very checkered history with global affairs and tRump has swung it toward the bad side, including severe neglect of many areas of international aid that are in dire need of help. Many of his ass-backward policies will make those issues much worse, as climate change takes serious hold around the globe.

KY............