US good news?

[Leothebear]

Can anyone provide anything resembling positive news emanating from the US? The country seems to be diving headlong into the abyss. I'm prompted to ask this by the latest debacle revealed in a book "The Afghanistan Papers" (Craig Whitlock) reviewed in todays ST by Max Hastings. Lies, Lies and cover-ups about the progress of the war (UK Govt just as guilty but more effective at cover-ups).

[gryffron]

US stock market is performing brilliantly.

[scrumpyjack]

Emma Raducanu doing well!

[UncleEbenezer]

'Twas ever thus: truth is the first casualty of war. Journalists and historians may do their best to give an objective account, but it'll always be coloured not just by their own subjectivity but by societal subjectivity. That is to say, what we'll accept from them vs what we'll rightly or wrongly dismiss as a crank.

Acceptance of ones own faults seems to come relatively early in the case of a defeat, or may come later as the changing Zeitgeist casts a critical eye. Or may be reluctant to come at all. It may be too early to pass judgement on Afghanistan, but it has a whiff of defeat about it, hence critical accounts getting published.

That may be a Good Thing. Healthier than the Denial surrounding other US wars since Vietnam.

[nmdhqbc]

each and every year one of their teams seems to be "world" champions or whatever they call them. in quite a few sports too! baseball, basketball, football (and they do it while rarely touching the ball with feet!) and i'm sure there're more. amazing that they dominate the whole world in these sports that are so ubiquitous all over the globe. an astonishing dominance. USA! USA! USA!

[Itsallaguess]

The country seems to be diving headlong into the abyss.

Some really quite heartbreaking videos have started coming out recently highlighting the scale of opioid addiction in sections of Philadelphia, and to see this level of addiction being openly played out in broad daylight in the US today is just terrifying...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOuf_kStlWnhuauw4ce8l-w

Fentanyl is a terrible, terrible drug...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[AleisterCrowley]

Wow that is bad - 'Night of the Living Dead'


Some good news - my mate lives in Ohio and he's doing fine !

[Lootman]

each and every year one of their teams seems to be "world" champions or whatever they call them. in quite a few sports too! baseball, basketball, football (and they do it while rarely touching the ball with feet!) and i'm sure there're more. amazing that they dominate the whole world in these sports that are so ubiquitous all over the globe. an astonishing dominance. USA! USA! USA!

It is true that the US invented its own team sports so that it could be the best in the world. Not that cricket would ever have caught on there anyway.

But the US also excels at sports like athletics, golf and tennis, which very definitely are not sports it invented.

US stock market is performing brilliantly.

Indeed. But other than capitalism, prosperity, the ultimate guardian of democracy, civilisation and prosperity, Hollywood, rock music and the fact that we are not all speaking German, what have the Americans ever done for us?

[BobbyD]

Can anyone provide anything resembling positive news emanating from the US? The country seems to be diving headlong into the abyss. I'm prompted to ask this by the latest debacle revealed in a book "The Afghanistan Papers" (Craig Whitlock) reviewed in todays ST by Max Hastings. Lies, Lies and cover-ups about the progress of the war (UK Govt just as guilty but more effective at cover-ups).

Trump still isn't President anymore, which is still about the best news which could come out of the US.

[Leothebear]

Indeed. But other than capitalism, prosperity, the ultimate guardian of democracy, civilisation and prosperity, Hollywood, rock music and the fact that we are not all speaking German, what have the Americans ever done for us?

Oh yes the USA won WW2. Virtually by itself of course. Fleecing the UK of our last penny in the process.

[Leothebear]

In my OP I wasn't having a dig, I am concerned that the country is in deep trouble.

[gryffron]

In my OP I wasn't having a dig, I am concerned that the country is in deep trouble.

My take is this. The USA is a VAST country, and mostly fairly libertarian. As a result, you can find examples of almost anything. Any viewpoint you hold, you can find a bit of the USA where it occurs. So journalists can find “proof” of any story they want to push.

They’re medieval religionists: yes, a few.
They’re gun toting psychopaths: yes, a few.
They’re money grabbing millionaires: yes, a few.
They’re workshy lowlife trailer dwellers: yes, a few.
They’re woke liberals gone mad: yes, a few.
They’re perfectly ordinary folks with hope and dreams just like us: yes, probably quite a lot. But that’s not a very interesting story is it?

But none of those groups represent ALL of America. So generalisations about America are really hard. For those of us who aren’t there, we can’t know what is typical. Even those who live there, probably only see a very small part of the overall picture.

Gryff

[UncleEbenezer]

But none of those groups represent ALL of America. So generalisations about America are really hard. For those of us who aren’t there, we can’t know what is typical. Even those who live there, probably only see a very small part of the overall picture.

Gryff

They're all Americans. 'Nuff said?

On a more serious note, the nutters often have disproportionate influence. The God-botherers seem to be the tail that wags the dog of the Republican party. The US Woke nuts have huge influence on public discourse here in Blighty, though the Democrats have successfully resisted the level of takeover that's blighted Republicans since at least Dubya.

[stewamax]

It would be interesting to know - perhaps from laladonny - what the US view of UK people is.
They may think that businessmen (all men of course) wear bowler hats and striped trousers, and the older ones also morning coats or even frock coats.
But I well remember in the 1970 City bill-brokers doing their morning calls on banks wearing top hats, as did at least some of the older or more senior jobbers and brokers.

[pje16]

WOW a real trip down memory lane
I can't imagine shares being priced in £sd
If you're too young, ask your parents

[Lootman]

Indeed. But other than capitalism, prosperity, the ultimate guardian of democracy, civilisation and prosperity, Hollywood, rock music and the fact that we are not all speaking German, what have the Americans ever done for us?

Oh yes the USA won WW2. Virtually by itself of course.

Well, Churchill pretty much thought so:

"Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old."

[UncleEbenezer]

They may think that businessmen (all men of course) wear bowler hats and striped trousers, and the older ones also morning coats or even frock coats.

Sometimes you really can tell by looking.

I think it was last Friday, I was heading towards home, and a man in full suit comes the other way. Unmistakably an estate agent: noone else dresses like that around here. We exchanged a "hi", and I said something about "something coming onto the market?", which he confirmed

In my first job as a young grad, I had to dress something like that (albeit badly), just to sit in an office doing analysis and writing useless reports. Nowadays (happily) I don't even own a business suit.

[scrumpyjack]

Indeed. But other than capitalism, prosperity, the ultimate guardian of democracy, civilisation and prosperity, Hollywood, rock music and the fact that we are not all speaking German, what have the Americans ever done for us?

Oh yes the USA won WW2. Virtually by itself of course.

Well, Churchill pretty much thought so:

"Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old."

Yes, but he was half American!

and Boris was a US citizen until he renounced it

[XFool]

But other than capitalism, prosperity, the ultimate guardian of democracy, civilisation and prosperity, Hollywood, rock music and the fact that we are not all speaking German, what have the Americans ever done for us?

"the ultimate guardian of democracy" - So, how's that one hanging?

[XFool]

In my OP I wasn't having a dig, I am concerned that the country is in deep trouble.

Agreed.