• ScotPilgrimVsTheLibs [they/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    2 years ago

    I remember having to read Huckleberry Finn in high school, there was this one guy that went on an "The average man is a coward" rant in the book.

    I'm beginning to understand what Twain meant more and more. Americans are needlessly aggressive, but are too scared to stand a decent challenge, so they pick fights they know they'll win.

      • Bloobish [comrade/them]
        ·
        2 years ago

        "Who are the oppressors? The few: the King, the capitalist, and a handful of other overseers and superintendents. Who are the oppressed? The many: the nations of the earth; the valuable personages; the workers; they that make the bread that the soft-handed and idle eat." - Mark Twain

        • Bloobish [comrade/them]
          ·
          2 years ago

          Had to drop this other beautiful quote as well. "No California gentleman or lady ever abuses or oppresses a removed, under any circumstances, an explanation that seems to be much needed in the east. Only the scum of the population do it; they and their children. They, and, naturally and consistently, the policemen and politicians, likewise, for these are the dust-licking pimps and slaves of the scum, there as well as elsewhere in America." - Mark Twain

    • Alex_Jones [he/him]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Look at gun culture. They don't want an even fight. They're hoping to punch shoot down.

    • Xenomork [they/them]
      ·
      2 years ago

      America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves. To quote the American humorist Kin Hubbard, 'It ain’t no disgrace to be poor, but it might as well be.' It is in fact a crime for an American to be poor, even though America is a nation of poor. Every other nation has folk traditions of men who were poor but extremely wise and virtuous, and therefore more estimable than anyone with power and gold. No such tales are told by the American poor. They mock themselves and glorify their betters. The meanest eating or drinking establishment, owned by a man who is himself poor, is very likely to have a sign on its wall asking this cruel question: 'if you’re so smart, why ain’t you rich?' There will also be an American flag no larger than a child’s hand – glued to a lollipop stick and flying from the cash register. Americans, like human beings everywhere, believe many things that are obviously untrue. Their most destructive untruth is that it is very easy for any American to make money. They will not acknowledge how in fact hard money is to come by, and, therefore, those who have no money blame and blame and blame themselves. This inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly and privately, than any other ruling class since, say Napoleonic times. Many novelties have come from America. The most startling of these, a thing without precedent, is a mass of undignified poor. They do not love one another because they do not love themselves.

      :vonnegut:

      • bombshell [none/use name]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Americans are the least educated and knowledgeable of foreign affairs, languages, and disparate cultures, societies, and social norms among all Westernized countries and the least exposed universally.

        I've got nothing against Americans. Some of my best friends are Americans. But would you want your daughter marrying one?

      • riley
        ·
        edit-2
        8 months ago

        deleted by creator