- cross-posted to:
- usa@lemmy.ml
- cross-posted to:
- usa@lemmy.ml
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American foreign policy seems stuck in the “double down” mode, whereby instead of acknowledging errors — and then correcting them — we simply ignore the mistakes and double down on the same policy elements that led to failure in the first place.
This is because America has built its culture upon exceptionalism and arrogance. USA IS NUMBER ONE.
When you have this mindset and you are entirely committed to it because it is written into the nationalist identity of the country… You are unpatriotic if you admit mistakes. You are unpatriotic if you say america might actually not be the best at something. You are unamerican.
America’s failure is written into its own culture because it literally can not self-crit. American nationalism has paper thin skin. Say something remotely critical around american nationalists and they go absolutely fucking bonkers about it. I see it all the time particularly on reddit or discord.
Compare this with european nationalists. Brits? The culture here is self-owning. It is cool to look at Britain and admit that it’s shit. Being a bit shit has become part of the national identity. Winning at everything? Nah. But that’s ok. And this ability to self-crit strengthens the longevity of British nationalism because it won’t destroy itself in doubling down over and over and over again. Same goes elsewhere. In america though? It will destroy itself before it owns up to its mistakes. Maybe this was different back when the British Empire was at the height of its power. I don’t know, I wasn’t around and it’s hard to get a feel for what a cultural zeitgeist might’ve been historically.
Another factor is probably that displays of nationalism is considered embarrassing here. Outside of sports. Whereas american nationalism seems entirely normalised to the point that not taking part in nationalist rituals marks you as unamerican. This is part of their problem. Part of the ridiculous exceptionalist NUMBER ONE culture they’ve constructed. It’s going to hurt them over and over.
And this isn’t just some quirky aspect of American culture. Millions of people have died because of this attitude. Leadership knew the Vietnam War was unwinnable years before Saigon fell, but no one could just suck it up and take the L. Which makes the bombing of Laos and Cambodia - which was done well after it was known there was no way the US could win - even more monstrous.
agree america’s hubris will be its downfall. i don’t really agree that brit nationalism has anything going for it that causes it to be more enduring, if anything the UK’s decline has been more accelerated if we measure from when that rump state of the british empire came about, they are much closer to total downfall today the way i see it.
I also think your premise is a bit flawed, British people basically invented thinking they’re better than everyone else and they still do it all the time
British Empire only really accelerated in decline because of the costs of both world wars although I expect someone might challenge me on that, this gave rise to American hegemony.
I only cite British endurance because we’ve been close to revolution at least once and not gone over the edge because our ruling class were capable of seeing it and not doubling down.
I also think your premise is a bit flawed, British people basically invented thinking they’re better than everyone else and they still do it all the time
Simultaneous belief in being better and also being able to laugh at oneselves is a stronger combination than glorygloryglory and a complete and total inability to stand even the mildest criticism or mockery. I don’t really think this is just a trait of the British though, I only say the British because I have more certainty about it. I think the French are probably better at this mindset than the British, and a few european countries are. If anything the US is an exception among the western countries in its nationalism being so thin skinned.
well said
Very surprised to see this from the rag The Hill:
By the numbers, Ukraine will never win the war and retake all its lost territory. If Kyiv doesn’t quickly seek a negotiated settlement on the best terms available, Ukraine may ultimately suffer an outright defeat. You would be forgiven for thinking that after the horrendous strategic disaster that was our two-full-decades-in-the-making defeat in Afghanistan, we wouldn’t be in a rush to repeat our flaws. But you would be mistaken. As a colleague recently quipped to me, American foreign policy seems stuck in the “double down” mode, whereby instead of acknowledging errors — and then correcting them — we simply ignore the mistakes and double down on the same policy elements that led to failure in the first place.
some more incredible admissions, basically just comes out and says that if the west respected Minsk and Ukraine stayed neutral then there would be no war. And then after the war started, it could all have been over in six weeks, if the west didn’t sabotage peace talks. Old enough to remember being confidently told by libs that this is all Russian propaganda:
We could have worked with both Kyiv and Moscow in December 2021 to find enough common ground to come to an agreement to prevent a Russian invasion and keep dialogue alive. Vladimir Putin’s opening demands were clearly beyond what anyone in the West would have accepted, but that’s what any negotiations are about: each side starting with its optimal position and then negotiating down to a mutually acceptable compromise. Putin’s offer wasn’t even entertained.
Russia’s oft-stated non-negotiable was Ukraine joining NATO, which would bring the military alliance to Moscow’s doorstep. One month after Putin’s public offer of negotiations, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg delivered a clear repudiation when he said the alliance stands by its 2008 declaration to admit Ukraine, and that he would continue to “help Ukraine to move towards a NATO membership.”
A negotiated settlement was also possible barely six weeks into the war when Turkey hosted talks between Ukraine and Russia. Heading into that meeting, Volodymyr Zelensky stated publicly he would consider meeting Putin’s main requirement: neutrality. On March 29, it appeared both sides were near a deal to end the war. But for reasons that remain murky, Zelensky sharply reversed course days later and the deal died. In October 2022, Zelensky signed a bill prohibiting negotiations with Russia so long as Putin remains president. There haven’t been any serious discussions since.
What a surprise, the tankies were right again. How does this keep happening?
It’s such a mystery really, I mean couldn’t possibly be that libs just keep falling for obvious propaganda.
It’s weird how having a fundamentally materialist analysis of politics enables you to see things for what they are and not what you pretend they are. Kinda like how modern medicine is better at treating a bladder infection than rubbing your dick with crystals.
Ironic how liberals see themselves as being intellectuals, but reject the core principle of scientific investigation.
Incredible to see this from the US media, it feels like the mood around Ukraine is souring really fast in Washington. Not even 6 months ago writing an article like this would have ended your career in the US media machine
Absolutely, this is a complete 180 from just a few months ago, and in really mainstream liberal outlet too. The fact that articles like this are being published is the clearest sign that the war is winding down.
The plan is to sell the bombs that level the country and then charge a premium for the new houses you built on the land that was suddenly dirt cheap for some reason.
