[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Maru

You said it matters our standing in the world, but didn't support it with an argument... why does it matter and what is it's value?

Note that I haven't said it doesn't. However, putting that at the forefront of our culture's philosophy has created major side-effects... and is different than what is being discussed in media and talk radio which is usually messaging and political nonsense...

I guess for me the difference is, I don't come to SD to American-splain to others. Much of my conversation(s) here are of recreational value (believe it or not). We don't really learn anything new from folk who are too similar to us. Our cultures share a similar set of principles in the over-arching philosophy that is Western culture. However, if we both have the same pressures and issue(s) in our culture and are criticizing one another, I don't feel like either of us is objective enough to really put our problems in full view... we share the same interests and, imo, the same narcissistic tendency to protect national image in light of what is happening across the world... basically, of all the cultures in the world, the Americans and British are very politically-oriented (by nature of our shared governing philosophy)... this is not always a good thing and it has had side-effects... and I'm one of those kind of people that love feedback, so it's not a matter of not wanting feedback... but rather, when does self-obsession with national image/identity go too far for us? (Americans)

Edit: BTW, sorry in advance if some of this is unclear... writing on a break -_-

..but I don’t have an argument though, I wasn’t arguing or even debating ...when I read some of the thread I picked up something another poster said and your response to them..or a specific part of your response, I should say..?..in that you had no care for what others thought..?...and that’s what many individuals think but as a country...you do, I do etc...but as a country it is important what other countries think of us because that’s a countries whole standing...how they’re perceived internationally...because we all have allies and trade deals and agreements etc...those things might not be affected if others feel our countries may be going through politically messy times..but these things equally can effect...exactly as with what the American guy said in the radio interview about Jeremy Corbyn being a political leader of a main party...that we in the UK should be looking at ourselves in terms of any criticisms laid at US politics...it takes away all credibility ...so it really does matter what other countries think of us...those are thoughts I was having ...no argument at all, Maru...