"Even when the aggregate impact on humanity is positive, many Americans still think that it's more important to prioritize people that happen to be US citizens. "
Yes we prioritize our people first.
When you go to the ATM or grocery store, do you cut in front of the line because you might feel you deserve to not wait like everyone else?
Originally posted by Time-Immemorial
Yes we prioritize our people first.
Are you capable of presenting a well articulated argument instead of just repeating yourself?
When you do to the ATM, do you cut in front of the line?
No, but we don't ban certain people from using ATM's because they were born into the Wilkenson family instead of the Johnson one.
I didnt know that is what you were looking for but ok
1. It gives our people who were born here access to what their parents put in, and the process repeats.
2. It gives our people jobs, vs the rest of the world.
3. It makes America stronger by uniting our own people instead of trying to assimilate the world.
Edit😖pelling
Originally posted by Time-Immemorial
1. It gives our people who were born here access to what their parents put in, and the process repeats.
Three problems (or at least, I'll mention three):
1. The United States is a nation of immigrants. If everyone followed your rationale, we wouldn't have existed in the first place.
2. Many of our country's most important accomplishments were made by first or second generation immigrants. See: the Manhattan Project, Apollo 11, the polio vaccine, etc.
3. The benefits don't just pass down to your children anyway; if I invent an important piece of software, lots of other people can benefit from it, and we think this is a good thing (that's what jobs are for).
2. It gives out people jobs, vs the rest of the world.
Circular argument. The question is why this distinction is important.
3. It makes America stronger by uniting our own people instead of trying to assimilate the world.
Why are the two mutually exclusive? Plenty of research shows that immigrants are actually more patriotic and politically informed on average than native borns.
Originally posted by The Ellimist
Three problems (or at least, I'll mention three):1. The United States is a nation of immigrants. If everyone followed your rationale, we wouldn't have existed in the first place.
2. Many of our country's most important accomplishments were made by first or second generation immigrants. See: the Manhattan Project, Apollo 11, the polio vaccine, etc.
3. The benefits don't just pass down to your children anyway; if I invent an important piece of software, lots of other people can benefit from it, and we think this is a good thing (that's what jobs are for).
Circular argument. The question is why this distinction is important.
Why are the two mutually exclusive? Plenty of research shows that immigrants are actually more patriotic and politically informed on average than native borns.
This can explain exactly how I feel, better then I can explain. With 100% truth and facts.
Re: Why "America first"?
Originally posted by The Ellimist
I understand, firstly, that it is rational to prioritize American interests to a reasonable degree to ensure our own continued survival and prosperity, given that this is typically good for the world too, and that secondly, people have an ingrained instinct to value their "tribe" over "outsiders", but is there any philosophically sound justification? Something something about the social contract?
^ my impression as well.
That aside, to attempt a philosophical justification, I've often heard the "melting pot" of America is a "great experiment", that the US may serve (however imperfectly) as a model for the world-at-large as globalization continues. Can we all just get along, or not?
But basically, ethnocentrism rules.
Originally posted by krisblaze
America first is what led to this mess in the first place. The US and the EU and Russia keep destabilizing other regimes.
Actually Britons Crimes exist far and wide, from the deepest places in Africa and slavery, as well as many other atrocities all over the world for the past 500-600 years. The reason we left Britain was because how awful it was, thank God you guys are getting it right now with Brexit.
Well you know I can fully understand that the whole "America First" or the just overall notion of "my country first" can have its downsides, but then again I just look at Europe..I look at Germany.
I look at legal German citizens being evicted from their homes in order to make room for refugee's. I see some people who have lived in the same place for decades being evicted to make room for refugee's. I look at that and I wonder if maybe they shouldn't have been a bit more vocal about "Germany first". I see German officials making lame excuses like "but but we would have needed to put beds in a gym!" in order to justify that bullshit.
Can you imagine that, though? Like okay you obviously feel it's good to help outsiders, but even you can't be on board with EVICTING someone from their home so that refugee's can live there?
Originally posted by Time-Immemorial
This can explain exactly how I feel, better then I can explain. With 100% truth and facts.
nuff said
I also feel we need to take steps to make it so businesses don't want to use illegal labor. They want it because they can pay them under the table. If we remove that ability then they have no legit reason to continue to use illegal labor.
How do we do this? I have no clue. Perhaps vastly more severe punishments for those caught doing it? Plus fines, lots of fines. They are greedy because they want money, so hit them where it hurts. Pile so many fines and fee's on that it just isn't viable for them to continue to use illegal labor.
Here is the problem I can see: we still have serious issues in this country. We have issues that need fixing. I feel these are more important than issues outside the country, however the problem is our government. Our government f*cks with other countries. They set up coup de tats and all kinds of other shit. They give weapons to folks in other countries, etc. Some of these acts they haven't done in decades, but even still the effects of those choices reverberate into the present day.
So it almost reminds me of a child actor whose shitty parents spend ALL their earnings on themselves and once the kid turns 18 he is left with shit. That is how I feel. Our "parents" left us the shittiest legacy ever.