I guess they never had to worry about the Black Death, did they?
(I could be wrong; did they ever have a population-threatening plague like most European countries seem to have gone through at some point?)
(LongJohnBaldry, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:24, 4 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

does stupidity count?

(bamboozled Can hear you getting fatter, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:29, Reply)

Hehe, it's a shame that natural selection often doesn't work fast enough

(LongJohnBaldry, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:32, Reply)

Don't forget most of our families origianlly came from European countries long after the black death had passed!

(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:30, Reply)

Yes, this is very true.
But most importantly, that was before the flag-waving patriotism, and the seemingly near-universal rallying behind the call to "unite against terrrrism." As BGB said earlier, most of them seem happy enough for the White House to decide when to send their soldiers out to be shot at.

I do wonder whether, say, if the bird-flu pandemic-turned-non-event had actually manifested itself as a serious threat then it might have caused the country to rally in support of measures to make sure every potential carrier* was offered treatment.

*_{Yes, even the geese!}
(LongJohnBaldry, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:36, Reply)

I disagree.
American mass movements, in response to whatever stimulus, tend to be framed in terms of liberty. It's a very individualistic culture.

The rallying agains trrrsm is compatible with this individualism, inasmuch as teh trrrsts were seen as the worse of two evils; a national response was seen as warranted only inasmuch as it would keep the way open for less interference in the life of the godfearin' individual.

In fact, get hold of a copy of Adam Curtis' The Power of Nightmares from BBC2 in 2004 if you can: it's very good on the ideological similarities between radical Islam and the American Right.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:42, Reply)

I've got to see that. I wonder if I can find it on line because I am sure it is not readily availble in the US.

(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:48, Reply)

It is difficult to find outside of the UK, though I think that there is a version.
The problem is that Curtis uses HUGE amounts of archive material in his films from all kinds of sources, so getting copyright clearance outside of the UK is a huge task; the BBC tends not to bother trying.

(Though I would have thought that the full three hours is on the web somewhere, if you know where to look...)
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:53, Reply)

I hadn't thought about it that way
But it does seem more consistent with the - often very selfish - reasons given for opposing the healthcare bill. As for the similarity between radical Islam and the radically right-wing, well, I suppose they're both driven by religious dogma. And they do both seem to have surprisingly similar (and very backward) views. I shall have to look for that documentary.
(LongJohnBaldry, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:49, Reply)

I'm sure that there must be some really interesting social and intellectual history
on why it is that the US has the political culture it has.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:36, Reply)

It's not that simple.
After all, Canada has had no public health emergency either. It has more to do with a well-founded and vibrant left-wing culture. For some reason, such a culture has never really taken root in the US.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:35, Reply)

This is very true.
Ultimately, I'm just being facetious with my point about nationwide epidemics - not least of all because most of the people in Britain wouldn't appreciate its historical significance. Though as in my reply above, I've always been intrigued by the way they rally round the flag when they feel under threat. I just wonder whether it would give them a push in the right (well, the left) direction.
(LongJohnBaldry, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:40, Reply)

I doubt it as we are already faced with a national epidemic of obesity
and people are still feasting at McDonalds and spending all day in front of the TV or computer. Some doctors are saying that if things don't change, this might be the first generation in a long time that doesn't live as long as it's parents. So many people are so brainwashed by what TV and the media tell then that they don't even know they are slowly drowning in their own fat.
(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:46, Reply)

The US suffered just as europe did in the post WW1 flu pandemic

( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 11:44, Reply)