The USA kind of became a “Representative Democracy” in 1920 - check out the 19th Amendment. 1964 saw a federal law - the 24th amendment - preventing conditional voting rights. It was getting closer then.
It’s like John Locke or the French Revolution never happened. Like those crazy Greeks had no clue why they created a word ‘democracy’.
To add to that, I’m proud of the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment: if one is born in the US you are automatically a citizen.
well sure, stateless people tend to cause a problem generally.
The U.S. has contributed so much to the performing arts, especially in music: jazz, ragtime, blues, rock and roll, Broadway musicals, Tin Pan Alley. . .
Many scientific and technological advances have originated in the U.S. - things like the invention of the transistor, the airplane, the internet, everything that’s come from Silicon Valley. . .
As has already been mentioned, the national park system, and all the state and regional park systems that have followed it. This is a big, beautiful country, with many types of terrain and climate that we preserve for the benefit of all.
I don’t know if it’s been mentioned, but the extensiveness of our Public Library system is unique. Much of this is owed to Andrew Carnegie.
It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how contentious we are in America - and we are often very contentious - that when disaster strikes, either here or anywhere else, we can put that aside in a heartbeat, open our hearts and our wallets, and go to the rescue of anyone who needs us. No we don’t always do it, and no we don’t always do all that we possibly could do, but it is pretty rare for us to say ‘not our problem’ and turn our backs.
Lots of countries dislike us intensely, and some have good reasons for it, but when they need help, they come to us. And we usually come through in a big way.
We made all of the Fallout games.
It’s still not fully representative in the case of people under 18. Many of whom pay taxes without representation.
My big four, in no particular order:
Toilets. Going to the bathroom is clean, convenient, and hassle-free, and not gross. As far as I’m concerned, no civilization that can’t claim this has any right to call itself advanced.
Fun. We’re truly remarkable in our commitment to the belief that life should be enjoyable. From spectator sports to video games to massive TV and movie industries to theater and literature and music, all of which is now available everywhere thanks to the Internet and Wifi, and of course the stuff that’s actually good for you like fitness clubs and nature walks and home cooking.
Religion’s relative powerlessness. Yeah, you get the occasional Hobby Lobby or Catholic hospital horror story, but for the most part, our religious fanatics have a pitiful track record in getting what they want. Abortion hasn’t been outlawed, adult entertainment is bigger and more diverse than ever, gambling has absolutely exploded, gay marriage is fully legal throughout the land, and very few of us actually give a rip about the pope that got canned. Bottom line, if your only argument is that your invisible space fairy has a beef with it, you can tell him to get the hell over it. And that means a lot to me, because I need things. Where do you think I’d be if root canals were “blasphemous”? Or gout medication was “not kosher”? Or electric vehicles were “an affront to moral values”? When you get to make up whatever goddam stupid rules about what’s right and wrong you want, there’s no limit to what you can denounce or forbid for no good reason. And buddy, we don’t roll like that.
Progress. We may need to exhaust every other option first, but we will do the right thing. Jim Crow laws are history, gay marriage is now legal, so is medicinal marijuana, racist, trigger-happy cops are seen as a very bad thing, and spewing offensive language on a message board will get you banned regardless of how many addlebrained misinterpretations of the First Amendment you follow up with. Ever since George Washington declined to be a king, we’ve never taken so much as a baby step backwards. The clock isn’t turning back, and all the regressives pining for the good old days can continue pining right into their graves.
cough Plessy v. Ferguson cough
Given that the thread title includes “recent”, I’m going with the SCOTUS decision on same-sex marriage and its rapid acceptance across the country.
Why doesn’t Japan allow the same rate of immigration as the US then? They have much worse problems with an aging and shrinking population, but it is much harder to immigrate there.
You could also contrast the US with a country like the UAE, which allows in plenty of guest workers, but extends almost no legal protections to them.
“The United States: Let’s be honest, it could be a lot worse”
Programs that help others. In my small community, there’s more of this than you could throw a stick at. Meals on Wheels, CASA, support groups for everything under the sun, assistance with utilities, housing for the indigent, prison advocacy for loved ones on the outside, shops that have donation sections to assist folks who’ve lost their homes / jobs, elder care, hospice, and the list goes on and on. And I know if that’s true of my area (and slightly beyond to encompass larger cities), I can only imagine the depth of what’s available in metropolitan locations the US over. Typically too, all run by volunteers. It makes me incredibly heartened to know people really do care that much and are willing to put action behind their feelings.
