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Ask HN: Why do you love the USA?

by seandavidfisher on 7/4/17, 1:15 PM with 4 comments

We’re surrounded by much negativity and criticism of the USA. Admittedly, some of that criticism is valid. Whether you live here in the US or not, what are some things that you are proud of or admire about the US, it’s culture, history, attributes, or people?

For example, I’m not sure the source, but I read or heard a neat tribute once to one of the US pilgrims’/founders’ valuable legacies - the entrepreneurial spirit and the drive to continually improve - something that has motivated me and (I’d guess) lots of people on HN.

  • by hypertexthero on 7/4/17, 1:46 PM

    ”When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man who is seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind.”

    —Jiddu Krishnamurti, Freedom From the Known, Chapter 6.

    Having quoted Jiddu, and living in New York, what I admire about the United States is the variety of people living together in relative harmony.

  • by twobyfour on 7/6/17, 1:39 AM

    That it's not a place where citizens are continually expected to take part in the adult equivalent of pep rallies and declare their undying and unquestioning school spirit.

    Oh, wait, I must be thinking of Canada.

  • by herbst on 7/4/17, 3:55 PM

    I like the entertainment value it does for the world. In the recent years nothing was as funny to watch in the news like trump was and still is.