That’s some serious middle school wisdom.
I’ve travelled a fair amount, and I find the myth of American exceptionalism to be no more prevalent that the myths of French, Moroccan, Swiss and Japanese exceptionalism. The thing about the belief in American exceptionalism, is that it’s not exceptional at all.
When you travel and you get to know people all over it’s eye opening to discover that no single country has a monopoly on ignorance and chauvinism. I’m most familiar with it in the US, cause that’s where I’m from, but it’s certainly not unique to the US.
In fact, you're kind of agreeing.
The U.S. is huge, if you count travelling states (as you would with India or China), I don't think U.S. rates of travel are all that strange.
The parties spend a lot of money to raise the profile of a few candidates in a state (people can only remember a few names anyway), then leverage their popularity to endorse candidates in downballot races.
In practice, whatever local candidates supported by the largest party-sponsored get-out-the-vote operation wins. In NYC, that means a figurehead celebrity mayor and most of the lower positions filled by a political machine.
We should also repeal the 17th amendment and popular elections for president.
You can start an ad campaign against a candidate you don't like without that showing up in the campaign fund.
I also think HC had much more backing.
One could also argue the DNC was investing in raising the national profile of one of its rising stars in advance of the 2020 campaign even knowing his chances were slim.
I understood the comment to reference the special interest money behind elections not so much the total amount of money. Corporations vs. individuals.
I lift weights and going to Europe was the most physically draining experience. Going to a restaurant paying 12 Euros and getting 700 calories of carbs was awful. And having to pay for water... I felt physically terrible.
By the end of the trip, I'd order 6 tuna or egg sandwiches.
I don't travel because I find learning more interesting than looking at buildings.
That's a strange and out of context example. I live in one of the more expensive European cities and for 12E still get to eat a pound of meat in a restaurant. Of course it will always depend on what you order and which restaurant. But your comparison is like saying the average rent in the US is $3000/mo (which it actually is, is some parts).
But then, we are largely becoming a country controlled by global financial interests rather than the population. Money is the deciding factor in our elections, and the most concentrated forms of wealth out there are sovereign wealth funds and large multinational corporations whose executives are largely above the law. Which means you don’t need to be an American citizen to have a voice in the political process that affects the quality of life for hundreds of millions of us.
We need publicly funded elections. Otherwise, corporate and foreign money with zero interest in the wellbeing of American citizens will dominate the politics agenda (just like they have for the last 20-ish years).