News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Pentagon Influencer Called Liberal Women 'Pestilence' Who Will End Civilization. Parent comment

Re:Pentagon Influencer Called Liberal Women 'Pestilence' Who... by datsci_est_2015 on Wednesday September 30, 2026 @08:18PM (#49916155)
Meh, I’d agree with the OP. American culture has rotted significantly, especially over the past 10 years. The micro cultures within the US are great, though, for the most part. Many cities, states, and regions with a lot to be proud of. But what “America” represents right now, culturally, is deeply antisocial and can’t be sustainable: it’s self-destructive.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Pentagon Influencer Called Liberal Women 'Pestilence' Who... by mirror_neuron on Thursday October 01, 2026 @10:35AM (#49922241)
I think the source of our disagreement is in our answers to this question: is the USA many subcultures under a common umbrella (“American culture”), or is it many independent cultures mixed together?

I could be convinced of your position if you can name the common elements that justify the umbrella. It becomes even stronger if those common elements are the rotten ones.

Anecdotally: I married someone from a very different (USA) culture than my own, and their family feels as different from my own as some people that I’ve met from other countries, so that’s partly why I answer that question the way that I do.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Pentagon Influencer Called Liberal Women 'Pestilence' Who... by datsci_est_2015 on Thursday October 01, 2026 @12:36PM (#49923922)
> I could be convinced of your position if you can name the common elements that justify the umbrella. It becomes even stronger if those common elements are the rotten ones.

I would say our business and media cultures are most homogeneous. No matter where you are in the US, a business conference feels the same. A meeting with clients feels the same. The same toxic personalities rise to the top. I’ve never been surprised by a director or CEO.

No matter where you are in the US, you turn on the TV, and even if it’s local news, you get the same predictable messaging. We’re all obsessed with appearance and status, even within our subcultures and across the political spectrum. Superficiality.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Pentagon Influencer Called Liberal Women 'Pestilence' Who... by mirror_neuron on Thursday October 01, 2026 @01:17PM (#49924426)
Good points, I’ll take it!
[ Parent | on HN ]