zlacker

As a non-American who lives in US these days, I can assure you that there's nothing unique about the Americans' ability to hate each other. In terms of literally killing people over that, you guys are definitely far behind.

>>int_19+(OP)
More Americans should visit the Balkans and learn the regional history. It's a beautiful area, and gives some perspective on the universal human capacity for irrational hatred.

What I've never understood is how people can get so outraged over even minor political differences. If someone agrees with you 80% then that's an ally, not an enemy.

>>int_19+(OP)
All sarcasm aside, thank you for adding a bit of perspective to my day.

>>nradov+O1
Pretty much any region has plenty of history that Americans should reflect on. E.g. whenever the American media and/or pundits talk about the "civil war", it's inevitably framed in comparison to the US Civil War. Except that was a very atypical "civil war", as those things go - fought by well-established governments using mostly conventional armies. And while it's still the most devastating war ever fought on US soil, its casualty numbers are minuscule by the world standards of what civil strife looks like.

To find out more about what an actual civil war looks like, one might explore history of civil wars in e.g. Russia, China, or even Finland.

>>int_19+U4
Spain, Yugoslavia, Lebanon.

>>nradov+O1
Here's a list of characteristics of a cult. You'll probably recognize some of these in our modern (since about 1992) political discourse.

http://cultresearch.org/help/characteristics-associated-with...

- Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

- The group has a polarized, us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.

- The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group.

- The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt in order to influence and control members. Often this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.

- Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.

>>nradov+O1
Intersectionality. 100% agreement and compliance is required. Anything less might as well be 0%.

>>int_19+(OP)
In terms of literally killing people over that, you guys are definitely far behind.

I think we Americans are killing each other differently. Nobody has more guns--or gun violence--than we do. We lead the world in mass shootings.

Regarding the civil war part, right now, about 2,000 Americans are dying everyday from COVID-19, where a free and readily available and safe vaccine exists.

We have governors who are essentially part of a pro-COVID death cult, who are complicit in their constituents dying by spreading disinformation against the vaccine, social distancing and masking.

We've allowed a virus in the 21st century to kill more people than a not too dissimilar virus-based pandemic from 1918 did.