Hi! European and new user here! I just read the origin story of Lemmy and there was a mentioning op “Pro US” and to be really honest I didn’t understand.
Instead of doing a google i thought it might be interesting to see what you think he would mean by that! :)
Would really need to see the context, because unfortunately, it matters, A LOT.
Typically, when I hear “pro US”, I think of the brainwashed Fox/MSNBC/CNN people, the Pro2A asshats, and the traitors that tried to overthrow the government on Jan 6th. Or, the gung-ho cops (think punisher sticker or thin blue line flags everywhere) or the enlisted military guys with the lifted trucks, and giant flags/stickers for all things “right wing”.
To me, pro US is more about getting back to the progressive ideals more like the Roosevelt’s New Deal era (in no way saying he was perfect, or commenting on him, or his presidency specifically)
How it pertains to a social media site? I hope less of the former, and more of the latter ideologies here.
brainwashed Fox/MSNBC/CNN people
this represents 3 different groups of people who, largely, not only disagree on many sociopolitical issues, but also largely hate each other.
just FYI
Fox is pretty far right, CNN is kind of in the middle, and MSNBC leans leftish, as mainstream US cable media outlets go
Pretty sure John Malone is a friend of the Cheetos and since Warner bros owns cnn he has a say. Not very middle.
Regardless, people that watch “news” 24/7 are brainwashed in the same ways as eachother, even if the message is different.
There is not a single “Pro US” belief. I would say most people on both sides of the political spectrum truly believe they are “Pro US.” Everyone has a different perspective on what is best for the country, and it really depends on what part of that country you’re from and what your priorities are.
In this context, I’m really not sure. Perhaps they meant they prioritizing American users? Perhaps they meant prioritizing the US economy on the global stage? I’m really not sure.
In any case, we are happy to have you here!
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For me I hope he meant less MURRICA things like trump was right and all the hysteria about bathroom right. (Which was a strange thing….)
Curious about what you all think!!
Edit: here is a link!
Could you provide a link to what you read?
Sure! Here you go!
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That post is copied from the “History of Lemmy” section of the Lemmy documentation. The Lemmy creators are not pro-US. They created Lemmy to get away from Reddit (and US-based social media in general), which they see as a platform that pushes US ideology to the rest of the world.
This is where OP got “pro-US” from:
“Its become absorbed into that silicon valley surveillance-capitalist machine that commodifies users to sell ads and paid flairs, and propagandizes pro-US interests above all. Software technology being one of the last monopoly exports the US has, it would be naive to think that one of the top 5 most popular social media sites, where so many people around the world get their news, would be anything other than a mouthpiece for the interests of those same US coastal tech firms.”
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Generally it’s the belief that America’s police, military, state department, and politicians of one’s political party, represent the country, and that they deserve preference over all other countries. Further, it usually involves upholding a belief that there is a national identity that supports the dominant language, culture, historical narrative, etc. The word for this type of belief, generalized to any country, is Nationalism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism
There’s also the belief that America is unique in that it has the best government, that it is a positive influence on the rest of the world, and that international laws do not apply to the USA, this is a subset of nationalism called American Exceptionalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism
Here are some things these people believe:
- The US military is a heroic force that spreads freedom and peace to the world.
- The US was the dominant factor in winning World War II
- The nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was necessary and caused the Japanese surrender.
- The US was trying to help the people of Vietnam from their communist revolution and was militarily winning the war until they withdrew forces. The bombing of Laos and Cambodia is not mentioned.
- The US has been a beneficial and protective presence in South Korea.
- Israel is a benevolent ally that spreads peace and democracy in the Middle East.
- Immigrants, especially Mexicans, refugees, and Muslims, are a threat to American culture and prosperity.
- Everyone in the country and world should speak English.
- The US constitution created by the “Founding Fathers” in the 1700s is a perfect document.
- US Americans enjoy more freedom and democracy than any other country.
- Cuba, China, and North Korea are repressive authoritarian dictatorships and it is right for the USA to try to free those people from their governments.
- The USA was justified in destroying the government of Libya.
- The USA was justified in invading Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Panama, Cuba, Russia, Grenada, Somalia, etc.
- The USA was justified in joining NATO in the bombing and overthrow of Yugoslavia.
- UN is bad. They try to stop the USA from fighting just wars and they want to take over US sovereignty and take your guns.
- NATO is good. They spread freedom. Or they’re bad because they’re globalists.
- There is no mention of supporting genocide in Indonesia, white terror in South Korea, biological warfare in South Korea, etc.
- The people and government of China and Russia are bad and everything they do is bad and supporting them is morally and factually wrong in any context.
- Communism is a political system where political power is concentrated into the hands of a privileged few, people are propagandized to believe that they are free and happy and that their government is beneficial, when in fact they are subjects to a harsh and repressive totalitarian regime that must be overthrown and require America’s help to overthrow it.
- Capitalism is a political system that is non-coercive and liberates and benefits everyone who participates in it.
- The United States is the only country with true freedom of speech.
- Communists are criminals and should not be allowed to have a platform.
- Socialism is destroying Europe and the US health care system is the best in the world.
- Refugees are destroying Europe and raping everyone.
- The police in the US are heroes and people who protest them are misguided and trying to destroy our country and are not true Americans.
- Crime is a problem that is solved by increasing the number and power of police, as well as more gun ownership.
- Terrorism is a problem that is solved by increasing the funding and power of the military.
- The motto of the US Army Special Forces is “De opresso liber”, “To free the opressed” and nationalists believe that is what they do.
- There is no reason to visit other countries, because everyone knows they’re shitholes.
If you want to know where these ideas come from, I suggest “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn, “Inventing Reality” by Michael Parenti and “Manufacturing Consent” by Noam Chomsky.
This is going to break rule #2 because I can’t see how this isn’t going to get offensive and/or political. Removing.
How’s this… while you lazily “do a google” others made google.
I say this not giving two shits about the US but right there is a distinction. Lazy questions vs actual solutions.
