America by the numbers: No. 1?

[pegkerr]

No concept lies more firmly embedded in our national character than the notion that the USA is "No. 1," "the greatest." Our broadcast media are, in essence, continuous advertisements for the brand name "America Is No. 1." Any office seeker saying otherwise would be committing political suicide. In fact, anyone saying otherwise will be labeled "un-American." We're an "empire," ain't we? Sure we are. An empire without a manufacturing base. An empire that must borrow $2 billion a day from its competitors in order to function. Yet the delusion is ineradicable. We're No. 1. Well...this is the country you really live in.

Some of these facts are just jaw-dropping. Recommended read.

Comments

[em-h.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of touched by the 17%. It's like they've picked up some tiny smattering of scientific knowledge somewhere and are really striving to make sense of things but not quite getting it. Or, you know, they have a vague memory of learning something in school about the earth rotating and the sun and days, and this is the best they can do with it. This kind of weird fragmentary "knowledge" is probably not at all specific to the US.

As for the people living in the geocentric solar system, I just don't know. This sounds more like some sort of religious strangeness.