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Comment by rootusrootus | Hacker News Reader

This differentiates the US from who, exactly? If anything, US a latecomer to the public surveillance game.

>This differentiates the US from who, exactly?

What-aboutism is not a very compelling argument.

It kinda is? If people think the US is a Nazi hellhole, while holding up Europe as a model society, it should matter what those counties do.

Maybe true if the discussion was an explicit comparison between the U.S. and modern Europe.

As it is, no one was discussing Europe, let alone holding it up as a model society.

you are correct, nobody was discussing the implications if their extreme logic were equally applied elsewhere.

The former U.S. that was once the freest place on earth.

The US being the 'free-st' place on earth at anytime is quite the misnomer. Sure, you can be 'free' if you are white, wealthy, oh and land owning. Tale as old as time. Sure, you can protest, but many many other countries have far surpassed the US on that one, and have been doing it a whole lot longer.

As long as you were a straight white Christian male, maybe.

Then why are so many non-white, non-Christians still flocking here? Why would anyone want to come to this country if it's such a hellhole?

I'm not buying it. Turn off the news and go out into society, preferably one of those small so-called racist communities. You'll find out the truth, one way or the other.

Why believe historical data? Just go outside and find your own anecdotes.

Well many had ancestors brought over in slave ships.

Others came to work the railroads because they were willing to trade racist abuse for economic benefits.

Are you really that unfamiliar with American history?

You mean the typically most oppressed minorities these days, given that you people freak out about these people constantly?

Are you saying that straight white Christen men are the most oppressed group in the US?

Yes, I believe they are unironically saying that.

Hold your horses, segregation was abolished in 1954, not sure US has ever been close from "the freest place on earth".

For the freest place on earth we are super high up on the list of incarcerated per capita.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarcera...

As a successful nonwhite person in the US, AbsurdCensor made an infantilizing comment. Non white people have flocked here in droves because of the freedom afforded to anyone to become wealthy. I agree that we are back sliding (tax burden, regulatory burden, political repression, etc.) but it is absurd to make it about race and say that it wasn't once the freest place to start a business and even express yourself.

Freedom to become wealthy was never true. It was the dream they sold you to get you to flock there.

It never was. The US is under as much propaganda as NK they just refuse to recognise it from the inside, which is simply propaganda working.

What time period are you using as an example?

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