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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: June 30th, 2023

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  • Practically speaking since war is unthinkable is would result in as much economic isolation as Europe can bear. It would be the end of NATO. Almost immediately there’s be European voices saying ‘What’s the real harm?’ and other appeasers. I think the political lash back would only last 5-10 years as parties opposed would find the only tool at hand - economic punishment - to be unsustainable. It would legitimise nationalistic sentiments in Europe even further. Britain would, naturally, talk of betrayal but not be able to make any resistance of any substance.




  • I’ve heard various explanations, I don’t know how accurate the following is. I’d be interested to learn more:

    • the very earliest colony settlements had to bargain hard and with precision in order to survive. It began a contractual culture that eventually extended into litigation

    • due to high immigration from many differing backgrounds, disputes had to be settled in litigation rather than relying on social understanding

    • the religious culture was largely inherited from the Puritans who had a legalistic and inflexible reading of the new testament. (This unwillingness to compromise is why they were persecuted in Europe and fled to the new world)

    • the American identity is ‘invented’ (in the sense that’s it’s an abrupt mixing of many old world cultures) and so national identity was initially based on cerebral activities (the Constitution, Bill of Rights) rather than evolved from a very long history of social bonds found in old world ‘nations’. This required a cerebral precision to be at the heart of identity which easily extended to legal rights and relations

    As I say, take with a pinch of salt. But this is the gist of what I’ve heard from people who know more than me.


  • Have you tried talking in only short amounts that require a response? That could narrow down the specific thing that made them not want to respond. If this is happening all the time with all sorts of people that’s unusual. In your example it’s hard to tell if they were overwhelmed with your talking style or if you offended them or if you missed all signs they were uncomfortable and they felt entitled to be rude to you (without saying) or if you just happen to be encountering people who feel that’s an ok thing to do and it doesn’t really have anything specifically to do with you. Lots of possibilities.