Quote Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube View Post
Hah, I've thoroughly detailed why we can't fix healthcare and guns in a timely fashion using a lot more than just "we're American." That's always my point--it can't be done quickly. Like Monty said, there's no appetite in America at large to "fix" the "gun problem." You people spend more time worrying about it than we do, and as a result it would be political suicide for the Democrats to try anything serious on gun control. Its a non-issue. There are a million more important things to be done first, and political capital is limited.
Your gun problem is a symptom of your wider cultural malaise - your healthcare problem is much more important.

[/quote]Call me an American exceptionalist, but I really do think we have some perspective that the rest of the world just doesn't want.[/QUOTE]

You're pretty similar to any other developing country - the "exceptionalism" in America is that you have a society that resembles a country like India with the economic muscle to beat the Soviet Union at it's height.

Actually - India is a very good comparison - both former British Colonies which demanded independence and achieved that aim through a mix of violence and diplomacy - both with a deep seated hated for the UK. Lets be honest here - the average American may like "the British" but they HATE "Great Britain" and everything it stands for.