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Ask HN: America turns 250 today. What does it mean to you?

2 points by abixb ↗ HN
Figured I'd post this Ask HN given the semiquincentennial celebration since the Declaration of Independence.

A surprising amount of what this site cares about grew up here in the US: the transistor, the internet, the idea (or the trope) that two people in a garage can take on corporate behemoths, the venture-backed startup model, etc. And a lot of HN has a personal stake in the place -- immigrants (me included) who bet their careers on a US grad degree and a visa lottery, citizens who built companies here, people abroad who work for (or compete with) American firms every day.

So on the 250th, I'm curious what America means to you, personally. Some prompts:

If you immigrated: what pulled you here, and has it held up? If you were born here: what do you hope the country looks like at 300? If you left, or chose never to come: what did you see that the rest of us might be missing?

Finally, what the most romantic ideal you have of America that you think would be worth sharing?

Happy 4th of July, HN!

11 comments

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andyjohnson0
> What does it mean to you?

For this European: that Independence is increasingly illusory and maladaptive on our crowded, overheating planet - and that we all need to be thinking more about our mutual interdependence and shared humanity.

> Finally, what the most romantic ideal you have of America that you think would be worth sharing?

The nation that went to the moon, and showed us all what we're capable of.

scrubs
It means we the USA have to grow up.

- Congress is a failed institution

- must get money out of politics including inside trading. I'm will to pay congress more salary for that. Offenses thereafter are criminal offenses

- the days of pretty boys talking atomically small wedge points on complex issues on tv is over. The shadow boxing over cultural issues to get re-elected by constantly winding up dumb voters is over

- attenuation to the center. Corporations and rich individuals have gotten entitled and too safe which by overshooting will create a far stronger far left, which I do not want either

- do what we say we do instead of just talk lovingly about it: justice to treat all equally under the law.

- stop scapegoating foreigners and immigrants: the failed US congress which is us has been the single most damaging thing to this country. They're weakness has let trump run amuck in addition.

mikert89
The country is still trucking on and doing great!
fragrom
It was an interesting premise, but more or less done now.
throwaw12
What did I learn, the moment money and corporations enters the politics any superpower can collapse in couple of generations, even though it gave birth to many innovative tech and gave illusion that meritocracy can win in the long term with American Dream.

As a person who migrated to Europe, impacted by the US imperialism and corrupted US government who is taking orders from a tiny foreign state to attack other nations. I wholeheartedly wish US hegemony to fail and disappear

mindwork
> what the most romantic ideal you have of America that you think would be worth sharing?

A shining city on a hill. Both as an ideal to aspire to, and a warning that the world's eyes are on you, and if you fail, you will fail out loud

mghackerlady
The culture war politics have turned me, an otherwise normal woman just trying to live her life, into a scapegoat. Any romantic ideas of freedom and cultural tolerance escaped me the moment I started carrying mace out of fear of being hate crimed
salvesefu
I always found the symbols of America interesting and their connections to the history of the European Democratic societies (and their ideals). Concepts that spread like wildfire across the global peasantry, unlanded & slave classes alike.

Who is this Columbia woman? Seriously, why is there a pyramid with an eye on the dollar bill? Compared to many other countries currencies, America has some of the most ambiguous imagery on its bills to the point most Americans don't know or understand their respective meanings.

Americans don't discuss Democracy's relationships to Anarchy (I always found this strange, especially with its obsession with guns); how one complements the other in very important and dynamic ways (this was an ongoing study in the working groups of early democratists).

Why did Americans give up wigs and the Brits did not? are the paris club and imf considered democratic institutions because they originate in democratic countries? Why is capitalism as an economic structure automatically considered democratic?

America as a concept of converging ideas has always befuddled me.

moomoo11
America is my home and I am proud to be part of a nation that is hands down the most consequential nation to have ever existed.

the reason we have so many haters is that we're actually so much better, i've never heard of anyone hating on a loser.

as an immigrant here and naturalized citizen, i think i have noticed that i am becoming more conservative because well... i don't share anything in common with illegal "immigrants" (12-30 million of them, btw ), socialist types (i grew up poor, but i also worked really hard), people who move here and still talk about their old country and trash America, or otherwise just don't really contribute or assimilate.

if people like another country more, i think they should move back there. if people want me to pay more in taxes so illegals get more protections and people who do the least get to cry more, no thanks. if you can't do the bare minimum and at least try to assimilate, you shouldn't be here.

this is my only passport, my only home.