I think the US gets to inherit some of the guilt for the extermination of the native population and the colonization of the Americas
Yeah, I would say that’s fair. They have been the largest benefactor over time. I think my original point was a question like that is hard to really quantify in general. Any genuine answer would require a more specific question. I think there’s also a danger of either minimizing the brutality of the past or alternatively minimizing the scale of suffering happening today.
When I say the US is the worst, I don’t mean it’s unique. If any other empire happened to exist in a world with billions of people they’d have easily been as bad as the US is. The US is the worst simply as an accident of history, it’s not special.
Yeah, I would say that’s fair. They have been the largest benefactor over time. I think my original point was a question like that is hard to really quantify in general. Any genuine answer would require a more specific question. I think there’s also a danger of either minimizing the brutality of the past or alternatively minimizing the scale of suffering happening today.
When I say the US is the worst, I don’t mean it’s unique. If any other empire happened to exist in a world with billions of people they’d have easily been as bad as the US is. The US is the worst simply as an accident of history, it’s not special.