i think american exceptionalism has done more damage than any other idea in this country. many people have deeply internalized the idea that this is a great country and that their struggles, such as being unable to afford healthcare, are just normal facets of life.

this is obviously more prominent among conservatives, but even many liberals have made peace with our system, seldom taking a step back to truly appreciate how dystopian and perverse things often are, especially compared to other countries.

the amount of people allegedly left-of-center who claim it's "unrealistic" to have things like free education or healthcare is just staggering. this country is crippled by its low expectations and so many people think their support of bare minimum tinkering is an achievement.

you don't get credit for supporting, say, a public option, in the year 2020. canada has had universal healthcare since the late 1950s.

the U.S. has been around for 243 years and our left-wing party still falls short of supporting universal coverage. what more can you say?