Reply #5: I have been an expat so long that I guess I feel more

[DemExpat]

universalist and see the greatness (and horrors) in 'all' cultures.

The more I study the world (and the US) the more I see that there is a darker side to all of the glory and advancements made - made on the backs of such large-scale suffering and ever increasing inequalities and dangers. The American Dream worked well for many when resources were so vast and seemed to be there for the picking.....practically free of charge! I don't see this set of circumstances returning unless a large proportion of the earth's population decides to move on....!
The American experiment IMO also worked well when most of the newcomers were from Western Europe and thus fairly homogenous in a way in its diversity - at least homogenous of purpose in the earlier days!

I don't see things as geographically bounded (perhaps nationalistic or culturally bound. I see spiritual advancement more as something 'telepathically communicated' between people all over the world. And I notice that there are many more places where the incredible polarity that you (or someone else here in this thread) mention about in the US is just as evident. Seems to me like almost every supposedly democratic election followed in the northern hemisphere is always down to the hair with the votes between left and right. I find THIS so amazing - my mind cannot fathom how in all of these countries there are exactly HALF of the voters who believe in more rightwing measures and those who want more leftist approaches.

Is this simply a manfestation of Yin-Yang forces in political life?

I do believe that the Founding Fathers were very special people at a special time!

So, I do agree with you about the ideals of America, but have learned to see its accomplishments tempered by other factors. I still feel a sense of pride in my personal American history, but also feel an adopted pride and sense of value for the European experience since WWII.

Just some of my thoughts from an expat p.o.v.

And sorry that I didn't really go into your World SOul Theory and got sidetracked by many other points!

Interesting topic!

DemEx