We have yet another mass shooting going on.

[DinoDoc]

The US has had the largest GDP since roughly 1870 or so.

The concept dates back to the 1830's. Ironically, the first time it was actually called American Exceptionalism was by the American Communist Party in the 1920's.

[Ben Kenobi]

The US has had the largest GDP since roughly 1870 or so.

Compared with the Empire as a whole or what?

[regexcellent]

Don't know if that includes the British empire as a single entity. The empire certainly had more people but I'm not sure it had a higher GDP; after all, the colonial territories in Africa and India weren't well-developed.

[Sava]

The US has had the largest GDP since roughly 1870 or so.

Built by slave labor.

[Hauldren Collider]

Err, American exceptionalism significantly predates American economic power.

No, it doesn't, we were the largest economy by the turn of the 20th century, which is when the idea took off. Before then we had amazing economic growth, which accounts for it previously.

EDIT: It appears Reg beat me to it.

[Hauldren Collider]

Built by slave labor.

North had a much higher gdp than the south. Actually not built by slave labor all that much. Built by industry.

Nowadays it's the reverse, south is looking to have a much higher GDP than the north. You can thank unions for that.

[Ben Kenobi]

Don't know if that includes the British empire as a single entity. The empire certainly had more people but I'm not sure it had a higher GDP; after all, the colonial territories in Africa and India weren't well-developed.

I'm pretty certain it was only post 1945 that the US was the acknowledged leader of the free world. Possibly post 1919, but I am not absolutely certain. Most of the growth of the US was between 1870 and 1913 though.

American Exceptionalism really dates back to de Tocqueville in 1835.

[Sava]

North had a much higher gdp than the south. Actually not built by slave labor all that much. Built by industry.

Thanks Captain.

Nowadays it's the reverse, south is looking to have a much higher GDP than the north. You can thank unions for that.

... or air conditioning

[Ben Kenobi]

No, it doesn't, we were the largest economy by the turn of the 20th century, which is when the idea took off. Before then we had amazing economic growth, which accounts for it previously.

You need to read de Tocqueville's arguments. 'Democracy in America'. He predicts that America will come to lead the world back in 1840. Which is after the Monroe Doctrine and long before the dramatic expansion of American industrial productivity post Civil War.

[Patroklos]

NPR just described the Navy Yard as "heavily fortified," there really is no end to the media's ambulance chasing ratings grabs. I have been there many times and its just a CAC card access point with a rent a cop like most military installations.

Everyone I know there is safe locked down on site. None were close enough to be involved.

[Ben Kenobi]

south is looking to have a much higher GDP than the north. You can thank unions for that.

Excluding California, this is not the case. The South still hasn't caught up. Texas is the only one to rank in the top half, and they are the first of the southern states (save VA, which doesn't count because of DC). The South has always lagged behind the US as a whole - and while (thank unions again!), they've been catching up, they are still substantially behind. They were behind in 1860, behind in 1920, behind in 1945, and still behind now.

[Hauldren Collider]

... or air conditioning

[Hauldren Collider]

NPR just described the Navy Yard as "heavily fortified,"

****, even the pentagon isn't that heavily fortified. You can drive a car right into the parking lot. I know, I've done it by accident.

[Sava]

NPR just described the Navy Yard as "heavily fortified," there really is no end to the media's ambulance chasing ratings grabs. I have been there many times and its just a CAC card access point with a rent a cop like most military installations.

Yes. NPR is probably the worst offender with regards to "ambulance chasing ratings grabs". The fear-mongering is the worst. Every time Garisson Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" is on, I need to pop a few Xanax.

[regexcellent]

They would probably describe the ROTC building here as "heavily fortified." I have to swipe my student ID to get in!