There has been a strong anti-science component in the US for literally centuries. These advances have been despite the sentiment. In addition, it isn't like other countries weren't going to space or weren't working on it (just like now). Tech has been mirrored elsewhere for a long time, but an American education might lead you to believe differently (I know mine didn't really mention that things like cars were being developed elsewhere - they just mention the first American to make things).
If you want a fine example of this, look at the push against modern medicine. Folks were eshewing "European-style medicine" for quite some time.
The US Took a really, really long time to eliminate lead from paint and gasoline, comparatively, even though we knew about the harm.
We knew things about climate change before WWII, and the denial then was pretty strong. People were scoffing about Earth Day when I was a child - I'm 42 now.
Anti-maskers were about in the 1910's with the Spanish flu. The anti-vax movement has been around since.. well, around the time we started to have vaccines. Yes, folks lined up for them, but not everyone.
It is a whole heck of a lot easier to be vocal about it now, though, and easier to reach others to try to convince them.
Yeah, it's interesting, even the comment you're replying to betrays the duality.
50 years ago the U.S. put a man on the moon, following the coattails of the civil rights movement, meanwhile suffering through one of the most corrupt presidencies, a resurgence of white supremacy that would echo for decades to come, and the beginning of an ignorant war that would destroy the lives of many tens of millions of Americans (the war on drugs).
And here we are, today, with an American company SpaceX yet again redefining humanity's reach and we are again suffering through easily the most corrupt presidency to date, white supremacy, and ignorance that is destroying American lives.
I think like many it's hard not to look at America today and worry that things are worse than they've ever been. But I think in many ways you're right; America has always been like this. A violent cocktail of the best and worst of humanity, shaken, not stirred.
If you want a fine example of this, look at the push against modern medicine. Folks were eshewing "European-style medicine" for quite some time.
The US Took a really, really long time to eliminate lead from paint and gasoline, comparatively, even though we knew about the harm.
We knew things about climate change before WWII, and the denial then was pretty strong. People were scoffing about Earth Day when I was a child - I'm 42 now.
Anti-maskers were about in the 1910's with the Spanish flu. The anti-vax movement has been around since.. well, around the time we started to have vaccines. Yes, folks lined up for them, but not everyone.
It is a whole heck of a lot easier to be vocal about it now, though, and easier to reach others to try to convince them.