[eighthnate]

> Fortunately, USA still has robust immigration (despite political efforts), so we have nothing to worry about, compared to Japan.

Really? So the population has to always increase? When does it end?

> American population and culture is in no danger of dying off

Neither is japan's. You could argue that japan's population and culture will last longer than america's.

[_gh80]

I ask this honestly, I'm really looking for an answer: What is America's culture?

I look at say Japan and they've got all this history, art, literature, customs, even essentially their own religion. Their culture is very distinct.

I look at Russia, Austria, England, France, most of the rest of Europe and Asia and see the same thing. They have their own art, history, customs and behaviours that are quite distinct from one another.

But I don't see America's culture. I suspect the problem is that American culture has been exported throughout the western world so much that it's hard to tell it apart but I'm not sure.

[mwfunk]

America has historically been unusual in that it was explicitly founded on commonly shared ideas rather than ethnic, religious, or regional identities. Obviously it has fallen short of that ideal many times throughout its history, but for the most part it resembles a country trying to asymptotically approach that ideal, decade after decade.

In that sense it lacks some inherent culture because it's a collection of different people who came here from all over the world. Japan (and most other older nations) has a shared ethnic and religious identity that goes back centuries or millennia, whereas America by definition doesn't really have that. Instead it's an amalgamation of all of the different people who live here. To me, "American culture" means going to downtown Mountain View, CA for dinner and getting to choose from dozens of amazing cuisines from all over the world (with varying degrees of authenticity, but still).

Even food/cultural artifacts/etc. which are strongly associated with America tend to be things brought here from other places and cultures and adapted to local tastes.

The "blood and soil" people are especially alarming to me because what they're most passionate about is attempting to retcon America into being based on religious/ethnic/geographic identity politics rather than what actually makes America somewhat unique and successful, which is simply the fact that it's based on ideas rather than tribalism, and was designed as a haven from tribalism in other countries.

I'm sure someone will read this and get all up in arms about the gazillion times America has done horrible things that went against the very ideals that I just described. Trust me, I know. I'm not trying to idealize everything and sweep that stuff under the rug. Every country has always and will always deviate from its own principles, but it falls on patriots (as opposed to nationalists) to do whatever they can to help steer it back in the right direction. Patriotism should be about fixing things when they go wrong, not "my country right or wrong".

[diego_moita]

* Science and technology : big bang theory, anesthesia, Von Neuman computer architecture and it's implementation, telecommunications, most of modern molecular biology, Borlaug's Green Revolution, ... there is an endless chain of Nobel prizes on this one.

* Philosophy: the concept of philosophical pragmatism and big contributions to economic and political liberalism

* Music: Aron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Jazz, ...

* Architecture: Frank Loyd Wright and a lot of contributions to modernism

* Literature: Hemingway, Faulkner, ...

If you want to talk about "customs", a mindset typical of a country that sets them apart from the other cultures you described, the most typical American trait is a pioneer belief, a radical optimism with very little regard for traditions. That attitude permeates the list above.

[aquadrop]

I think what you enumerated shows that "America"'s culture is immigration. Von Neuman was Hungarian, Arno Penzias (big bang) immigrated from Germany, Borlaug's ancestors came from Norway etc USA had influx of people from the beginning, both voluntary and forced immigration. It was "New World", where those who didn't like the old one or wanted to restart went. And it's ironic to see now Trump trying to cut off immigration.

[cameldrv]

Well, American culture per se is fairly new. If you want 500 year old culture, you'll have to visit a Native American reservation. If you want to know what American culture is though, here's a start: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Jazz. Rock and Roll. The Blues. Hollywood film. Hamburgers. New American cuisine. "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind." "I have a dream" Craft Beer. America started late to the culture game but certainly has put a lot of points on the board in the second half.

[muddi900]

The Constitution had the 3/5ths rule, so I don't know how much is the fact self-evident through the lens of cultural history.

[YaxelPerez]

The US has only been around for 200 years. It's not enough time to create a culture like the countries you mentioned. The main overarching theme of American culture is "fuck you we do what we want", but that's about it.

[shakay]

Culture is not necessarily something tangible. America's culture is freedom and liberty. And that is what get's exported to other countries and what we struggle for in the USA.

[abiox]

are you american? perhaps it's a matter of perspective.

[muddi900]

Japan as a country is failing to take care of its old and the young have a fertility problem.

I doubt Japanese culture will survive this century, but it is only seventy-odd years old.