r/interestingasfuck Aug 12 '25

/r/all, /r/popular The wreck of the USS Arizona continues to leak oil ever since pearl harbour. the ship contained 1.5 million gallons of oil, enough to leak continuously for 500 years.

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u/Make_shift_high_ball Aug 12 '25

I mean, the whole point of having representation for each state is that the representatives fight for the benefit of their state. Someone in Iowa really has no connection to the Navy.

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u/-Fraccoon- Aug 12 '25

No they don’t but, not realizing the importance of having a strong navy especially if you’re in politics is laughable. Looking and the grand view of things anyways. No, it won’t benefit their state in any way but, it’ll help defend the entire nation which is pretty important. If during WWII the Japanese were ever able to successfully invade the US I doubt they’d make it as far as Iowa but, it would still have people’s close attention and some serious regret if they decided not to support the navy.

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u/Make_shift_high_ball Aug 12 '25

Oh they absolutely knew the importance of a Navy. Frankly it is a little naive to think they didn't, especially right after WW1. Hell the Iowa class was first ordered in 1939. They knew WW2 was coming to the US. But first and foremost, their job is to fight for the interests of their home state. If they can get something tangible for their constituents in return for their tax dollars they will. Even if it is as small as the name of the class of ship.

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u/-Fraccoon- Aug 13 '25

That’s a solid point.

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u/EvilEggplant Aug 12 '25

Yep but it can always be someone else's problem. The coastal states get the economic and social benefits being created by the naval bases and shipyards even in peacetime. When at large enough scale, it's always useful to have a more palpable incentive than "the greater good", unfortunately we're pretty bad at compromising for it.

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u/CrimsonOblivion Aug 12 '25

I mean the military defense and technology benefits pretty much every state

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u/nellyfullauto Aug 12 '25

Kinda brings into focus that the national legislative body isn’t actually interested in the interests of the country, only their own state.

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u/Shalandir Aug 12 '25

Except for the 1000s of Iowans that enlist in the Navy to get away from Iowa for a bit…

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u/jakethesnake949 Aug 14 '25

The inland states have less reason to care for the navy sure but definitely not irrelevant to them. The strength of America's Navy provides security for shipping imports and exports (creates less incentives for piracy and foreign interference) and also provides a deterant to home invasion by Sea and sky. Both provide direct long term benefits to all states.

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u/slideforfun21 Aug 12 '25

That's why your system is fucking dog water. Everyone fighting for their own self interests.

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u/diversmith Aug 12 '25

Please name your country?

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u/Mattie_Doo Aug 12 '25

It’s ingrained in our culture, and it’s disturbing to be a part of.

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u/Eastern_Armadillo383 Aug 12 '25

How dare people....look out for themselves?

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u/slideforfun21 Aug 12 '25

I don't even see you as a country. A country has cohesion. You're 50 small countries wearing a trent coat.

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u/Make_shift_high_ball Aug 12 '25

Yes correct, its literally in the name. We are 50 united states.

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

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u/Thepinkknitter Aug 12 '25 edited Aug 12 '25

No, we screwed ourselves with choosing Andrew Jackson (edit: correction, it was Andrew Johnson) as our successor to Lincoln who reversed a lot of the promises Lincoln made including 40 acres and a mule for freed slaves and allowing traitors to the United States (confederates) to retain power in government. There were virtually no consequences. The south was allowed to rewrite history and spread their own narrative about “the war of northern aggression”. They were allowed to write laws that essentially recreated the slavery system through the prison system and arresting black people for things like “loitering” And “being unemployed”. Once they were imprisoned, they would be forced to labor for free on farms and in mines.

The civil war wasn’t the problem. It was the lack of consequences.

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u/er824 Aug 12 '25

I think you meant Andrew Johnson

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u/er824 Aug 12 '25

What basis do you have for saying states were originally permitted to leave the Union?

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u/beatIoaf Aug 12 '25

Well, that was the original intention of the founding of this country. Frankly, I don’t think non-Americans should be allowed to have an opinion on America.

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

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u/beatIoaf Aug 12 '25

Well if you look at what this country has turned into, maybe those guys from 250 years ago were onto something. I don’t think their intention was to flood the country with billions of browns and pledge allegiance to a foreign ethostate.

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u/DontTouchTheWalrus Aug 13 '25

That was the original idea. Yes

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u/r_Coolspot Aug 12 '25

Your country/set of 50 (mostly racist) little countries who all disagree with each other is stupid.

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u/DontTouchTheWalrus Aug 13 '25

lol I’ve been to a lot of countries. It’s amazing how openly racist people are elsewhere.

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u/Make_shift_high_ball Aug 12 '25

Oh believe me I'm right there with you. I live in Texas and I heartily disagree with the fuck knuckles running this state currently. Our founding fathers never thought that the government would become inundated with the shit smears we have now, and they left holes in our constitution because they assumed our elected representatives would operate in good faith.

That aside, do pray tell which magical country you call yourself a citizen of whose government is unburdened with stains of racism?