Cheyenne Lim (28:52).

Intro 0:00 Part 1: Is the U.S. actually declining? 3:29 Part 2: Declinism in Politics: What is it and How is it Used 15:28 Part 3: The Romanticization of Declinism as Part of the “American Identity” 20:59 Conclusion 25:36

liy: Feels like calling a friend over for an hour to break it down for you, who pulls up links and watches them with you, yells at bad takes so you don't have to... all without the possibility of losing that friendship. not really an essay so the time flies by (1:03:47)

• He breaks it down like he's running media literacy 101 daycare for a generation younger than him (because he is),
• he answers questions in chat along the way,
• his examples are clear but not gory,
• and his editors are very good at cutting together a tight explainer video out of a much longer livestream.

Ornament and Crime: What does Jewish mythology have to teach us - or rather, what warnings does it have - about Israel's oppression of Palestinians? (1:34:34)

"when we forget ourselves, we become the monster"

Liy: A Jewish anti-fascist art historian wears the kuffiyeh and chats like a friend with receipts. I thought I didn't need this video but I was wrong actually! This is exactly how I want to learn abt Jewish solidarity with Palestine. You've probably been scrolling through a lot of rapid short-form education... Focusing for 90min seems wild but it's a great antidote for my broken brain. At one point she takes a break, pause and do the same! I love long videos because there's more room to feel human when sharing info instead of in polished 5min rapid summaries. She weaves together what u learned from social media but with art, architecture, history. Her cat Pikachu is VERY CUTE

Cheyenne Lin (1:13:23) The U.S. is known as ‘the best country in the world’, but where does this notion even come from and why is it so persistent despite the fact that the U.S. seems to be inferior to many countries, specifically other wealthy nations in the imperial core when it comes to walkability, third places, car culture, and public transport? In addition, is the U.S. only inferior to their ‘first world’ equals or to countries in the global south as well? And lastly, how does first world privilege come into play when moving abroad and romanticizing one’s life there? In this video essay I talk about imperial privilege, as well as U.S. privilege and ‘first world’ privilege and how its tied to race and class, as well as the global hierarchy of countries and U.S. imperialism. I also talk about the decline of the U.S., no third spaces, car culture, and the romanticization of your life abroad trend as an American.

TIMESTAMPS Intro: The Best Country in the World? 0:00 Part 1: The Rise of a Superpower and The American Century 09:20 Part 2: U.S. Privilege 34:04 Part 3: The U.S. vs. The Rest of the World 46:07

• no third spaces
• car culture
• schooling
• healthcare
• dress
• food quality and food deserts Part 4: Romanticization of Life Abroad 1:05:42
• romanticizing life abroad
• passport bros Conclusion 1:12:35