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40 Horrifying Photos From The United States That Make It Seem Like A Dystopic Nightmare (New Pics)
The United States has many amazing things to offer both citizens and tourists. The country is full of breathtaking views, stunning national parks, and countless stops that will create the most incredible road trip. The people are friendly, the food is comforting, and the country is considered the land of opportunity! In recent years, however, the headlines about the U.S. have been less positive than usual. In fact, some people feel like the nation is quickly turning into a dystopian nightmare.
Americans have been posting photos on social media of the most unsettling and disturbing things they’ve observed in their nation, so we’ve compiled a list of their pics below. From terrifying news headlines to hospital bills that could bankrupt a person, good luck getting through all of these bleak images, pandas.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Excuse Me What?
Riley Quinn 3 weeks ago
I owned several for-profit businesses, but I never gouged my customers or underpaid my employees. This profit-before-people thinking makes me sick.
RELATED:
#2
The Right Is Deliberately Undermining Public Services That People Love In Order To Put More Money In The Pockets Of Those Who Already Have Too Much
#3
Awful
When you imagine a futuristic society, you might picture cars that can fly and robots that will sweep and mop your floors for you. But with all of the technological advancements we’ve seen in recent years, many people have noticed that they’re not all for the best. Artificial intelligence, for example, has been blamed for stealing jobs, making humans dumber, and for further isolating lonely individuals.
Meanwhile, various governments around the world seem to be leaning into the idea that the future has to be dystopic, particularly the United States. A dystopian society is one that’s “under extreme control with issues of inequality, constant surveillance, propaganda, and loss of individuality,” Serena Edwards writes for The Brooklyn College Vanguard. And many Americans feel like that sounds pretty familiar.
#4
My Backpack Has A Bulletproof Shield
#5
This Was The Hospital Bill We Received Today
My son was born with a congenital heart defect. We spent 6 weeks in the hospital after he was born in the CTICU. He had heart surgery when he was 10 days old. Countless medications, specialists, doctors, procedures, and more. Thank God for insurance otherwise we'd be paying almost $2M out of pocket.
On the flip side of this whole debacle, my son gets to live a long normal life and I would work to pay back $10M if it means I get to have him in my life.
#6
The U.S. Will Withdraw From 66 Organizations, Isolating The Country From The Wider World, The White House Announced Today. The Withdrawal Includes 31 UN Organizations And 35 Other International Bodies
Regardless of how you feel about the current U.S. president’s policies, there’s no question that he’s a controversial figure. He pardoned nearly 1,600 people who illegally stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. And he publicly berated Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on live television, CT Insider reports.
He has slashed funding for research grants, public school programs, social service programs, environmental cleanup initiatives, and more. And he’s seemingly given ICE free range to detain anyone they want, even American citizens. And more recently, he’s decided that he’s going to take Greenland, whether they like it or not. With all of the questionable decisions the president has made, many Americans feel like he came right out of a dystopian novel.
#7
Oh Wow, Thanks [brand]!
Riley Quinn 3 weeks ago
Theraflu's Rest and Recovery Program is committing $600,000 via microgrants to families and is partnership with A Better Balance, a national legal advocacy organization, dedicated to advancing work-family justice. I got this info from their website.
#9
Thanks, I Hate Drills In Kindergarten
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 3 weeks ago
"When we debriefed, students mentioned feeling safe..." Yes, because real world school shooters will be confused by the lights being out. How about tougher gun laws? Just a thought?
martin734 3 weeks ago (edited)
This is a reply to David Stephens below, you are clearly a halfwit so I will try to explain it as simply as I can. If you make most types of firearms illegal or highly restricted. as they are in civilised countries, and then destroy the illegal weapons so they cannot be obtained by criminals, you will drastically cut the number of shootings. Fewer guns means fewer people with guns. There is no need for a private citizen to own a semi-automatic a*****t rifle, there is no need for a private citizen to own a concealable handgun, there is no reason not to require that someone who wishes to own a firearm for hunting has no criminal history, no history of mental illness, no history of alcohol or substance a***e and has a secure means of storing the weapon so it can only be used by those authorised to use it. We have done all of these things here in the UK and as a result we have had fewer mass shootings in the last 20 years than the USA has had this year, and it is still only January!
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Mark Stewart 3 weeks ago
They hang on to their second amendment so tightly because they feel they can protect themselves from government tyranny, fat lot of good that's doing them at the moment.
Load More Replies... James Twong 3 weeks ago
I am so glad I live in a country where kids aren't in fear of being k****d while at school.
StrangeOne 3 weeks ago
A drill is a drill, but when in actual danger the fear in those young kids will kick in.
Asher Tye 3 weeks ago
That was my thought. Fire drills rarely cause people to be upset because there is a distinct lack of fire. A real emergency can show you just how woefully unprepared the drill may have made you.
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Henrik Knudsen 3 weeks ago
Yeah, cause a gunman isn't going to enter a room with the lights turned off... Just stop giving everybody with a pulse a gun.
Riley Quinn 3 weeks ago
I wish we felt this safe and confident after the Duck & Cover drills we had as kids back in the 60s. Back then it was preparation for a nuclear attack, not some kid with a gun, a situation that could be drastically reduced if our politicians weren't being paid off cowards.
Forrest Hobbs 3 weeks ago
Riley Quinn: I figured out some time in the late 1970s that if a nuclear war happened (which seemed inevitable), I and millions around me would be turned into radioactive dust right away. No, I'm quite serious - West and North-West London still have a lot of obvious nuke targets. When I found out about US 'duck and cover' drills, I was entertained that anyone could take that sort of thing seriously.
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Rachel Reynolds 3 weeks ago
Yeah, after his first lockdown drill, my 11 year old asked me for a gunshot first aid kit to keep in his backpack. Just in case, so he can help his friends.
Mary Hapenny 3 weeks ago
I don't understand how it's so easy to get into school buildings in America. In the primary and secondary schools my children attend (Dublin, Ireland) you have to ring a bell to be let into the reception area. Then there is another door into the school but you can't go through it unless the secretary allows you and for a specific reason.
C .Hunger 3 weeks ago
Actually, in some schools they are stressing the opposite, where the want kids to run, get out and away from school as quickly as possible. Not making this up. Sad either way tho.
StrangeOne 3 weeks ago
Perhaps they should start making emergency exit doors leading outside from the classroom. Quick, easy escape.
Load More Replies... TwiggyTheTree 3 weeks ago
"the children did an amazing job during the drill" is probably the most dystopian thing in this whole article...
Beak Hookage 3 weeks ago
Australian here. I've worked in schools and participated in a lockdown drill once. Basically this entailed locking the doors and leading the kids into a room with no windows where we all hid under a table for a while. To them it was a game, of course, and none of us for one second ever thought we would have to do so with an actual shooter outside. And indeed that has never happened. Those kids are all adults now and most have likely never even seen a gun unless it was on a cop's belt.
Mrs M 3 weeks ago (edited)
We have lockdown drills in schools in the UK too - my child's primary school has one at least once a year. We may not have a school shooting epidemic but we still have things to be scared of here.
Forrest Hobbs 3 weeks ago (edited)
Mrs M: my child's primary school never had a lockdown drill. There are always hazards in life, but things are very much safer now. I recall a 'fire drill' at primary school which turned out to be in response to a thankfully fake b*mb threat. Thing is, there really were a lot of térrorist bombings in my home town back then. Okay, that home town was London, but you get the idea.
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Sue Mullen Andersen 3 weeks ago
I work as a Safety Officer at a Children's Hospital. I did a drill in our dialysis area for workplace violence. The patients (remember this is a children's hospital in the USA) told the nurses and doctors that they would all be dead from an active shooter. So say to hear the kids as the experts on this topic...but they were right.
Cydney Golden 2 weeks ago
Retired now but having to do this broke my heart. Knowing we shouldn't have do makes be so angry.
B.Nelson 3 weeks ago (edited)
Had a lockdown this past week. Several schools received threats (b0mb). Yes, we cover any windows, turn the lights off, and tell the kids to turn their cell phones to silent. If they want to talk they can text each other. I was with seniors but the next day I had freshmen and some of them were a little freaked out. I had to go over how a lockdown works in my classroom and how to make sure my door is locked and where to hide during a lockdown. Yeah, it suks.
Many people enjoy reading books or watching films about dystopian societies, but living through one isn’t as much fun. Currently, in the United States, 35% of citizens say they can’t access quality, affordable healthcare. And nearly two-thirds of Americans say they had to switch to cheaper groceries or buy less food altogether in the past year. Meanwhile, the top 1% of the nation owns nearly one-third of the country’s wealth.
#10
My Bill Is $250k In A Day Stay At Hospital Having Appendectomy
You read that right. My bill is so high. I don’t have insurance, I don’t work as well. I’m a stay at home wife and my husband pays all the bills and we cannot be able to afford paying this super expensive bill. I don’t know what to do.
I stayed in the hospital from 10/9 - 10/10. I got appendectomy at a hospital in Florida.
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 3 weeks ago
True or false. The US healthcare system is a corrupt money grabbing evil in this world?
#11
“Inhales” No No
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 3 weeks ago
Yay! Capitalist dystopian future! Yay Blade Runner aesthetics!
#12
Hospital Bill Addressed To My Brother. He [Passed Away] In The Ambulance On The Way There
Another aspect of the United States that some people consider pretty dystopian is the fact that it’s incredibly difficult to have children. Well, you can have them, but it might cost you over $25K in hospital bills. Then, if you’re lucky, you’ll get ten weeks off from work (unpaid, of course) before you have to be back in the office. And you’ll have to hire a nanny or pay for expensive childcare to be able to return to your job.
#13
Found This Comment On A TikTok Post
#14
'The Price Of Cotton Will Go Up!'
Tyranamar Suess 3 weeks ago
Illegal immigrants do a lot of the work US citizens do not want to do. For reasonable costs. Just another way Trump is screwing the economy.
#15
Advertisements Following You Home
This truck on the highway has led screens cycling through advertisements.
Once your children are old enough to go to school in the United States, you’ll have to make sure that they’re prepared to handle any situation. Unfortunately, American schools experience more violence than schools in any other industrialized nation, so kids have to prepare for the worst. Of course, the vast majority of them will be safe and sound in the classroom. But sadly, you never know when tragedy will strike. So it’s better to be safe than sorry.
#16
Can I Afford These Expenses?
#17
This AD
#18
AI "Girlfriend" Ad On Youtube
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 3 weeks ago
Pfft! Real world interactions and relationships are SO last century!
Because some of the wealthiest individuals on the planet live in the United States, one might think that they would be happy to help the less fortunate. But in reality, many billionaires would rather take trips to space or spend $44 billion on a social media platform than donate to those in need. Who cares about their thousands of employees who can’t afford food or housing, right?
#19
Kids Have Measles, There Are No Toys On The Shelves, And I Can't Afford A Steak
#20
Report: Over 33% Of All Food Produced Globally Is Wasted
#21
Receptionist At My Doctor's Office Has QR Codes For Venmo And Cashapp Tips
Now, most of us have been told from a young age that if we get a great education, our future will be full of endless opportunities. But in reality, over 42 million Americans have been saddled with federal student loan debt, and the total student debt balance is $1.81 trillion. On average, it takes Americans about 20 years to pay off their student loans, but it can take some over 25. It feels a bit dystopian to know that the degree you got to ensure that you could land a good job will take decades of paychecks from said job to pay off.
#22
Our Goodwill Store Alone Made $3 Million This Past Year Which Was A Store Record We Were All Told To Push For. This Was Our Compensation
Zig Zag Wanderer 3 weeks ago (edited)
Goodwill store, isn't that a charity? What do you want, money that would otherwise go to the needy? Edit: yes, non-profit "Goodwill Industries International Inc. is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization"
#23
It's Giving 1989
James Twong 3 weeks ago
I certainly won't be visiting the US while your repugnant Rapist-in-Chief is in charge. I wouldn't get to anyway with my social media history. Keep up the resistance you millions of sensible, nice non-insane Americans.
#24
Insurance Denies Therapy For My Autistic Toddler. Says The Quiet Part Out Loud At The End Of Their Denial Letter
Zig Zag Wanderer 3 weeks ago
That is what private insurance gets you. A contract, not medical necessity. Social healthcare actually provides necessary care almost always regardless of cost.
Do you feel like you’re living in a dystopian society after seeing all of these pics, pandas? We hope you don’t feel too depressed after scrolling through this list, but if you do, know that you’re not alone in this. Keep upvoting the images that you can’t believe aren’t satire, and if you’re interested in seeing even more dystopian images from real life, check out this Bored Panda list next.
#25
My College Loan Balance. I Started Off Owing $49,000 And Made Several Years Of Payments
#26
Tipping On An Apartment Application?!?!
#27
Woke Up To This Shocking Email This Morning
My unemployment term just keeps GOING and GOING!! This is the first time I ever heard an email say I'm not a match for a simple part-time dishwashing job because of my background!? I have no criminal or felony charge history whatsoever, and yet they STILL rejected me. This is the FIRST time I ever got rejected this year. Also have had other emails from other Workday Talent Acquisition Teams like this from Goodwill's and ALDI's in the past. WORST HIRING TEAMS I'VE EVER HAD THAT REVIEWED MY APPILACTIONS IN MY LIFE!
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 3 weeks ago
Perhaps you need at least 5 years dishwashing experience, also a college degree.
#28
Report: Literacy Rates In The United States Have Declined Significantly In The Last 30 Years
Verena 3 weeks ago
It is appalling that US Americans are fine with the low standards of education since decades. The knowledge of current politicians does not even include basic historic facts, which are taught to 12 to 14 year olds in Europe. Attending school is mandatory, no homeschool nonsense "protecting" snowflake kids who cannot cope with being introduced to various opinions, cultures and knowledge about history and biology.
#29
Queens Man Held For Weeks By ICE Wins Freedom
#30
Modern Day Urban Planning
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 3 weeks ago
Where's the local shop? Also local pub? Is that in the corner meant to be a park?
#31
I Got Let Go Because I Went To Hospital
#32
The Modern Tragedy Of Our Wetlands
What was once a beautiful section of woodlands and wetlands is now an amazon fulfillment center (that was abandoned before it ever opened) but still the woods remain on google maps.
#33
Dynamic Store Pricing
Zig Zag Wanderer 3 weeks ago (edited)
Boycott. Wouldn't fly in any country I know. And i don't think a 'rear windscreen wiper' is American nor subject to surge prices. Perhaps it goes up when raining?
#34
Sign Of The Times. Founder And CEO Of $20 Billion Asset Manager Falls For AI Slop
Michael Fernandez 3 weeks ago
To be fair, Cathie Wood has failed at virtually everything she’s ever done. Noting that she’s fallen for AI slop is nothing compared to the billions she’s lost for her marks.
#35
They Plan To Deport 100 Million People. Only 11 Million Are Undocumented Immigrants. The Other 89 Million Will Have To Include Legal Immigrants And Even U.S. Citizens
#36
What 5 Years Of Hard Work Gets You In Corporate America
ArchangelLoki 3 weeks ago (edited)
I dont actually understand why people expect to get things for being in a job for however many years. I've been in my job six years and thats just... normal. Why would I get something for that?
#37
Wth Instagram???
#38
Can Someone Start A Gofundme For Elon? Sources Indicate He Might Be Starving
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 3 weeks ago
There is a difference between true poverty and cos play poverty.
#39
Giving Your Grandma With Dementia An AI Picture Of Her Meeting Ozzy Osbourne
#41
The First Baby Born In My Area This Year Was Named By AI
Baby's Name: The baby was named Hudson Oakley Winkler.
Birth Details: He was born at Carroll Hospital in Westminster, Maryland, at 4:19 a.m. on New Year's Day, January 1, 2026.
Parents: His parents are Sarah and Stephen Winkler of West Friendship, Maryland. Sarah Winkler was also born at Carroll Hospital.
AI Naming Process: The couple used the generative AI chatbot to find boy names that sounded good with their last name, Winkler, and then asked it to provide a fitting middle name once they chose Hudson.
#42
When You Look At How The ICE "$50k Signing Bonus" Works, It's A Beautiful Method Of Keeping People From Quitting Their Reprehensible Jobs
#43
Hey, At Least We Have A Democracy!
Zig Zag Wanderer 3 weeks ago
Actually true in most countries. Changing the law is a complicated and slow process.
#44
You Can't Even Watch The News These Days Without Your Attention Being Monetized
#45
Literally Everything Comes Back To Money In The US
#46
I Spent More On Groceries Than It Costs To Buy A 50" TV
Zig Zag Wanderer 3 weeks ago
Yup electronic equipment has got extremely cheap these days. A much smaller TV used to cost us a week's wages. That WAS the point you were trying to make, wasn't it?
#47
This Is Really Depressing For Some Reason
Zig Zag Wanderer 3 weeks ago
Why is it depressing? Many people take menial jobs while young, we all did, there's absolutely no shame in it.
#48
Apprarently You Can Gamble On If The 22nd Amendment Will Be Broken
#49
Offering Massive Incentives To Join The Gestapo Is Also Predatory As Hell, And It's Disturbing To See It Advertised Everywhere
#50
Charlie Kirk Foundation Sends Threatening Letters …….over A Post
#51
NH State Rep Posts "For When We Have Segregated Schools," In Leaked Chat. She Claims She Meant From Dei Policies, And Is Now Fundraising Off Of It
NJPaterson 3 weeks ago
Schools for them and us sure doesn't sound like related to DEI policies.
#52
No Shade To The Nonprofit Providing These Headsets, But It's Messed Up To Me That Our Incarceration Problem Is So Bad That We Have To Use VR Headsets Just So People Can Get A Feel For The Outside World
Zig Zag Wanderer 3 weeks ago
I think these are being used to give inmates an idea of how the outside world works before being released. These days that appears sensible. I think OP is trying too hard.
#53
USA Auctioning Humanitarian Daily Rations In Hawaii
Zig Zag Wanderer 3 weeks ago
Apparently expired so cannot be used. If only there was a way to search for information like this...
#54
The Del Taco Micro Meal
#55
This Guy Literally Turned His Wedding Into A Startup Ad Campaign And 26 AI Startups Actually Sponsored It. Genius Marketing Or Just Cringe?
#56
Policing The View From A Hill
Zig Zag Wanderer 3 weeks ago (edited)
Primrose hill is probably the only decent hill in London with a view overlooking the whole city. This has probably become a dangerous place on NYE because of overcrowding. Great place to snowboard in winter when I lived there. No idea what this has to do with America.
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Eastendbird 3 weeks ago
I had to stop reading half way through, just too depressing. We have so many lovely American pandas on here. I feel for them, sending you all a virtual hug.
CaliPanda 3 weeks ago
Thank you. The bullies are out today, and I appreciate the support.
Load More Replies... Lady Eowyn 3 weeks ago
I couldn't get thru the whole thing. This isn't the country I grew up in. I try to maintain hope for the future but it's getting harder and harder.
Eastendbird 2 weeks ago
Lady Eowyn you are one of the lovely American pandas! Stay strong, so many of you are fighting back. I still believe there's hope for the future.
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Julie S 3 weeks ago
I'm sure Americans come to BP to forget all the c**p going on in their country not to be reminded of it constantly.
Emilu 3 weeks ago
I'm sorry, US pandas. Not only do you have to deal with this insanity, you have to deal with people blaming every US citizen for it. Hate the creatures that enabled things like unaffordable healthcare, relaxed enough gun laws to justify the need for gun-proof backpacks and ridiculous college loan costs to become legal, not the everyday poor bastard that needs to live in amongst that cesspool.
Quila 3 weeks ago
For years we've had fun laughing at stupid or arrogant US people and society here in Europe. But not anymore. The last few years, it's just not funny anymore. Just a few hours ago, I saw a video of a 12yo girl proudly explaining how the earth is flat, how god created a firmament with sun, moon and stars, and how 'Nasa' is a Hebrew word for 'deception'. Her mother was cheering her on for not being fooled and trusting the bible. It's both infuriating and sickening, I feel so sad for your country.
Jenny Crocker (Freedame) 3 weeks ago
And you wonder why tourists àre not coming! I've visited from Australia twice but when I got the demand for 5 years of social media I said never again. Innocent tourists are being detained and interrogated jat the border ust for being anti trump.
michael Chock 3 weeks ago
Just read about the ice raids if you want nightmare. Worst than terrorists, because you can defend yourself against terrorists. Ice shoots you and they get applause from the president.
Michael Danhauer 3 weeks ago
For any of you holding out for a better future in America give up now. I studied history, sociology and political science in college and I can assure you it's already over for us here in the States. A corrupt government and narrow economy along with fascism and xenophobia equals the collapse of our society and nation.
Rick Murray 3 weeks ago (edited)
Another America su*ks article so soon after the last one? Come now, support equality and pick on someplace else for a while.
Kerry Borthwick 3 weeks ago
Sad there are good Americans being in same country as the orange clown who has no basic knowledge in history
Henrik Knudsen 3 weeks ago
I used to dream of one day living in the great and mighty US of A. But like most places it's gone from bad to worse.
Grm Moore 3 weeks ago
Americans think their country is great. They vote the politicians in and the policies. The rest of us look on in amazement.
Eastendbird 3 weeks ago
I had to stop reading half way through, just too depressing. We have so many lovely American pandas on here. I feel for them, sending you all a virtual hug.
CaliPanda 3 weeks ago
Thank you. The bullies are out today, and I appreciate the support.
Load More Replies... Lady Eowyn 3 weeks ago
I couldn't get thru the whole thing. This isn't the country I grew up in. I try to maintain hope for the future but it's getting harder and harder.
Eastendbird 2 weeks ago
Lady Eowyn you are one of the lovely American pandas! Stay strong, so many of you are fighting back. I still believe there's hope for the future.
Load More Replies... Julie S 3 weeks ago
I'm sure Americans come to BP to forget all the c**p going on in their country not to be reminded of it constantly.
Emilu 3 weeks ago
I'm sorry, US pandas. Not only do you have to deal with this insanity, you have to deal with people blaming every US citizen for it. Hate the creatures that enabled things like unaffordable healthcare, relaxed enough gun laws to justify the need for gun-proof backpacks and ridiculous college loan costs to become legal, not the everyday poor bastard that needs to live in amongst that cesspool.
Quila 3 weeks ago
For years we've had fun laughing at stupid or arrogant US people and society here in Europe. But not anymore. The last few years, it's just not funny anymore. Just a few hours ago, I saw a video of a 12yo girl proudly explaining how the earth is flat, how god created a firmament with sun, moon and stars, and how 'Nasa' is a Hebrew word for 'deception'. Her mother was cheering her on for not being fooled and trusting the bible. It's both infuriating and sickening, I feel so sad for your country.
Jenny Crocker (Freedame) 3 weeks ago
And you wonder why tourists àre not coming! I've visited from Australia twice but when I got the demand for 5 years of social media I said never again. Innocent tourists are being detained and interrogated jat the border ust for being anti trump.
michael Chock 3 weeks ago
Just read about the ice raids if you want nightmare. Worst than terrorists, because you can defend yourself against terrorists. Ice shoots you and they get applause from the president.
Michael Danhauer 3 weeks ago
For any of you holding out for a better future in America give up now. I studied history, sociology and political science in college and I can assure you it's already over for us here in the States. A corrupt government and narrow economy along with fascism and xenophobia equals the collapse of our society and nation.
Rick Murray 3 weeks ago (edited)
Another America su*ks article so soon after the last one? Come now, support equality and pick on someplace else for a while.
Kerry Borthwick 3 weeks ago
Sad there are good Americans being in same country as the orange clown who has no basic knowledge in history
Henrik Knudsen 3 weeks ago
I used to dream of one day living in the great and mighty US of A. But like most places it's gone from bad to worse.
Grm Moore 3 weeks ago
Americans think their country is great. They vote the politicians in and the policies. The rest of us look on in amazement.
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