30 Non-Americans Share What They Genuinely Think About What’s Happening In America Right Now
Let's be honest, things in America have been pretty messed up lately. Political turmoil, social rights protests, and an embarrassingly bad response to the pandemic by both authorities and the public are just a few reasons why the situation in the country hasn't been bearable.
However, is it really that bad? Maybe Americans are just blowing it out of proportion and being too hard on themselves? To find out, redditor IceCreamTacosPizza posted a question on the platform asking, "Non-Americans of Reddit, what is your genuine reaction to what's going on in America right now?"
The post went viral immediately, and already has over 58,000 upvotes and 29,000 comments, painting a pretty good picture of what foreigners think about the US.
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Have you tried turning your country off and then on again?
And these answers seem to be an accurate reflection of the general opinion. For example, a recent poll of 11,000 Europeans has found that the majority have an increasingly negative view of the United States as a result of the coronavirus crisis, with just 2% of Europeans surveyed describing the U.S. as a "helpful" ally in the fight against COVID-19.
The poll, commissioned by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), ran across nine European countries and showed that in almost every country surveyed, there was an increasingly negative perception of the U.S.
Matthew Goodwin, an academic, bestseller writer, and speaker, known for his work on political volatility, risk, populism, British politics, Europe, elections, and Brexit, suggests that one of the biggest challenges the US currently faces is the sheer scale of polarisation. "Voters have broken off into value-based blocks and are unwilling to listen to the other side. This 'affective polarisation' is damaging for American politics and society and has increased during the Trump era," the author of National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy told Bored Panda.
"The US has struggled to find a meaningful response to this issue of polarisation, not only but partly because the moderate center and a pluralistic media has given way to a more febrile and toxic climate," Goodwin added.
Being an Italian and knowing roman history, I can say that in my opinion America is showing the classic symptoms of an empire in decline
Ferdinando Giugliano, a Milan-based columnist for Bloomberg Opinion expressed a similar view. "The past decade saw the 'European model' take a battering, as the U.S. recovered faster and stronger from the financial crisis. And 2020 could well be the year in which we reassess the relative merits of the European Union. The pandemic hit both sides of the Atlantic equally hard, and yet Europe managed to contain the damage from the virus better. The social fabric held tighter, too: The riots that are pitting one part of U.S. society against another appear from a world apart. Political leadership is certainly part of it: Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, and Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, are taking radical steps to build bridges across the EU, just as Donald Trump is actively dividing his own country," he Giugliano said.
Yes, the US remains the most powerful country in the world, and yes, it still has a tremendous capacity to teach others but maybe it's time the country focuses on learning.
The US always appeared like an older, stronger brother - now it feels like this brother started using meth.
From Canada: Angry. Sad. Disappointed.
We used to think pretty highly of you, but now we just feel sorry for you. You are so divided we're not sure how you can ever come together as a country again.
Your guns are out of control. Your racism is dividing you. Your politics are a disaster. Your healthcare system is a joke. Your pandemic is out of control and you will soon be in the depths of a depression, with more than 30m people without jobs. How do you feel so far?
Trump isn't the cause of your problems, but he is the worst person and the worst solution you could ever hope for in that office, and is only making things worse. He is destroying you, and half of you actually support him. Don't you know that he only cares about himself.
Wake up America!! Get rid of Trump. Get rid of all your guns. Give healthcare to everyone. Make black lives mean as much as white lives. Black Lives Matter Too.
We own a vacation home in California, so we have a personal connection to the US. But I honestly don't know when we'll ever see it again or even be able to cross the border.
Being in the U.K. right now kind of feels like being a little boat that has broken down and everyone's too busy being mad at the captain to fix anything. But then you look to the left and there's a big cruise ship burning as it sinks with people fighting on every deck, and the captain's throwing gasoline on everything, and you feel a little bit better about the s***** boat you're in.
I used to really admire America. The last few years have changed that perception drastically. The blatantly corrupt politics seem to have the whole country in such a tight grip that from the outside it looks like a 3rd world country. Your president is lying constantly and obviously yet he has outspoken followers in the millions who just disregard his lies.
There seems to be no safety net for the average person at all and you seem to rely on luck to get through your life. "I hope I dont lose my job, if i do I am f*****," "If I get sick i am f*****", "Never mind the ambulance, I'll call an Uber, I'd rather die than pick up the hospital bill," "Oh s*** I had a kid, better start saving tens of thousands for college."
Your police force is ridiculous. People with not even a high school diploma can become cops? Are you serious? Shooting people left and right.
Gun laws are out of control obviously.
Religion also. It plays such a huge role in your society to the point that it actually affects elections. In "the greatest country on earth" in 2020. It is insane.
I knew there were lots of idiots, but the sheer quantity is mind blowing. And how so many Americans just can't handle a view that's different to their own or at least allow others to have a different view, is crazy.
I live in Germany. When I was younger, I always wanted to live in America. I thought it was great. Now, not even for a million dollars, I would never move there
Yes. It was my dream to go and study in America. I cant believe this was the America that i was dreaming to go to one day. I really really hope you get a better leader who actually cares for your country. I dont know much about the democratic/republican thing and do not have a right to comment about it, but really...just a good leader.
You’re a country blessed with diverse land, money and democracy. But you have become your own worst enemy—healthy patriotism has turned into extreme nationalism and xenophobia, freedom has turned into anarchy. Also guns, like howww are they still a thing? Sad.
I have relatives who have actually given guns to their children. And taught them how to use them. Not that unusual to give a hunting rifle to teens and pre-teens in states like Texas. My niece claims her 10 year old daughter has a semi-automatic rifle "just like" the one that teenager used in Wisconsin. Knowing her, she's probably serious. I won't have a gun in my house. If someone breaks in, I'll just have to beam them with my Maglight.
I keep wondering why the “richest” country in the world still doesn’t have national free health services.
Mind boggling, yet the twats who run our country (UK) seem to want the same
The first time I met a US libertarian, I was in the pub. He was a supposedly intelligent person arguing that "any form of taxation is robbery." What a f****** idiot, I thought. Little did I realize how mainstream "libertarianism" is.
The Second Amendment is there to protect your precious democracy from tyrants. Ironic who the gun owners support the most.
Allowing the police to buy military surplus; what did you expect to happen?
Socialism is evil; but what about your fire service, police, army? Why do those things get special treatment? Why isn't your healthcare on that list?
What saddens me the most is how the basics, such as universal healthcare and social support are so reviled by so many. Worst is that those who are the most vocal are probably not far from those who would benefit the most.
Despite all the taxes, there is never enough money spent to help those with the most need. That is why we have people without healthcare, many people living paycheck-to-paycheck (if they can even pay for basic needs), many homeless people, people with disabilities, substance abuse and mental health issues for which they are getting little or no help, elderly people and young children living in extreme poverty, etc. etc. Non-profit organisations rely on donations, and unfortunately many of them are corrupt. The people at the top make obscene salaries and have great benefits, while they heavily rely on unpaid volunteers to run it. Sometimes donations rarely actually go to help their needy clients. Don't even get me started on politicians. They didn't lose their jobs and income.
The writers of this season seem lazy..they're just rehashing the previous BLM script, and throwing in the pandemic to mix it up and have really written themselves into a corner. I cant figure out who the protagonist is, because none of the characters are likeable. At least they've moved off of the school shooting theme this year. Trump is a poorly written villain, and they rely on his catch phrases too often. I think this will be the last season I watch.
The spin off season "The UK" showed promise, but they're just copying the same tropes without any action. At least I know the Scots are the good guys in that one.
I can't believe how Americans can politicise EVERYTHING?! Wearing masks, postal service and before these newer topics universal healthcare, free (or at least vastly cheaper) uni, higher taxation etc. are a reality in most developed countries, but in America it seems like you can just scream socialism and people are against everything. From my German point of view the two party system and electoral votes is seriously f**ked up and even the moderate democrats are pretty right-wing. Also, the recent handling of protesters and even the media, combined with Trump seemingly preparing the notion that the election will be rigged and he might not accept it, really feels like a third world country going back to a fascist regime. Although I don't think that this will really happen, its just scary that it feels like a possibility.
not all Americans politicize everything; the president does, however, and his cult following obeys him religiously; but whether it's the left or the right ends of the political spectrum, many don't know their opinion on new issues until they find out where their tribe stands
With the economic divide larger than ever, I don't believe the majority of Americans, who struggle to live decently, pay for healthcare and their kids education, still buy the freaking "american dream" BS.
The US has become one of these countries where if you start poor or in the wrong neighborhood or even because if your ethnicity, you'll need to fight ten times harder than people like "rich white men". I know there are example of successful people coming out of poverty on their own, and good for them, because they are the exception (not without merit!)
I come from a country where I could become a engineer spending only a few thousand euros for school, I get a lot of medical stuff covered if I need it, etc. Why wouldn't everyone want that for everyone ?? Now that I'm making a living and paying taxes, I'm genuinely happy to pay taxes that will go fund this and other essential services.
TL;DR: I don't understand why the people don't all want affordable healthcare and education for everyone. This benefits the entire country and its economy in the long run.
We are taught that anything which benefits the entire country (as a goal) is communism, which leads to immediate failure. Instead, we want benefits that go to ME ME ME, and those laws will directly benefit everyone who is already doing just fine. Also, those laws which benefit the wealthy will also benefit the poor because of something called the 'trickle down effect'. Let me explain how this works: [Space reserved for when Jeff Bezos is the reason that everyone is happy.]
It's like watching Britney Spears go through that "shaved-head phase"
Brit who adored the US here. Spent 18 months living in Houston around 1998-2000. Travelled extensively and love the country and most of its people.
The US is in the darkest period I’ve known, and it is crumbling from the inside out. It’s not a recent thing, probably had its roots post WW2. The US realised it had the power and technology to rule the world to its own benefit and it went for it. The golden years of the 50, 60s and 70s have been followed by thinly disguised corporate and personal greed. All of this on top of a 2 tier difficult to crack race ceiling that in some states is allowed to persist unchecked.
The US is now in a pretty open rolling low level civil war, fuelled by a an idiot that the GOP is allowing to rule because they just want to cling to the status quo of the military industrial complex. Trump is an Emperor, with his princess and princes. Everyone with any insight or brains can see it, but there are a lot of supremely uninformed Americans in the Rust belt, the south and parts of the north who have been fed the line from Fox and Facebook that he is their saviour.
Most of the West is happy to let America sink, tired of Trump and the US’s decades of foreign policy meddling.
For Russia it’s an old game for them, easy and cheap social media manipulation which is not discouraged by the GOP.
For China they are cleaning up. It’ll be a fairly bloodless benign coup. They are the Super Power in waiting.
It saddens me greatly.
I'm a Canadian, living in Mexico since 2014. I seriously can't wrap my head around it from either vantage point. It's like watching a slow-motion car wreck - it's horrifying and you know nothing good is going to come of it but it's fascinating at the same time.
A slow-motion car wreck and all the drivers keep pushing the pedal to the metal in stead of trying to brake or even swerve.
As a Millennial from Toronto, I grew up thinking America was awesome. I thought it would be cool to live in New York when I was older. The past 5 years have been such a s*** show, I am so thankful to be from Canada. I dont think its Trump that is the main problem (although hes a huge one.) Its his legion of supporters that feel the same way he does. They will not go away once he leaves office. The problem is more permanent than some realize. Its been sad to see the US deteriorate.
I don't wanna talk about Trump, but wow, the anti maskers piss me off. Like, dude, wear a f**king mask. How hard can it be?
Honestly it's borderline beyond comprehension. It constantly feels a little more like a poorly written soap opera than real life.
From mexico, i would say to all the ignorant people (and karens) with all love you are not a clown, you´re the entire circus
For me I feel like nothing can surprise me now, I'm just like of course that's happening now. I feel sorry for the sane people over there.
You're so busy flinging s**t at each other you can't see the mess you've made
There isn't a single thing that they can agree on, even basic human rights for people is a topic of discussion. There's way too many idiots for a country that is so far developed
Well, for one thing, there are so many people who feel entitled, and are screaming about their "rights." Too many self centered and spoiled people. Too much materialism, and worship of entertainers and sports figures. Too many things are bought on credit, and they end up heavily in debt, sometimes having to file for bankruptcy. A student loan can take 2 decades to pay off. A car 5 years. A house 30-40 years.
I live in the ***hole of the world Bosnia, Balkan. And it seems to me America just hit puberty.
Husband is Bosnian and we are actually considering moving there for 6 months and then Chile for another. We are scared.
Sadness. As a Norwegian I've never felt like the US is somewhere I would particularly like to live and work, but I've loved visiting and I have some really good friends over there. It looked like things were getting a bit better under Obama, but really the cracks were starting to show with the yearly government lockdowns. Now it's at the point where I would be hesitant to visit even despite the pandemic. Last time (2014) there were guards with rifles in Dallas airport and it freaked me out. I can't even imagine what it would be like now and whether I would feel safe around authority figures. As a white European highly educated female I would most likely be fine, but still. Just the fact that I feel like I have to consider this is crazy to me.
Electing Obama was us at our best. The GOP response to having a black President is us at our worst. And Trump is their backlash—-with a liberal dose of rigging an election making it happen, since they can only win by cheating.
I genuinely feel sorry for you people.
I (german) am probably as angry as most US citicens about the whole politicle clusterf*** that is unfolding right now. The uncounted people dying of various causes like racism, ignorance, politicle games and natural disasters are a terrible loss that could be prevented. But the US is only the most covered clusterf**k in the media, what China is doing to it's minorities is as mindboggeling as all the other sh**. In short, I would like to watch some cartoons and forget about this whole mess but I learned in history class one must never do that!
Which Obama started. That was under his administration.
Load More Replies...我(德国人)可能与大多数美国民众一样对目前正在发展的整个政治集群感到愤怒。 无数人死于各种原因,例如种族主义,无知,政治游戏和自然灾害,是可以避免的可怕损失。 但是美国只是媒体上报道最广的类群,中国对它的少数族裔所做的努力与其他所有形式一样令人着迷。 简而言之,我想看一些动画片而忘了整个混乱,但是我从历史课中学到,绝对不能那样做! (translation to chinese)
Actually they do. And they also report on all the other issues in the world like the protests against Aleksandr Loekasjenko in Belarus and how Iran is planning revenge for the killing of Suleimani which was ordered by Trump.... So on top of BLM protests, riots and a pandemic, you'll soon could face some terrorist attacks.
Load More Replies...It is a silly place, let's not go there.
Laughing out of glee and pity. A lot of The Americans used to call the South East Asia backwards, not civilised for preferring to eat with our hands, the overall smugness on our admittedly slow progression with technology. They have mocked our traditions and cultural belief saying it was out of date. They have been patronising with us Aseans with trying to "civilised" us. Looking down on that fact that we are a third world country. Pretending to give our countries a platform to voice out our opinions and concern, while actually dismissing our voice on world matters as irrelevant and uneducated. Calling someone cultural appropriating on our behalf, when we are actually fine with it and encourage them to join in with our culture. Bringing your frankly out of date ideas on cultural appropriation and planting the idea of segregation on our younger generations. You lot bring more trouble than relief to the table.
Now... It seems like the Americans are not as civilised as they seem to potrayed. Your country are f**ked up beyond belief and pitiful. Your political states is the same as any third world country. Your health care is bad. Worse than any self respecting third world country. Your country racial tensions and segregation is bad. Your food while it tastes good, does help in bringing your obesity level up and your health down. The only good thing is your iPhone are upgrading.
Maybe they should have learned something from us instead of trying to bring us up to their standards. Maybe next time, the USA should stop being patronising and stop believing they are superior to anyone else. Maybe next time you can stop the behavior of 'me first' and start being kind. Maybe next time, be nice to people.
What's interesting is that the term "third world" comes from the Cold War era, when you were either on America's side, on the Soviet side, or otherwise too poor/underdeveloped/insignificant to participate. This boils down to saying - ironically - that you were uncivilized if you weren't at war. .....and yet some people still don't believe we are all primates?
From Canada: your country is having a serious detrimental effect on ours right now, because morons are importing your politics (left and right). It's not your fault that we're so easily influenced but it's still frustrating.
Also, your country is going to burn after this election, regardless of the result. I honestly hope you avoid a civil war. I've family down there, and typically whatever happens to you heavily effects us. You guys are so polarized right now it's insane. You've gone from slowly solving race problems to making them a billion times worse (and it's spilling over here), anyone that doesn't agree with you is either a Commie or a Nazi (depending on which side of the aisle you're on)
It's f**king insane. My admiration for America has seriously dwindled. I hope you come out of it. I want to admire Canada's big brother again, not be scared of it.
And no I don't blame trump. He's a symptom, not the cause.
honestly, I'd kind of support a "civil war" at this point, as long as there's no too-horrible violence. Like oh, idk, nuclear f*****g bombs to "get us in check". If I were old enough, I'd be willing to fight for a change, even if it meant splitting the country in 2.
UK citizen. Waiting anxiously for our leaders to spot what is happening and say hold my beer.
Canadian here.
Like others have said, it’s really all beyond comprehension. To see a once great nation plunged into chaos and insanity, being ripped apart by a disease that is going unopposed, and is even supported by the country’s own President, and many citizens.
My country is going well all things considered, but I’m a bit scared that it’s going to make its way to us. We’re protected by a thin border and border patrol really. The American tidal wave could be disastrous to us if we let them through. We need to keep the borders closed for non-commercial travel.
I’m also a wee bit scared that they’ll export their stupid politicians and political radicalism to us, but that’s besides the point. Here in Canada, you see populist conservative Doug Ford working together with social democratic PM Trudeau to solve the virus issue in a unified effort. In general our politics is much more civil and calm. Meanwhile in America it’s protest and riot central, and the Federal government can’t even unify itself, Nevermind the nation, to deliver an effect response.
I really hope that long-term we won’t find ourselves emulating them in this area.
It looks like a collapse and I think I'm grieving, it's like seeing a great teacher you used to adore slowly become an ***hole
10 years ago people all over the world said "Only in America" with admiration and respect. Now they say "Only in America" with pity and disbelief.
You’re so polarised. If you’re a republican, democrats are evil Marxist trying to destroy America, and if you’re a democrat, republicans are evil fascists trying to destroy America. There’s an almost wartime mentality there of the enemy is evil and our leader can do no wrong(especially in republicans) that’s quite scary actually.
I used to be a fan of the USA.
At present for me it's like watching your idol selfdestructing live on camera. Really sad to see this.
Confusion. It’s so bizarre, how is it possible? Followed by empathy. A tonne of empathy.
Empathy means you understand because, by and large, you've experienced it. It is sympathy, a tonne of sympathy.
It honestly just looks like a reality show. It's really how you'd expect a country like america to be.
I disagree. I've seen how the US was in better times and how it was represented by better men who knew how to act like a gentleman. Bozo came and dragged the US down into his sewers of psychopathy. narcissism, xenophobia, sexism and racism. And that's how he represented the US to his allies while backstabbing them and behaving like a nasty bully. He made the US look like a senile redneck who can't hold his liquor and what's worse, he convinced a lot of his followers that this is totally acceptable.
Living in another s**thole country (Republic of Moldova, Eastern Europe) I can confirm that what happens in USA right now is what we are experiencing here for more than 30 years. Even before that, even before USSR, we were quite a polarized country (I can't even call us a nation).
"America amirite" replaced talking about the weather. Everyone is dumbfounded by what's going on.
On the other hand it's sad that we know more about US politics than local politics. People protest for BLM in Berlin, and nobody talks about other things going on elsewhere.
New Zealander: comments like these only stick to the Americans who least need to hear them. Ana freaking Kasparian expressed embarrassment while reporting on 45’s comments about New Zealand, even though she and her colleagues are fighting the good fight, while our gross 45-loving US ambassador got huffy about the fact that we didn’t immediately give him the benefit of the doubt when he asked for special treatment. You might see me tearing into the s****y Americans, but that’s because I know that a shitton of Americans don’t deserve to be dealing with that.
Agreed! A lot of these comments seem to be insinuating that the average American is personally responsible for all the issues over here, but we're not. Most of us aren't billionaires or politicians, and where I live, I see a lot of people doing their best to make a difference
Load More Replies...While most of this sadly true, I have to say that a lot of these posts seem to think that the average American is responsible for all the issues in our country, which is fairly far from true. Most of us ate how are country currently is, and we're trying our darndest to fix it. But in the end, we can't do much, seeing as most of us aren't rich or politicians. Most of us are just passengers on a bus veering off the side of the road.
Most, but by a small margin. Almost half of your population likes Trump. If all of you would just go to vote, he won’t win again, but it’s looking bad. The average American is against medicare for all, cheaper education, welfare, worker rights (unions), etc. and pro-gun. You can do plenty, but really most of you are exactly how you are described in these posts.
Load More Replies...As a non-American, I didn't understand the option of the two candidates re your 2016 presidential election. Sorry, really no disrespect, but objectively were they the best candidates that could be chosen? There are millions of people in the USA, couldn't better candidates have been chosen?
Yes, but to run for president you have to have a lot of money, and be known in some way to even be considered as a possible candidate. It would be way to expensive for the average American to run.
Load More Replies...Americans: Where a moron can claim they are "pro-life", support ant-abortion...but refuse to wear a mask. Where people who've never traveled outside the country, much less out of their home state...will plaster their vehicle with patriotic stickers and declare "America is the greatest nation on earth."
I usually take exception to these anti American posts. Sadly this one has some merit. Socialism is a trigger word used by politicians in America where most Americans don't really understand it. For most of us it's interchangeable with totalitarian dictatorship. Ironically a lot of the outcry comes from from people on social security and Medicare. That's somehow different. I still have hopes that we can turn things around but it will probably be a slow process. Churchill once said; " You can always count on America to do the right thing. After they've tried everything else. "
This isn't an anti-American post. Part of the problem is that many of us (Americans) have forgotten how to have a meaningful discourse. People can have a personal opinion, and voice their concerns without being either 'for' or 'against' America.
Load More Replies...Well 230+years before a real civil war is a good run in the grand scheme of history. Will we be able to rebuild after is the question. When we do collapse Europe had better be prepared for a wild ride economically.
WTH do you call that little problem between 1861-65? A minor spat?! That *was* a real civil war. And we never truly and fully rebuilt, which is part of the problem.
Load More Replies...Most African, European and Asian cultures are well over 1000 year old and we are just approaching 250. We are the irritating adolescents of the world.
Some of these are kinda dumb as hell since usa has been awful for decades and the world leader in hypocrisy for just as long too. Usa is literally not number one or in top ten for a single, f*****g, thing... not one damn thing that is positive but oh if its negative or downright awful... USA is there. USA leads the way and plants the flag
As an American I cringe when I read people think things looked fine pre Trump. While obviously he is pushing things to ridiculous limits, a lot of the US's problems including social and racism have been there all along and eventually the seams were going to burst thanks to social media and a pandemic. I'm only hoping once Trump is out of office, people don't fall back asleep on what has been going on.
I have no doubt there are good people in the US, but the combination of Trump supporters and undecided voters accounts for nearly half the population.... that's 50% of the third most populous nation on Earth who are not convinced their nation is not a complete train wreck, and who could presumably be convinced to vote for Trump.... AGAIN. I know there are good, sane people in the United States. My concern is that they're the minority.
A civil war is a possibility. Nothing would surprise me. If I had seen the future just a few months ago, I would have declared it fake news.
The most troublesome part about that remark is that the president continues to suggest things which are blatantly against US law, yet his supporters continue to chant his name like they are possessed.
Load More Replies...I believe that a major issue is with education. If I compare the European level of Education and compare it with the average American, i am flabbergasted. One can only vote for the right candidate if you understand what s/he wants to do, what it will cost and what the benefits are. People who voted for a wall with Mexico, paid by a reduction in healthcare were IMHO not seeing their priorities right. Education might have helped here...
I do not have an actual right to comment about America or any other country really, as I am probably a lot more inexperienced and younger than you with a lot less information.... but all I want to say is, what is with the people (not all of them, but some I have seen) caring about only themselves? I am sorry, but people are selfish, but to that level of doing whatever they want because they have 'human rights'?? To not having proper healthcare? Proper student loans? To not having proper safety laws? Is it always about one's own profit ? And my thoughts are about elections are quite as same as @Steve Barnett's. There definitely are better people who could be leaders, who can care for their people more than themselves. I honestly never thought that America would be like this when I was younger. There is a lot more going on than America in this world, yet America takes the lead. Every. Single. Time. I am sorry to everyone who disagrees about this, but this is the honest-to-God truth.
I am reading Bob Woodward's book Rage. I guess I should have read Fear first. Rage is so right for this Administration. Administration - is this the correct word for this president?
Ok, BP, you just encouraged everyone to throw stones at one scapegoat, numerous times you would tell us cyberbulling is wrong, but today you made it look ok and justified. Everybody hating on that one country.. To me (I’m from Russia) it sounds familiar. Stop hating and focuse on fixing your own problems. USA, you will rise!
The important question is: How do China and Russia get along with each other?
We used to look up to you guys. I say this with love: Please, make America great again.
America has among the best hospitals on Earth... but most Americans could never afford that quality of care. America has among the best universities on Earth.... but most Americans could never afford to go to them. America is one of the most technologically advanced societies on Earth.... and yet they rank all the way down in 46th place in terms of life expectancy... below Cuba. America has most of the richest people on the planet.... but their quality of life ranks consistently behind so-called "socialist" nations that provide better services and a more balanced society. America isn't going to be destroyed by covid.... or even by Trump.... America's downfall is because of American exceptionalism, and the belief that the way they do things is better than everybody else, even when the facts say different.
How come the US ranks low in so much though? Ranked 37th in healthcare. Not top in education index, though that is better than healthcare. 10th on a list of technologically advanced countries. Part of the problem is the US's own belief that they are the best.
Load More Replies...It's a long listen, but I think Dan Carlin has well made arguments that are worth your time: https://www.dancarlin.com/product/common-sense-319-a-recipe-for-caesar/ I would do a summary, but it wouldn't do it justice
What's hapenning in the USA ? I don't watch their news, how could I know ?
honestly in the case of a civil war i would be surprised to see the U.S. military try and stop us
Sometimes I have to remind myself that America is, you know, actually real. Not some kind of theme park or satire state of giant practical joke that went out of control.
As a Russian born in the past century, I've heard many things said about the US - it's the land of the freedom, democracy, respect for people's rights, civilization, science, big money, and opportunity. Everything that we are not. Now I see that our countries and people are not that different after all... for better or for worse 😔
From one f***** up country to another: this is not a hold my beer contest to see which country can do crazier things. There is so much crazyness happening all over the world right now and most of it we never hear about. Good luck out there fellow pandas.
Agreed. We're all effed up somehow. It's a global trend, as it was in the 1920s-30s.... Like every hundred years, the human race goes bonkers. Just this time, there's 8 billion of us, and it's on the news 24/7 for those who actually look past their own nation's issues/borders.
Load More Replies...Listen BP, I know america is a s**t show right now, but I really don't think these america-bashing posts are helping. It's roping all Americans into this gun-slinging, slur-shouting, anti-masking category. Not all Americans are like that. Nearly all of the ones I know are embarrassed and ashamed in the state the US is in right now. Enough of these please. The last thing the world needs is more division right now.
America: everyone bitches about us. America: everyone still wants to come here. .......yawn......
Lol you couldn't pay most ppl enough to go there, not now. Wake Up!
Load More Replies...From Switzerland here, I think recent evolutions have showed that nothing should ever be taken for granted. In one presidency they went from what seemed to be like a progressive country to (sorry for the blunt description) 3th world style abuse of power and corruption and a country so divided that it looks like a new civil war is closer than equal treatment. You became the laughingstock of Russia and China loosing the grip on trade in the world and now you're stuck with a whole bunch of incompetent people who got appointed to jobs by a administration who only wants to cover their own arses. Good luck!
New Zealander: comments like these only stick to the Americans who least need to hear them. Ana freaking Kasparian expressed embarrassment while reporting on 45’s comments about New Zealand, even though she and her colleagues are fighting the good fight, while our gross 45-loving US ambassador got huffy about the fact that we didn’t immediately give him the benefit of the doubt when he asked for special treatment. You might see me tearing into the s****y Americans, but that’s because I know that a shitton of Americans don’t deserve to be dealing with that.
Agreed! A lot of these comments seem to be insinuating that the average American is personally responsible for all the issues over here, but we're not. Most of us aren't billionaires or politicians, and where I live, I see a lot of people doing their best to make a difference
Load More Replies...While most of this sadly true, I have to say that a lot of these posts seem to think that the average American is responsible for all the issues in our country, which is fairly far from true. Most of us ate how are country currently is, and we're trying our darndest to fix it. But in the end, we can't do much, seeing as most of us aren't rich or politicians. Most of us are just passengers on a bus veering off the side of the road.
Most, but by a small margin. Almost half of your population likes Trump. If all of you would just go to vote, he won’t win again, but it’s looking bad. The average American is against medicare for all, cheaper education, welfare, worker rights (unions), etc. and pro-gun. You can do plenty, but really most of you are exactly how you are described in these posts.
Load More Replies...As a non-American, I didn't understand the option of the two candidates re your 2016 presidential election. Sorry, really no disrespect, but objectively were they the best candidates that could be chosen? There are millions of people in the USA, couldn't better candidates have been chosen?
Yes, but to run for president you have to have a lot of money, and be known in some way to even be considered as a possible candidate. It would be way to expensive for the average American to run.
Load More Replies...Americans: Where a moron can claim they are "pro-life", support ant-abortion...but refuse to wear a mask. Where people who've never traveled outside the country, much less out of their home state...will plaster their vehicle with patriotic stickers and declare "America is the greatest nation on earth."
I usually take exception to these anti American posts. Sadly this one has some merit. Socialism is a trigger word used by politicians in America where most Americans don't really understand it. For most of us it's interchangeable with totalitarian dictatorship. Ironically a lot of the outcry comes from from people on social security and Medicare. That's somehow different. I still have hopes that we can turn things around but it will probably be a slow process. Churchill once said; " You can always count on America to do the right thing. After they've tried everything else. "
This isn't an anti-American post. Part of the problem is that many of us (Americans) have forgotten how to have a meaningful discourse. People can have a personal opinion, and voice their concerns without being either 'for' or 'against' America.
Load More Replies...Well 230+years before a real civil war is a good run in the grand scheme of history. Will we be able to rebuild after is the question. When we do collapse Europe had better be prepared for a wild ride economically.
WTH do you call that little problem between 1861-65? A minor spat?! That *was* a real civil war. And we never truly and fully rebuilt, which is part of the problem.
Load More Replies...Most African, European and Asian cultures are well over 1000 year old and we are just approaching 250. We are the irritating adolescents of the world.
Some of these are kinda dumb as hell since usa has been awful for decades and the world leader in hypocrisy for just as long too. Usa is literally not number one or in top ten for a single, f*****g, thing... not one damn thing that is positive but oh if its negative or downright awful... USA is there. USA leads the way and plants the flag
As an American I cringe when I read people think things looked fine pre Trump. While obviously he is pushing things to ridiculous limits, a lot of the US's problems including social and racism have been there all along and eventually the seams were going to burst thanks to social media and a pandemic. I'm only hoping once Trump is out of office, people don't fall back asleep on what has been going on.
I have no doubt there are good people in the US, but the combination of Trump supporters and undecided voters accounts for nearly half the population.... that's 50% of the third most populous nation on Earth who are not convinced their nation is not a complete train wreck, and who could presumably be convinced to vote for Trump.... AGAIN. I know there are good, sane people in the United States. My concern is that they're the minority.
A civil war is a possibility. Nothing would surprise me. If I had seen the future just a few months ago, I would have declared it fake news.
The most troublesome part about that remark is that the president continues to suggest things which are blatantly against US law, yet his supporters continue to chant his name like they are possessed.
Load More Replies...I believe that a major issue is with education. If I compare the European level of Education and compare it with the average American, i am flabbergasted. One can only vote for the right candidate if you understand what s/he wants to do, what it will cost and what the benefits are. People who voted for a wall with Mexico, paid by a reduction in healthcare were IMHO not seeing their priorities right. Education might have helped here...
I do not have an actual right to comment about America or any other country really, as I am probably a lot more inexperienced and younger than you with a lot less information.... but all I want to say is, what is with the people (not all of them, but some I have seen) caring about only themselves? I am sorry, but people are selfish, but to that level of doing whatever they want because they have 'human rights'?? To not having proper healthcare? Proper student loans? To not having proper safety laws? Is it always about one's own profit ? And my thoughts are about elections are quite as same as @Steve Barnett's. There definitely are better people who could be leaders, who can care for their people more than themselves. I honestly never thought that America would be like this when I was younger. There is a lot more going on than America in this world, yet America takes the lead. Every. Single. Time. I am sorry to everyone who disagrees about this, but this is the honest-to-God truth.
I am reading Bob Woodward's book Rage. I guess I should have read Fear first. Rage is so right for this Administration. Administration - is this the correct word for this president?
Ok, BP, you just encouraged everyone to throw stones at one scapegoat, numerous times you would tell us cyberbulling is wrong, but today you made it look ok and justified. Everybody hating on that one country.. To me (I’m from Russia) it sounds familiar. Stop hating and focuse on fixing your own problems. USA, you will rise!
The important question is: How do China and Russia get along with each other?
We used to look up to you guys. I say this with love: Please, make America great again.
America has among the best hospitals on Earth... but most Americans could never afford that quality of care. America has among the best universities on Earth.... but most Americans could never afford to go to them. America is one of the most technologically advanced societies on Earth.... and yet they rank all the way down in 46th place in terms of life expectancy... below Cuba. America has most of the richest people on the planet.... but their quality of life ranks consistently behind so-called "socialist" nations that provide better services and a more balanced society. America isn't going to be destroyed by covid.... or even by Trump.... America's downfall is because of American exceptionalism, and the belief that the way they do things is better than everybody else, even when the facts say different.
How come the US ranks low in so much though? Ranked 37th in healthcare. Not top in education index, though that is better than healthcare. 10th on a list of technologically advanced countries. Part of the problem is the US's own belief that they are the best.
Load More Replies...It's a long listen, but I think Dan Carlin has well made arguments that are worth your time: https://www.dancarlin.com/product/common-sense-319-a-recipe-for-caesar/ I would do a summary, but it wouldn't do it justice
What's hapenning in the USA ? I don't watch their news, how could I know ?
honestly in the case of a civil war i would be surprised to see the U.S. military try and stop us
Sometimes I have to remind myself that America is, you know, actually real. Not some kind of theme park or satire state of giant practical joke that went out of control.
As a Russian born in the past century, I've heard many things said about the US - it's the land of the freedom, democracy, respect for people's rights, civilization, science, big money, and opportunity. Everything that we are not. Now I see that our countries and people are not that different after all... for better or for worse 😔
From one f***** up country to another: this is not a hold my beer contest to see which country can do crazier things. There is so much crazyness happening all over the world right now and most of it we never hear about. Good luck out there fellow pandas.
Agreed. We're all effed up somehow. It's a global trend, as it was in the 1920s-30s.... Like every hundred years, the human race goes bonkers. Just this time, there's 8 billion of us, and it's on the news 24/7 for those who actually look past their own nation's issues/borders.
Load More Replies...Listen BP, I know america is a s**t show right now, but I really don't think these america-bashing posts are helping. It's roping all Americans into this gun-slinging, slur-shouting, anti-masking category. Not all Americans are like that. Nearly all of the ones I know are embarrassed and ashamed in the state the US is in right now. Enough of these please. The last thing the world needs is more division right now.
America: everyone bitches about us. America: everyone still wants to come here. .......yawn......
Lol you couldn't pay most ppl enough to go there, not now. Wake Up!
Load More Replies...From Switzerland here, I think recent evolutions have showed that nothing should ever be taken for granted. In one presidency they went from what seemed to be like a progressive country to (sorry for the blunt description) 3th world style abuse of power and corruption and a country so divided that it looks like a new civil war is closer than equal treatment. You became the laughingstock of Russia and China loosing the grip on trade in the world and now you're stuck with a whole bunch of incompetent people who got appointed to jobs by a administration who only wants to cover their own arses. Good luck!