Politicians from both left and right of the political spectrum often call the United States the best country in the world. And its citizens tend to agree. In a YouGov poll of more than 11,000 US adults, Americans tended to support the notion by 50% to 31%.
But one New Zealander living in the UK thinks the opposite. And he has made it his mission to argue the point. The man even has a TikTok account called 'America Is The Bad Place.' There, he posts videos addressing mostly social problems within the US, like the cost of healthcare and the quality of higher education, but also challenges American pride and the international image of the nation.
Continue scrolling to check out some of the points he's made and upvote the ones you agree with. Of course, feel free to share your thoughts on these difficult multi-layered issues in the comments—even if you think this guy is wrong.
@america_is_the_bad.place #universalhealthcare #education #USA #America #americaisthebadplace #thegoodplace #thisisthebadplace ♬ original sound - America_is_the_bad_place
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Letting people die of a treatable illness because they don't have enough insurance. A country's first job is to protect its citizens, not to act like a fireman who just continues watering his grass while watching the neighbor's house burn down.
And even more apt when you realise that, in certain parts of the US, the firemen will show up to just stand around and watch your house burn to the ground if you haven't remembered to pay your $75 Fireman Subscription Fee.
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YES YES YES!!! Wanna hear MY five second rant? No? Then, universal healthcare NOW! I've worked all the difficult crummy jobs that give you no benefits. I've spent half my life with no coverage. I've survived a lifelong life threatening IBD condition. Medicaid basically saved my butt. But why doesn't everyone have coverage? ALL the coverage? Eyes and teeth are important too. Why is your employer responsible for this? They may be a small business who can't afford it, or a big corporation who sleazenbags its employees into 39.9 hours just shy of "coverage"...or you're working three part time jobs to make ends meet and still have no coverage. And no one should lose their home because they could not pay medical bills or racked up huge debt. The situation is ridiculous, and destroys lives.
I remember the first time I found out that this how it goes in the USA, I was a teenager and a documentary was on TV about Americans struggling to pay their medical bills and an old man was in his bedroom talking about how he was not able to pay for his cancer treatment anymore and had to stop (meaning he would die). I was in shock as I knew it was a reality in poor countries but would have never guess it was how things were in America. I cried so much that day thinking about that nice old man that would die just like that, for no reason, a thing that would have never happen in my country (France) and from that moment I never had that fantasy about the American dream anymore.
How about the ppl that commit a crime just to go to prison so an illness can be treated.
As opposed to the UK or Europe where you can't get treatment until you go blind in one eye or die waiting for your turn because the NHS is overwhelmed and understaffed. Or you are too old and they just stop feeding you and deny you water.
Picture a country where the government forces doctors to work for very low wages in tough conditions. Eventually people won't be doctors cause being "useless" is easier and exactly as rewarding. Then maybe they force people to work as doctors through emergency powers. I can't see any potential problems.
Trying to fight the hospital that you survived the illness but will die from the FDA approved implant they put in your body while you were comatose.
A country still arguing about whether women should have bodily autonomy.
Your Senate filibuster bill. The fact that 41% of senators are representing only 27% of the American people can block bills supported by 70% of the American people is about as democratic as just letting Ken Bone be king.
And yet your leaders speak of democracy internationally like the crusaders in the Holy Crusade.
Measuring your police training in weeks. Two to four years is the norm elsewhere.
Gerrymandering. Democracy should have their voters choosing their representatives, not their representatives choosing their voters.
Sending 18-year-olds to war. When your country doesn't believe they're mature enough to buy beer.
My brother got sent straight overseas when operation desert shield/ storm started, straight out of boot camp at 19
Every minute an American is forced into medical bankruptcy. The only surprise cost in other developed countries is that some hospitals charge visitors for parking.
When I was in my 20s I cut my finger really bad in a broken glass while doing the dishes. I went to prompt med that to get stitches because it wouldn't stop bleeding. They told me it would cost $680 with my health insurance. I was working at Kroger at the time and I was making only $7.25 an hour, in college and living with my soon to be wife in an apartment that cost a little over $1000 a month so this was something we definitely couldn't afford. So I told the people at the front desk "Nevermind, I'll just go home and bleed to death." I had already been waiting for my wife to get off work to take me since we only had the 1 car at the time, I had been sitting with medical tape, gauze and a wash cloth wrapped around my finger while propping it up in the air for 4 hours before she got home. I came back out to the car and she was flabbergasted and we had to shop around online for another hour in the car until we found a cheaper place an hour and a half away.
Having military recruiters in school. It's especially with the biggest incentives to join the military are healthcare and affordable education, which are just considered human rights in normal countries.
I'm pretty sure our (UK) forces do send representatives to school/college careers fairs too. Of course they don't have to point out healthcare and education as benefits...
Forcing you to use vacation days when you're ill. Some countries make employers change paid vacation days to paid sick days when you're ill on vacation.
Charging parents for their baby's delivery. Other countries consider it an investment in the future tax payers.
Price for giving birth in US is absolutely horrible.. but what I find disgusting is that they bill for having a skin contact with the baby. The thing that is best for the baby they ask money for -.- even if the price is small portion of the whole operation, but come on let the parents hold their new born.
Having TV ads for prescription medicine.
All the side effects mentioned takes up 80% of time, you know diarrhea, suicidal thoughts, death ect..
Minimum wage not rising with inflation every year.
But don't worry! Congress will always give themselves a raise! I think they're at $600 an hour.
Not having paid maternity leave. 14 to 68 paid weeks off is the investment that the 15 countries above the US on The Human Freedom Index make in their future taxpayers.
Needing to worry about the cost of an ambulance.
New Zealand is a bit strange on this. We charge for ambulance rides, apparently, but in Wellington where I live we have Wellington Free Ambulance and you don't pay. The rest of the country has St John Ambulance and they do.
Needing to do taxes if you're an employee. Your politicians are bribed by the accounting industry to make your taxes difficult.
It's quite tragicomical thing that a country that have de facto invented computers, microchips, internet and so much more can be in some areas an actuallu a late stone-age 3rd world country. Here I just received my 2021 summary of taxes, logged online, corrected few reductions and submitted the form and all that took abut 10 minutes of time.
People getting married for the purpose of qualifying for health care through marriage is weird. So is people needing to divorce a dying loved one to avoid being responsible for their medical debt and all that for the low, low price of 53% more per person than any other country on Earth.
Having healthcare through an employer. So are doctors needing to argue with companies for you to get what you're prescribed.
Yes that is one thing that makes the least sense to me. What if you get sick and lose your job? You''ll be without a health insurance then just when you would need it the most!
Doing drills at school for something other than fires and earthquakes. Forcing kids to go through the trauma of lockdown drills. The fact that they're necessary is horrific.
They have lockdown drills in New Zealand too. Have been used to some degree, just when there's a threat in the neighbourhood - never for something in the actual school - so more just staying inside rather than barricading doors and hiding. Touch wood.
Some of you think that voting should be made harder than buying a gun. Most prisoners in most developed countries can still vote. In some US states, an ex-felon will be blocked from voting, yet his neighbor on the terrorist watchlist will still be allowed to buy weapons.
We also have a disproportionately enormous prison population. Though prisoners still pay taxes, in 48 states, people can't vote from prison. Knowing this fact could certainly incentivize people with power to create laws that target and lock up people who disagree with them.
Playing your national anthem before a sporting event that doesn't involve your country playing another country, especially when it involves kids at school.
It's so weird. The audience often gets really into it too. Y'all, standing for 90 seconds with your hat over your heart doesn't actually support the troops, build community, strengthen our country, or whatever else you think you're doing. Instead, how about funding the VA? Volunteering for nonprofits? Getting involved in local government? 90 seconds of pseudo-patriotism doesn't cut it, y'all.
The US government banning itself from negotiating prices with pharmaceutical companies.
Needing to post bail if you're not a threat to the public. It shouldn't be a crime to be poor.
If payment equals freedom, crime is only crime if you're poor. The rich can pay their way to freedom. That's not justice.
Not getting guaranteed vacation days. 20 to 40 days a year is the norm.
Husband has had the same job for 10 years at this point, he now has the maximum days allowed, 14. His sick days and pto are all rolled into that number btw.
Educational scholarships being a big deal. Education is normally free or heavily subsidized in the developed world.
Free to the end of college (high school) in NZ, but not after that. Not all of these things are uniquely American.
The amount of people you lock up. 116 countries have an incarceration rate per million at under a quarter of the US.
Liking guns. They never come up in conversations and it's rare to even see police with them.
It's sad to see my love of shooting become such a political football. I was a fat kid with breathing problems, never could get into any sports - until I saw a tv special about the Olympic sports, and saw target shooting. When I was old enough, got my licence and went into competition. Won a few, lost a lot; met some great people on the range. And now my government thinks I'm a potential mass murderer, and an easy victim of stupid laws. Sad, really.
Funding your schools through local property taxes. But it does go some way to explain how the US has dropped to 27th on The Global Social Mobility Index.
Making unlimited political donations legal, when you've created a fight to the moral bottom, where your elected officials live in constant fear that if they don't accept big money bribes, their political opponents will.
Looks like Mike Lindell is fixing to be in trouble for giving $800,000 to Tina peters, the crooked voter clerk in Arizona.
The amount your elections cost. Your five most expensive house of representative seats cost more than any election for any country in Europe.
In UK there is a spending limit per candidate, it’s small compared to US standards.Less than £9000 per candidate, then 6p per registered elector. Spending and donations have to be logged. It doesn’t stop shenanigans though
You've reinvented the slave trade with your prison system - that's weird. So are your coercive plea bargains, allowing companies that profit off this exploitation to invest unlimited money in the politicians that agree to do their bidding.
The strangest thing is that it doesn't even cost much money to bribe a US politician, because if you have enough money to finance their entire next political reelection campaign, then all you have to do is threaten to spend that money on their next primary opponent instead.
Hearing fireworks and thinking they could be something other than fireworks. Children should be running to the windows to look not questioning their safety.
Only if you live in a city that banned fireworks and that you've never heard a gun would you mistake the two, MAYBE. I was straight up told by this little punk my neice just broke up with "I've got a gun don't make me use it". He left and then there was a little pop outside, he then called my neice and said "you heard that, that's my gun, you don't leave me if I say you can't". I took her phone and told him I've heard guns and fireworks before, he just set off a little blackcat popper and if he wanted to hear what a real gun sounds like he'll keep messing with my neice. With how big the US population is, there's too many dumb people.
Note: this post originally had 37 images. It’s been shortened to the top 31 images based on user votes.
I'm not in the US and even I'M bored with all the US bashing. There isn't anything new here so why do we have these ALL the time? Week in, week out... Bored Panda, you are actively BORING a lot of us. Trouble is, people click on these and it keeps it going. We need to boycott US bashing posts if we want to stop it.
I only posted one thing (gerrymandering) because it's the same old same old AGAIN. I did downvote in the hopes not too many would open the thread. Jeeees
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I live in the US and I get it... It sucks here a lot of the time, but must we be beat over the head with it with posts constantly, BP? I don't know about everyone else, but I get on sites like this to forget my troubles. LOL
US bashed the world with its culture since 1920s. "Justice freedom, and the American way" "Land of the free" etc etc etc. Most people have nothing against most Americans, it's just a reaction to the propaganda that the US has been pouring itno the world.
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When you were copy/pasting this crap-on-America article together from the other ones you post every week, you forgot to complain about bathroom stall gaps. This is really boring guys. Get some new material.
I can't even read all of these. Makes me feel sick and angry bc it feels hopeless especially for my daughter. Birth control is horrible on her body and mental health. The iud caused her so much pain. Is she supposed to be celibate until she hits menopause so she doesn't get pregnant even by accident w condoms if she doesn't want children? Or god forbid the fetus tries to kill her. What kind of life is that? Sex is good for your health and well being for most people. The cost of living I don't think she'll ever be able to afford to live on her own. She's 19 we pay a lot of money for her insurance we will always pay for it if she can't but damn she won't even be able to afford that if she doesn't get a good job that pays well. I'm so glad she doesn't have student loans but that's only bc we can afford her college she has that privilege. Religion and money and politics are killing us
God almighty, c'mon BP this is truly getting boring now. Yes America has issues that need to be resolved but isn't that true of any country? Here's a wacky idea, maybe, just maybe, we aren't all perfect and not defined by our bit of rock on planet Earth we happened to be born on. Here's an absolutely bonkers idea, perhaps we should start treating each other as individuals not defined by place of birth or gender or skin or anything that makes no useful sense to day to day life? USA good, USA bad! Women good, men bad! Men good, women bad! Ad infinitum........... Please someone tell me I'm not the only one getting utterly bored or these "us vs them" articles?
You don't think everyone wants that???? Unfortunately reality does not cooperate.
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I think that the US must have a huge gap between the haves and have-nots compared to the rest of the developed world. I’m horrified that people are left to die as they can’t afford medical treatment, just a quick google found stories of employed people in this situation as they had to pay so much “deductible “ to their insurers, people with reasonable jobs, like paralegals and teachers, couldn’t afford care despite insurance. Apparently the US spends the most on healthcare, with the least to show for it, healthcare, insurance and pharmaceutical companies have been allowed to run amok. It’s an outrage and I hope that the people don’t have to put up with it too much longer.
I (a Brit) was taken ill in Venice, Italy last month. I had a water ambulance, two x-rays, an ultrasound scan and a blood test. Fortunately didn't have to stay in. Cost- 283 euros. Goodness knows what the cost would be if we were staying with our son in upstate New York.
A *New Zealander* living in *the UK* has an account criticizing the US? Wow. He must be so incredibly right about everything, given all his experience being an American. Oh wait... Sod off, arsehole. (I hope you were able to understand this American.)
BP, we get it, the US sucks /s. Europe isn't some fairytale wonderland where we've got it all worked out. Let's have a post celebrating where the US has got things right for a bit of balance. Signed, a European.
If you want to know who's doing EVERYTHING right, find a BP post about Japan, which they consider the best place in the galaxy.
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I want to add the barbaric eviction process you Americans have where you send armed police to serve tenants eviction notices and then send SWAT on eviction day. What other country does that? Usually it's the landlord's business and the police are only called if an escalation arises or if the person refuses to vacate. As well as your insistent on arresting college students for having a drink or being drunk in public, even if they are going from the cab to their house. I saw that once on Campus Police. A girl had just stepped out of her lift and was about to go into her house and these cops arrested her for public intoxication. All these young adult's college enrollment and careers ruined for what? Having a fun night?
I know. The medical system of needing insurance is morally and financially bankrupting American citizens. They literally attempt and often succeed to play God, because if you can't pay, you can't play. WE, will tell you what medications will cost, and if you can't afford them, oh well, go see your faith healer. Things cost money. The whole idea about health insurance is, to try not to pay out for anything they can get away with not paying for. You have to fight them tooth and nail. Sometimes , even Medicare! But you still pay for that also. They only pay 80% you pay 20% . With medical costs gouged from everyone, you can't afford it without a secondary Insurance. Those are also expensive, and have their own rules. Makes you want to tell their mamma's what an a*****e their kid turned out to be.
Yeah, we suck. But we're not alone. And that's the thing... Good countries are all alike; each shitty country is shitty in its own way.
You guys do not suck at all. I've spent time in the US and have found the people there to be friendly and welcoming. Governments.....that's different
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Even I am tired of these posts - AND - I agree that the US has issues. I agree that many Americans need a reality check and need to be reminded of this. I agree with the majority of things stated in posts like this... and in the past I have been one of the people posting comments and telling people to stop getting all self defensive and thinking this is "American bashing". If the facts make you uncomfortable, do something about it, don't whine. But at least wait a couple months between posts.
True, but for a couple reasons - (1) America has a huge propaganda machine that pumps out information celebrating America as the best country in the world. People in 3rd world countries believe that propaganda, and these posts wouldn't exist if people didn't feel the need to contradict the propaganda. (2) America might have lots of challenges and problems, but it is still substantially better than 90% of the countries out there.
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There can be no accurate and honest understanding of the USA in the late 20-early 21st Cs without a similar examination of China’s transformation from Mao and the Cultural Revolution. They are more interlinked than any other nations.
I'm not in the US and even I'M bored with all the US bashing. There isn't anything new here so why do we have these ALL the time? Week in, week out... Bored Panda, you are actively BORING a lot of us. Trouble is, people click on these and it keeps it going. We need to boycott US bashing posts if we want to stop it.
I only posted one thing (gerrymandering) because it's the same old same old AGAIN. I did downvote in the hopes not too many would open the thread. Jeeees
Load More Replies... I live in the US and I get it... It sucks here a lot of the time, but must we be beat over the head with it with posts constantly, BP? I don't know about everyone else, but I get on sites like this to forget my troubles. LOL
US bashed the world with its culture since 1920s. "Justice freedom, and the American way" "Land of the free" etc etc etc. Most people have nothing against most Americans, it's just a reaction to the propaganda that the US has been pouring itno the world.
Load More Replies... When you were copy/pasting this crap-on-America article together from the other ones you post every week, you forgot to complain about bathroom stall gaps. This is really boring guys. Get some new material.
I can't even read all of these. Makes me feel sick and angry bc it feels hopeless especially for my daughter. Birth control is horrible on her body and mental health. The iud caused her so much pain. Is she supposed to be celibate until she hits menopause so she doesn't get pregnant even by accident w condoms if she doesn't want children? Or god forbid the fetus tries to kill her. What kind of life is that? Sex is good for your health and well being for most people. The cost of living I don't think she'll ever be able to afford to live on her own. She's 19 we pay a lot of money for her insurance we will always pay for it if she can't but damn she won't even be able to afford that if she doesn't get a good job that pays well. I'm so glad she doesn't have student loans but that's only bc we can afford her college she has that privilege. Religion and money and politics are killing us
God almighty, c'mon BP this is truly getting boring now. Yes America has issues that need to be resolved but isn't that true of any country? Here's a wacky idea, maybe, just maybe, we aren't all perfect and not defined by our bit of rock on planet Earth we happened to be born on. Here's an absolutely bonkers idea, perhaps we should start treating each other as individuals not defined by place of birth or gender or skin or anything that makes no useful sense to day to day life? USA good, USA bad! Women good, men bad! Men good, women bad! Ad infinitum........... Please someone tell me I'm not the only one getting utterly bored or these "us vs them" articles?
You don't think everyone wants that???? Unfortunately reality does not cooperate.
Load More Replies... I think that the US must have a huge gap between the haves and have-nots compared to the rest of the developed world. I’m horrified that people are left to die as they can’t afford medical treatment, just a quick google found stories of employed people in this situation as they had to pay so much “deductible “ to their insurers, people with reasonable jobs, like paralegals and teachers, couldn’t afford care despite insurance. Apparently the US spends the most on healthcare, with the least to show for it, healthcare, insurance and pharmaceutical companies have been allowed to run amok. It’s an outrage and I hope that the people don’t have to put up with it too much longer.
I (a Brit) was taken ill in Venice, Italy last month. I had a water ambulance, two x-rays, an ultrasound scan and a blood test. Fortunately didn't have to stay in. Cost- 283 euros. Goodness knows what the cost would be if we were staying with our son in upstate New York.
A *New Zealander* living in *the UK* has an account criticizing the US? Wow. He must be so incredibly right about everything, given all his experience being an American. Oh wait... Sod off, arsehole. (I hope you were able to understand this American.)
BP, we get it, the US sucks /s. Europe isn't some fairytale wonderland where we've got it all worked out. Let's have a post celebrating where the US has got things right for a bit of balance. Signed, a European.
If you want to know who's doing EVERYTHING right, find a BP post about Japan, which they consider the best place in the galaxy.
Load More Replies... I want to add the barbaric eviction process you Americans have where you send armed police to serve tenants eviction notices and then send SWAT on eviction day. What other country does that? Usually it's the landlord's business and the police are only called if an escalation arises or if the person refuses to vacate. As well as your insistent on arresting college students for having a drink or being drunk in public, even if they are going from the cab to their house. I saw that once on Campus Police. A girl had just stepped out of her lift and was about to go into her house and these cops arrested her for public intoxication. All these young adult's college enrollment and careers ruined for what? Having a fun night?
I know. The medical system of needing insurance is morally and financially bankrupting American citizens. They literally attempt and often succeed to play God, because if you can't pay, you can't play. WE, will tell you what medications will cost, and if you can't afford them, oh well, go see your faith healer. Things cost money. The whole idea about health insurance is, to try not to pay out for anything they can get away with not paying for. You have to fight them tooth and nail. Sometimes , even Medicare! But you still pay for that also. They only pay 80% you pay 20% . With medical costs gouged from everyone, you can't afford it without a secondary Insurance. Those are also expensive, and have their own rules. Makes you want to tell their mamma's what an a*****e their kid turned out to be.
Yeah, we suck. But we're not alone. And that's the thing... Good countries are all alike; each shitty country is shitty in its own way.
You guys do not suck at all. I've spent time in the US and have found the people there to be friendly and welcoming. Governments.....that's different
Load More Replies... Even I am tired of these posts - AND - I agree that the US has issues. I agree that many Americans need a reality check and need to be reminded of this. I agree with the majority of things stated in posts like this... and in the past I have been one of the people posting comments and telling people to stop getting all self defensive and thinking this is "American bashing". If the facts make you uncomfortable, do something about it, don't whine. But at least wait a couple months between posts.
True, but for a couple reasons - (1) America has a huge propaganda machine that pumps out information celebrating America as the best country in the world. People in 3rd world countries believe that propaganda, and these posts wouldn't exist if people didn't feel the need to contradict the propaganda. (2) America might have lots of challenges and problems, but it is still substantially better than 90% of the countries out there.
Load More Replies... There can be no accurate and honest understanding of the USA in the late 20-early 21st Cs without a similar examination of China’s transformation from Mao and the Cultural Revolution. They are more interlinked than any other nations.
