That has been the case for the past twenty years and it still hasn't stopped the trends going against them.
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Those not living in the USA, how do you feel about what's going on there?
- Thread starter brawly
- Start date
That has been the case for the past twenty years and it still hasn't stopped the trends going against them.
Looking back I feel it's business as usual over there. It just happens to be that Trump is indeed way too stupid to dress it up properly so we finally get to see its ugliness again. Might be a good thing in the long run. But looking at some threads on GAF, the feeling I get is that nothing will change.
HazySaiyan
Banned
I knew US politics was insane and that there was always a dark underbelly to American life, but this is more crazy than I could have ever imagined. Never in my life did I think I would see a sitting US President defend Neo-Nazis, and then a not insignificant amount of the population would stand up to defend that.
TBiddy
Member
They are allowed that privilege in Denmark as well. I hate to quote Voltaire (or rather, Evelyn Hall), but it seems fitting right now;
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
I hate nazis as much as the next guy, but just like I support the right for the extreme muslims of Hizb Ut Tahrir to hold rallies, I support the nazis rights to rally in public.
George W. Bush committed war crimes and implicitly murdered hundreds of thousands of lives, yet he got re-elected in 2004.
Ronald Reagan ran on a racist platform, killed a ton of poor people, and confessed to selling weapons to far-right death squads in Nicaragua, yet he is referred to as a Saint by a lot of US citizens.
So, no, it isn't baffling that the US continues to put up fascists,bigots, and murderers in positions of power.
You could argue that the industrial gutting was only the first wave of the destruction of the flyover states. The younger generation are holding on by the skin of their teeth with minimum wage mcjobs. Once the basic service industries become unsustainable in these locations, which is becoming more apparent with the troubles Walmart are under, along a rise in automation for these kind of unskilled jobs you have another economic apocalypse that will further marginalise and push them into the same societal cesspit their parents inhabit.
Look at it this way. The majority of white people voted for trump. The only age range within the entire white demographic where more than half of them voted for Clinton were women 18-29 and that was just barely over at 51.8%. In every other age breakdown the majority voted for Trump and by extension the abhorrent republican platform.
Those tight margins are one job loss away from being erased by a whole lot of "economic anxiety".
I would love to be wrong though.
You can say what you want about Bush, Regan, Nixon, etc, but it absolutely is not business as usual.
You're making a broad assumption that all of those white voters are rural and low wage jobs. Not every single white voter is in the rural areas. The majority of white voters will never return to the Republican party.
Yeah, not really.
Besides some terrorists attacks now and then, daily Life is cool and okay, thanks
What trends are going against them? Donald Trump is president and the GOP has a gigantic advantage in seats at the state and federal level. The big population centers have gone liberal, the majority of everywhere else is becoming more republican and racist.
I know people who say they won't go to the US anymore which is ridiculous but that's how much the country's reputation has fallen. It's not just because of Trump either it's been happening since the bush era. All the horrible shit that America has actually done in the world hasn't helped either.
I'm Canadian and I can't believe this guy is still your president. I mean, I knew republicans were bad ever since Bush, but not this bad & spineless to the point of continuing supporting this dumb, racist, evil, dangerous, moron. If Hillary won and was doing the same shit, she would have been impeached 100 times already.
No matter how much we(canadians) hated Harper, at least, we can tell ourselves he was no were close to Trump.
No matter how much we(canadians) hated Harper, at least, we can tell ourselves he was no were close to Trump.
Ghostage
Member
Really depends on where in Europe you live.
The general consensus (at least in my family and circle of friends) is that the US is a parody, and has been that long before Trump was elected.
JustSomeone
Member
"Besides a few Nazi marches, life on the US has never been better"
People die on those terrorist attacks, you know...
I've only been to the US once as a child, and then we only visited Disneyland before heading to Canada to meet relatives. However, because US culture is so ubiquitous around the world, I almost feel like I have connection to the place, even though personally, I've never had a desire to live there as an expat or visit as a tourist. Still, its horrible learning about all the corruption and hatred that runs through its institutions. Gun violence, lack of affordable health care, blatant racism, I really feel for the Americans that get trampled on.
I am also concerned because ,unfortunately, the US does have a lot of influence and I think the idiocy of Trump fires up the nationalists and right wing parties around the world. In Australia, I think we have a better safety net due to our compulsory electoral system which forces apathetic voters to vote, which buffers against extremism. Political parties also have no issue dumping prime ministers if they are deeply unpopular, Donald Trump would have easily been fired by now with his approval numbers if he was an Australian leader.
In a weird irony, I remember envying how the US had Obama while in Australia we've constantly been changing prime ministers. But now, even though the constant change of prime ministers has been a complete shit show, at least it demonstrates that Australian political class is more accountable to the Australian public.
I am also concerned because ,unfortunately, the US does have a lot of influence and I think the idiocy of Trump fires up the nationalists and right wing parties around the world. In Australia, I think we have a better safety net due to our compulsory electoral system which forces apathetic voters to vote, which buffers against extremism. Political parties also have no issue dumping prime ministers if they are deeply unpopular, Donald Trump would have easily been fired by now with his approval numbers if he was an Australian leader.
In a weird irony, I remember envying how the US had Obama while in Australia we've constantly been changing prime ministers. But now, even though the constant change of prime ministers has been a complete shit show, at least it demonstrates that Australian political class is more accountable to the Australian public.
https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/polls/us-elections/how-groups-voted/groups-voted-2016/
I'm making the broad assumption based on the available data that the majority of white Americans who are engaged enough politically to vote are deplorable and the numbers pan out. If white votes only decided the election it would have been one of the largest electoral landslides in their history.
It doesn't matter if they are wealthy urban whites insulated away from institutional oppression of minorities so much it can be callously hand waved away because it has zero impact on their day to day existence or dirt poor middle Americans conned into believing that race is the one true defining feature of their existence and success is owed to them because their virtuous white heritage. That virtuous white heritage and continual economic hegemony for the wealthy was the cornerstone of trumps campaign and both sides flocked to that message in 2016.
I don't understand the context behind your assertion that whites will not return to the republican party. 2016 proved that's not the case. There has been a massive swing toward the republican party among young voters this election cycle. This graph doesn't show race as a factor but given the rest of the data outlined here I sincerely doubt the swing came from African American or Latino youth. The republican party is the party of the white voter.
America has created a situation where there are increasingly dominant numbers of under-educated masses who have been inundated for years with blatantly self-serving right wing media that has become so disconnected from reality that a whole generation of the general public has developed irrational, unchangeable beliefs about their government, themselves, and other people. I don't know how you go forward from there and try to correct that damage.
It's an unfortunate situation that would require all those in power to actively work to resolve. Most Republicans at least have shown no interest in doing so, presumably as it would weaken their grip on power.
Perhaps the United States will become united in name only, and some states will start operating in a pseudo-independent manner. That won't have a great end result for many people either though.
I wish we could all just ignore America for a little while, but conflicts developing out of there will most likely have some destabilizing effects everywhere.
It's an unfortunate situation that would require all those in power to actively work to resolve. Most Republicans at least have shown no interest in doing so, presumably as it would weaken their grip on power.
Perhaps the United States will become united in name only, and some states will start operating in a pseudo-independent manner. That won't have a great end result for many people either though.
I wish we could all just ignore America for a little while, but conflicts developing out of there will most likely have some destabilizing effects everywhere.
American foreign affairs have a major impact on the world. When political leadership in the United States goes radical and fascist, then the last thing the world needs to do is ignore America.
dacuk
Member
Visited good ole' USA 6 times (last was for E3 2016), and while I have never been treated differently as a Latinamerican person, I understand these kinds of issues happen, and I am afraid for all the good people living there.
The influence of the United States cannot be underestimated, both as a superpower and an example for other countries.
I just hope American people can get together to solve and advance in these moments of turmoil.
The influence of the United States cannot be underestimated, both as a superpower and an example for other countries.
I just hope American people can get together to solve and advance in these moments of turmoil.
Royal_Phalanx
Member
As a minority who lives in the UK I have always been treated well by people when I have visited the US. I remember going there and loving the melting pot there and how I thought unlike the UK people think of you as an American unless you tell them otherwise. I came away with a feeling of wanting to live and work there because of that. Not so much anymore. Europe has its own problems including our very own problems with the right wing but Western Europe is where I'd rather be living at the moment. I am glad that I live in Western Europe. Only place as good would be Canada. If it wasn't for my parents taking the initiative to GTFO of their shitty countries I would be in one of those shitty countries.
I just wish your government would focus on actually making things better for its citizens rather than conitunally interfering in the affairs of other countries...
- Withdraw your military from other countries and downsize it.
- Focus on improving infrastructure, domestic, and social policies.
- Not treating your allies in a underhanded and exploitative manner.
- Withdraw your military from other countries and downsize it.
- Focus on improving infrastructure, domestic, and social policies.
- Not treating your allies in a underhanded and exploitative manner.
San Francisco is a pretty poor template to judge the entire country on.
I don't know, somehow the idea of those statues being erected during the Confederate makes a lot more sense to me than them being put up in the 21st century. Maybe up until the fist half o 20th Century, but after the civil rights movement, ec...
Ultravi0lence
Member
I hope it's ok to post it in here as there are a lot of threads about this and similar, but I haven't found any answers:
What are these protests and small riots about? From what I have gathered not living in America it seems to be racism, not trusting the police, violent and crazy Trump supporters...
But what is the end goal? I mean I can understand what the left...liberals...rational people...whatever you want to call them, are trying to achieve. I'm not sure about the right though.
Every time I come on here it gets more confusing and tense.
What are these protests and small riots about? From what I have gathered not living in America it seems to be racism, not trusting the police, violent and crazy Trump supporters...
But what is the end goal? I mean I can understand what the left...liberals...rational people...whatever you want to call them, are trying to achieve. I'm not sure about the right though.
Every time I come on here it gets more confusing and tense.
Conciliator
Banned
don't count on it unless rich white guys can find a way to benefit from it.
Stead Fast
Banned
It distresses me immensely, though as a member of the UK, I can't say with good conscience that your country is ruining itself without picturing a mirror. The world will not let either you or us write our own history about all this. Too many other powers have watched, sighed and even laughed at how both countries let all their insecurities and bigotry come tumbling out in the most pathetic manner, politically gimping ourselves for generations.
Canadian here, I was interviewing for a job in the US and I had to really consider if I'd want to live there at all. I'm getting married soon and we may have kids soon, I wasn't sure I would want to raise a kid in the US.
Didn't get the job anyway. But yeah, I'm happy not to be living there. Not that Canada is perfect, but I feel like the US is a bit of a trainwreck at the moment.
Didn't get the job anyway. But yeah, I'm happy not to be living there. Not that Canada is perfect, but I feel like the US is a bit of a trainwreck at the moment.
WiiredShawn
Member
Honestly, I'm an American in a solid red part of the country, and I still don't totally understand what conservatives want as their end goal. The more radical ones obviously want to eradicate or remove anyone who isn't a White Christian, but that's not practically viable. The more "moderate" ones likely want about the same thing, but they're so used to just speaking in dog whistles that I'm totally convinced all of this even realize what it is they're asking for. They just parrot "free speech" and "traditional values" and "right to bear arms" without much reflection on what these ideas actually mean - and if they have thought about it, they really just mean "White Christian cisgendered men need to be the most powerful and everyone needs to accept that."
In my mind, a lot of these protests are basically liberals and independents saying "your conservatism is crossing a line."
That said, I feel like the tumultuous political climate is giving the impression that America is a chaotic shithole. In plenty of places, it's not. People live their lives like they do anywhere. But if you're already living in a more progressive country, I can see how America might not have much more to offer.
At least less people die in those yearly than what the cops shoot people in the US.
ronaldthump
Member
I wish america would have a revolution and take trump out. he's ruining the world. ruining america and allowing a dark age to fester and grow.
With all due respect.
I don't want to ever set foot in the United States. Based on what I read here, it's a mortally dangerous place for anyone who isn't white.
And since I'm not, then I'm better off reading scary shit about that country.
LookAtMeGo
Member
Among other things.. one thing thats getting me pissed is the amount of friends I see posting alt right type conspiracy shit on facebook. People posting shit in support of things that went down in Charlottesville and shit.. some of the people I have known my whole life and would take a bullet for. I still have love for some of them but I would have just been happy not knowing that these people thought this way.
I dont even know if they always had these beliefs or if they are just buying into it now with the growing popularity of screaming fake news about everything.
I miss the good ol days before Trump ran when people were at least willfully ignorant about shit they didnt know anything about. I really feel like Trumps presidency has awoken a side of people that even they didnt know they had. They think they have discovered some new truth or something and they have to tell everyone about it and its frustrating as fuck.
I dont even know if they always had these beliefs or if they are just buying into it now with the growing popularity of screaming fake news about everything.
I miss the good ol days before Trump ran when people were at least willfully ignorant about shit they didnt know anything about. I really feel like Trumps presidency has awoken a side of people that even they didnt know they had. They think they have discovered some new truth or something and they have to tell everyone about it and its frustrating as fuck.
You do realize Trump is not the problem but a symptom?
As for me, the threads here are pretty tiring and I largely ignore the OT-section. But I'm still somewhat happy to see that the face of the USA matches their body more these days.
Which is exactly why nothing will change when Trump resigns.
The US needs radical change(e.g. a revolution) to cure it's political system.
What the hell are you talking about?
TatteredHat
Member
I'm just astonished that the country that takes great pride in being THE good guy in WW2 now has a Nazi-sympathizer as president.
America is a country that likes to shout about how great it is without ever bothering to look in the mirror.
America is a country that likes to shout about how great it is without ever bothering to look in the mirror.
GeNoMe
Member
Donald Trump is the President of the united states.....what's there to take seriously?
There isn't a single person I know personally who condones this man, and the actions he takes. The US really has become a parody of itself, I feel disgusted when I see, read or hear how people are mistreating one and another. All the bigotry, entitlement and the need to exact self justice. I don't know man. I'm just curious about how all of this is going to unfold.
There isn't a single person I know personally who condones this man, and the actions he takes. The US really has become a parody of itself, I feel disgusted when I see, read or hear how people are mistreating one and another. All the bigotry, entitlement and the need to exact self justice. I don't know man. I'm just curious about how all of this is going to unfold.
Growing up, there was a constant running gag about Australia becoming another 'state of the USA'. As a kid, it was an exotic thought stemming from the USA being shown as the 'greatest country on earth', namely due too much movies and WWE I suppose.
As an adult, your current administration makes me appreciate the good we offer, but at the same time underscores similar issues we unfortunately have here.
I would still love to visit though regardless.
As an adult, your current administration makes me appreciate the good we offer, but at the same time underscores similar issues we unfortunately have here.
I would still love to visit though regardless.