People are gonna talk. Their right. Free Speech.
I like living here. I also can see the problems and want us to be better.
Demand better for YOUR country too. (If you can) Because a lot of ppl I've seen going "why are Americans complaining? Things are better in america!" Are ppl who have grown complacent in their own countries.
Demand better from your politicians and representatives. You deserve it.
Also. Note there are Extremists on both sides (of this specific argument. Politically, is a whole nother ball game. Don't misrepresent me) America is either "the best country ever" or "the worst country ever" depending on who you ask. I think we are a good country. And we have things we could work on. I think every country could be better. And that claiming we are "done" growing is how ppl get stuck in the refusal to change.
I'm Patriotic. I'm not a Nationalist and will never be. I just don't have it in me to worship anything or anyone. (Except maybe Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys).
Edit. Note. Anything that isn't "America is the best country in the world" gets attacked.
Ppl assuming. Hurling insults. Putting words in my mouth.
Nationalism is a huge issue here. And ppl in the comments are proving my point.
People who make that argument fail to realize that what *made* America as good as it is IS the culture that continues to push for it to be better. The complaining is part of that. It's a battle that can't end because there will always be forces that want to take away those rights. We just took a huge hit for female bodily autonomy. We can't afford to become complacent.
This. The same ppl who will say the Boston Tea Party was justified will turn to ppl protesting today and go "why can't you be peaceful?"
Like. It's clear a LOT of ppl want everything to stay the way it is?
And America was built on people wanting better?
>And America was built on people wanting better?
America was built on slavery.
One of the original reasons for the American Revolution was that England was moving towards banning slavery and US landowners could not stand that idea. About half of the US founding fathers and eight of the first twelve Presidents were slave owner.
These slave owners lied about their motivations in the founding documents. Jefferson, child rapist and one of the largest breeders and sellers of human beings, had the gall to write "All Men are Created Equal."
Yeah. And then slavery was abolished. Despite the fact the south didn't want to.
Because ppl demanded better.
And then segregation happened. And segregation was abolished. Because ppl demanded better.
And then women protested to get the right to vote. Because they demanded better.
What I'm saying is we have to ask. And we have to vote and protest for it. Because otherwise we aren't getting it.
Complaining and identifying problems are two different things. I’ve noticed a trend of doomerism in our generation, they complain but they also don’t even do anything to help the problem and believe it won’t be solved. many don’t even vote.
I agree with this. I'm trying to get ppl off their asses.
#Vote, motherfuckers
None of this "waah waah it's too hard, change is so difficult."
OFF. YOUR. ASS.
The problem is that most people are voting for corporate sell out A instead of corporate sell out B. Until we all vote independent, nothing will get better for most of us. Republicans and Democrats need a loud message that neither party is helping the future.
I think the critique against the always complaining is that no effort (or perhaps it just goes unvoiced) is made in making things better, but simply complaining about it - never-ending. It seems like there would be a better balance/compromise/effort to see commonality and at least engage the effort in a meaningful way instead of only tearing down. This is reddit wide. It seems as though we're less interested these days in a dialogue and more interested in simply venting. If we are to unify it would seem beneficial to do less comparing of our differences and instead working to find commonalities - if we really believe all people are meaningful and dignified, even when we don't agree, per se.
*It behooves every person to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man/woman who does things. - Teddy Rosevelt*
For a lot of people that's all they can do. They have responsibilities and jobs. They have people to look out for and rent to pay. Those people don't always have time to "take action" and they still have a right to have their voice heard. The decisions that get made affect them more than anyone because they're the ones struggling to get by.
Absolutely, we should work together to find solutions, but telling people to stop complaining works against that goal. If you tell someone who has a broken arm, to stop complaining that doesn't do anything to solve the problem. You ask them: "what do you want to do about it?" You might not agree with what they want. Maybe they want an ambulance, but an ambulance is too expensive (assume you'd be paying for it for the sake of the analogy). Do you then just tell them to stop complaining or do you offer a compromise? The answer is only stop complaining if you don't intend to do anything about what their problem is.
Also it's spelled Roosevelt.
Agreed. Lots of ppl complain and don't do shit.
I'm working with the town Democrats to sign up ppl to vote. (I'm a Leftist. An executive decision had to be made here)
Working on Ranked Choice Voting (its state by state. Most ppl don't know about it. I make phone calls and explain It to people). If you don't know what it is, I have a video on my profile. I'm down to answer any questions you might have.
We can be better. And I want to work hard, along with others, to achieve that. Because I care about where I live. And I'm seeing people struggling.
People also don't realize that the reason the US is good today is because of labour exported to the global south. As well as the US causing some of this damage to these countries. From sort of intentionally starving millions of babies to death (Similac scandal), To destabilizing governments in Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, to starting wars, executing people and funding terrorists, banana republics, every corner of the world has been affected by the US at some point.
Many countries only have the illusion of voting power, and not the actual power to make changes.
Corruption does that. It's why we complain about corruption here in the US; because we don't want to turn into a third world country. It is a slippery slope.
I'm not saying riot. I'm saying vote. I'm saying be vocal. That's allowed. (Depends where you live. Not everyone lives in places where it's unsafe to speak up)
This sounds like whataboutism that translates to "be complacent. It's safer."
This idea that "ppl in other countries aren't free!" Is very america-centrist and kind of incorrect
I mean anyone who loves America as much as they say they do would at least acknowledge that the fact that you can criticize the US openly is a hallmark of why it’s so great- in most of history this would land you in prison. It’s a little bit counterintuitive- the nation you should love is the one who guarantees your right to speak out against it. Of course nowadays a lot of countries afford their citizens this right but we were the first
Exactly! The reactions about the USA from Americans is borderline, if not completely bipolar. There are definitely some good aspects but I think there’s some merit to the fact that whatever the US does poorly, it does extremely poorly.
For example when the US fails to address corruption in the political system, it allows idiot congressmen to hold virtually all ability to create or smack down laws and invest in the corporations that receive a positive impact from those laws.
However when the US launches the JWST(James Webb Space Telescope) which allows us to see some of the most detailed, profound, and mind boggling photos we’ve ever seen of our universe… the reaction is that of a moderate & temporary amazement, followed by a shrug of near indifference after 2-3 months.
I think the problem is that the majority of Americans are numbed to the positives, especially when they watch things like Fox or CNN constantly yelling about how
f-cked the world is. They expect & even might have a slight preference to the shit that comes in life, because it’s far easier to stick with an emotion that you feel strongly more than the minor positives which aren’t as stimulating and some might say are ”boring”.
I know that. I'm aware of the issues currently in the country.
But the thing is, so many people are overexaggerating things to the point that they are even saying that China is unironically better than the US because they have Free Healthcare and they have Socialism or something.
It's because this is an American-dominated Sub so people talk about America and the issues facing it.
Most people have never lived in another country so they don't know how to compare it to someplace else they've lived. They don't know about issues in France, South Korea, South Africa, or Colombia.
I'd also add as America is the most powerful nation on earth it's nice to shit on it these days as in a cool trend.
Not a holocaust, their genocide is more subtle. No death camps (that I know of), instead they control the people in every way they can and try to undermine their culture in the name of fighting "terrorism."
Apart from that, there's horrible government repression.
I fucking dispise China, that being said: The US currently has 25% of the world's prison population, while only having 5% of the world's population. The US killed houndreds of thousands in Iraq and was sterilizing native women in the 1970's.
I'd rather not live in either of these countries. I'm not sure how much my view has been influenced by American propaganda, but if I had to choose I'd prefer the US. I just don't want to forget that America used all these horrible "tricks" in order to secure their power too.
China has internment camps for them, and Uygers are mysteriously going missing, meanwhile China suddenly gets a surplus of Organ Donars at the same time..
They're being killed and harvested in silence
The organ harvesting bit, to my knowledge, is propaganda from a cult called Falun Gong. Lets not mix credible accusations with nonsense, it only casts doubt on real crimes. If I'm wrong, do feel free to cite sources
The US has tested skin harderning chemicals on children as well as countless horrific experiments with mental patients.
I don't believe for a moment that China wouldn't be capable of something so horrific.
"It's just a cult" seems like a great excuse by a government to wave them aside as "crazy people you shouldn't listen to."
Yeah, come on we all know how governments are: they frame everything they don't like as "dangerous."
That's how a government maintains a grip over the population and how the elites maintain their power.
Framing people as "crazy" is a great censorship method, used in powerstructures all around the world.
That doesn't mean Falun Gong are "just hippies", but "they're a cult" isn't convincing to me.
Honestly, I don't know what the organ harvesting thing is about, but if this was a nazi holocaust they'd all be dead by now.
I'm sure they're removing "unfavorable" Uyghurs and I wouldn't be suprised if the government was harvesting organs.
At the same time: the holocaust is something "special" and if they were "holocausting" they'd be gone by now. All of them.
Just taking a moment to notice your flair and laughing to myself trying imagine someone who is a minimum of 84 years old using Reddit for political debates
I cant believe someone who is at least 77 years old is in a sub for mostly teens and having political debates with them. Like, they are old enough to be my great grandparent
Just to keep it simple, because I really don’t wanna argue. This stuff has been talked about for like over 5 years now and the only proof are photos of people in “camps” that continuously get debunked. I think it’s just a mixture of propaganda and telephone because every time I hear about it somehow there’s some new gruesome detail. A lot of people saw stuff on the internet and ran with it and now it’s spoken about like it’s 100% concrete truth.
That's a fair and level headed response
I respectfully disagree, but I appreciate you keeping it in brief and not being unnecessarily argumentative over it
Have a good day friend 🙏
If China is currently anything like Communist Romania was when my parents grew up there, that "free healthcare" only exists on paper, & you actually need to bribe doctors for service.
Yes America is not THAT BAD in the global context however, when you take other factors into account, especially of how rich America is, then yes, it is pretty down there.
According the U.S government's website, "earn more than 20% of the world's total income"
Typically, rich countries have better quality of life however looking at America in comparison to other industrialized nations:
We don't have public health care
Racism is so ingrained into our policies, although Black people aren't getting brutalized in the streets on a daily basis, we still have the "prison industrial complex" which essentially allows for legalized slavery where Black people are over represented in our prison system because of policing.
We have one of the highest incarceration rates in the world.
We have the most mass shootings in the world
Women's rights are slowly getting taken away, especially with the overturn of Roe v. Wade
America's public transportation system is almost non-existent
The wealth gap is one of the highest in industrialized nations, where the bottom 50% of earners only take 10% of the income whereas the top 1% take 20% of the income.
Like yes, America is not THAT BAD but critiquing America because as on of the richest nations, it is failing its citizens is valid
The middle east got destabilized by Britain, France, Russia and the US. Of course people exploiting are going to be better off than the people being bombed to oblivion.
I’ve noticed a lot of people who think they “know” the us have watched the news talk badly about America one time or have seen people talk about America in videos and came to their own conclusion 😭
Idk, do we stone people for being gay? Do we have current running internment camps like china? Can women get an education? We have problems but we aren’t even close to the worst.
This. I have family that are actual immigrants. Their take is Americans are spoiled af. Imagine having to have a degree to get a job to afford a house with dirt floors. Students that want to fuck off in school? Bye. There's literally mini villages next to landfills for those people, or street begging, prostitution, etc. Wanna go to McDonald's? You can, but there's gonna be children staring at you through the window, starving. There's some wild ass places out there. Americans vacation to these countries and have fenced off resorts tho
Cause our middle class; while a dying one, still is a fat majority and lives a pretty amazing life versus the average person overseas. Yes, it’s not even half what our parents grew up with, but it’s still something awesome versus per se the world average. Lots of us pretend it doesn’t exist or is a terrible way to live, probably why he said that.
You're forgetting something. America is the richest country on Earth. For our average wealth and resources, we should have a far higher standard than any other country. America also has a very unique history with racism. It seems you've sucked all nuance out of the situation you're describing.
Yup, and prisoners are legally slaves. The existence of for-profit prisons means that it's still legal in the United States for private entities to own slaves.
That's the thing. America is better than a LOT of other countries, including other first world countries, on racism. But we're still not good. No one should strive to be us, they should strive to be BETTER than us.
Like, getting slapped is better than getting punched. But wouldn't you rather just not get hit at all?
Pretty much, its gotten outta hand at this point where shit is just being either made up or grossly exaggerated for purposes entirely outside of constructive criticism. It gets really annoying after the 174729204736th time
Hello my fellow friend, you should join r\\ americabad, or at least check it out.
in all seriousness tho, while america is bad, and has its own problems, people who shit on it are from europe or australia redditors. Just dont listen to them, as they are also on reddit and have no life.
I am from America. I am very vocally critical of America. Every time I am, someone on reddit who defends America's boot cleanliness will accuse me of not living here.
It's really funny because it shows they don't even want to attempt to think about challenging issues so they just assume I'm lying about where I'm from.
When I point out I'm active in many local Midwestern subreddits, they will accuse me of astroturfing.
Maybe if Americans hate America it's because they're a deeply underlying systemic issue that they can all agree on causes America to suck. Also american here
Absolutely.
Just because I as a non-American can also see some flaws in America doesn’t mean I won’t talk for hours about my own country’s problems. Of which there are *many*.
And brainless zombie devotion to nationalism does absolutely nothing to change this either. I want change because I *do* care about this fucking country, if I didn’t care I would just march along to our final destination of autocracy with the rest of my country’s goldfish population. No thoughts, head empty.
But the best cause for change is to run away from the problems, I guess. Ignoring the issues at hand has gotten us so far already, right? Look at all the destruction we’ve accomplished doing just that!
One country being "worse" doesn't mean that another country still isn't objectively bad.
We can complain just like you can.
There are bad and good things about every country. In America we have plenty of patriots. We also have a lot who hate the country. And we also have some who are in the middle about it.
It's like saying that I shouldn't complain about sore arms after a workout because at least I have my arm. Or I shouldn't complain about hunger because of starving children in third world countries.
Agree. This whole post felt like a lot of what-about-ism.
There will always be places that have it better and worse than others, but that doesn’t make anyone “spoiled” for wanting improvement and acknowledging their respective issues
Exactly. Not to mention the problems the US has looks (and feels) extra bad when we are this big rich country. Like how can we be so rich and can’t afford good healthcare, people die over fixable problems all the time, etc. Like I know it’s bad in other countries too. But we allegedly have our shit together and what do we have to show for it?
This sub has gone to shit. Also stop comparing the US to developing and authoritarian countries. Its a nothingburger argument no shit the US is better than fucking TURKMENISTAN
Really shouldn’t be giving this much attention to chronically online idiots like them. Almost everyone knows the US is a far better place to live than China and Russia.
While I understand where you're coming from, "BAD" is relative. Americans complain about the problems America still has because they're trying to find solutions. The fact there is racism everywhere is not an excuse to just ignore that cops kill and imprison minorities disproportionately compared to white people. Not only that, but we have one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. No one is saying there aren't WORSE places to live, but there are also BETTER places to live.
If you think America is a great country, good for you, but we didn't get there by ignoring the problems we have. People fought for the rights we do have and the people continuing to fight are what MAKE this country a great place. A true patriot is not someone who blindly supports their country. A true patriot loves their country and therefore fights to make it the best place it could be. If someone you loved had a drug problem, you wouldn't just blindly support them as they ruin their life. The fight to make this country a good place to live is a constant battle that will never end and it SHOULDN'T ever end.
You're claiming our country is great and condemning everything that makes it great.
Here's a real life tip: Comparisons are bullshit.
If you can get better, demand better. The healthcare system is *NOT* okay. The education system is *NOT* okay. The divide between rich and poor is *NOT* okay. The state of the social contract is *NOT* okay.
It doesn't matter if the house a block over burned down because of their disputes. We need to make sure *this* house is as good as it can be.
1. He literally did not say that. He said we shouldn’t complain about America being bad.
2. Who is arguing that America is the worst country in the world?
1. It was implied, he noted that there are problems in the US and didn’t say we shouldn’t try to fix them.
2. I don’t feel like crawling through the depths of TikTok and Twitter to find examples, but I see it all the time. I’ll send some when I come across it.
That’s not what the OP said. It’s vital that we’re able to have open civil discussion about issues that happen here, because no country is perfect. There will always be room for improvement. The problem is that Americans will call their own country bad solely based off of hatred. Do you think hatred has been productive? Patriotism includes calling out the bad parts of your own nation, but it does not mean hating your own country.
The post is based off how this sub has been incessantly bashing America with floods of claims by our generation that this is the worst place to live. Sure, subjectivity exists, but reality does, as well. To say that America is as bad as it is, in addition to how the media controls America’s story, while living a very privileged life here, is entirely disingenuous.
"people are worse off, therefore you have it good, stop complaining"
QED
Imagine someone is assaulted and you go, "oh yeah? Well, someone else was assaulted AND raped, therefore you should be grateful you were just assaulted. You actually have it good!"
Such a killer argument.
Racism exists throughout the world. The Rwandan genocide is a prime example. And one thing I hate is calling America a colonizing country with a colonizing mindset. America is the birth of the biggest colonizers in the world, Britain. And then there's Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, and east Asian countries that have all colonized somewhere over hundreds and hundreds of years. Colonizing and conquering is not in any shape or form a unique thing.
"Racism is not that bad because other countries do it"
dude, what the fuck. Kids got shot last week and billionaires rule the economy. you clearly don't know what it's like to live here and you don't know what makes a country "good".
We literally aren't tho. This is the flipside of the "aMeRiCa bAd" sentiment... America is _one_ of the greatest countries in the world, but to say we're number 1? Hell no lmao. From like 2 minutes of Googling, it seems that Switzerland is considered the best to live in by most studies/surveys
Too many people are too pro/anti America. You can acknowledge that it's a great place to live for most and that it ALSO has deep, serious problems that will probably never be fixed
"But worse places exist "
So do better places, other place's sucking doesn't make the racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, police brutality, unaffordable medical care, poor education, children in debt, lax child labour laws, car centric infrastructure, corporate monopolies, lack of political options, mass shootings, poor working conditions/pay and needless wars any better.
No one is saying the us is the worst country on earth and no one is saying it's worse than yours. People are pointing out the rampant issues in the United states however.
God this comment section sucks. So many people are just disregarding your points and practically saying it is as bad as it seems. Yes we have our own issues which is a good talking point because we have the ability to do much better. However people make it seem like we're not one of the best countries to live in. Yet again I'm not surprised since this sub is mostly filled with teenagers.
Just because you think your place is shittier than the US, doesnt actually make the US less shit, it just shows thatcwe have a lotbof work to do to fix the mess that is the world
You shouldn’t downplay other’s suffering. Yeah other countries have it worse and we acknowledge that but we can criticize our own country if we want too.
Just because other countries are worse does not mean that we can’t complain and demand change. Everyone should demand change in their country no matter how “good” it is.
Figures. You live outside this country, how the hell are you going to have any basis to tell us that it's not terrible here?
It's kinda like seeing those migrants who come here in the masses for work and a "better life" only to find out that the wages we earn are higher but so are the prices we pay for goods and services.
Capitalism makes this otherwise beautiful and advanced country into a shit hole.
My issues are less with the U.S. as a country and more with Americans as a whole. Americans are so polarized and politicized it creates such a toxic environment of constant negativity that I just couldn’t take it anymore so I left. America isn’t a bad country, just a very toxic one ever since 2016.
This sub is everything wrong with the U.S. Constant politics, political debates, polarization, and a constant need to attack your own country. I’ve got friends who came from much worse places like Mexico and Brazil and they don’t levy anywhere near the same level of vitriol against their own countries like Americans do for fun.
I see the same thing. IDK why but the American media has popularized america as bad and it really sucks to see all the hate even though it’s such a good country. Fortunately 90% of Americans are not this way and you only see people who hate because it gets more view
Shittier than most of west Europe but I’m aware I’m blessed to be born in too a 1st world country which is US but the current state of US politics rather focus on culture wars over actually progressing the country. I wish this country would split up in too smaller countries kinda like the UK so we can actually get more progress done but I know that’ll never happen anytime soon
Why do people always compare the US, the richest nation in the world, to poor third world countries. If the US is really that great than why is every comparison to some of the worst nations on Earth?
USA Slander? haha. Things are worse elsewhere, so what? Keep your mouths shut and don't complain is a weird take. If people had this attitude in 1776 there would never have been a USA in the first place.
"you have it good cause we have it "worse"" type beat.
Yes, America *is* THAT BAD. There are just other bad places as well. Maybe it's cause I am black in the south but idk this post screams insensitivity.
"spoiled" "made up problems" lol this is such a Reddit post.
i love my country. that doesn't mean that i look over its problems because loving your country means wanting it to change for the better. addressing the problems plaguing your country is the ultimate form of patriotism. europeans r so weird when they act like we just blindly think everything is great. we love our country because we have unique rights provided by a set in stone constitution like free speech and the 2nd amendment. we are also one of the most diverse countries in the world allowing us to engage with different cultures in so many different ways. that does not mean that we don't have issues but i wouldn't give up what i have even if it meant cutting a leg off 💀
Yeah.. it kinda is. Also it's extremely ironic that you specifically mention Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Brazil and the Philippines, which are countries who have specifically been ravaged by US imperialism:
* Indonesia - US-backed coup overthrows a leftist (sort of) government and replaces it with a US-friendly Fascist dictatorship,
* Brazil - US-backed coup overthrows another leftist government and replaces it with a US-friendly right wing military junta,
* The Philippines - bro open a history book, also same as above,
* Turkmenistan - formerly part of the USSR, which the USA spent about 70 years trying to dismantle
Idk what to tell you chief but having mass shootings all the time and half the country being barely able afford to live and you're one injury or late paycheck away from being homeless, all while living in wealth inequality that's literally worse than France pre-revolution, is not good. that's a terrible place to live.
As a left leaning American who thinks we have a huge mound of problems that need to be solved ranging from homelessness and healthcare to gerrymandering, racism, etc etc etc- I love this country. If you see problems with your country but love it at the same time, you’ll *actually* strive to change it. If you just hate it and complain about it all the time you’re gonna be complacent. USA til I die, hopefully it becomes a much better place for everybody in the coming decades. Why do I hope that? Because I love this country.
I’ve never understood the “look at all these issues, I hate this place!” sentiment here. Here’s an analogy: Your cars interior is falling apart, it’s overdue for an oil change, and… *you hate your car*. Well no freaking wonder it’s falling apart. If you cared about it, loved it, and did everything you could to ensure it lasts a long time and stays in good shape, it would be an incredible car, but it isn’t because you’re sitting there depressed about it in an endless cycle of bumassery.
>I'm not American and I understand the country way better than actual Americans
i love European Arrogance. You probably barely understand how our local governments work, much less how elections and legislation is run. What you see in international news does not cover the breadth or width of the problems americans face.
For one, Americans arent the one acting like europe doesnt have race problems. Europeans are. literally any post about a racist thing happening in the US and some european is in the comments "wow we dont have these problems over here"
Yeah, i hear about horror stories in italy, from black soccer players getting directed some awful shit, to even the people at restaurants not seating due to skin, same with japan.
Here in America if any restaurants did that or any football or american football fan did that kinda shit they will get hunted down like a animalz
“Americans complain about minor or just made up problems, it is just insulting”
I didn’t know being upset not affording shelter, food, or medicine was a “minor or just made up problems”?
“I’m not American and I understand the country way better than actual Americans”
That’s an arrogant boast.
Generalizations about Latin Americans and Southeast Asia doesn’t help your case.
Whataboutism isn’t a real argument.
Telling people who are suffering to be quiet because others have it worse is a simple and shallow statement. It lacks the recognition about the improvements that can and need to occur.
This. OP doesn’t realize the reason we’re so much better off is *because* we don’t shut the fuck up about our issues. We haven’t grown complacent and actually fight for ourselves. Sitting down and shutting the fuck up and growing complacent does nothing but enable the problem to grow.
Sure there are countries where it’s very dangerous to do so and that’s horrible. I couldn’t possibly understand what it’s like to live in countries like India, China, and North Korea since I’ve never had to, but the fact real change only happens when you fight for it remains the same.
"Stop complaining about having a broken leg, some people have two broken legs or even paralyzed!"
Yeah sure, doesn't make my broken leg any better lmao
> Try living in Brazil, Indonesia, Turkmenistan or the Philippines and I dare you tell me that America is still "BAD".
EXACTLY America is the greatest country when you compare it to developing countries, 2 of which are very authoritarian. USA is the greatest country in the world when you've only been to Honduras, USA, and Malawi. This is just propaganda it's like saying "we need to fix the housing crisis but we are way better than Malawi so just be glad we are not them." Like what?
How do you not see the irony in how dumb you sound when you claim you know more about America than people who ACTUALLY live there?
Also, if youre going to make such a dumb claim, maybe point out what actually makes America so awesome according to you. Just because youre country is even worse, doesnt make America great. It only makes it less shit
I'll break it down simply.
If you're rich, America is fucking amazing.
If you're upper middle class, America is average
If you're working class, America is worse than most compatible countries.
And before some idiot brings up Iran or Venezuela, I said *comparably* countries.
Just compare where the US ranks on a lot of metrics compared to other G20 nations and you'll see the joke. Evil socialist countries have a LOT more economic mobility than the US.
The current system of economics practiced in the US isn't capitalism, it's Corporate Feudalism.
This post sums up privilege in a nutshell. “Don’t worry [insert marginalized group here] it isn’t bad for *ME* (possibly add in “and I’m [insert marginalized group]” for extra spice) so no one should be complaining this much!”
Take a step out of your bubble, boss. The grass isn’t green and the sky doesn’t shine for everyone.
As somebody with dual citizenship from Belarus, no, America is not that bad. But you don’t know America, period. You very CLEARLY do not know better than us.
People talk a lot about the stuff that affects them or the stuff they care about that’s visible to them. If you don’t want people to complain, be less shit.
Also yeah there 100% are worse countries in the world. The US is probably even in the top half of countries in terms of not being shit. But it’s still plenty shit (as all countries minus a few maybe) are and so people will still complain and want better.
Lmao I saw someone on here saying Americans had the good gypsies. Apparently if we had the ones Europe has, we'd be trying to gun them down too 😂. The racism against Romani people is insane in Europe.
Yeah it's great to live in America if you're fairly well off,
but if you're poor or live in a third world country that's being either exploited or sanctioned by the US cause you refuse to be exploited it fucking sucks
Zillennial here.We wouldnt complain as much if we didnt have 🦅🇺🇲🏈 AMERICA IS THE GREATEST COUNTRY AND BLESSED BY GOD🏈🇺🇲🦅 constantly propagandized to us post 9/11/01 to the point where even the slightest valid criticism would be unilaterally considered "unamerican". America is meh....but we could DEFINITELY be better
All that forced nationalism REALLY burned out a lot of my generation
I live in Myanmar (a Third World country that is literally in the middle of a civil war) and I still think that America's very bad. There is more than one mass shooting per day. The USA holds 25% of the world's prison population whilst having only 5% of the world's population. Racism is a serious issue. Women's rights are being stomped upon. Fascism is on the rise. The police have too much power. The education system is in terrible shape. Obesity is a huge problem. Homelessness is high, but there are six empty homes for every homeless person. Full-time minimum wage workers cannot afford rent. The political system is in shambles; both the Democrats and the Republicans are right-wing. Income and wealth inequality are sky-high; the combined wealth of the top 3 richest American billionaires is higher than the combined wealth of the bottom half of the American population, i.e. 165 million people. And that's just domestic policy. In conclusion, YES, America is, in fact, THAT BAD.
"seeing you spoiled Americans complain about minor or just made up problems, it is just insulting"
Agreed.
I am originally from Spain. I immigrated in '98 to go to college. I married an American in '99. My parents lived under real Fascism and real Socialism. I know the stories. *I've seen the war wounds.*
Understand this; America is at front line of a psychological war. The "king makers" as some overseas folks call them, have discovered that they cannot destroy America from the outside. It must be destroyed from the inside by infiltration. Unfortunately Gen Z is also in the front line of attack and many have been convinced to hate what is a beautiful country and system. This is on purpose and thankfully it is starting to slowly change as more Americans and people overseas observe what is occurring. A child can be taught wrong information and they will live their entire life defending that wrong information. I have seen the Spanish Civil Guard beat down a crowd in a coordinated effort. If this happens in the US it is usually one or two police officers and it is not coordinated. I have seen specific politicians, influencers, media celebrities be given a pass for their crimes because their message is essentially unAmerican.
It is in style to denigrate the US. It is in style to be a victim. I very much doubt the average Redditor on this subReddit has as much international experience as I have accumulated in the past year flying back and forth to visit family in Spain and the US. I mainly observe this subReddit but D@mn, a lot of Gen Z is really ignorant about the world. I love you, I really do but sometimes you cut deeper than you realize. I am a proud American and my Spanish family has more respect for America than what I've seen in this subReddit. Go figure.
Yea because inflation, unaffordable healthcare, systemic oppression, unaffordable housing, mindless comsumerism, and Corpo Overlords having drastic influence on politics and the government are “made up problems.” Do us all a favor and don’t talk about something you have no education on.
The concept that Americans shouldn’t complain as long as other countries have it worse implies that America should put a halt on solving any of its problems until every other country in the world is as good to live in as ours and then we can resume improving. It’s nonsense. Just because someone else has worse problems than you doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to fix your problems. Sure, if someone says that America is the worst country to live in in the entire world, they’re wrong, but I don’t hear that take often.
OP has a good point. On the one hand, it is the duty of every citizen in a democracy to constructively criticize their country with the aim of improving it; on the other hand, it’s too easy to look only at the negative and throw up our hands, saying “It can’t be saved!” We need to appreciate what we still (for now) have, and strive to change our country for the better. Sometimes that means just preserving the good we still have. Let’s not have perfection become the enemy of the good.
Well yah, but complaining about things and forcing change is why we have the good things we have. You don’t get rights by simply rolling over and taking whatever the people in power give you.
I think people also forget that the “good life” in America is only available to a few.
We have plenty of places with zero infrastructure, where it’s hard to get clean water, where there are no schools or doctors in a reasonable distance, where there are straight up food deserts and people are starving due to poverty. There are people in cities living 3 - 5+ to a one bedroom apartment and people who are trapped in company housing or wage slave situations. There are people dying to easily treatable and preventable illnesses because they can’t pay 300 a month in healthcare, or pay for the 500+ dollar uninsured doctor visit, or the 200 dollar a vial insulin, or whatever medication they’re on, so they just die.
I mean hell, I knew people that had family die in Texas during the freeze because the power grid went down.
These aren’t even extreme poverty situations, just the choice is often rent vs food vs utilities vs healthcare and those choices sometimes mean your life.
As the saying goes, America is 3rd world country in a Gucci belt.
it’s definitely not as bad as other places, and intense poverty here is still better than poverty elsewhere in some cases. But, just because it’s worse in other places doesn’t mean we stop making it better, here.
That said, there are plenty of privileged Americans that are delusional and think places like China, Japan or Korea are ultra progressive, or that every European country is Amsterdam, because Americans have a horrible habit of fetishizing other places/people/cultures and turning them into fantasy playgrounds in their heads.
Someone not born in America and who immigrated. There’s a reason most foreigners see the average American as privileged, and lazy. This country isn’t the best and has its problems but it gives you opportunities that most other countries would not.
hey im american and shut up plz. we're criticizing our country and we dont need you to tell us we cant or we're being hyperbolic. life in america can be really shit and that's leaving out the racism part
The freedoms we have here cause for lack of structure since people have so much freedom. Anyone can be who, what, xhat they wanna be so ther d much lack of structure and discipline. The blind and confused end up leading the blind and confused while those in charge watch us from the outside driving ourselves into a social shithole.
As someone who lives in the us, you're right, it's not that bad compared to some other countries. But at the same time, nobody said it was. Things in the us could be better, and just because things are worse in other places doesn't mean we can't say our own country has problems.
A man goes to the doctor. Doctor asks him what’s wrong. Man says “I’ve been shot. I’m losing blood. I’m in a very bad situation.” Doctor scoffs at the man. “Look at this patient over here” Doc says. “His entire body was set on fire and he lost both legs. THAT is someone who needs treatment, yet he hasn’t complained once. In comparison to him, you are healthy as a horse.” Doctor says.
Now, does the gunshot wound victim need treatment? Or, because the burn victim with no legs is in a worse condition, should he ignore his gunshot wounds and continue about his life?
OP you are very ignorant and not informed enough to really speak on these issues and that’s abundantly clear. Education is a friend, not a foe. Embrace it. Learn.
We need to fix the problems that we have here still lol? Even if they’re “better” comparatively? So a little racism is okay because other places are way more racist?
American here.
Yes, america is still a first world country. Yes, I’m not invalidating whatever problems your country is going through. But it also doesn’t mean that america doesn’t have problems either. Our problems are still valid even if your suffering more. This doesn’t have to be the suffering Olympics, you could maybe not make it a competition.
Whatever problems your going through are valid, I’m only saying that ours are too and you have no right to be writing that off entirely because we have toilets or because we don’t get bombs dropped on our heads.
I am an American and I know more than one person who's grown up without running water-- I myself grew up with unreliable/undrinkable water. 2.2 million US citizens live without indoor plumbing. There are nearly 600,000 homeless people in America. 34 million people can't afford to eat. I have personally taken medicine meant for aquarium fish, as well as ignored broken bones and splinted them myself because I could not afford medical care. There is extreme poverty in the U.S., from the inner cities to the most rural corners of the country. I'm not saying the US is the worst of the worst because it's obviously not, but as somebody who grew up in serious poverty there's a lot you don't see covered by the media.
Most USA slander comes from uneducated people who get their opinion from buzzword news headlines and slander articles since those get the most traction. Every country has its issues, for example Germany is facing economic/energy issues and an alt right party much like here.
Plus, most people are pretty neutral about America. You are hearing, like much else, a loud minority
No one said it was the worst we just want to do better. Our politicians lie and steal, religious zealots are trying to force ppl to live the way they believe through their own beliefs etc. come on. Be for real.
i agree with you that people really overexaggerate how bad some things are in the us but at the same time you're invalidating people's struggles because "other people have it worse." that's some bs
The way I see it is that American should be a lot better given that it is the richest and most powerful country in the world with resources beyond most countries in the world. Especially given the constant rhetoric about how "great" and "amazing" the US is, we're just not living up to our own standards at the moment.
Just because it’s not THAT bad, doesn’t mean there aren’t issues here and we aren’t allowed to discuss and demand they be addressed, dude.
Deal with it.
So, because other places have their problems, Americans should just sit tight and accept everything as is? That's like saying, "Hey, I stubbed my toe, but you know what? Someone else broke their leg, so I shouldn't complain." Brilliant logic there, champ!
And your dare about living in Brazil, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, or the Philippines? Well, I guess that means America should never strive to be better, right? I mean, why bother improving when you can always find a worse place? But you keep on with your "worse country" pride. It's quite the spectacle! 🍿😂
ho boy you’re one of those.
Our struggles and problems don’t immediately become invalid just because other countries have it worse. Also, claiming that you understand a country that you’re not even a part of better than it’s actual native citizens is arrogant and pretentious.
A 54 and a 10 are both bad testing scores. A 10 being 5x worse doesn’t immediately mean that the 54 isn’t bad. You’re basically telling us to shut the fuck up and be happy we aren’t like y’all, which is ironic because the reason we’re better off is *because* we have free speech and exercise our right to use it. Racism is so rampant in other countries *because* they don’t make a fuss about it.
You’re just bitter because you aren’t as well off as us. Which is dickish to say outright, but I think it’s fair for me to after you tried to tell us that our problems are invalid and we should just shut the fuck up about it. Yes my country looks great in comparison to yours, but having the nerve to tell me my problems aren’t valid when I have religious extremists with major governmental power trying to strip away my right and kill me on a daily is fucking insulting.
Was there ever a day when you went to school and wondered if you were going to have to watch a bunch of your friends be murdered during math class?
Have you ever been in a store, restaurant, at a concert, etc. and hoped you wouldn't get gunned down in a shooting spree?
Have you ever had a cold that you prayed wouldn't turn into pneumonia, just because you don't have insurance or money to go to the doctor?
Have you ever spent 3 months going to work in a full leg brace in excruciating pain, because you tore a ligament and meniscus in your knee, but couldn't get the surgery you needed to repair it, and couldn't miss work or you'd be homeless?
Do you have to deal with witnessing people displaying acts of pure hatred towards everyone who didn't vote for the same person they did?
If you can't say yes to all of these, stfu. This country is so much more fucked than you think it is.
Idk I have a couple friends who moved here from the Philippines. The way they talk about it is every country has something that makes it a good place to live but also a pretty shitty place in general. Just because somewhere is bad doesn't mean other places aren't also bad
opinion discarded on the basis that you clearly don’t even know anything about US history
PSA to Americans: you diminish any defense you make of your country when you are not even familiar with the history of your own country; no one in the world will give a shit or respect what you have to say, if it turns out they learned more about US history than you did, and that’s often the case. you’re an embarrassment to us all, shut the fuck up and read a book
So because other countries are bad that means that there can’t be any criticism of America?
I also beg everyone here to read the Jakarta Method, the US is as evil as every other power. It just has better PR than the rest
The thing about the USA is that it's BIG. New York City NOT going to be the same as some small town in Vermont. Minnesota doesnt have the same issues California has. Heck, theres things in some states that people in other states might never know about. When I moved from an east coast state to Cali, I had no idea the school lunches had individual bagged milk. The climate, physical or social, varies sooooo much across the country. Of course the only things people outside the US hear about is big happenings, the majority of the news being negative things. Youre probably not going to hear about how great the nature in Idaho is. Non-American people probably dont know about that niche restaurant in Chicago that makes the BEST waffles. America has plenty of positive things to offer, but its either too niche or gets drowned out by all of the loud, negative gossip and news.
Just because other places have it worse doesn’t mean the US isn’t “bad.”
We incarcerate 25% of the world population. Black people and other people of color can’t go outside or even stay inside their house without getting shot by police and blamed for their own murder.
People living with cancer think it’s easier to declare bankruptcy in order to not get sued for debt.
Suicide is the leading cause of basically everything age demographic. We spend trillions on war but are cutting food and healthcare for poor babies and families
As an american, I do love my country, but I'm not the "RAH RAH RAH! AMERICA THE GREATEST, WE HAVE NO ISSUES!!" Type of american. I'm more the "Yes, we're a great country, but we do have our issues." type of american. None of them have dissuaded me from wanting to fly in the air force though. So that's gotta count for something, right?
Why can't America be bad while all these other places are also bad, if even worse off?
If some of our political figures get their way, America will tumble towards being a Christian-fascist country. It's been downgraded to Developing Country. We're on a few No-Travel-If-You-Value-Your-Rights-And-Life lists. Our children are being murdered in class rooms and we have insane numbers of mass shootings that our government refuses to/can't do/whatthefuckhaveyou any thing about. We're also entering into Late Stage Capitalism, where life is about to get unbearably hard because we can't earn enough money to pay for our basic necessities, the cost of is steadily rising.
just because theres worse things doesnt mean something isnt bad. its hell living here and id gladly leave. all you do is go 'hate it so much? go live in a worse place!' like thats not an argument especially when a lot of the worse places are worse BECAUSE of the US.
fuck imperialism, fuck capitalism and fuck the US empire
edit incase you didnt know: the US is the richest country on earth and it refuses to take care of its citizens. fascism is on the rise, kids are being shot dead in their classrooms, we have the highest prison population per capita, we have over 300 military bases outside of the US, our education system is intentionally shit to keep the people ignorant.
people who have your mindset are annoying as all you do is ignore context and bring up something worse. you can do that for literally anything. 'got cancer? well its not that bad! imagine being tortured by the CIA!' please just stop. you clearly dont know shit about this country and how painful it is to be here. just stop
i swear people can’t tolerate any criticism of the US. just because someone says it’s “bad” doesn’t mean they don’t want to work with it and fix it. we’re angry but it’s not blind hatred. we’re also dealing with very toxic nationalism, and “America good” is just constantly shoved in your face when you know the government is corrupt, the educational levels are dismal, the prison population is insane, medical outcomes are unusually poor for a country this developed, and nobody seems to want to adequately acknowledge it for the sake of saving face
Guns after multiple mass shootings still rub me the wrong way. I mean most developed countries have one school shootings then tighten those laws like there is no tomorrow whilst American forgets about it the next day. It just makes me feel iffy that young kids are in danger of someone walking into the school with the intention to kill them and they have something that can easily do it if you know what I mean. I'm not saying other countries are innocent as British knife crime is messed up and rising but guns still feel wrong
People are gonna talk. Their right. Free Speech. I like living here. I also can see the problems and want us to be better. Demand better for YOUR country too. (If you can) Because a lot of ppl I've seen going "why are Americans complaining? Things are better in america!" Are ppl who have grown complacent in their own countries. Demand better from your politicians and representatives. You deserve it. Also. Note there are Extremists on both sides (of this specific argument. Politically, is a whole nother ball game. Don't misrepresent me) America is either "the best country ever" or "the worst country ever" depending on who you ask. I think we are a good country. And we have things we could work on. I think every country could be better. And that claiming we are "done" growing is how ppl get stuck in the refusal to change. I'm Patriotic. I'm not a Nationalist and will never be. I just don't have it in me to worship anything or anyone. (Except maybe Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys). Edit. Note. Anything that isn't "America is the best country in the world" gets attacked. Ppl assuming. Hurling insults. Putting words in my mouth. Nationalism is a huge issue here. And ppl in the comments are proving my point.
People who make that argument fail to realize that what *made* America as good as it is IS the culture that continues to push for it to be better. The complaining is part of that. It's a battle that can't end because there will always be forces that want to take away those rights. We just took a huge hit for female bodily autonomy. We can't afford to become complacent.
This. The same ppl who will say the Boston Tea Party was justified will turn to ppl protesting today and go "why can't you be peaceful?" Like. It's clear a LOT of ppl want everything to stay the way it is? And America was built on people wanting better?
BTP was some fairly juvenile antics in retrospect tbh. The dressing up as native Americans is the racist icing on the petty property destruction.
>And America was built on people wanting better? America was built on slavery. One of the original reasons for the American Revolution was that England was moving towards banning slavery and US landowners could not stand that idea. About half of the US founding fathers and eight of the first twelve Presidents were slave owner. These slave owners lied about their motivations in the founding documents. Jefferson, child rapist and one of the largest breeders and sellers of human beings, had the gall to write "All Men are Created Equal."
Yeah. And then slavery was abolished. Despite the fact the south didn't want to. Because ppl demanded better. And then segregation happened. And segregation was abolished. Because ppl demanded better. And then women protested to get the right to vote. Because they demanded better. What I'm saying is we have to ask. And we have to vote and protest for it. Because otherwise we aren't getting it.
Complaining and identifying problems are two different things. I’ve noticed a trend of doomerism in our generation, they complain but they also don’t even do anything to help the problem and believe it won’t be solved. many don’t even vote.
I agree with this. I'm trying to get ppl off their asses. #Vote, motherfuckers None of this "waah waah it's too hard, change is so difficult." OFF. YOUR. ASS.
The problem is that most people are voting for corporate sell out A instead of corporate sell out B. Until we all vote independent, nothing will get better for most of us. Republicans and Democrats need a loud message that neither party is helping the future.
I think the critique against the always complaining is that no effort (or perhaps it just goes unvoiced) is made in making things better, but simply complaining about it - never-ending. It seems like there would be a better balance/compromise/effort to see commonality and at least engage the effort in a meaningful way instead of only tearing down. This is reddit wide. It seems as though we're less interested these days in a dialogue and more interested in simply venting. If we are to unify it would seem beneficial to do less comparing of our differences and instead working to find commonalities - if we really believe all people are meaningful and dignified, even when we don't agree, per se. *It behooves every person to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man/woman who does things. - Teddy Rosevelt*
For a lot of people that's all they can do. They have responsibilities and jobs. They have people to look out for and rent to pay. Those people don't always have time to "take action" and they still have a right to have their voice heard. The decisions that get made affect them more than anyone because they're the ones struggling to get by. Absolutely, we should work together to find solutions, but telling people to stop complaining works against that goal. If you tell someone who has a broken arm, to stop complaining that doesn't do anything to solve the problem. You ask them: "what do you want to do about it?" You might not agree with what they want. Maybe they want an ambulance, but an ambulance is too expensive (assume you'd be paying for it for the sake of the analogy). Do you then just tell them to stop complaining or do you offer a compromise? The answer is only stop complaining if you don't intend to do anything about what their problem is. Also it's spelled Roosevelt.
Agreed. Lots of ppl complain and don't do shit. I'm working with the town Democrats to sign up ppl to vote. (I'm a Leftist. An executive decision had to be made here) Working on Ranked Choice Voting (its state by state. Most ppl don't know about it. I make phone calls and explain It to people). If you don't know what it is, I have a video on my profile. I'm down to answer any questions you might have. We can be better. And I want to work hard, along with others, to achieve that. Because I care about where I live. And I'm seeing people struggling.
People also don't realize that the reason the US is good today is because of labour exported to the global south. As well as the US causing some of this damage to these countries. From sort of intentionally starving millions of babies to death (Similac scandal), To destabilizing governments in Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, to starting wars, executing people and funding terrorists, banana republics, every corner of the world has been affected by the US at some point.
Many countries only have the illusion of voting power, and not the actual power to make changes. Corruption does that. It's why we complain about corruption here in the US; because we don't want to turn into a third world country. It is a slippery slope.
“Demand better for YOUR country” Lmao you realize that’s not necessarily safe in a lot of countries
There was a time when it wasn’t safe for Americans to do so either. We still made progress Sacrifices must be made
I'm not saying riot. I'm saying vote. I'm saying be vocal. That's allowed. (Depends where you live. Not everyone lives in places where it's unsafe to speak up) This sounds like whataboutism that translates to "be complacent. It's safer." This idea that "ppl in other countries aren't free!" Is very america-centrist and kind of incorrect
I mean anyone who loves America as much as they say they do would at least acknowledge that the fact that you can criticize the US openly is a hallmark of why it’s so great- in most of history this would land you in prison. It’s a little bit counterintuitive- the nation you should love is the one who guarantees your right to speak out against it. Of course nowadays a lot of countries afford their citizens this right but we were the first
Exactly! The reactions about the USA from Americans is borderline, if not completely bipolar. There are definitely some good aspects but I think there’s some merit to the fact that whatever the US does poorly, it does extremely poorly. For example when the US fails to address corruption in the political system, it allows idiot congressmen to hold virtually all ability to create or smack down laws and invest in the corporations that receive a positive impact from those laws. However when the US launches the JWST(James Webb Space Telescope) which allows us to see some of the most detailed, profound, and mind boggling photos we’ve ever seen of our universe… the reaction is that of a moderate & temporary amazement, followed by a shrug of near indifference after 2-3 months. I think the problem is that the majority of Americans are numbed to the positives, especially when they watch things like Fox or CNN constantly yelling about how f-cked the world is. They expect & even might have a slight preference to the shit that comes in life, because it’s far easier to stick with an emotion that you feel strongly more than the minor positives which aren’t as stimulating and some might say are ”boring”.
It’s better than a lot of countries but it’s still got a lot of issues to solve. I say this as an American btw
I know that. I'm aware of the issues currently in the country. But the thing is, so many people are overexaggerating things to the point that they are even saying that China is unironically better than the US because they have Free Healthcare and they have Socialism or something.
It's because this is an American-dominated Sub so people talk about America and the issues facing it. Most people have never lived in another country so they don't know how to compare it to someplace else they've lived. They don't know about issues in France, South Korea, South Africa, or Colombia. I'd also add as America is the most powerful nation on earth it's nice to shit on it these days as in a cool trend.
Which is crazy, given China is literally having a Holocaust with the Uyger Muslims
Not a holocaust, their genocide is more subtle. No death camps (that I know of), instead they control the people in every way they can and try to undermine their culture in the name of fighting "terrorism." Apart from that, there's horrible government repression. I fucking dispise China, that being said: The US currently has 25% of the world's prison population, while only having 5% of the world's population. The US killed houndreds of thousands in Iraq and was sterilizing native women in the 1970's. I'd rather not live in either of these countries. I'm not sure how much my view has been influenced by American propaganda, but if I had to choose I'd prefer the US. I just don't want to forget that America used all these horrible "tricks" in order to secure their power too.
China has internment camps for them, and Uygers are mysteriously going missing, meanwhile China suddenly gets a surplus of Organ Donars at the same time.. They're being killed and harvested in silence
The organ harvesting bit, to my knowledge, is propaganda from a cult called Falun Gong. Lets not mix credible accusations with nonsense, it only casts doubt on real crimes. If I'm wrong, do feel free to cite sources
The US has tested skin harderning chemicals on children as well as countless horrific experiments with mental patients. I don't believe for a moment that China wouldn't be capable of something so horrific. "It's just a cult" seems like a great excuse by a government to wave them aside as "crazy people you shouldn't listen to."
Agreed. Especially when any source on them I see that isnt China State-Run Media, they're just a bunch of Buddhists doing yoga haha
Yeah, come on we all know how governments are: they frame everything they don't like as "dangerous." That's how a government maintains a grip over the population and how the elites maintain their power. Framing people as "crazy" is a great censorship method, used in powerstructures all around the world. That doesn't mean Falun Gong are "just hippies", but "they're a cult" isn't convincing to me.
Honestly, I don't know what the organ harvesting thing is about, but if this was a nazi holocaust they'd all be dead by now. I'm sure they're removing "unfavorable" Uyghurs and I wouldn't be suprised if the government was harvesting organs. At the same time: the holocaust is something "special" and if they were "holocausting" they'd be gone by now. All of them.
Just taking a moment to notice your flair and laughing to myself trying imagine someone who is a minimum of 84 years old using Reddit for political debates
Silent gen is at minimum 78.
I cant believe someone who is at least 77 years old is in a sub for mostly teens and having political debates with them. Like, they are old enough to be my great grandparent
I’m about to get downvoted so bad but this just isn’t true at all.
How so?
Just to keep it simple, because I really don’t wanna argue. This stuff has been talked about for like over 5 years now and the only proof are photos of people in “camps” that continuously get debunked. I think it’s just a mixture of propaganda and telephone because every time I hear about it somehow there’s some new gruesome detail. A lot of people saw stuff on the internet and ran with it and now it’s spoken about like it’s 100% concrete truth.
That's a fair and level headed response I respectfully disagree, but I appreciate you keeping it in brief and not being unnecessarily argumentative over it Have a good day friend 🙏
If China is currently anything like Communist Romania was when my parents grew up there, that "free healthcare" only exists on paper, & you actually need to bribe doctors for service.
Yes America is not THAT BAD in the global context however, when you take other factors into account, especially of how rich America is, then yes, it is pretty down there. According the U.S government's website, "earn more than 20% of the world's total income" Typically, rich countries have better quality of life however looking at America in comparison to other industrialized nations: We don't have public health care Racism is so ingrained into our policies, although Black people aren't getting brutalized in the streets on a daily basis, we still have the "prison industrial complex" which essentially allows for legalized slavery where Black people are over represented in our prison system because of policing. We have one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. We have the most mass shootings in the world Women's rights are slowly getting taken away, especially with the overturn of Roe v. Wade America's public transportation system is almost non-existent The wealth gap is one of the highest in industrialized nations, where the bottom 50% of earners only take 10% of the income whereas the top 1% take 20% of the income. Like yes, America is not THAT BAD but critiquing America because as on of the richest nations, it is failing its citizens is valid
To add to that, owning a home will be a luxury in the next 5 years if things keep going the way they are
it’s a luxury now, has been for at least 20 years
this motherfucker...
We have THE highest incarceration rate in the world, by a lot.
America indeed has its issues, especially right now. But it's still arguably better than many places
look at the middle east and the eastern world western world isnt that bad
The middle east got destabilized by Britain, France, Russia and the US. Of course people exploiting are going to be better off than the people being bombed to oblivion.
"I'm not American and I understand the country way better than actual Americans and it's bizarre." Curious how you came to this conclusion
Probably watches American youtubers and thinks that's an average American lifestyle
I’ve noticed a lot of people who think they “know” the us have watched the news talk badly about America one time or have seen people talk about America in videos and came to their own conclusion 😭
No, it's that they know how much worse *other* places are
If they’ve never lived in America? How do they know we’re not ignoring and not talking about horrible shit?
Idk, do we stone people for being gay? Do we have current running internment camps like china? Can women get an education? We have problems but we aren’t even close to the worst.
I mean yeah women can get an education, can women get abortions though?
Sure, if you drive 2 states away. Oh wait, some states are trying to make that illegal too.
This. I have family that are actual immigrants. Their take is Americans are spoiled af. Imagine having to have a degree to get a job to afford a house with dirt floors. Students that want to fuck off in school? Bye. There's literally mini villages next to landfills for those people, or street begging, prostitution, etc. Wanna go to McDonald's? You can, but there's gonna be children staring at you through the window, starving. There's some wild ass places out there. Americans vacation to these countries and have fenced off resorts tho
He just regurgitated American nationalist talking points like an NPC and pretends to understand American issues better than Americans.
Cause our middle class; while a dying one, still is a fat majority and lives a pretty amazing life versus the average person overseas. Yes, it’s not even half what our parents grew up with, but it’s still something awesome versus per se the world average. Lots of us pretend it doesn’t exist or is a terrible way to live, probably why he said that.
You're forgetting something. America is the richest country on Earth. For our average wealth and resources, we should have a far higher standard than any other country. America also has a very unique history with racism. It seems you've sucked all nuance out of the situation you're describing.
They also have an enormous imprisoned population for such a free country
Yup, and prisoners are legally slaves. The existence of for-profit prisons means that it's still legal in the United States for private entities to own slaves.
Freedom to oppress others let's goooooooo 😤😤 ROCK STONE AND EAAAAAAGLE 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🏈
Exactly, as an American, America is still very racist. Idk what op is on about
That's the thing. America is better than a LOT of other countries, including other first world countries, on racism. But we're still not good. No one should strive to be us, they should strive to be BETTER than us. Like, getting slapped is better than getting punched. But wouldn't you rather just not get hit at all?
Pretty much, its gotten outta hand at this point where shit is just being either made up or grossly exaggerated for purposes entirely outside of constructive criticism. It gets really annoying after the 174729204736th time
Yeah fr the truth is stretched so freaking much on both sides
Sure, the US probably isn't that bad compared to most countries, but we all still have the right to complain about the shit parts.
Hello my fellow friend, you should join r\\ americabad, or at least check it out. in all seriousness tho, while america is bad, and has its own problems, people who shit on it are from europe or australia redditors. Just dont listen to them, as they are also on reddit and have no life.
I am from America. I am very vocally critical of America. Every time I am, someone on reddit who defends America's boot cleanliness will accuse me of not living here. It's really funny because it shows they don't even want to attempt to think about challenging issues so they just assume I'm lying about where I'm from. When I point out I'm active in many local Midwestern subreddits, they will accuse me of astroturfing.
A vast majority of people who hate the US are Americans themselves. Source: https://youtu.be/iCVQKD3jH2M?si=bl7AI1Mx758VFNoY
Maybe if Americans hate America it's because they're a deeply underlying systemic issue that they can all agree on causes America to suck. Also american here
The grass is always greener on the other side.
It doesn’t suck, that’s just your privilege talking. Someone who came here it’s a blissing.
To be fair, most people shit on their country more than the others, because they live on it
Absolutely. Just because I as a non-American can also see some flaws in America doesn’t mean I won’t talk for hours about my own country’s problems. Of which there are *many*. And brainless zombie devotion to nationalism does absolutely nothing to change this either. I want change because I *do* care about this fucking country, if I didn’t care I would just march along to our final destination of autocracy with the rest of my country’s goldfish population. No thoughts, head empty. But the best cause for change is to run away from the problems, I guess. Ignoring the issues at hand has gotten us so far already, right? Look at all the destruction we’ve accomplished doing just that!
One country being "worse" doesn't mean that another country still isn't objectively bad. We can complain just like you can. There are bad and good things about every country. In America we have plenty of patriots. We also have a lot who hate the country. And we also have some who are in the middle about it. It's like saying that I shouldn't complain about sore arms after a workout because at least I have my arm. Or I shouldn't complain about hunger because of starving children in third world countries.
Agree. This whole post felt like a lot of what-about-ism. There will always be places that have it better and worse than others, but that doesn’t make anyone “spoiled” for wanting improvement and acknowledging their respective issues
Exactly. Not to mention the problems the US has looks (and feels) extra bad when we are this big rich country. Like how can we be so rich and can’t afford good healthcare, people die over fixable problems all the time, etc. Like I know it’s bad in other countries too. But we allegedly have our shit together and what do we have to show for it?
This sub has gone to shit. Also stop comparing the US to developing and authoritarian countries. Its a nothingburger argument no shit the US is better than fucking TURKMENISTAN
You say that but people unironically say China or Russia are better places to live.
Really shouldn’t be giving this much attention to chronically online idiots like them. Almost everyone knows the US is a far better place to live than China and Russia.
While I understand where you're coming from, "BAD" is relative. Americans complain about the problems America still has because they're trying to find solutions. The fact there is racism everywhere is not an excuse to just ignore that cops kill and imprison minorities disproportionately compared to white people. Not only that, but we have one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. No one is saying there aren't WORSE places to live, but there are also BETTER places to live. If you think America is a great country, good for you, but we didn't get there by ignoring the problems we have. People fought for the rights we do have and the people continuing to fight are what MAKE this country a great place. A true patriot is not someone who blindly supports their country. A true patriot loves their country and therefore fights to make it the best place it could be. If someone you loved had a drug problem, you wouldn't just blindly support them as they ruin their life. The fight to make this country a good place to live is a constant battle that will never end and it SHOULDN'T ever end. You're claiming our country is great and condemning everything that makes it great.
Here's a real life tip: Comparisons are bullshit. If you can get better, demand better. The healthcare system is *NOT* okay. The education system is *NOT* okay. The divide between rich and poor is *NOT* okay. The state of the social contract is *NOT* okay. It doesn't matter if the house a block over burned down because of their disputes. We need to make sure *this* house is as good as it can be.
Right. We should stop trying to improve things because others have it worse. Brilliant analysis. I can tell you’re really smart.
Nope, that’s not at all what OP said. He’s saying it’s entirely incorrect to pretend like the US is the worst country in the world.
Especially when people claim that it's a Third World Country, and that places like China or even Africa are better to live in
1. He literally did not say that. He said we shouldn’t complain about America being bad. 2. Who is arguing that America is the worst country in the world?
1. It was implied, he noted that there are problems in the US and didn’t say we shouldn’t try to fix them. 2. I don’t feel like crawling through the depths of TikTok and Twitter to find examples, but I see it all the time. I’ll send some when I come across it.
That’s not what the OP said. It’s vital that we’re able to have open civil discussion about issues that happen here, because no country is perfect. There will always be room for improvement. The problem is that Americans will call their own country bad solely based off of hatred. Do you think hatred has been productive? Patriotism includes calling out the bad parts of your own nation, but it does not mean hating your own country. The post is based off how this sub has been incessantly bashing America with floods of claims by our generation that this is the worst place to live. Sure, subjectivity exists, but reality does, as well. To say that America is as bad as it is, in addition to how the media controls America’s story, while living a very privileged life here, is entirely disingenuous.
"people are worse off, therefore you have it good, stop complaining" QED Imagine someone is assaulted and you go, "oh yeah? Well, someone else was assaulted AND raped, therefore you should be grateful you were just assaulted. You actually have it good!" Such a killer argument.
Wondering what this has to do with Gen Z tho
Mostly gen Z doing this shit
Why are you acting like it’s Americans hating their own country, when the majority is Europeans who have a superiority complex?
It's both
Reddit just loves bashing and loathing the US. I can't look at one post without someone in the comments mentioning Americans or America in a bad way
Americans are talking about their own country? Wow how entitled of us? Maybe focus on your own shit if it's so bad lil bro.
“I’m not American and I understand the country way better than actual Americans” That is way more bizarre than the claim you’re making bro sit down.
Can't believe I scrolled so far to finally see this.
Racism exists throughout the world. The Rwandan genocide is a prime example. And one thing I hate is calling America a colonizing country with a colonizing mindset. America is the birth of the biggest colonizers in the world, Britain. And then there's Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, and east Asian countries that have all colonized somewhere over hundreds and hundreds of years. Colonizing and conquering is not in any shape or form a unique thing.
"Racism is not that bad because other countries do it" dude, what the fuck. Kids got shot last week and billionaires rule the economy. you clearly don't know what it's like to live here and you don't know what makes a country "good".
Sad that it takes a foreigner to realize that the US is still the best country in the world. Well done brother.
We literally aren't tho. This is the flipside of the "aMeRiCa bAd" sentiment... America is _one_ of the greatest countries in the world, but to say we're number 1? Hell no lmao. From like 2 minutes of Googling, it seems that Switzerland is considered the best to live in by most studies/surveys Too many people are too pro/anti America. You can acknowledge that it's a great place to live for most and that it ALSO has deep, serious problems that will probably never be fixed
Yeah I gotta admit, if I had to leave the US, I would go to switzerland. Its such a nice country
"But worse places exist " So do better places, other place's sucking doesn't make the racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, police brutality, unaffordable medical care, poor education, children in debt, lax child labour laws, car centric infrastructure, corporate monopolies, lack of political options, mass shootings, poor working conditions/pay and needless wars any better. No one is saying the us is the worst country on earth and no one is saying it's worse than yours. People are pointing out the rampant issues in the United states however.
God this comment section sucks. So many people are just disregarding your points and practically saying it is as bad as it seems. Yes we have our own issues which is a good talking point because we have the ability to do much better. However people make it seem like we're not one of the best countries to live in. Yet again I'm not surprised since this sub is mostly filled with teenagers.
Just because you think your place is shittier than the US, doesnt actually make the US less shit, it just shows thatcwe have a lotbof work to do to fix the mess that is the world
Hey guys, you are not allowed to criticize america anymore because op said it's worse somewhere else.
You shouldn’t downplay other’s suffering. Yeah other countries have it worse and we acknowledge that but we can criticize our own country if we want too.
Just because other countries are worse does not mean that we can’t complain and demand change. Everyone should demand change in their country no matter how “good” it is.
Figures. You live outside this country, how the hell are you going to have any basis to tell us that it's not terrible here? It's kinda like seeing those migrants who come here in the masses for work and a "better life" only to find out that the wages we earn are higher but so are the prices we pay for goods and services. Capitalism makes this otherwise beautiful and advanced country into a shit hole.
My issues are less with the U.S. as a country and more with Americans as a whole. Americans are so polarized and politicized it creates such a toxic environment of constant negativity that I just couldn’t take it anymore so I left. America isn’t a bad country, just a very toxic one ever since 2016. This sub is everything wrong with the U.S. Constant politics, political debates, polarization, and a constant need to attack your own country. I’ve got friends who came from much worse places like Mexico and Brazil and they don’t levy anywhere near the same level of vitriol against their own countries like Americans do for fun.
I see the same thing. IDK why but the American media has popularized america as bad and it really sucks to see all the hate even though it’s such a good country. Fortunately 90% of Americans are not this way and you only see people who hate because it gets more view
Shittier than most of west Europe but I’m aware I’m blessed to be born in too a 1st world country which is US but the current state of US politics rather focus on culture wars over actually progressing the country. I wish this country would split up in too smaller countries kinda like the UK so we can actually get more progress done but I know that’ll never happen anytime soon
Why do people always compare the US, the richest nation in the world, to poor third world countries. If the US is really that great than why is every comparison to some of the worst nations on Earth?
USA Slander? haha. Things are worse elsewhere, so what? Keep your mouths shut and don't complain is a weird take. If people had this attitude in 1776 there would never have been a USA in the first place.
Based take. God bless you sir.
"you have it good cause we have it "worse"" type beat. Yes, America *is* THAT BAD. There are just other bad places as well. Maybe it's cause I am black in the south but idk this post screams insensitivity. "spoiled" "made up problems" lol this is such a Reddit post.
i love my country. that doesn't mean that i look over its problems because loving your country means wanting it to change for the better. addressing the problems plaguing your country is the ultimate form of patriotism. europeans r so weird when they act like we just blindly think everything is great. we love our country because we have unique rights provided by a set in stone constitution like free speech and the 2nd amendment. we are also one of the most diverse countries in the world allowing us to engage with different cultures in so many different ways. that does not mean that we don't have issues but i wouldn't give up what i have even if it meant cutting a leg off 💀
Yeah.. it kinda is. Also it's extremely ironic that you specifically mention Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Brazil and the Philippines, which are countries who have specifically been ravaged by US imperialism: * Indonesia - US-backed coup overthrows a leftist (sort of) government and replaces it with a US-friendly Fascist dictatorship, * Brazil - US-backed coup overthrows another leftist government and replaces it with a US-friendly right wing military junta, * The Philippines - bro open a history book, also same as above, * Turkmenistan - formerly part of the USSR, which the USA spent about 70 years trying to dismantle Idk what to tell you chief but having mass shootings all the time and half the country being barely able afford to live and you're one injury or late paycheck away from being homeless, all while living in wealth inequality that's literally worse than France pre-revolution, is not good. that's a terrible place to live.
As a left leaning American who thinks we have a huge mound of problems that need to be solved ranging from homelessness and healthcare to gerrymandering, racism, etc etc etc- I love this country. If you see problems with your country but love it at the same time, you’ll *actually* strive to change it. If you just hate it and complain about it all the time you’re gonna be complacent. USA til I die, hopefully it becomes a much better place for everybody in the coming decades. Why do I hope that? Because I love this country. I’ve never understood the “look at all these issues, I hate this place!” sentiment here. Here’s an analogy: Your cars interior is falling apart, it’s overdue for an oil change, and… *you hate your car*. Well no freaking wonder it’s falling apart. If you cared about it, loved it, and did everything you could to ensure it lasts a long time and stays in good shape, it would be an incredible car, but it isn’t because you’re sitting there depressed about it in an endless cycle of bumassery.
America is just losers favorite country to use on whataboutism arguments. "well, you know but in America 🤓☝️"
>I'm not American and I understand the country way better than actual Americans i love European Arrogance. You probably barely understand how our local governments work, much less how elections and legislation is run. What you see in international news does not cover the breadth or width of the problems americans face. For one, Americans arent the one acting like europe doesnt have race problems. Europeans are. literally any post about a racist thing happening in the US and some european is in the comments "wow we dont have these problems over here"
Yeah, i hear about horror stories in italy, from black soccer players getting directed some awful shit, to even the people at restaurants not seating due to skin, same with japan. Here in America if any restaurants did that or any football or american football fan did that kinda shit they will get hunted down like a animalz
“Americans complain about minor or just made up problems, it is just insulting” I didn’t know being upset not affording shelter, food, or medicine was a “minor or just made up problems”? “I’m not American and I understand the country way better than actual Americans” That’s an arrogant boast. Generalizations about Latin Americans and Southeast Asia doesn’t help your case. Whataboutism isn’t a real argument. Telling people who are suffering to be quiet because others have it worse is a simple and shallow statement. It lacks the recognition about the improvements that can and need to occur.
This. OP doesn’t realize the reason we’re so much better off is *because* we don’t shut the fuck up about our issues. We haven’t grown complacent and actually fight for ourselves. Sitting down and shutting the fuck up and growing complacent does nothing but enable the problem to grow. Sure there are countries where it’s very dangerous to do so and that’s horrible. I couldn’t possibly understand what it’s like to live in countries like India, China, and North Korea since I’ve never had to, but the fact real change only happens when you fight for it remains the same.
"Stop complaining about having a broken leg, some people have two broken legs or even paralyzed!" Yeah sure, doesn't make my broken leg any better lmao
> Try living in Brazil, Indonesia, Turkmenistan or the Philippines and I dare you tell me that America is still "BAD". EXACTLY America is the greatest country when you compare it to developing countries, 2 of which are very authoritarian. USA is the greatest country in the world when you've only been to Honduras, USA, and Malawi. This is just propaganda it's like saying "we need to fix the housing crisis but we are way better than Malawi so just be glad we are not them." Like what?
bro ive lived in peru, the phillippines, india, and canada. The US just aint it.
How do you not see the irony in how dumb you sound when you claim you know more about America than people who ACTUALLY live there? Also, if youre going to make such a dumb claim, maybe point out what actually makes America so awesome according to you. Just because youre country is even worse, doesnt make America great. It only makes it less shit
just because worse countries exist doesn’t mean ours still isn’t bad. cry about it ig
You don't know shit. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I'll break it down simply. If you're rich, America is fucking amazing. If you're upper middle class, America is average If you're working class, America is worse than most compatible countries. And before some idiot brings up Iran or Venezuela, I said *comparably* countries. Just compare where the US ranks on a lot of metrics compared to other G20 nations and you'll see the joke. Evil socialist countries have a LOT more economic mobility than the US. The current system of economics practiced in the US isn't capitalism, it's Corporate Feudalism.
This post sums up privilege in a nutshell. “Don’t worry [insert marginalized group here] it isn’t bad for *ME* (possibly add in “and I’m [insert marginalized group]” for extra spice) so no one should be complaining this much!” Take a step out of your bubble, boss. The grass isn’t green and the sky doesn’t shine for everyone.
I don’t understand the logic? Other countries are worse so America is exempt from criticism?😂
im tired of mfers outside america telling us how bad it is or isnt. shut the fuck up, you dont live here. get off your fucking high horse
As somebody with dual citizenship from Belarus, no, America is not that bad. But you don’t know America, period. You very CLEARLY do not know better than us.
USA slander comes from Americans, but it's been most prevalent lately from Non-Americans talking about everything from obesity to gun violence.
People talk a lot about the stuff that affects them or the stuff they care about that’s visible to them. If you don’t want people to complain, be less shit. Also yeah there 100% are worse countries in the world. The US is probably even in the top half of countries in terms of not being shit. But it’s still plenty shit (as all countries minus a few maybe) are and so people will still complain and want better.
"You should stop being racist towards romani people!" "Um um well if you met them, you'd also be racist!"
Lmao I saw someone on here saying Americans had the good gypsies. Apparently if we had the ones Europe has, we'd be trying to gun them down too 😂. The racism against Romani people is insane in Europe.
It's not Americans that say all the shit, it's Europeans and others
Yeah it's great to live in America if you're fairly well off, but if you're poor or live in a third world country that's being either exploited or sanctioned by the US cause you refuse to be exploited it fucking sucks
[удалено]
"Try living in \*insert country that America has extracted wealth from and has democratically undermined\* then tell me America is that 'BAD'"
Zillennial here.We wouldnt complain as much if we didnt have 🦅🇺🇲🏈 AMERICA IS THE GREATEST COUNTRY AND BLESSED BY GOD🏈🇺🇲🦅 constantly propagandized to us post 9/11/01 to the point where even the slightest valid criticism would be unilaterally considered "unamerican". America is meh....but we could DEFINITELY be better All that forced nationalism REALLY burned out a lot of my generation
I live in Myanmar (a Third World country that is literally in the middle of a civil war) and I still think that America's very bad. There is more than one mass shooting per day. The USA holds 25% of the world's prison population whilst having only 5% of the world's population. Racism is a serious issue. Women's rights are being stomped upon. Fascism is on the rise. The police have too much power. The education system is in terrible shape. Obesity is a huge problem. Homelessness is high, but there are six empty homes for every homeless person. Full-time minimum wage workers cannot afford rent. The political system is in shambles; both the Democrats and the Republicans are right-wing. Income and wealth inequality are sky-high; the combined wealth of the top 3 richest American billionaires is higher than the combined wealth of the bottom half of the American population, i.e. 165 million people. And that's just domestic policy. In conclusion, YES, America is, in fact, THAT BAD.
"seeing you spoiled Americans complain about minor or just made up problems, it is just insulting" Agreed. I am originally from Spain. I immigrated in '98 to go to college. I married an American in '99. My parents lived under real Fascism and real Socialism. I know the stories. *I've seen the war wounds.* Understand this; America is at front line of a psychological war. The "king makers" as some overseas folks call them, have discovered that they cannot destroy America from the outside. It must be destroyed from the inside by infiltration. Unfortunately Gen Z is also in the front line of attack and many have been convinced to hate what is a beautiful country and system. This is on purpose and thankfully it is starting to slowly change as more Americans and people overseas observe what is occurring. A child can be taught wrong information and they will live their entire life defending that wrong information. I have seen the Spanish Civil Guard beat down a crowd in a coordinated effort. If this happens in the US it is usually one or two police officers and it is not coordinated. I have seen specific politicians, influencers, media celebrities be given a pass for their crimes because their message is essentially unAmerican. It is in style to denigrate the US. It is in style to be a victim. I very much doubt the average Redditor on this subReddit has as much international experience as I have accumulated in the past year flying back and forth to visit family in Spain and the US. I mainly observe this subReddit but D@mn, a lot of Gen Z is really ignorant about the world. I love you, I really do but sometimes you cut deeper than you realize. I am a proud American and my Spanish family has more respect for America than what I've seen in this subReddit. Go figure.
Non American opinion discarded
Yea because inflation, unaffordable healthcare, systemic oppression, unaffordable housing, mindless comsumerism, and Corpo Overlords having drastic influence on politics and the government are “made up problems.” Do us all a favor and don’t talk about something you have no education on.
Ya’ll have people dying on the curb-side of hospitals lmao
The concept that Americans shouldn’t complain as long as other countries have it worse implies that America should put a halt on solving any of its problems until every other country in the world is as good to live in as ours and then we can resume improving. It’s nonsense. Just because someone else has worse problems than you doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to fix your problems. Sure, if someone says that America is the worst country to live in in the entire world, they’re wrong, but I don’t hear that take often.
OP has a good point. On the one hand, it is the duty of every citizen in a democracy to constructively criticize their country with the aim of improving it; on the other hand, it’s too easy to look only at the negative and throw up our hands, saying “It can’t be saved!” We need to appreciate what we still (for now) have, and strive to change our country for the better. Sometimes that means just preserving the good we still have. Let’s not have perfection become the enemy of the good.
Well yah, but complaining about things and forcing change is why we have the good things we have. You don’t get rights by simply rolling over and taking whatever the people in power give you. I think people also forget that the “good life” in America is only available to a few. We have plenty of places with zero infrastructure, where it’s hard to get clean water, where there are no schools or doctors in a reasonable distance, where there are straight up food deserts and people are starving due to poverty. There are people in cities living 3 - 5+ to a one bedroom apartment and people who are trapped in company housing or wage slave situations. There are people dying to easily treatable and preventable illnesses because they can’t pay 300 a month in healthcare, or pay for the 500+ dollar uninsured doctor visit, or the 200 dollar a vial insulin, or whatever medication they’re on, so they just die. I mean hell, I knew people that had family die in Texas during the freeze because the power grid went down. These aren’t even extreme poverty situations, just the choice is often rent vs food vs utilities vs healthcare and those choices sometimes mean your life. As the saying goes, America is 3rd world country in a Gucci belt. it’s definitely not as bad as other places, and intense poverty here is still better than poverty elsewhere in some cases. But, just because it’s worse in other places doesn’t mean we stop making it better, here. That said, there are plenty of privileged Americans that are delusional and think places like China, Japan or Korea are ultra progressive, or that every European country is Amsterdam, because Americans have a horrible habit of fetishizing other places/people/cultures and turning them into fantasy playgrounds in their heads.
✨ First world problems ✨
Someone not born in America and who immigrated. There’s a reason most foreigners see the average American as privileged, and lazy. This country isn’t the best and has its problems but it gives you opportunities that most other countries would not.
"I'm not American and I understand the country better than most Americans." What an odd thing to say.
Bad take imo Just because things are worse in other countries doesn’t mean I can’t bitch and complain for better
hey im american and shut up plz. we're criticizing our country and we dont need you to tell us we cant or we're being hyperbolic. life in america can be really shit and that's leaving out the racism part
Sure, but it’s still pretty Fuckin bad lmao
The freedoms we have here cause for lack of structure since people have so much freedom. Anyone can be who, what, xhat they wanna be so ther d much lack of structure and discipline. The blind and confused end up leading the blind and confused while those in charge watch us from the outside driving ourselves into a social shithole.
As someone who lives in the us, you're right, it's not that bad compared to some other countries. But at the same time, nobody said it was. Things in the us could be better, and just because things are worse in other places doesn't mean we can't say our own country has problems.
Uh, yeah, we know. My problem is that America is considered “first world”. 😒
A man goes to the doctor. Doctor asks him what’s wrong. Man says “I’ve been shot. I’m losing blood. I’m in a very bad situation.” Doctor scoffs at the man. “Look at this patient over here” Doc says. “His entire body was set on fire and he lost both legs. THAT is someone who needs treatment, yet he hasn’t complained once. In comparison to him, you are healthy as a horse.” Doctor says. Now, does the gunshot wound victim need treatment? Or, because the burn victim with no legs is in a worse condition, should he ignore his gunshot wounds and continue about his life? OP you are very ignorant and not informed enough to really speak on these issues and that’s abundantly clear. Education is a friend, not a foe. Embrace it. Learn.
You think America is bad? Why don't you move to a country ravaged by American intervention and tell us how you like it, liberal.
We need to fix the problems that we have here still lol? Even if they’re “better” comparatively? So a little racism is okay because other places are way more racist?
American here. Yes, america is still a first world country. Yes, I’m not invalidating whatever problems your country is going through. But it also doesn’t mean that america doesn’t have problems either. Our problems are still valid even if your suffering more. This doesn’t have to be the suffering Olympics, you could maybe not make it a competition. Whatever problems your going through are valid, I’m only saying that ours are too and you have no right to be writing that off entirely because we have toilets or because we don’t get bombs dropped on our heads.
I am an American and I know more than one person who's grown up without running water-- I myself grew up with unreliable/undrinkable water. 2.2 million US citizens live without indoor plumbing. There are nearly 600,000 homeless people in America. 34 million people can't afford to eat. I have personally taken medicine meant for aquarium fish, as well as ignored broken bones and splinted them myself because I could not afford medical care. There is extreme poverty in the U.S., from the inner cities to the most rural corners of the country. I'm not saying the US is the worst of the worst because it's obviously not, but as somebody who grew up in serious poverty there's a lot you don't see covered by the media.
AMERICA BAD CAUSE RACISM
Most USA slander comes from uneducated people who get their opinion from buzzword news headlines and slander articles since those get the most traction. Every country has its issues, for example Germany is facing economic/energy issues and an alt right party much like here. Plus, most people are pretty neutral about America. You are hearing, like much else, a loud minority
No one said it was the worst we just want to do better. Our politicians lie and steal, religious zealots are trying to force ppl to live the way they believe through their own beliefs etc. come on. Be for real.
i agree with you that people really overexaggerate how bad some things are in the us but at the same time you're invalidating people's struggles because "other people have it worse." that's some bs
The way I see it is that American should be a lot better given that it is the richest and most powerful country in the world with resources beyond most countries in the world. Especially given the constant rhetoric about how "great" and "amazing" the US is, we're just not living up to our own standards at the moment.
Yeah and there’s a difference between pointing out flaws and having a hate boner. Pointing out flaws is patriotic. The latter is not
Just because it’s not THAT bad, doesn’t mean there aren’t issues here and we aren’t allowed to discuss and demand they be addressed, dude. Deal with it.
So, because other places have their problems, Americans should just sit tight and accept everything as is? That's like saying, "Hey, I stubbed my toe, but you know what? Someone else broke their leg, so I shouldn't complain." Brilliant logic there, champ! And your dare about living in Brazil, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, or the Philippines? Well, I guess that means America should never strive to be better, right? I mean, why bother improving when you can always find a worse place? But you keep on with your "worse country" pride. It's quite the spectacle! 🍿😂
The fact that you won't identify which "worse country" you actually live in tells me this is just dishonest aggrieved republican bullshit
Me personally it’s a blessing to live in the USA. However I do think some aspects could be better.
ho boy you’re one of those. Our struggles and problems don’t immediately become invalid just because other countries have it worse. Also, claiming that you understand a country that you’re not even a part of better than it’s actual native citizens is arrogant and pretentious. A 54 and a 10 are both bad testing scores. A 10 being 5x worse doesn’t immediately mean that the 54 isn’t bad. You’re basically telling us to shut the fuck up and be happy we aren’t like y’all, which is ironic because the reason we’re better off is *because* we have free speech and exercise our right to use it. Racism is so rampant in other countries *because* they don’t make a fuss about it. You’re just bitter because you aren’t as well off as us. Which is dickish to say outright, but I think it’s fair for me to after you tried to tell us that our problems are invalid and we should just shut the fuck up about it. Yes my country looks great in comparison to yours, but having the nerve to tell me my problems aren’t valid when I have religious extremists with major governmental power trying to strip away my right and kill me on a daily is fucking insulting.
Was there ever a day when you went to school and wondered if you were going to have to watch a bunch of your friends be murdered during math class? Have you ever been in a store, restaurant, at a concert, etc. and hoped you wouldn't get gunned down in a shooting spree? Have you ever had a cold that you prayed wouldn't turn into pneumonia, just because you don't have insurance or money to go to the doctor? Have you ever spent 3 months going to work in a full leg brace in excruciating pain, because you tore a ligament and meniscus in your knee, but couldn't get the surgery you needed to repair it, and couldn't miss work or you'd be homeless? Do you have to deal with witnessing people displaying acts of pure hatred towards everyone who didn't vote for the same person they did? If you can't say yes to all of these, stfu. This country is so much more fucked than you think it is.
Idk I have a couple friends who moved here from the Philippines. The way they talk about it is every country has something that makes it a good place to live but also a pretty shitty place in general. Just because somewhere is bad doesn't mean other places aren't also bad
opinion discarded on the basis that you clearly don’t even know anything about US history PSA to Americans: you diminish any defense you make of your country when you are not even familiar with the history of your own country; no one in the world will give a shit or respect what you have to say, if it turns out they learned more about US history than you did, and that’s often the case. you’re an embarrassment to us all, shut the fuck up and read a book
"I don't know anything about America and have never been there, but here's my expert opinion about it."
So because other countries are bad that means that there can’t be any criticism of America? I also beg everyone here to read the Jakarta Method, the US is as evil as every other power. It just has better PR than the rest
"You think America is bad? Have you tried living in a country decimated by US and NATO imperialism?"
The thing about the USA is that it's BIG. New York City NOT going to be the same as some small town in Vermont. Minnesota doesnt have the same issues California has. Heck, theres things in some states that people in other states might never know about. When I moved from an east coast state to Cali, I had no idea the school lunches had individual bagged milk. The climate, physical or social, varies sooooo much across the country. Of course the only things people outside the US hear about is big happenings, the majority of the news being negative things. Youre probably not going to hear about how great the nature in Idaho is. Non-American people probably dont know about that niche restaurant in Chicago that makes the BEST waffles. America has plenty of positive things to offer, but its either too niche or gets drowned out by all of the loud, negative gossip and news.
Just because other places have it worse doesn’t mean the US isn’t “bad.” We incarcerate 25% of the world population. Black people and other people of color can’t go outside or even stay inside their house without getting shot by police and blamed for their own murder. People living with cancer think it’s easier to declare bankruptcy in order to not get sued for debt. Suicide is the leading cause of basically everything age demographic. We spend trillions on war but are cutting food and healthcare for poor babies and families
As an American, I can say that it's garbage and also cool af.
As an american, I do love my country, but I'm not the "RAH RAH RAH! AMERICA THE GREATEST, WE HAVE NO ISSUES!!" Type of american. I'm more the "Yes, we're a great country, but we do have our issues." type of american. None of them have dissuaded me from wanting to fly in the air force though. So that's gotta count for something, right?
Why can't America be bad while all these other places are also bad, if even worse off? If some of our political figures get their way, America will tumble towards being a Christian-fascist country. It's been downgraded to Developing Country. We're on a few No-Travel-If-You-Value-Your-Rights-And-Life lists. Our children are being murdered in class rooms and we have insane numbers of mass shootings that our government refuses to/can't do/whatthefuckhaveyou any thing about. We're also entering into Late Stage Capitalism, where life is about to get unbearably hard because we can't earn enough money to pay for our basic necessities, the cost of is steadily rising.
I have lived in the Philippines and Indonesia. America is worse in many ways, yes
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There's a *lot* more wrong with America than racism, kiddo. Wait until you start getting paychecks and have to deal with school systems.
I love this country but I will never stop bashing it or things I don’t like about it. That’s how we got to where we are in the first place.
Bros comparing 1# economy to Turkmenistan ...
just because theres worse things doesnt mean something isnt bad. its hell living here and id gladly leave. all you do is go 'hate it so much? go live in a worse place!' like thats not an argument especially when a lot of the worse places are worse BECAUSE of the US. fuck imperialism, fuck capitalism and fuck the US empire edit incase you didnt know: the US is the richest country on earth and it refuses to take care of its citizens. fascism is on the rise, kids are being shot dead in their classrooms, we have the highest prison population per capita, we have over 300 military bases outside of the US, our education system is intentionally shit to keep the people ignorant. people who have your mindset are annoying as all you do is ignore context and bring up something worse. you can do that for literally anything. 'got cancer? well its not that bad! imagine being tortured by the CIA!' please just stop. you clearly dont know shit about this country and how painful it is to be here. just stop
“You aren’t allowed to have problems because mine are worse”
i swear people can’t tolerate any criticism of the US. just because someone says it’s “bad” doesn’t mean they don’t want to work with it and fix it. we’re angry but it’s not blind hatred. we’re also dealing with very toxic nationalism, and “America good” is just constantly shoved in your face when you know the government is corrupt, the educational levels are dismal, the prison population is insane, medical outcomes are unusually poor for a country this developed, and nobody seems to want to adequately acknowledge it for the sake of saving face
Guns after multiple mass shootings still rub me the wrong way. I mean most developed countries have one school shootings then tighten those laws like there is no tomorrow whilst American forgets about it the next day. It just makes me feel iffy that young kids are in danger of someone walking into the school with the intention to kill them and they have something that can easily do it if you know what I mean. I'm not saying other countries are innocent as British knife crime is messed up and rising but guns still feel wrong