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[+] 332 points 2 years ago* (26 children)
  • [–] 132 points 2 years ago (5 children)

    Many, if not most, of us are jealous of other countries, though. Really, this is only a hard truth for the MAGA crowd, and even that is (I think) largely the fault of the nationalist propaganda that's been shoveled at us since we were kids.

    As an American, I agree with you, though - the US is in no way a 'strong democracy', or much of a democracy at all. It may once have been, but it certainly hasn't been the case for a long time.

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  • [–] 71 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    Back in 1780s the US constitution was an absolute marvel of progressiveness, but today, it is increadibly outdated and keeps the US political system back from making progress.

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  • [–] 49 points 2 years ago (9 children)

    No shit, what American thinks either are true?

    America, fuck yeah!

    Has been a joke for like 30 years now

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  • [–] 50 points 2 years ago (7 children)

    You haven't met much of the rural population, have you?

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  • [–] 56 points 2 years ago (5 children)

    This. Conservatives have poor media literacy. They don't understand that they're the punchline in stuff like that. They miss the point of stuff like RoboCop and Starship Troopers and unironically like those movies for the action and don't even recognize the social commentary. They watched Team America and guffawed into their 24 packs of light beer at every shallow joke without recognizing that the jokes were intentionally shallow to point out what an idiot would think is a good joke. It's like the TV show in Idiocracy. The real joke is below the surface.

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    [–] 255 points 2 years ago (27 children)

    Gasoline prices are heavily subsidized in the US, the gas price you complain about is cheap compared to other countries.

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  • [–] 43 points 2 years ago (26 children)

    The commodity price for gasoline right now looks to be about 2 USD per gallon. Retail gasoline in the USA is at least a dollar more due to taxes and markup.

    Subsidies may play a role as well, but the taxes in some countries are extreme by American standards. My take on it is that a fuel tax is effectively neutral if it brings in enough revenue to pay for the road system.

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  • [–] 153 points 2 years ago (6 children)

    Your population is essentially being farmed by corporations.

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    [–] 149 points 2 years ago (15 children)

    Most "third world" or "developing" countries aren't that bad, and there are places in the US far worse than the median developing country.

    Also most people in most places do not want to go to the US, even to visit much less immigrate. It's generally either the worst of a particular society or those specifically harmed by the US previously and feel their chances are better off with the abuser instead of in the abused country. It's not a wanted destination.

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  • [–] 49 points 2 years ago (5 children)

    This was a MASSIVE eye opening shock to me. You watch NCIS or any pro military show and they'll pan to Baghdad or anything middle east and you'll see crumbling buildings or warzone with a sepia filter. I was got smacked when I saw a real skyline photo of Baghdad, and istanbul, and most cities. Our media is dead set on continuing the thought of these empty deserts

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    [+] 142 points 2 years ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)
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    [–] 141 points 2 years ago (17 children)

    We can't understand how millions can vote for a senile, convicted sexual predator as president....

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    [–] 125 points 2 years ago

    Needing two jobs to survive isn't a good thing.

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  • [+] 118 points 2 years ago (7 children)
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    [–] 108 points 2 years ago (15 children)

    Affordable healthcare

    Public transit

    Civilian oversight

    Prisoner rehabilitation

    Universal income

    Free education

    Separation of religion and state

    Wealth taxes

    Law enforcement accountability

    Environmental regulations…

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    [–] 107 points 2 years ago (19 children)

    Your gun worship is killing you.

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    [–] 88 points 2 years ago (9 children)

    The main reason US can and could ever delude itself into being great is for having a ridiculous people-to-land/resources ratio. There is nothing inherently great about how the US does things, it just seems that way because you can do whatever you want if you have essentially infinite resources compared to everyone else.

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    [–] 75 points 2 years ago (7 children)
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    [–] 72 points 2 years ago (11 children)
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    [–] 66 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (6 children)

    The level of nonsensical nationalist propaganda in the US is maybe only second to North Korea's.

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    [–] 64 points 2 years ago (4 children)

    For millions of United States Americans, the so called "American Dream" is achieved in Mexico. They're often illegal immigrants. They often have mental health problems. They gentrify our cities and are entitled as fuck.

    Pot calling kettle and all, but I do wish they'd go back to their own shithole country. They have demonized my country for decades and have weaponized the cartels to feed their own addictions. Most of the problems here can be tied directly to their humongous drug problems.

    Yankee go home. The United Mexican States is tired of your shit.

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    [–] 60 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    A while ago I watched a live stream of CSPAN (I think?) where the House failed to form a government for several consecutive days. The way the entire process started with a prayer, and the many references to religion throughout, is just as disturbing as the personality cult around Stalin. That whole gang is fucked in the head.

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    [–] 60 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Despite his severe back problems, Luigi mangione is the only one of you who has a backbone.

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    [–] 58 points 2 years ago (4 children)

    The USA is neither the best country nor the worst country. It's just one of the countries.

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    [–] 58 points 2 years ago (9 children)

    Yes, you really need to rewrite that constitution of yours and declaring something "unconstitutional" doesn't win you an argument, it makes you look like a brainwashed idiot. Just saying.

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    [–] 56 points 2 years ago (6 children)

    We exist as much as you do. You're not the main character.

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    [–] 56 points 2 years ago (21 children)

    As an American, I'm gonna barge in with my loud opinion, 'cuz that's what we do. Here's something which people living elsewhere might not know that Americans aren't ready to hear:

    Automobiles are luxury toys and fashion accessories, and we shouldn't base our entire lives on them. No, the car industry didn't make our economy strong; it took off after we already had a lot of extra wealth to burn after becoming a world economic powerhouse. We can't afford to keep wasting all that wealth on them as the world starts to burn, and half of our citizens sink into poverty.

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    [–] 54 points 2 years ago (34 children)

    You wasted your chance as a hyper-power. The Soviet Union had fallen and the world was essentially yours but you did nothing with it. Now India and China are rising powers and you are going back to being a regular super-power.

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    [–] 54 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    USA could be, but isn't the greatest country in the world.

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    [–] 52 points 2 years ago (28 children)

    Your traffic laws are weird.

    • Overtaking/passing on the right

    • 4 way stops and whoever comes first can go

    • No strict right of way when coming from the right

    • Right on red

    • Grinding all traffic in all directions over multiple lanes to a stop when a school bus stops

    At least the last one I can understand a little with the nearly non-existent pedestrian infrastructure.

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    [–] 52 points 2 years ago (15 children)

    Donald Trump is the new US President, and you're responsible.

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    [–] 51 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Stop polluting up all our shit. Fuck you.

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    [–] 49 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    Your bi-Party system sux big d and I toxic to a real democracy

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    [–] 47 points 2 years ago (1 child)
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    [–] 45 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (6 children)

    Not everything on Lemmy is US specific.

    !politics@lemmy.world shouldn't be limited to US politics. Same for !news@lemmy.world

    Edit: from the sidebar

    Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

    Please make US specific communities like !AskUSA@discuss.online more active instead of bringing your local issues to every community

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    [–] 43 points 2 years ago* (9 children)

    US was founded on Capitalism and is a basket case of rampant Greedy Capitalism, Slavery, War Profiteering and Bullying. It has always been the case and has never stopped. Ever since the British tried stopping George Washington from usurping American Indians' land. The lofty ideals were mere veneer.

    The only thing that has changed is that there are many more players in the field and US' shortcomings as a modern society is getting apparent.

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    [–] 43 points 2 years ago (7 children)

    All of your sitcoms are crap. The same recycled gags over and over. Unpleasant people who hate each other snarking, saying "oh my god" and then explaining their jokes.

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    [–] 42 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    You have a massive obesity problem that is killing you and it is not normal.

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    [–] 42 points 2 years ago (14 children)
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    [–] 42 points 2 years ago (9 children)

    Where to begin...

    But I'll touch on something no one else has here.

    Shopping carts. It's mindblowing to me that the country that sent men to the moon still hasn't figured out that its easier for everyone if they turn on all 4 wheels rather than the 2 front ones.

    That way you can slide your cart sideways to make room for other shoppers. And turning it takes no effort.

    And even... even if it is some weird cost cutting thing. Why not make them turn on the rear wheels? That would still make it easier than in the front. Since you steer the cart from the rear.

    Get your shit together. Put gun controll aside, put your dumb ass two party politics aside and focus on what matters. Your godawful shopping carts.

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    [–] 42 points 2 years ago (4 children)

    Here's one from the Middle East: Fuck your veterans. Y'all were right when you were calling Vietnam vets baby killers, and Afghanistan and Iraq weren't much better. And here's a corollary: Get the fuck out of the Middle East.

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