What do you think of the US?

[jessicasurline]

Hmm very interesting topic. There is so much I could say about the US, since I've lived there my whole life. I am torn at times about how I feel about my country. Most of the time I am embarrassed by systemic and cultural problems that end up being forced onto other countries (globalism). Other times I have some faith that not all of us are complete idiots.

Since I have never been able to travel outside of the US, I have never really gotten to know how we as a collective are truly viewed, though I assume not too well. Quite frankly I feel unwelcomed internationally but with a reputation for Americans being rude, inconsiderate, etc. I don't blame anyone. Tourists of any kind can become burdensome to be around, especially if they act inconsiderately out of ignorance. Anyway, I digress.

The real issue that bothers me on a daily basis, which I'm probably not alone on this, is a socioeconomic one. Money is a problem from the top to the bottom of society. The rich are legally allowed to bride and buy power with lobbying. Since this has been going on for many decades, though particularly bad since the 1980s, most government officials are at the mercy of big money. They can't perform their jobs most times because they have to spend more time raising money. Even most bills are written by big banks now, not the senators that were elected to write them. With this amount of legal corruption, there have been sacrifices made that hurt the common person. Education is lacking and teachers are under supported. We breed ignorance because most people need something better than the system that currently exists. With a poorly educated population, people are more easily mislead by misinformation. The news caters to stories that are sensationalized. After all, they are a business. In a capitalistic society, money equates success. So when people are under educated, finding a good paying job is hard. Anyone who has read about psychology can tell you that desperate people will do drastic things to take care of their needs. Sometimes this desperation takes the form of religious beliefs. Other times violent action, as seen with racial crimes and mass shootings. As a society we tend to want to treat the symptoms of our problems rather than the sources. Because of this we behave rather strangely. The US is a large and diverse group of people and with all the confused feelings of being trapped but not understanding by what, we are hitting a boiling point here soon. There is a saying that after a forest fire, it grows back twice as green and resistant as it was before. I fear the conflicts we are having will burn us all but hopefully the roots of our troubles will be removed because of it.

I didn't expect to write a mini essay. Sorry about that lol!

[J.Z.Castillo]

This is something I don't wanna talk about on Tapastic, because, ya know, so I'll just say this. The level of corruption in our government is SICKENING and INFURITATING. What makes me even more angry is the level of idiocy most citizens seem to have, blindly accepting the leaders that are shoved down our throats. I hope Trump is not elected, I hope Clinton answers for her crimes, I hope the DNC is held responsible for their blatant interference with democracy. At this point I really wanna see heads roll. And that's that, the next four years will be an insult to this country and its people. How the fuck did we let this happen?

But I love this country and its people. It's just those motherfuckers on top that ruin it for the rest.

[BlackMantaStudios]

Oh God. The Philippines loves 'Murica. Its culture, its food, its policies, everything. I guess it's because the country has been occupied by Americans shortly before and during WWII and have been pretty good allies since, but apparently the masses here think that the US is the epitome of civilization, a utopia, if you will. I observed that the country tries to copy the American way, and all the good and bad things that come with it. For example, being fluent in English is kinda seen as a status symbol, and everything made in the States is the pinnacle of quality.

I'm not really a fan, personally, if I were to base my opinion on the country's current affairs I'm hearing of.

What makes me even more angry is the level of idiocy most citizens seem to have, blindly accepting the leaders that are shoved down our throats.

Oh, and I think US and PHL have yet another thing in common.

[scythe]

Not an American, but my opinion is that the United States is far and away the best nation ever created. Add to that the contribution the people have given to mankind, the unparalleled opportunities the economy provides and the diverse natural beauty of the land, and frankly, I don't think any other place on earth compares.

If the right people could manage to steer the US economy in the right direction, there's no limit to what they could achieve.

Having said that, I'd still much rather still live in my own country, Australia, where we don't have a lot of the problems that the US is facing at the moment.

[mariusthered]

I'm British so will keep most of what i think to ones self.

one of the things that Confuses me about America is this obsession about following the constitution regarding guns. Now I am fully respectful that people in your history wrote this document when you kicked out us nasty Brits . But in these modern times how can people continue to keep using an history document as an excuse to sell automatic weapons ? when they wrote about "the right to bear arms" they were talking about muskets, the difference between loading a musket and ramming a clip in an automatic rifle is quite different. And if I were AN American that is one thing I would be fighting for to have that part of the constitution changed (and i don't mean defacing the document)
guns are the one reason that i wont Visit America.

[Michelle]

All I can say regarding the US is that our government and many of its policies do not reflect most American citizens. The idea of hating an entire country feels odd to me, knowing that a government does not automatically reflect the ideas and culture of its people.

It's hard for me to generalize the U.S. when we are such a huge and diverse country. It's especially apparent to me as a native Californian whose partner grew up in Alabama, i.e. a largely liberal place vs a very conservative Bible-belt state. The difference between our respective family's culture/beliefs is like night and day.

[WintreKitty]

Coming from Canada, we tend to see a lot of the backlash and gains of our American neighbours. There are a lot of fantastic things that the States have done that have really benefited a big portion of the world -they have a very loud media voice and so they can really get the momentum going. For a lot of the things that the US has done, I'm proud to be their neighbour. Canada also benefits greatly from our trade relationship, which I believe, is the biggest trade relationship in the world.

However, there are things that confuse and frighten me about the States. One being their gun laws. I'm not sure why the statistics from countries around the world are being ignored there, especially when they pride themselves on using scientific knowledge to advance the world so readily. Another problem is the amount of racism I've seen rising lately. It saddens me to see a country that is so divided. The media portrays that the States are for equality of those fighting for gender rights, but then shows that people of different races don't deserve the same treatment. Certain political figures have only been feeding the flames lately which I also find very disheartening.

Canada has also been threatened by some political leaders in regards to NATO and NAFTA, something that could potentially ruin the US and Canadian economy, as well as put many countries in danger. So even though I've heard people joke about US politics and say that if one politician is to become president that they would move to Canada, you need to be aware that us Canadians are also affected by your choice. So, yes, we do follow your politics closely -sometimes more than people who actually live there. All I can say here is that the best thing you can do, is vote. US voting rates are horrendous.

One thing we need to remember, though, is that what we see in the media, doesn't represent the country as a whole. What the world sees are the extreme faces of America. I've traveled through America, as well as having family and friends that have lived there, and it has shown me that what the media portrays is not the epitome of your country. I think it is a wonderful place to visit, with amazing and beautiful things to see. Do I think it is perfect? No, absolutely not. But what country is? Every single country is struggling with something -the problem is that the US fights their problems through the media so the whole world can watch.

[scythe]

The gun culture confuses everyone not born in the states, I think. I agree, even though I know the all the crime stats, that me, a reasonably well off white guy, would be highly unlikely to ever get shot, the fact that it can happen, particularly at school, is enough to turn me off. Sandy Hook in particular really did it for me. As much as I admire the level of freedoms that the US has been able to maintain, I still want my daughter growing up in a relatively gun-free society.

On a side note, remember that famous speech at the start of Newsroom, where the main guy says dozens of countries have "freedom", so the US isn't all that special? The other day I watched a video that documented a bunch of recent cases from around Europe/Canada/Australia where people have been arrested and charged for posting "problematic" opinions on Facebook. All I can say is, I think the character from that show owes that other character a sincere apology. At least in the States you can still voice your opinions without worrying about the police arresting you and raiding your apartment.

[AnnaLandin]

I don't hate the entire nation, no.

I just disapprove of a lot of their policies, am sceptical of a lot of the things their government does, and direct my hate (which is largely fuelled by fear) at some very specific people. Like Donald Trump, and the facist tide he seems to have unleashed onto American politics.

Nowhere is perfect, obviously. There are a LOT of issues where I live as well (Sweden - if anyone ever tells you we're a fairytale country to live in, they're lying to you), but the domestic politics of my country don't have anywhere near the same impact on the global stage as the domestic politics of the US. When we pick a new Prime Minister, we just... pick a new Prime Minister and the rest of the world shrugs and gets on with it.

When the US picks a new President, the rest of us cross our fingers and hope like hell they're a good one, or we're up for four years of shittiness on a global scale.

Of course, like all of us, my perspective is coloured by the country where I grew up, and it's difficult for a resident in a European nation to fully grasp the complexities of political culture in the US - just as it's difficult for a US-resident to grasp the complexities of our political culture.

[jessicasurline]

Lol! Yeah the gun thing...I live the only state where you do not need to have a permit to carry a gun on yourself, visible or hidden. I think the fanatical obsession over having guns sotra stems from the constitution, being able to defend your home from danger or the government, but really it is just an irrational idea that they can have some control. For example, gun manufacturers are required not to sell civilians military grade guns. Thus already if the military is going to come to capture or kill you, they will get what they want. An assault rifle will not protect you from a drone strike or a tank. Plain and simple. So if someone high up deems they want you dead...well good luck friend. I have grown up with guns in my culture so I am use to them but I feel that if you need a gun for self defense or hunting for food, a classic pistol or hunting rifle is all you are ever going to need. Even at that though, I've never even met anyone who has ever needed to use a gun. I find the whole thing blown out of proportion and silly. Maybe silly is the wrong word since frustrated civilians are killing other civilians every day. People get drunk off the power and control the tool provides but they don't realize it won't fix their real problems.

[indagold]

As an Amuricano all I can say is Amurica fuck yeah

[69Michi]

Coming from a third world country to obtain a higher education and brighter future in America, I can only say... this is an amazing country. People can complain about all the bad thing about US government if they want, but to me this land is still better than my home country. Don't take me wrong, I love my own country, but not even my family who lives there wants me to be back in the country because of how corrupted it is over there. So much worse than here in the states. I'm not a political person and I'm not someone to talk about politically because I don't understand them all that much. I live my life and if whatever is going on politically doesn't affect me too bad, I couldn careless.

[StrangeVision]

Oh the good 'ole US of A. I used to be a proud American when I was little, I don't know anymore. The citizens as a whole are great when they're not blind sheeple. The cold-hearted, two-faced beings who run the show, behind the scenes and the figureheads, are a disgrace to mankind. I just feel like we're the Roman Empire and it's just a matter of time before it all crumbles out from under us. Sometimes I think, why didn't my mom stay in Korea? But it is what it is. I don't hate this place, I hate the leaders and what they've done to it. Thing is, The US likes to pretend they're your friend. That we're the good guys. They hide their bullshit. They hide all the ugly truths while we consume and spend. This place has become a grand experiment.

[SpavVy]

As someone who lives in the US I honestly kinda hate it these days!

I don't like how it's run and I'm honestly fearful of who the next president is going to be because it's either going to be a xenophobic, racist bigot or a murderer.

My father's side of the family is voting for Trump and I honestly can not understand what they see in this guy, he wants to build a wall and people think this is going to be effective to keep the illegals out which is stupid, if people want to get in bad enough they will find a way in.

[Aspie_Gamer]

Took the words right outta my mouth! Trump's funny as hell in a "wow, get a load of this guy!" sort of way, but scary as hell when it comes to the topic of him running for president. That xenophobic, sexist, ignorant man child represents everything wrong about America namely idiocy no thanks to our crappy education system and lack of free health care which would overnight treat more than half of the mentally ill people living here. Clinton definitely needs to answer for every one of her crimes. I knew that being investigated by the EFF-BEE-FUCKING-EYE made her untrustworthy as a presidential candidate and this weekend's email leaks about how the DNC screwed Bernie Sanders over preventing him from genuinely getting the democratic nomination just confirms the level of corruption that exists in not only the Democratic Party, but our two party system in general. (Which needs to be done away with anyway so we don't get "the lesser of two evils" shoved down our throat every election year.)

Sadly, it probably will have to come down to violence if we the people wish to remove Trump, Clinton, and all the other corrupt politicians and lobbyists running this country into the ground from power. Then again...it did work for our founding fathers when they got sick of being pushed around by the British without a say. shrugs

[StrangeVision]

Basically. The only way to get the US back at this point is an all-out Revolution. Remove the Federal Reserve and the Criminals In Action. Too bad it's easier said than done.

[AliceHoffmannArt]

Nah, definitely no hate.

I disapprove of harmful politics as I do for any country. I pity the victims of the harsh hamster wheel job system where it's apparently common to work multiple jobs in the lower wage classes and still be merely able to kinda survive.
Gun culture is terrifying to me too.
I'd love the US to adapt a proper health care system but it's not my fight after all.

Of course, there are parts of the US I adore.
Shiny innovations, entertainment... and I love burgers.

[Kura]

The last conversation where America came up.

• It was mostly just a whole bunch of us (Canadians, a good amount of which were born outside of or had parents born outside of Canada) talking about how scared or concerned they are for everything that is currently happening down there.

• Election wise, they trust that there are too many smart Americans so are not worried about the election.

• They also like to mentions that it's also REALLY weird that the US feels like it's so behind on laws/government programs in regards to people's rights or health compared to Canada. They're supposed to be like the older brother to us right? You'd think they've be getting this stuff done before us not lagging behind. So what the hell??

• Politics aside, they think it's a nice looking country with nice people.

• The ever so popular and casual joke of 'all Americans own at least one gun, so you don't want to piss them off or surprise them because they might just shoot you for it'

• Dos' American accents man... they are apparently either 'really sexy' or 'jesus christ no stop talking' there is no in-between.

The American there (visiting for the week) was surprised that ANYONE had anything nice to say about America, as he lives in it, hated growing up in it, hates what it's turning into, and fears for his live everyday there

[Aspie_Gamer]

Yeah hopefully as a last resort. I'm hoping that we can get a viable third party candidate like Jill Stein elected, but if that fails...then yeah, we need a fresh slate no matter how that ends up happening. :/

[Michelle]

Dos' American accents man... they are apparently either 'really sexy' or 'jesus christ no stop talking' there is no in-between.

LOL I wonder which accent that's referring to? I know when a lot of people make fun of American accents they're often talking about some variation of a Southern accent.
Though if I travel abroad and make anyone's ears bleed with my boring neutral American accent, apologies in advance. And if anyone found it sexy, well, that'd be a first! :u