4 ms·

The US are getting weirder and weirder and weirder. I just can't wrap my head around Trump, gun laws, life-time sex-offender registries, the messed up health ca

The US are getting weirder and weirder and weirder. I just can't wrap my head around Trump, gun laws, life-time sex-offender registries, the messed up health care system. Yet, I have only met absolutely nice, intelligent, loving americans, and I've met many. I feel sorry for them. They deserve better.

pluma 10y ago
I find that it's easy to hate the US for what it has been doing to others (yes, yes, tu quoque and at least the US isn't literally Nazi Germany) but what's really astonishing is what it's doing to its own people. Sure, in theory citizens of the "home of the brave" have it pretty good but between the atrocious healthcare and welfare systems, the insane criminal justice system, the mass surveillance, the militarised police force, the widespread influence of religious conservative groups, and everything else... I'm not so sure US citizens are any less victims of the US than anybody else.
- Overtonwindow 10y ago
  What you're seeing is the "though on crime" trap all politicians fall into. Vote for law X and show you're tough on crime. Oh you didn't vote for law X? Then you're not tough on crime, and that's why votes should go to your opponent in the next election. US politicians MUST be tough on crime or risk losing election.
  - aanm1988 10y ago
    > US politicians In a lot of places in the US the Judges are elected. So never mind the politicians, the guy who just sentenced you to an absurd sentence did it because he needed the press for his campaign.
    - Overtonwindow 10y ago
      What I am speaking of are the crimes themselves, mandatory minimums, funding for rehabilitation, etc. That is set by politicians, not judges.
saiya-jin 10y ago
I agree with that apart from gun laws - happy to see any hard data on that, but so far none - terrorists don't buy their guns in gun shops. you have whole industry, more in US than elsewhere but it's present in every country of people doing target practice, hunting, having guns for their home protection. millions of people worldwide. banning guns just takes them from hands of common citizens while ever-more-and-more oppressive state is being more and more militarized. I get the perspective of the state - total control and dominance over its population, like it or not. but I am on the population side, same as rest of us. even as a foreigner I find US constitution a great idea that shouldn't be compromised on, especially in these difficult times. what EU did recently - ban on various guns and overall more restrictions is stupid. just look at Switzerland - the most armed and most free country in the world. I am not claiming whole world should take them as model for everything, but west should for most of things, since they really work, already proven.
noxToken 10y ago
Because most of use are just normal people who want great things for the people around us and (at the very minimum) nothing bad for other Americans external to our circles. Most of us aren't hyper-political. We're not getting abortions by the truckload. We're not hoarding guns in a weapons cache. We don't hate foreigners. There are exceptions to all of the above, but we're mostly just regular people who lead relatively normal lives wanting good things for everyone.
Delmania 10y ago
Money and baby boomers will pretty much answer any question you have.
- Odenwaelder 10y ago
  Is it really that easy?
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
Arizhel 10y ago
No, they don't deserve better. As a wise Frenchman once said, every nation gets the government it deserves. Besides, if you're only met "nice, intelligent, loving americans", you haven't spent much time in America, or you weren't the "wrong" ethnicity in your interactions with them.

pluma 10y ago

I find that it's easy to hate the US for what it has been doing to others (yes, yes, tu quoque and at least the US isn't literally Nazi Germany) but what's really astonishing is what it's doing to its own people. Sure, in theory citizens of the "home of the brave" have it pretty good but between the atrocious healthcare and welfare systems, the insane criminal justice system, the mass surveillance, the militarised police force, the widespread influence of religious conservative groups, and everything else... I'm not so sure US citizens are any less victims of the US than anybody else.

Overtonwindow 10y ago
What you're seeing is the "though on crime" trap all politicians fall into. Vote for law X and show you're tough on crime. Oh you didn't vote for law X? Then you're not tough on crime, and that's why votes should go to your opponent in the next election. US politicians MUST be tough on crime or risk losing election.
- aanm1988 10y ago
  > US politicians In a lot of places in the US the Judges are elected. So never mind the politicians, the guy who just sentenced you to an absurd sentence did it because he needed the press for his campaign.
  - Overtonwindow 10y ago
    What I am speaking of are the crimes themselves, mandatory minimums, funding for rehabilitation, etc. That is set by politicians, not judges.

saiya-jin 10y ago

I agree with that apart from gun laws - happy to see any hard data on that, but so far none - terrorists don't buy their guns in gun shops. you have whole industry, more in US than elsewhere but it's present in every country of people doing target practice, hunting, having guns for their home protection. millions of people worldwide. banning guns just takes them from hands of common citizens while ever-more-and-more oppressive state is being more and more militarized. I get the perspective of the state - total control and dominance over its population, like it or not. but I am on the population side, same as rest of us. even as a foreigner I find US constitution a great idea that shouldn't be compromised on, especially in these difficult times. what EU did recently - ban on various guns and overall more restrictions is stupid. just look at Switzerland - the most armed and most free country in the world. I am not claiming whole world should take them as model for everything, but west should for most of things, since they really work, already proven.

noxToken 10y ago

Because most of use are just normal people who want great things for the people around us and (at the very minimum) nothing bad for other Americans external to our circles. Most of us aren't hyper-political. We're not getting abortions by the truckload. We're not hoarding guns in a weapons cache. We don't hate foreigners. There are exceptions to all of the above, but we're mostly just regular people who lead relatively normal lives wanting good things for everyone.

Delmania 10y ago

Money and baby boomers will pretty much answer any question you have.

Odenwaelder 10y ago
Is it really that easy?

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

Arizhel 10y ago

No, they don't deserve better. As a wise Frenchman once said, every nation gets the government it deserves. Besides, if you're only met "nice, intelligent, loving americans", you haven't spent much time in America, or you weren't the "wrong" ethnicity in your interactions with them.