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Best thing is to just not have anything to do with the US of A. Death penalty, loaded guns everywhere, a general attitude of being the masters of the world whi

Best thing is to just not have anything to do with the US of A. Death penalty, loaded guns everywhere, a general attitude of being the masters of the world which leads to things like suspicionless searches. No, thanks. I think the best would be if more people would actually stop dealing with the USA. Its becoming a trend. I once turned down an invitation to a conference in Hawai, and guess what, I was not alone.

TheCuckedKing 7y ago
They are the world masters, though..
WilTimSon 7y ago
That whole attitude of being "the greatest country in the world" always seemed so peculiar to me. I get that all countries tend to be patriotic and embellish themselves but that just sounds a bit ridiculous and antagonistic. For a country established by immigrants and populated by immigrants, you'd think the national identity would be a bit more versatile. Instead, it's been homogenized to the point where people have to fight their own perceptions to reclaim their culture and identity. It's a shame, really.
- uwydr 7y ago
  >by immigrants and populated by immigrants By white immigrants of a more-or-less shared Christian ancestry* You make it sound like the USA was founded by a rainbow-coloured melting pot. It definitely was not
  - seanccox 7y ago
    When the Declaration of Independence was signed, Africans comprised a significant percentage of the US population (60% of SC, 40% of VA, and 20-25% of northern urban centers like Boston and Newport [1])(2). They were not white, likely not Christian, and instrumental to the establishment of the US. 1) https://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/25577 https://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/... 2) https://faculty.weber.edu/kmackay/statistics_on_slavery.htm https://faculty.weber.edu/kmackay/statistics_on_slavery.htm
    - uwydr 7y ago
      They were slaves. They weren't part of the processes that led to the founding of the republic. In other words, that's like saying pack mules founded the USA. America was founded by Christian whites.
      - blanche_ 7y ago
        You're comparing black people to mules? Seriously? They contributed their work not to mention what people from US did to native americans.
        uwydr 7y ago
        I would've compared them to robots but they didn't exist back then. What I meant is that they were used for their force, not for their brains.
      - lugg 7y ago
        Fucking christ. Mules? Seriously?
      - CydeWeys 7y ago
        People aren't mules. People have culture in a way that mules do not, and African culture became an important part of American culture and identify in a way that is not true of, say, Finland.
bluGill 7y ago
Death penalty exists, but it is rare. Loaded guns exist, but they are not common. Most of them are in the hands of well trained people who are harmless unless (in the unlikely event) that deadly force is the only way they can get out of the situations. The US has its problems, but you have been listening to propaganda by anti US forces (you might want to figure out who they are and what their agenda is!) if you think either of the above issues are worth a worry.
- ctingom 7y ago
  This should be the top reply.
- wonderwonder 7y ago
  Most of the points in this post are not accurate. There are more guns in civilian hands here than there are people. "The Small Arms Survey stated that U.S. civilians alone account for 393 million (about 46 percent) of the worldwide total of civilian held firearms" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_ownership https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_ownership "Most of them are in the hands of well trained people who are harmless" I am not sure what you base this on, you don't need any training at all to buy a gun, just ~24 - 48 hour waiting period and if you have a concealed carry permit, you can generally walk out with the gun after paying. Depending on the state, training to carry a concealed weapon can take from 2 - 8 hours. Some states don't even require training if you want to open carry your weapon. In 2010 there were ~20,000 suicides involving a gun. In 2016, there were 11,004 gun homicides. The US leads the world in mass shootings, especially in schools. Accidental gun injuries are most common in homes where guns are kept for self-defense. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_Sta... Getting shot by the police is a leading cause of death in young male people of color. "you might want to figure out who they are and what their agenda is" Indeed.
  - bluGill 7y ago
    You can buy a gun easily enough. However the people who actually do that tend to be enthusiasts who are well trained. To have a loaded gun on your person you need to be well trained in most states.
bsenftner 7y ago
As an American citizen, I've been trying to talk my family into leaving for years. Comments here reference the problem being the State and not the citizens. I beg to differ, the citizens in "general America" are dangerous and stupid to themselves and everyone around them. The entitled attitude of middle and upper middle class anyone is so unreasonable, I sometimes walk around the gang-tagged zones in my own neighborhood and think "we're a nation of trapped rats, we deserve this for the lies we keep repeating, we keep eating, we keep electing, and the most empty lie how we're the greatest nation on earth, what a hoot!"
sojournerc 7y ago
He says while commenting on web site based in the USA
ramblerman 7y ago
As a european who is not always very fond of the US, this is ridiculous, and lazy thinking. The amount of generalization and black and white simplifications to come up with such a thing is impressive though.
- Ensorceled 7y ago
  And yet, in this very thread there are discussions, presumably by Americans, about whether human rights “afforded” to people only apply to citizens or all humans. They are literally arguing if “people” only means US citizens.
  - ip26 7y ago
    The Bill of Rights affords citizens protections from their government. They weren't written as inalienable human rights. So it has long been debated whether those protections are owed to non-citizens.
    - Ensorceled 7y ago
      Yes, those are exactly the types of disturbing discussions I was talking about.
    - bregma 7y ago
      > We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. The USA was founded on the premise that human rights applied to all. When any governing entity no longer respects those rights, it's time to turf the bums out and start again. The current government of the USA, at the urging of a self-selected elite among its supporting citizens, believes those inalienable human rights only apply to a select few. These are the conditions outlined in the Declaration of Independence as reason to overthrow the current regime. There is well-documented historical precedence. Tread lightly.
g105b 7y ago
This comment is as mindless as the generalisation it's applying to an entire population.
- TazeTSchnitzel 7y ago
  It's more about American governance than anything else.
- sbarre 7y ago
  This is not about the US citizenry but about the state. If you can't actually see how the American state (not population or country) has devolved into something to be concerned about over the last 20 years, perhaps you're not looking hard enough. Domestic politics and policies are cruel and divisive, international policies have regressed dramatically (i.e. they've pulled out of major international treaties around arms and climate and trade). In the eyes of the average world citizen, America used to export an aspirational culture, now they export greed, cynicism, and technological dystopia (and I don't mean Facebook, I mean mass surveillance and drone warfare). They are of course not alone in all this, but they are the biggest and most powerful country on the planet, so they lead by example, and it's becoming a shittier example every year. So yeah, as an outsider looking into the US, I don't find that comment mindless at all.
  - euroPoor 7y ago
    The United States government is legitimized by its people. While I highly disagree with the ‘America terrible’ feeling your argument does not hold.
    - incongruity 7y ago
      I’d instead say that it is legitimate as long as it continues to align with and perpetuate the interests and values of its people. To that end, if our government has strayed from that in significant ways, it delegitimizes itself and we, the people have an obligation to ourselves and others to rein it in. America, the people, is still a source of pride for me but one can hold that view and still see significant flaws with how our government acts on our behalf - or despite it.
psv1 7y ago
Yes - on a personal level, I tend to avoid travelling to the US. For the same reasons that I avoid travelling to most of the Middle East or China.
- odiroot 7y ago
  Middle East I can understand but what's your beef with China?
  - lugg 7y ago
    Not AP but given my own government is unable to protect its own citizens travelling there im not about to risk a transfer through there. It's unlikely anything would happen but given my work I'm almost certainly on a list there and I'm simply not willing to risk it. https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-24/china-hostage-diplomacy-affecting-australian-toddler/11631794 https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-24/china-hostage-dipl... https://www.sbs.com.au/news/yang-hengjun-australian-writer-detained-in-china-releases-secret-letter https://www.sbs.com.au/news/yang-hengjun-australian-writer-d...
- jason_slack 7y ago
  I found my time in China rather pleasant. However, I am aware of other less positive stories about traveling in China.
  - psv1 7y ago
    > I found my time in China rather pleasant. Yes. As are some places in the Middle East. And so so many places in the US are great too, of course. It's just that the attitude of those states (and the most extreme parts of the population) towards foreigners make most trips not worth the risk.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
jason_slack 7y ago
But you realize that ordinary people don't have a large choice in this right? We can vote and vote and vote, but until the majority wins, and helps facilitate change, we are stuck with how people perceive our country as well as some of the harsh realities of living here. I feel like you insulted me for the actions of my country. Isn't this how racism and hate is spread? I'm now not worth knowing and should be shyed away from because of my country... Edit: I think the downvotes are a bit uncalled for. The OP said people should avoid the US because of its practices. The OP didn't say ANY country with these practices, China, Middle East, North Korea, Russia. It was a very general statement that has is heavily opinion driven.
- Ensorceled 7y ago
  You’re being downvoted for your “whataboutism”, being insulted and for comparing their mild comment to racism and hatred.
- vertex-four 7y ago
  If you turn up in another country, sure, I have no problem interacting with you (assuming that you don't support the policies of your state). If I travel to the US though, I'm just as powerless against the state as you are - in fact, even more so - and so I'll avoid doing so.
- ClumsyPilot 7y ago
  I think most reasonable people know about North Korea, etc. That's not a benchmark
abstractbarista 7y ago
As an American, I'm lovin' it! Guns are everywhere, yet shootings are very rare. I feel very safe knowing I and others around me all want and enjoy safety, and we have strong law enforcement to keep it that way. (Although I agree that our 4th amendment has been horrifically raped in modern times.) The vast majority of gun deaths are consentual (suicide), and of the homicidal remainder, the vast majority are within organized crime. Stay away from gang activity and don't flagrantly disobey police officers, and I guarantee you'll be completely fine. If you disagree with all this, it's probably just not the country for you. You make a good decision staying out.
- shkkmo 7y ago
  > The vast majority of gun deaths are consentual (suicide), ~2/3 is a majority, but certainly not a vast majority. > and don't flagrantly disobey police officers, and I guarantee you'll be completely fine. Plenty of people are shot by police without flagrantly disobeying police orders. It may reduce your risk, but it does not eliminate it. > If you disagree with all this, it's probably just not the country for you. You make a good decision staying out. As a country founded on pluralism, The USA has plenty of room and hospitality to offer those who disagree with you.
  - neonIcon 7y ago
    2/3 = 66% So if I ate 66% of a cake you just ordered, and handed you back the rest would that not be considered a vast majority of your cake?
    - shkkmo 7y ago
      Nope, 'vast' means more than very large and its closest synonyms are 'immense' or 'boundless'. I would consider a vast majority to require at LEAST an order of magnitude difference, so 90%+ as a bare minimum and I would probably not use it myself until more like 95% and I would still consider that rather hyperbolic up until 99%. You could call 66% a strong majority or a clear majority, but 'vast' is far too strong in my opinion.
- 7y ago
jslove 7y ago
And worse - no proper support for Metric!
- ClumsyPilot 7y ago
  By far the greatest sin
umvi 7y ago
You are far more likely to be killed by a drunk driver in the US than by a gun. Your chances of being killed by a gun are basically zero (unless you are travelling to the US specifically to commit suicide), so that's a somewhat bogus concern
- osullivj 7y ago
  I'm always amazed by how few shooting fatalities there are in the US. 330M population, 33K gun deaths per annum [1]. And two thirds of the gun deaths are suicides. So that's only 10K homicides per annum. That's 1 in 33K. In the UK we have 65M population, and 800 murders per annum. That's 1 in 81K. Given that the US is so heavily armed I'd expect the gun death rate to be much higher. IMHO that demonstrates that the average person is equal to the responsibility of firearm ownership. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_Sta...
  - umvi 7y ago
    You can also factor out gang-related gun homocides since your average American/tourist is not involved in organized crime. Basically, the chances of being killed randomly by a mass shooting or random murderer are extremely tiny. I will say though that even ignoring gun homicides, our average homicide rate in the USA is rather high compared to other western countries.
    - greggman2 7y ago
      Tiny is relative is it not? Relative to Japany chances of getting shot are extremely high. It's also not just about getting shot, it's about being near it and having to worry about it. I've been in at least 3 shooting situtstions in my time in the USA. Once in Westwood waiting in line for movie, once in Santa Monica while eating, once in Mira Loma as a kid and if I add friends and family they've all had experiencea. They weren't shot but they should not have to we even worry about the proximity. Go live in a safe country for a few years then come back and you'll feel what you've become insensitive to
umvi 7y ago
> a general attitude of being the masters of the world Sounds like you don't appreciate the regional and resource stability that the US military brings to your country. You probably just take it for granted that cargo ships can travel freely and trade without worry of being attacked. Global trade wasn't this risk-free before the US navy became "masters of the world". Maybe we need to dissolve NATO then because clearly the EU does not see defense as a priority and puts little to no effort protecting its interests since the US takes care of it. I vote the US pull out of NATO and stop being "masters of the world" in the middle east, protecting shipping lanes with the navy, etc. EU can protect its own interests with its own defense budget. Good luck.
- rsfinn 7y ago
  Welcome to Hacker News, Mr. President.
currymj 7y ago
ironically, Hawaii has no death penalty and extremely restrictive gun laws. it's a big country!
aledalgrande 7y ago
What surprises me the most is the huge divide between these horrific things that happen at government level and the fact that 99% of Americans I met were instead very lovely people.
- WarOnPrivacy 7y ago
  To meet lovely people doing horrific things, live in one of the (not poor) DC Metro Area neighborhoods.
DannyB2 7y ago
> Best thing is to just not have anything to do with the US of A. The US is about 4% of the world population. The rest of the world about 96%. (Google for "US population" and "world population", use mathematical process known as division.)
jopsen 7y ago
There are 16 countries rated higher on the "human freedom index": https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/human-freedom-index-files/human-freedom-index-2018-revised.pdf https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/human-freedom-i... I assume you won't travel to Sweden, they have the same score as the US :) Don't get me wrong, I also frustrated the US doesn't so better -- not because the US is that bad, but because it would be so easy for the US to do better. And for some reason I emphasize with the Americans :) (I live in Denmark, but I'm not scared of traveling to neither Sweden or the US -- but I've never been to a non-democratic country, no plans to either).
tonfreed 7y ago
Oh come on now. In Australia you can be detained without charge and all they have to do is mention the 't' word. I also had someone turn up to our tabletop session on the weekend saying trains had stopped because someone got shot outside the station, while I struggle to get a license for a muzzle loading antique flintlock rifle. Not to mention I can get fined for all matter of stupid stuff because of the nanny state. The US isn't perfect, but of all the places in the world you could live it's undeniably one of the best. Probably second only to Germany in my favourite places to travel, tbh
thedaemon 7y ago
Why are you on hackernews, a USA website / company?

TheCuckedKing 7y ago

They are the world masters, though..

WilTimSon 7y ago

That whole attitude of being "the greatest country in the world" always seemed so peculiar to me. I get that all countries tend to be patriotic and embellish themselves but that just sounds a bit ridiculous and antagonistic. For a country established by immigrants and populated by immigrants, you'd think the national identity would be a bit more versatile. Instead, it's been homogenized to the point where people have to fight their own perceptions to reclaim their culture and identity. It's a shame, really.

uwydr 7y ago
>by immigrants and populated by immigrants By white immigrants of a more-or-less shared Christian ancestry* You make it sound like the USA was founded by a rainbow-coloured melting pot. It definitely was not
- seanccox 7y ago
  When the Declaration of Independence was signed, Africans comprised a significant percentage of the US population (60% of SC, 40% of VA, and 20-25% of northern urban centers like Boston and Newport [1])(2). They were not white, likely not Christian, and instrumental to the establishment of the US. 1) https://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/25577 https://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/... 2) https://faculty.weber.edu/kmackay/statistics_on_slavery.htm https://faculty.weber.edu/kmackay/statistics_on_slavery.htm
  - uwydr 7y ago
    They were slaves. They weren't part of the processes that led to the founding of the republic. In other words, that's like saying pack mules founded the USA. America was founded by Christian whites.
    - blanche_ 7y ago
      You're comparing black people to mules? Seriously? They contributed their work not to mention what people from US did to native americans.
      - uwydr 7y ago
        I would've compared them to robots but they didn't exist back then. What I meant is that they were used for their force, not for their brains.
    - lugg 7y ago
      Fucking christ. Mules? Seriously?
    - CydeWeys 7y ago
      People aren't mules. People have culture in a way that mules do not, and African culture became an important part of American culture and identify in a way that is not true of, say, Finland.

bluGill 7y ago

Death penalty exists, but it is rare. Loaded guns exist, but they are not common. Most of them are in the hands of well trained people who are harmless unless (in the unlikely event) that deadly force is the only way they can get out of the situations. The US has its problems, but you have been listening to propaganda by anti US forces (you might want to figure out who they are and what their agenda is!) if you think either of the above issues are worth a worry.

ctingom 7y ago
This should be the top reply.
wonderwonder 7y ago
Most of the points in this post are not accurate. There are more guns in civilian hands here than there are people. "The Small Arms Survey stated that U.S. civilians alone account for 393 million (about 46 percent) of the worldwide total of civilian held firearms" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_ownership https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_ownership "Most of them are in the hands of well trained people who are harmless" I am not sure what you base this on, you don't need any training at all to buy a gun, just ~24 - 48 hour waiting period and if you have a concealed carry permit, you can generally walk out with the gun after paying. Depending on the state, training to carry a concealed weapon can take from 2 - 8 hours. Some states don't even require training if you want to open carry your weapon. In 2010 there were ~20,000 suicides involving a gun. In 2016, there were 11,004 gun homicides. The US leads the world in mass shootings, especially in schools. Accidental gun injuries are most common in homes where guns are kept for self-defense. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_Sta... Getting shot by the police is a leading cause of death in young male people of color. "you might want to figure out who they are and what their agenda is" Indeed.
- bluGill 7y ago
  You can buy a gun easily enough. However the people who actually do that tend to be enthusiasts who are well trained. To have a loaded gun on your person you need to be well trained in most states.

bsenftner 7y ago

As an American citizen, I've been trying to talk my family into leaving for years. Comments here reference the problem being the State and not the citizens. I beg to differ, the citizens in "general America" are dangerous and stupid to themselves and everyone around them. The entitled attitude of middle and upper middle class anyone is so unreasonable, I sometimes walk around the gang-tagged zones in my own neighborhood and think "we're a nation of trapped rats, we deserve this for the lies we keep repeating, we keep eating, we keep electing, and the most empty lie how we're the greatest nation on earth, what a hoot!"

sojournerc 7y ago

He says while commenting on web site based in the USA

ramblerman 7y ago

As a european who is not always very fond of the US, this is ridiculous, and lazy thinking. The amount of generalization and black and white simplifications to come up with such a thing is impressive though.

Ensorceled 7y ago
And yet, in this very thread there are discussions, presumably by Americans, about whether human rights “afforded” to people only apply to citizens or all humans. They are literally arguing if “people” only means US citizens.
- ip26 7y ago
  The Bill of Rights affords citizens protections from their government. They weren't written as inalienable human rights. So it has long been debated whether those protections are owed to non-citizens.
  - Ensorceled 7y ago
    Yes, those are exactly the types of disturbing discussions I was talking about.
  - bregma 7y ago
    > We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. The USA was founded on the premise that human rights applied to all. When any governing entity no longer respects those rights, it's time to turf the bums out and start again. The current government of the USA, at the urging of a self-selected elite among its supporting citizens, believes those inalienable human rights only apply to a select few. These are the conditions outlined in the Declaration of Independence as reason to overthrow the current regime. There is well-documented historical precedence. Tread lightly.

g105b 7y ago

This comment is as mindless as the generalisation it's applying to an entire population.

TazeTSchnitzel 7y ago
It's more about American governance than anything else.
sbarre 7y ago
This is not about the US citizenry but about the state. If you can't actually see how the American state (not population or country) has devolved into something to be concerned about over the last 20 years, perhaps you're not looking hard enough. Domestic politics and policies are cruel and divisive, international policies have regressed dramatically (i.e. they've pulled out of major international treaties around arms and climate and trade). In the eyes of the average world citizen, America used to export an aspirational culture, now they export greed, cynicism, and technological dystopia (and I don't mean Facebook, I mean mass surveillance and drone warfare). They are of course not alone in all this, but they are the biggest and most powerful country on the planet, so they lead by example, and it's becoming a shittier example every year. So yeah, as an outsider looking into the US, I don't find that comment mindless at all.
- euroPoor 7y ago
  The United States government is legitimized by its people. While I highly disagree with the ‘America terrible’ feeling your argument does not hold.
  - incongruity 7y ago
    I’d instead say that it is legitimate as long as it continues to align with and perpetuate the interests and values of its people. To that end, if our government has strayed from that in significant ways, it delegitimizes itself and we, the people have an obligation to ourselves and others to rein it in. America, the people, is still a source of pride for me but one can hold that view and still see significant flaws with how our government acts on our behalf - or despite it.

psv1 7y ago

Yes - on a personal level, I tend to avoid travelling to the US. For the same reasons that I avoid travelling to most of the Middle East or China.

odiroot 7y ago
Middle East I can understand but what's your beef with China?
- lugg 7y ago
  Not AP but given my own government is unable to protect its own citizens travelling there im not about to risk a transfer through there. It's unlikely anything would happen but given my work I'm almost certainly on a list there and I'm simply not willing to risk it. https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-24/china-hostage-diplomacy-affecting-australian-toddler/11631794 https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-24/china-hostage-dipl... https://www.sbs.com.au/news/yang-hengjun-australian-writer-detained-in-china-releases-secret-letter https://www.sbs.com.au/news/yang-hengjun-australian-writer-d...
jason_slack 7y ago
I found my time in China rather pleasant. However, I am aware of other less positive stories about traveling in China.
- psv1 7y ago
  > I found my time in China rather pleasant. Yes. As are some places in the Middle East. And so so many places in the US are great too, of course. It's just that the attitude of those states (and the most extreme parts of the population) towards foreigners make most trips not worth the risk.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]

jason_slack 7y ago

But you realize that ordinary people don't have a large choice in this right? We can vote and vote and vote, but until the majority wins, and helps facilitate change, we are stuck with how people perceive our country as well as some of the harsh realities of living here. I feel like you insulted me for the actions of my country. Isn't this how racism and hate is spread? I'm now not worth knowing and should be shyed away from because of my country... Edit: I think the downvotes are a bit uncalled for. The OP said people should avoid the US because of its practices. The OP didn't say ANY country with these practices, China, Middle East, North Korea, Russia. It was a very general statement that has is heavily opinion driven.

Ensorceled 7y ago
You’re being downvoted for your “whataboutism”, being insulted and for comparing their mild comment to racism and hatred.
vertex-four 7y ago
If you turn up in another country, sure, I have no problem interacting with you (assuming that you don't support the policies of your state). If I travel to the US though, I'm just as powerless against the state as you are - in fact, even more so - and so I'll avoid doing so.
ClumsyPilot 7y ago
I think most reasonable people know about North Korea, etc. That's not a benchmark

abstractbarista 7y ago

As an American, I'm lovin' it! Guns are everywhere, yet shootings are very rare. I feel very safe knowing I and others around me all want and enjoy safety, and we have strong law enforcement to keep it that way. (Although I agree that our 4th amendment has been horrifically raped in modern times.) The vast majority of gun deaths are consentual (suicide), and of the homicidal remainder, the vast majority are within organized crime. Stay away from gang activity and don't flagrantly disobey police officers, and I guarantee you'll be completely fine. If you disagree with all this, it's probably just not the country for you. You make a good decision staying out.

shkkmo 7y ago
> The vast majority of gun deaths are consentual (suicide), ~2/3 is a majority, but certainly not a vast majority. > and don't flagrantly disobey police officers, and I guarantee you'll be completely fine. Plenty of people are shot by police without flagrantly disobeying police orders. It may reduce your risk, but it does not eliminate it. > If you disagree with all this, it's probably just not the country for you. You make a good decision staying out. As a country founded on pluralism, The USA has plenty of room and hospitality to offer those who disagree with you.
- neonIcon 7y ago
  2/3 = 66% So if I ate 66% of a cake you just ordered, and handed you back the rest would that not be considered a vast majority of your cake?
  - shkkmo 7y ago
    Nope, 'vast' means more than very large and its closest synonyms are 'immense' or 'boundless'. I would consider a vast majority to require at LEAST an order of magnitude difference, so 90%+ as a bare minimum and I would probably not use it myself until more like 95% and I would still consider that rather hyperbolic up until 99%. You could call 66% a strong majority or a clear majority, but 'vast' is far too strong in my opinion.
7y ago

jslove 7y ago

And worse - no proper support for Metric!

ClumsyPilot 7y ago
By far the greatest sin

umvi 7y ago

You are far more likely to be killed by a drunk driver in the US than by a gun. Your chances of being killed by a gun are basically zero (unless you are travelling to the US specifically to commit suicide), so that's a somewhat bogus concern

osullivj 7y ago
I'm always amazed by how few shooting fatalities there are in the US. 330M population, 33K gun deaths per annum [1]. And two thirds of the gun deaths are suicides. So that's only 10K homicides per annum. That's 1 in 33K. In the UK we have 65M population, and 800 murders per annum. That's 1 in 81K. Given that the US is so heavily armed I'd expect the gun death rate to be much higher. IMHO that demonstrates that the average person is equal to the responsibility of firearm ownership. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_Sta...
- umvi 7y ago
  You can also factor out gang-related gun homocides since your average American/tourist is not involved in organized crime. Basically, the chances of being killed randomly by a mass shooting or random murderer are extremely tiny. I will say though that even ignoring gun homicides, our average homicide rate in the USA is rather high compared to other western countries.
  - greggman2 7y ago
    Tiny is relative is it not? Relative to Japany chances of getting shot are extremely high. It's also not just about getting shot, it's about being near it and having to worry about it. I've been in at least 3 shooting situtstions in my time in the USA. Once in Westwood waiting in line for movie, once in Santa Monica while eating, once in Mira Loma as a kid and if I add friends and family they've all had experiencea. They weren't shot but they should not have to we even worry about the proximity. Go live in a safe country for a few years then come back and you'll feel what you've become insensitive to

umvi 7y ago

> a general attitude of being the masters of the world Sounds like you don't appreciate the regional and resource stability that the US military brings to your country. You probably just take it for granted that cargo ships can travel freely and trade without worry of being attacked. Global trade wasn't this risk-free before the US navy became "masters of the world". Maybe we need to dissolve NATO then because clearly the EU does not see defense as a priority and puts little to no effort protecting its interests since the US takes care of it. I vote the US pull out of NATO and stop being "masters of the world" in the middle east, protecting shipping lanes with the navy, etc. EU can protect its own interests with its own defense budget. Good luck.

rsfinn 7y ago
Welcome to Hacker News, Mr. President.

currymj 7y ago

ironically, Hawaii has no death penalty and extremely restrictive gun laws. it's a big country!

aledalgrande 7y ago

What surprises me the most is the huge divide between these horrific things that happen at government level and the fact that 99% of Americans I met were instead very lovely people.

WarOnPrivacy 7y ago
To meet lovely people doing horrific things, live in one of the (not poor) DC Metro Area neighborhoods.

DannyB2 7y ago

> Best thing is to just not have anything to do with the US of A. The US is about 4% of the world population. The rest of the world about 96%. (Google for "US population" and "world population", use mathematical process known as division.)

jopsen 7y ago

There are 16 countries rated higher on the "human freedom index": https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/human-freedom-index-files/human-freedom-index-2018-revised.pdf https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/human-freedom-i... I assume you won't travel to Sweden, they have the same score as the US :) Don't get me wrong, I also frustrated the US doesn't so better -- not because the US is that bad, but because it would be so easy for the US to do better. And for some reason I emphasize with the Americans :) (I live in Denmark, but I'm not scared of traveling to neither Sweden or the US -- but I've never been to a non-democratic country, no plans to either).

tonfreed 7y ago

Oh come on now. In Australia you can be detained without charge and all they have to do is mention the 't' word. I also had someone turn up to our tabletop session on the weekend saying trains had stopped because someone got shot outside the station, while I struggle to get a license for a muzzle loading antique flintlock rifle. Not to mention I can get fined for all matter of stupid stuff because of the nanny state. The US isn't perfect, but of all the places in the world you could live it's undeniably one of the best. Probably second only to Germany in my favourite places to travel, tbh

thedaemon 7y ago

Why are you on hackernews, a USA website / company?