4 ms·

Yea agree. The US used to be good at making the world believe they're all about freedom and rights etc. Now they don't seem to even bother trying anymore.

by yibg 1y ago

herbst 1y ago
That has been a long while ago since they stopped trying to portrait this image
0xDEAFBEAD 1y ago
I read a lot of anti-American comments like this one, mostly on American websites like Hacker News and Youtube. I'd say the anti-American comments outnumber the pro-American ones something like 10 to 1. The US may not be preaching about freedom and rights. But it seems to be practicing it, at least in the narrow sense that anti-American content isn't being censored or suppressed.
- yibg 1y ago
  Can't speak for others. My "anti-American" comment is due to the difference between what's preached and what's practiced. "Leader of the free world", "greatest country on earth" etc. I also wouldn't characterize my comment as anti-American so much as disappointed in America. There is of course more freedom in the US than in say China. But I'm also not holding up China as a beacon of freedom. The US on the other hand, the land of the free, freedoms and rights are being eroded.
  - 0xDEAFBEAD 1y ago
    >"Leader of the free world", "greatest country on earth" etc. I don't see Americans referring to their country that way anymore. I think you're arguing with an interlocutor who peaked in the Reagan era and has been on a downtrend ever since. Personally speaking, as an American, I don't want to lead the free world anymore. I don't want to be the "greatest country in the world" either. I'd rather the US just stick to solving its own problems, and let other countries solve theirs. The whole hero act has clearly been a mistake.
    - yibg 1y ago
      Leaving aside impact to the rest of the world, America being the "leader of the free world" has benefited it immensely. Majority of the global systems were built by Americans. Everything from military power projection to global reserve currency status to pop culture has not only given the US clout and power but also a lot of wealth. Sticking to solve their own problems is how the Chinese declined into being the "sick man of Asia" hundreds of years ago.
      - 0xDEAFBEAD 1y ago
        >America being the "leader of the free world" has benefited it immensely. It doesn't make a difference. See this graph: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/GDP_per_person_in_the_United_States.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/GDP_per_... GDP growth stayed on the same trend both before and after the US tried to "lead the free world" post-WW2. >military power projection That's a cost for us, not a benefit. I don't want my tax dollars to be "projecting power". I want them helping me and my fellow citizens. >pop culture has not only given the US clout The internet is awash in anti-American comments. Trying to "lead the free world" has destroyed our soft power. >Sticking to solve their own problems is how the Chinese declined into being the "sick man of Asia" hundreds of years ago. My preferred model is Switzerland, not Qing China. I'm not anti-modernization. I'm anti-imperialism. We shouldn't involve ourselves in wars or military alliances on other continents.
        throwawayqqq11 1y ago
        > military power projection > That's a cost for us, not a benefit. If id get a cent for every US-american not understanding their hegemonial privilege... (Sorry, shouldnt be an insult. Its just so prevalent and to me, a sign of lacking self criticism on a worringly massive scale.) Eg: https://business.columbia.edu/research-brief/dollars-dominance-military-financial-power https://business.columbia.edu/research-brief/dollars-dominan... TLDR: The US military backs the dollar as international trade currency, which puts all other nations in a depending position to lend USD. This allowed the US to cheaply amass a gigantic debt that in turn allowed ridiculous (military) budgets. Please dont answer something like "see, we are in debt for you", since the US got material stuff in return for a fiat currency that can they can devalue on demand but had been accepted on the basis of trust and stability. Remember when "the market got the yippies" and trump chickened out of broad tarifs? It was also because of long term allies sending a signal by liquidating US bonds: https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/government-bond-yield https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/government-bond-y... https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/15/us-treasurys-selloff-what-happened-and-why.html https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/15/us-treasurys-selloff-what-ha... A continuing drop of bond yields could mean a collapse of the US national budgets. Thats the benedit you enjoyed for decades. Something other nations cannot do.
- jakelazaroff 1y ago
  Have you not been paying attention to what's been happening in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination? The government been foaming at the mouth and clamping down on everyone who dares say anything other than obsequious praise about him. ABC just tonight cancelled Jimmy Kimmel at the behest of the head of the FCC! And I mean, it's not like this is new. The past two years have seen intense crackdowns on pro-Palestinian speech. Look at what happened to Mahmoud Khalil and Rümeysa Öztürk.
  - 0xDEAFBEAD 1y ago
    I have no particular opinion about those issues. I'm just pointing out the irony of people complaining about "US propaganda" on discussion platforms where the content is overwhelmingly anti-US.
    - jakelazaroff 1y ago
      I am referring to this assertion: > The US may not be preaching about freedom and rights. But it seems to be practicing it, at least in the narrow sense that anti-American content isn't being censored or suppressed.
- herbst 1y ago
  It's very likely that after a few of these comments you aren't getting a visa anymore. That is far from practiced freedom
- s_dev 1y ago
  > But it seems to be practicing it This deal cuts the US off from worldwide content. Just like China does. The US TikTok will literally be a bubble that the US gov controls. So it's not even pretending to practice 'freedom' here.
  - tw1984 1y ago
    > Just like China does. this deal is a direct copy of the one China forced onto Microsoft MSN Messenger's China operation some 15 years ago. almost 100% the same.
  - lenerdenator 1y ago
    The acceptance of China on the world stage shows that this isn't a problem for most. You can't criticize the US for taking an authoritarian turn while simultaneously doing more and more business with a totalitarian state.

Yea agree. The US used to be good at making the world believe they're all about freedom and rights etc. Now they don't seem to even bother trying anymore.

by yibg 1y ago

Yea agree. The US used to be good at making the world believe they're all about freedom and rights etc. Now they don't seem to even bother trying anymore.

herbst 1y ago

That has been a long while ago since they stopped trying to portrait this image

0xDEAFBEAD 1y ago

I read a lot of anti-American comments like this one, mostly on American websites like Hacker News and Youtube. I'd say the anti-American comments outnumber the pro-American ones something like 10 to 1. The US may not be preaching about freedom and rights. But it seems to be practicing it, at least in the narrow sense that anti-American content isn't being censored or suppressed.

yibg 1y ago
Can't speak for others. My "anti-American" comment is due to the difference between what's preached and what's practiced. "Leader of the free world", "greatest country on earth" etc. I also wouldn't characterize my comment as anti-American so much as disappointed in America. There is of course more freedom in the US than in say China. But I'm also not holding up China as a beacon of freedom. The US on the other hand, the land of the free, freedoms and rights are being eroded.
- 0xDEAFBEAD 1y ago
  >"Leader of the free world", "greatest country on earth" etc. I don't see Americans referring to their country that way anymore. I think you're arguing with an interlocutor who peaked in the Reagan era and has been on a downtrend ever since. Personally speaking, as an American, I don't want to lead the free world anymore. I don't want to be the "greatest country in the world" either. I'd rather the US just stick to solving its own problems, and let other countries solve theirs. The whole hero act has clearly been a mistake.
  - yibg 1y ago
    Leaving aside impact to the rest of the world, America being the "leader of the free world" has benefited it immensely. Majority of the global systems were built by Americans. Everything from military power projection to global reserve currency status to pop culture has not only given the US clout and power but also a lot of wealth. Sticking to solve their own problems is how the Chinese declined into being the "sick man of Asia" hundreds of years ago.
    - 0xDEAFBEAD 1y ago
      >America being the "leader of the free world" has benefited it immensely. It doesn't make a difference. See this graph: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/GDP_per_person_in_the_United_States.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/GDP_per_... GDP growth stayed on the same trend both before and after the US tried to "lead the free world" post-WW2. >military power projection That's a cost for us, not a benefit. I don't want my tax dollars to be "projecting power". I want them helping me and my fellow citizens. >pop culture has not only given the US clout The internet is awash in anti-American comments. Trying to "lead the free world" has destroyed our soft power. >Sticking to solve their own problems is how the Chinese declined into being the "sick man of Asia" hundreds of years ago. My preferred model is Switzerland, not Qing China. I'm not anti-modernization. I'm anti-imperialism. We shouldn't involve ourselves in wars or military alliances on other continents.
      - throwawayqqq11 1y ago
        > military power projection > That's a cost for us, not a benefit. If id get a cent for every US-american not understanding their hegemonial privilege... (Sorry, shouldnt be an insult. Its just so prevalent and to me, a sign of lacking self criticism on a worringly massive scale.) Eg: https://business.columbia.edu/research-brief/dollars-dominance-military-financial-power https://business.columbia.edu/research-brief/dollars-dominan... TLDR: The US military backs the dollar as international trade currency, which puts all other nations in a depending position to lend USD. This allowed the US to cheaply amass a gigantic debt that in turn allowed ridiculous (military) budgets. Please dont answer something like "see, we are in debt for you", since the US got material stuff in return for a fiat currency that can they can devalue on demand but had been accepted on the basis of trust and stability. Remember when "the market got the yippies" and trump chickened out of broad tarifs? It was also because of long term allies sending a signal by liquidating US bonds: https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/government-bond-yield https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/government-bond-y... https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/15/us-treasurys-selloff-what-happened-and-why.html https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/15/us-treasurys-selloff-what-ha... A continuing drop of bond yields could mean a collapse of the US national budgets. Thats the benedit you enjoyed for decades. Something other nations cannot do.
jakelazaroff 1y ago
Have you not been paying attention to what's been happening in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination? The government been foaming at the mouth and clamping down on everyone who dares say anything other than obsequious praise about him. ABC just tonight cancelled Jimmy Kimmel at the behest of the head of the FCC! And I mean, it's not like this is new. The past two years have seen intense crackdowns on pro-Palestinian speech. Look at what happened to Mahmoud Khalil and Rümeysa Öztürk.
- 0xDEAFBEAD 1y ago
  I have no particular opinion about those issues. I'm just pointing out the irony of people complaining about "US propaganda" on discussion platforms where the content is overwhelmingly anti-US.
  - jakelazaroff 1y ago
    I am referring to this assertion: > The US may not be preaching about freedom and rights. But it seems to be practicing it, at least in the narrow sense that anti-American content isn't being censored or suppressed.
herbst 1y ago
It's very likely that after a few of these comments you aren't getting a visa anymore. That is far from practiced freedom
s_dev 1y ago
> But it seems to be practicing it This deal cuts the US off from worldwide content. Just like China does. The US TikTok will literally be a bubble that the US gov controls. So it's not even pretending to practice 'freedom' here.
- tw1984 1y ago
  > Just like China does. this deal is a direct copy of the one China forced onto Microsoft MSN Messenger's China operation some 15 years ago. almost 100% the same.
- lenerdenator 1y ago
  The acceptance of China on the world stage shows that this isn't a problem for most. You can't criticize the US for taking an authoritarian turn while simultaneously doing more and more business with a totalitarian state.