90 upvotes, 6 direct replies (showing 6)
This is the first time since he became president that a chill literally ran through my body while reading something he did or say and i don't even live there. I grew up idolizing America. Going there even for a holiday was a dream of mine, now someone would have to force me to go. The country was seen as a symbol of freedom for the people, a symbol for democracy and a place where anybody can "make it". Seeing it being torn to pieces in the last 4 years has been heartbreaking to say the least. Part of me wants to believe this is just Russian propaganda being spread on the internet and things really aren't half as bad over there but i highly doubt it. Democracy is dying in the USA and so is the freedom it is so famous for.
Comment by DionFW at 16/08/2020 at 15:26 UTC
11 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I live in Canada 20 minutes from the USA border. We do a lot of food shopping down there, or check out the awesome breweries. Not anymore (border closure aside). I'm not going back until he is out.
Comment by anoncactusfriend at 16/08/2020 at 16:54 UTC
13 upvotes, 2 direct replies
America is nothing to idolize- and many of us would move countries or get out if we could.
Comment by foobar1000 at 16/08/2020 at 19:18 UTC
6 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The country was seen as a symbol of freedom for the people, a symbol for democracy and a place where anybody can "make it". Seeing it being torn to pieces in the last 4 years has been heartbreaking to say the least.
As a kid, I used to believe this stuff was genuine, but I've come to realize it's little more than PR (PR is what we call Propaganda when it's a country we like). It's very disappointing.
Another big thing I've come to realize is that Trump isn't just some recent aberration that popped up over the last few years. He's just the logical conclusion to the modern Republican party which literally started as a backlash to the Civil Rights movement.
Republicans will lose purely on demographics as time passes and they know it, so I think a lot of them are perfectly willing to turn to dictatorship to get what they've always wanted. A whiter, more "Christian"(in name only, we prefer supply-side Jesus to the real one here) America.
Part of me wants to believe this is just Russian propaganda being spread on the internet and things really aren't half as bad over there but i highly doubt it.
While the Russian's definitely do spread propaganda here in America, I think we've done most of this damage to ourselves. Russia just gave us a nudge.
Like 90% of the propaganda here is homemade. It's so effective a chunk of our country is effectively delusional..
This isn't recent, our propaganda systems (Fox News, talk radio, Facebook, Far-Right publications, etc.) started kicking into high gear after Nixon's impeachment to protect future Republican presidents from being held accountable for crimes.
Democracy is dying in the USA and so is the freedom it is so famous for.
I'm still hopeful that as a population we can learn some lessons from Belarus and Ukraine and turn this around.
Comment by tall__guy at 16/08/2020 at 18:48 UTC
4 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Things are definitely that bad.
Comment by doffdoff at 16/08/2020 at 20:00 UTC
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I share your perspective. I've always wanted to live in the US when I was young, always admired their presidential office, always was in awe. Now, I'm shocked and appalled. It is sad.
Comment by [deleted] at 16/08/2020 at 17:21 UTC
-5 upvotes, 1 direct replies
You can do, say, and be whatever you want in America. I'm working class bi-racial, the last four years have been pretty good for me financially.