• Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    That’s probably because the loudest and most overly defensive ones are the Americans you’re most likely to encounter and remember in online arguments and on American news, so that colors the perception. Especially when you don’t live amongst the more reasonable majority of Americans 🤷

    • scv@discuss.online
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      1 year ago

      That is not my experience at all. Most Americans get extremely defensive when someone criticizes the US, even people who know better. Many are ok with specific criticism (like, healthcare sucking), but it doesn’t take much for them to revert to 'murican mode.

      I have been living in the US for over a decade and been to 2/3rds of the states.

      • Mog_fanatic@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        That’s really interesting. I’ve lived in 9 states and I can honestly say that outside of the southeast, it is legitimately difficult to consistently find people that dont think the us is a flaming sack of shit or at least headed that way. Seriously, I’ve heard waaaaaaaaaaaaay more negative talk on the us from Americans than anything positive. Especially in like the last decade. But this place is so damn big that anyone’s experience would vary a crazy amount so that makes sense.

        • scv@discuss.online
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          1 year ago

          Are you in tech or some other field that doesn’t involve interacting with different socioeconomic groups?

          Most of not all states guarantee some “interesting” encounters if you leave the cities. In California I have seen Confederate flags flying, met neonazis, and plenty of Trump supporters. Trump got over 34% of the vote in California, almost 39% in Washington and over 40% in Oregon. Those percentages are not a majority, but I think it sets a floor, since Trump supporters are not exactly trash talking the US.

          I have spent a lot of time doing canvassing and other activities that mean I encounter people with very different ideas, so that would definitely explain the different experience.

    • sock@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      well if an american does respond to this it proves them right if they dont respond it doesnt prove them wrong its a bad argument for an otherwise pretty dumb claim

      unless americans do care i hate america and am american so idrk

    • Honytawk@lemmy.zip
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      1 year ago

      If I ever have to read the bogus claim that “USA #1!!!” I’ll flip my shit.

      #1 in teen pregnancies maybe

      #1 in prison population

      #1 in school shootings

      #1 in wage gap

      What the US is not #1 in: happiness, progressiveness, quality of life, freedom

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        True. While it’s NEAR the top in SOME good things, I’m pretty sure that the US is only #1 in the ones you mentioned and other bad things lol