As an outsider (I live in Belgium) it feels very weird and dystopian to see everything happening in American politics with Trump and Musk.
On one side, it’s very interesting and almost entertaining; on the other side, it’s scary. I can’t imagine what it must be like to live in the USA.
Americans, how do you cope? What’s your take on the situation?
Shit’s pretty fucked right now, and yeah, it’s scary, distressing, and absolutely disturbing.
I live in a small, rural ex-urb. Plenty of people here definitely voted for this. I don’t interact with my neighbors and keep to myself. I live below my means and am financially sound, at least.
I can’t do much about any of this. I donate to my local food bank monthly because hungry people are angry people, and folks gotta eat, regardless is political leanings. And I donate to Wikipedia because I value information.
None of this helps with the insanity and the politics, but hopefully it helps somebody.
and folks gotta eat, regardless is political leanings
Nah. Fuck the filthy fascist supporting magats. They deserve to starve for their extreme stupidity.
From above:
A large portion of Americans only have 2 brain cells and they’re both busy fighting for 3rd place.
And here we have a case in point: an American who can’t read history.
So… we war with each other forever and that’s the end of the country? Just head straight for civil war? Your attitude does nothing to make things better. I understand the anger, it’s righteous indignation because this shit is just absolutely wrong and completely fucked up. But the problem is class warfare and kleptocracy, and you’re feeding right into it, picking the wrong enemy.
Powerless people in bad situations make bad choices. They’re idiots, sure, but many voted on kitchen table issues, which Trump addressed, while Harris did not. Granted, once elected Trump promptly fucked off on that because he’s a grifter and that’s what he does.
I can’t stand the Trump cult, and yeah people are idiots for falling for it again. As another idiot leader once said, “fool me once, sh…uh, c-can’t fool me again.” But as I noted previously, hungry, desperate people aren’t rational actors.
I don’t pick who my donations go to, I just make sure I donate so food is available to those who need it.
I agree somewhat with your last 2 sentences, but their kids don’t deserve knowing hunger. Hungry kids don’t / can’t pay attention in school. And I know the future of our education system is circling the drain, but kids don’t deserve to be condemned for what their parents have done.
As Americans, we’re really good at airing out our political dirty laundry on the world stage, as well as taking every item in the news to its most extreme conclusion (especially in online circles that are too homogeneous in their political leanings).
I just try to cut through all the noise and keep perspective.
This is the most positive take I’ve read on this topic so far. I hope it’s true and it’s all more circus than it seems, but it’s scary tho
Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of decisions being made that I strongly disapprove of, but I just want to caution that we have a tendency to overwhelm online conversations and completely lose perspective.
Real life in the US is very different than it is presented online.
Sharing a border with them makes it a little less entertaining and a little more concerning
Ooof I can imagine. Canada or Mexico?
Canada. The guy who doesn’t joke is joking about annexing us… ralph-wiggam-on-the-bus.jpg
From what I read online and see in the news here, Canada seems to have a “ow yeah, bring it on, we’ll kick your ass” mentality (might sound cooler than I intended but hey, maybe it really is like that!)
On the plus side, it’s seems like most our our public response has ranged from “no thanks” to “here, let me warm up this poker real quick so you can go fuck yourself with it.” Hopefully Poilievre is somewhere in that range and not among the other minority.
I absorb what i can through the media. I accept that i cant trust most information that reaches me. I keep track of what is right to me compared to what the news shows regardless if the event happened or was accurately portrayed. I try to understand how others feel about stuff too without being a bummer.
I have faith in myself to act according to my beliefs if/when the opportunity presents itself.
This is my disinformation cope. It takes the edge off of alarming news and keeps me engaged.
Still figuring out that coping part. Right now I have a daily anxiety spike early in the morning that wakes me up, so not going great currently.
I hope you guys can hold it together across the pond. I’ve heard that some of the same powers are turning their attention and money towards you guys now (or at least in Germany).
Yeah, Germany has its elections on Sunday. I’m anxiously awaiting those results, tbf. You’d think Germans know how well it went the last time the extreme right-wingers were in control, but you never know…
In Belgium, we had elections for the federal government in June and regional (Flanders, for me) government in October. Although the right wing gained a lot of votes, we were able to form a government without the extreme right. At the moment we still have a “cordon sanitaire”, look it up, I think it’s quite nice. The extreme right-wing party says it’s undemocratic, of course, but in this case I don’t mind. The formation took 236 days, tho, but that’s another story. We still hold the world record for longest period without a government (592 days in 2018-202, breaking our own record of 541 days in 2010-2011)
Hearing about your election makes me realize how little I know about how your system works. The idea you form a new government every time is very wild sounding to me, but also the horribly entrenched two parties we have is an absolute disaster at this point and I’d be curious to see basically anything else at this point!
Oh if you’re into politics, it’s very interesting to follow hahaha. It’s definitely not ideal, but better than a two party system for sure. Also not that difficult of a system, but for outsiders it can be a lot I think. I also struggle to fully understand the American system, with the value per state etc. Forming a new government is fun and exciting, plus it gives you some hope that a terrible minister will lose his function four years later
I’m definitely interested in other country’s politics. My own’s not so much since they’re insanely depressing feeling these days. 🫤
The american system is deeply flawed, so I don’t think you should try that hard to wrap your head around it honestly. Nothing to be learned except what to avoid 🫠
Americans, how do you cope?
Alcohol
What’s your take on the situation?
I’m leaving the country. My friends are stockpiling and getting sterilized.
Move to Belgium! We have lots of quality beers and delicious fries!
I can’t leave. They just made my gender illegal to put on a passport.
They just made my gender illegal to put on a passport
So TECHNICALLY they can’t do you harm either… No passport no way of punishing you (I know they can, but I’m just trying to lighten the mood a little bit. Humor as coping mechanism and all that)
Sounds tasty! What’s the job market like?
I can vouch for that, Belgian fries are by far the superior kind. In a way I’m glad I don’t live there or I’d have the circumference of a small planet by now.
You get used to it when you live here, trust me. Only once a week, as is tradition!
American here. Terrified about what’s happening and even more terrified how unaware people like my parents are. The department of education going away is, to my mom, something that won’t happen but if it does, they had good intentions. This is from someone who has always claimed “both sides are bad”. But suddenly now the most nakedly evil people in the history of the country have taken over, it’s out of our hands and just stop worrying.
Someone told me recently “People don’t want to think. They want to be ruled.”
Same. My parents tell me to just stop reading the news so I’ll feel better. I can’t look away from the train crash that is our country, how can you guys?
Exactly. I would feel this way, even if I didn’t know people affected and I may be as well, but I do and I might be, so that doesn’t help. I was told I stress too much. Fucking absurd dismissive bullshit. This is how we got here. People thinking the American way is to only give a damn about yourself and the people right in front of (assuming your uninformed political beliefs don’t conflict with caring about those people). Maybe it is the American way but it didn’t have to be.
I agree with your assessment: I find it both fascinating (who would have thought each new thing was actually possible, what insane bad idea will be launched today?) and horrifying.
Still working out the coping aspect, as what’s going on directly affects me and some of my family, but mostly switch between paying very close attention and trying to game out what the agenda is, and then taking a day to not pay attention and live in calm denial.
It’s not a good time, let me tell ya.
Oh I can imagine… I really don’t know what I would do if I was in the same situation
Every once in a while a group of mean spirited bullies would get elected to student government. But that didn’t really matter and was only a few months. This is real life and will have consequences for generations. Regan and W bush were both known for defUnding things like science, health, and education. We’re still dealing with ramifications from those defundings today. What we’re currently dealing with wants to make that look like nothing. I have my gripes with Clinton. But he managed to get the budget balanced without this kind of drama and malace. I refused to get sucked into watching this. Watching it only feeds it. I am trying to check on the situation periodically and complain to my representatives at intervals. It isn’t enough. But I’m doing what I can
And doing what you can is still better than doing nothing!
I’ve encouraged my teenage children to seek employment outside of the States after college, and even attend college abroad if possible. Since the news information ecosystem is compromised, I have no hope for a future USA that is free and equitable.
Americans, how do you cope? What’s your take on the situation?
Trying not to think about it. It very well may lead to my death, but so does every avenue radical enough to avert it by my personal intervention.
I think the hardest part considering it is how okay people are with everything that’s going on. Despite the high levels of copium from liberals and leftists about how there’s TOTALLY a grassroots movement ready to rise up, the fact is… there isn’t. The protests are smaller this time 'round than they were last time. Public opinion is more in favor of Trump than it was at the start of his last administration.
Many of us noted that this country isn’t as left as many of the “Trump will make the moderates SEE that fascism is BAD!” types wanted to believe it was. We were ignored.
People live in a bubble, where what they want to believe is true, and goddamn reality.
Anyway. I’m fucked, and just trying to stay alive until I can’t avoid dusting off my old suicide plans.
The way I see it, even if our lives are basically worthless anyway, we ought to at least give them in glorious revolution. Better to die on your feet for what you believe in surrounded by comrades than by your own hand alone. I’ll go on living until that happens, and you should try to survive too.
this coming off an europe union country citizen is amusing
what do you mean?
that your house ain’t clean either.
I’d like to understand what you’re saying, but you’re not saying much at the moment
You’ll find that happens a lot when Americans comment on things abroad. Victims if their own educational system that they are, they really don’t know anything about the world outside of their borders so they just make vague pronouncements and nod as if they’ve said something wise instead of having just shit their own pants for all to see.
I’m not really sure I am coping. I’ve been seeing a decline for a long long time, but even though I knew it was possible I really didn’t think we’d reach the point were we’re pretty much going to be living under a dictatorship.
I knew that capitalist interests would continue to decrease everyone’s standard of living, and I figured there would be some kind of reaction, I just never in a million years thought it would be the dumbfuck duo of Trump and Musk that actually harnessed the reaction in such a destructive manner.
It’s been incredibly depressing to see the right get what they want time and time again making things worse for everyone and yet the propaganda machine somehow manages to create more right wingers.
But then again “the house always wins” and billionaires are the house so it shouldn’t be a surprise. :/
It’s difficult. You’ve got people that vote red or blue for no other reason than that’s what they’re told to do by peers/family. They don’t look at the possible outcomes, just that “they win”. And wanting to help people is almost looked down upon in many facets of society.
America has a critical thinking problem, coupled with an extreme lack of genuine empathy. Don’t let the “nice American” bit fool you if you ever travel here. The nice small talk is a front, and you can very easily find yourself in an uncomfortable situation. Health care is a great example. Or anything LGBTQ+.
Honestly, it’s a culture thing. It’s toxic as hell and hard to navigate.
I visited New York years ago (2014, I think), but that’s nothing like other regions in the States, I imagine. Where I live (Bruges), I sometimes stumble upon American tourists in bars, but due to the nature of the places I visit they’re often more open minded.
They don’t look at the possible outcomes, just that “they win”
I think this way of thinking is a big problem in a democratic system. When you vote, you don’t “win” or “lose”. But maybe I compare this too much to the Belgian system. There’s so many political parties to choose from and they have to form a coalition to represent the majority.
Out of curiosity: how do you see the next 4 years evolving? And do you have hope for the next elections?
I might just be a cynic. But I think we just had our last free election. If I know one thing about Trump, I know that he is an honest liar. He will breathe untruths like CO2, but he always makes his intentions nakedly clear. He’s planning on invading countries. He’s already parceling out Ukraine like the West did to the Middle East during the Sykes-Picot treaty.
Give a damn about keeping the EU democratic and healthy. You guys might be our last hope when he finally slams the jail cell door and crowns himself king.
I really believe this hole situation is a big opportunity to strengthen our ties within the EU and create a strong bond. And I hope so as well… The German elections this Sunday will be important
I’m hoping that JD Vance’s hamfisted lunacy shocks some sense into the German people. They need to know what the stakes are. They need to know that the world has its eyes on them. After all, they recovered and rebuilt after festering the last terrible fascist dictatorship that all others have patterned themselves after.
If Germany can shake off AfD and spank them for good, then we have hope.
I’ve had this discussion with a friend of mine at length. He’s an “independent” and votes such. I think an approach to the 2 party system without ranked choice will always be a losing battle. We agree the system is broken, but have vastly different opinions on how we can approach it.
Trying to explain that systemic issues that go back generations cannot be solved overnight. Even 20 years would not be enough to see a large enough change in society, and how others are perceived. Think about it, our civil rights movement was only 60 years ago where people of color and whites were segregated and explicitly did not have equal rights.
Personally, and I hope I’m wrong, I see the next 4 years being a downward spiral. Those who voted for Trump are so closed minded, they grasp for anything that remotely supports their position.
It’s impossible to help those who do not want to be helped.
