The United States is so unhappy now, it’s not the same anymore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I spent time travelling this summer around the good old US of A. And man, was it depressing. Everyone in their own world, jobless or working too many jobs because one job doesn’t pay great. People cutting way back. A general apathy and hopelessness for the future. People now talking about AI taking jobs which is interesting because the blame used to be immigrants. The feeling that God has failed them and that we are still heading in the wrong direction. It will never be the same I guess. The reality of everything is in front of us. The blinders are off. And when I spoke with people it seemed that most people were just giving up. Anyone else traveling around and seeing or hearing any of this?

Since March I’ve been to Paris, Dublin, Dallas, NYC, Chicago, OBX and Cape Cod. I saw none of what you describe above. Do you travel alone? I’ve never had the time or inclination to delve into the mental and financial health of complete strangers. I most definitely wouldn’t be able to discern the spending habits of the people that inhabit the places I’ve been. It sounds like you’re staying in homeless shelters.

DP and I agree. We travelled extensively this summer: to New England, the Midwest, the OBX, and Florida. We went to farmer’s markets, cities, parks, and national landmarks. I saw absolutely nothing like the OP described.

I think there’s a mindset at play here. If you want to find misery, you will absolutely find it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump supporters have just seemed to literally lose their minds and don't care if they drive the US into the ground. Seems like they are determined to turn us into a third world country with a non working democracy.

It is so sad, so preventable, but here we are .

It’s an entire party made up of damaged people. However, they only represent about 30% of eligible voters. If we can keep Trump from cheating (and that’s a big if) we should easily turn this ship around.

It's a party with a few nut jobs, a few Russian moles,and a lot of people with incriminating evidence against them that the moles have revealed to them; that's the only explanation for why they are such slaves to this madness.

[Anonymous]

I think the majority agree on stopping illegal immigration, being tough on crime, and that men cant be women. If you could get a public consensus, much of the noise falls away.

But because Trump is attempting, even if incorrectly, to fix some of this, the knee jerk reaction is to object. In many instances, very recently, democrats including joe Biden and Hillary Clinton were hawkish on this stuff.

Argue over trade and the economy, or even affirmative action and abortion all you want, but these things are easy to agree on.

Also, AI is a problem for everyone including capitalism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump supporters have just seemed to literally lose their minds and don't care if they drive the US into the ground. Seems like they are determined to turn us into a third world country with a non working democracy.

It is so sad, so preventable, but here we are .

It’s an entire party made up of damaged people. However, they only represent about 30% of eligible voters. If we can keep Trump from cheating (and that’s a big if) we should easily turn this ship around.

It's a party with a few nut jobs, a few Russian moles,and a lot of people with incriminating evidence against them that the moles have revealed to them; that's the only explanation for why they are such slaves to this madness.

Only Democrats are Americans. Republicans are nutjobs and russians. Why can’t a democrat always be president? That’s how our founding fathers intended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump supporters have just seemed to literally lose their minds and don't care if they drive the US into the ground. Seems like they are determined to turn us into a third world country with a non working democracy.

It is so sad, so preventable, but here we are .

It’s an entire party made up of damaged people. However, they only represent about 30% of eligible voters. If we can keep Trump from cheating (and that’s a big if) we should easily turn this ship around.

It's a party with a few nut jobs, a few Russian moles,and a lot of people with incriminating evidence against them that the moles have revealed to them; that's the only explanation for why they are such slaves to this madness.

Only Democrats are Americans. Republicans are nutjobs and russians. Why can’t a democrat always be president? That’s how our founding fathers intended.

The founding fathers would have a revolution and then execute the current administration.

[Anonymous]

From what I see, Magnifico MAGA Members are partying like it is 1999. They are having their cake and eating it too, along with a few other cliches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From what I see, Magnifico MAGA Members are partying like it is 1999. They are having their cake and eating it too, along with a few other cliches.

I dont know magnifico maga members means, but we are indeed having a great run here in magaworld. Crime is being addressed, borders are secure, tax breaks have been extended, the tariffs are shifting some of the tax burden so its not entirely paid by the top earners, no one is asking us to use terms like "chest feeding," and there's a bull market. I have no idea why the OP and everyone OP associates with is so down. It's a great moment in history! Enjoy it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The game in the U.S. is to stir hate and discontent to the point where nothing gets done.

I can only give one piece of advice. Go to other countries, walk around and observe. Don't go with a tour group. Get out and see the people, take in their news and views.

+1

Stirring hate and discontent is absolutely the winning strategy for our major political parties. Well crafted political messaging schemes being spread through tainted media sources has conned 95% of the American electorate into thinking their fellow Americans on the other "side" of the political spectrum are their sworn enemies who no longer share a common bond. Hate and division trigger blind voter loyalty and bring in more cash to fund political campaign efforts than the simple political ideological differences that have been the backbone of our two-party political system for 225 years.

The influence of money in politics is the greatest long term threat to our democracy and our true enemies are the mega donors of our two parties. It's past time for us all to step out of our political bubbles long enough to see this big picture for what it is. We, the American people, aren't as divided as we've been brainwashed to believe.

I agree it goes back to the end of the New Deal when Democrats decided to stir the race bucket rather than continue New Deal policies. The Democratic coalition ended because the New Deal was built on a contradiction: uniting segregationist Southern whites with Northern liberals, labor, and minorities. Once civil rights became unavoidable, that bargain collapsed. Meanwhile, structural economic shifts (decline of unions, globalization, capital flight) and the Republican counter-offensive blocked further expansion of New Deal–style reforms. By the 1990s, Democrats had largely abandoned the redistributive economic program in favor of market-friendly policies, leaving the New Deal legacy as a permanent floor (Social Security, Medicare) but not a growing project.

So Democrats will continue to push race baiting over any actual progressive ideals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I spent time travelling this summer around the good old US of A. And man, was it depressing. Everyone in their own world, jobless or working too many jobs because one job doesn’t pay great. People cutting way back. A general apathy and hopelessness for the future. People now talking about AI taking jobs which is interesting because the blame used to be immigrants. The feeling that God has failed them and that we are still heading in the wrong direction. It will never be the same I guess. The reality of everything is in front of us. The blinders are off. And when I spoke with people it seemed that most people were just giving up. Anyone else traveling around and seeing or hearing any of this?

Since March I’ve been to Paris, Dublin, Dallas, NYC, Chicago, OBX and Cape Cod. I saw none of what you describe above. Do you travel alone? I’ve never had the time or inclination to delve into the mental and financial health of complete strangers. I most definitely wouldn’t be able to discern the spending habits of the people that inhabit the places I’ve been. It sounds like you’re staying in homeless shelters.

OP just said they spent time traveling around, not necessarily being a tourist. We don’t know what areas they went to or why, but it’s relevant. Of course things are going to look different if you’re traveling for pleasure with money to insulate you from the locals trying to make ends meet.

[Anonymous]

It’s always been sad in the US. We are overworked. You go to Europe and they have month long vacations for 4-6 weeks during the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The game in the U.S. is to stir hate and discontent to the point where nothing gets done.

I can only give one piece of advice. Go to other countries, walk around and observe. Don't go with a tour group. Get out and see the people, take in their news and views.

+1

Stirring hate and discontent is absolutely the winning strategy for our major political parties. Well crafted political messaging schemes being spread through tainted media sources has conned 95% of the American electorate into thinking their fellow Americans on the other "side" of the political spectrum are their sworn enemies who no longer share a common bond. Hate and division trigger blind voter loyalty and bring in more cash to fund political campaign efforts than the simple political ideological differences that have been the backbone of our two-party political system for 225 years.

The influence of money in politics is the greatest long term threat to our democracy and our true enemies are the mega donors of our two parties. It's past time for us all to step out of our political bubbles long enough to see this big picture for what it is. We, the American people, aren't as divided as we've been brainwashed to believe.

I agree it goes back to the end of the New Deal when Democrats decided to stir the race bucket rather than continue New Deal policies. The Democratic coalition ended because the New Deal was built on a contradiction: uniting segregationist Southern whites with Northern liberals, labor, and minorities. Once civil rights became unavoidable, that bargain collapsed. Meanwhile, structural economic shifts (decline of unions, globalization, capital flight) and the Republican counter-offensive blocked further expansion of New Deal–style reforms. By the 1990s, Democrats had largely abandoned the redistributive economic program in favor of market-friendly policies, leaving the New Deal legacy as a permanent floor (Social Security, Medicare) but not a growing project.

So Democrats will continue to push race baiting over any actual progressive ideals.

I'm not going to disagree with you regarding the focus on creating division over legislative progress but this is useless discussion without acknowledgement of stoking division being a primary agenda of both major parties in 2025.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s always been sad in the US. We are overworked. You go to Europe and they have month long vacations for 4-6 weeks during the summer.

I’m extremely over worked and underpaid, yet I’m not sad. I find value in all that I have— my demanding job, my family, the occasional opportunities I have to relax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s always been sad in the US. We are overworked. You go to Europe and they have month long vacations for 4-6 weeks during the summer.

My current goal is to move to Europe.

[Anonymous]

In my best Joe Biden from the podium creepy whisper:

The OP's trip - and conversations on said trip - did...not...happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s always been sad in the US. We are overworked. You go to Europe and they have month long vacations for 4-6 weeks during the summer.

My current goal is to move to Europe.

How will it be better?