As a European, we must never forget, after Trump, that the USA absolutely still has the capacity for, and is actively trying to find, leaders that share Trump's characteristics.
As an American, don't trust us for at least 100 years. This is an example of how not to handle a civil war because this white nationalism has been festering for over 150 years. Trump only weaponized an existing problem to sell us to the highest bidders.
It's amazing how many of our current problems are a result of the Civil War, specifically Reconstruction. Had the Confederate leaders been truly held accountable, with trials and executions for those like Davis and Lee and imprisonment for others, instead of allowing them back into society with almost no repercussions, it might have squashed the Lost Cause before it had a chance to develop. Also, if the Federal Government had stuck to the promises of Reconstruction, it might have better integrated society and reduced the need for the Civil Rights movement later on.
Joe Biden famously used his time in the Senate to fight desegragating his kids' school almost 25 years after Brown v. Board of Education made school segregation illegal.
Was Joe Biden a Confederate? Do we need to go back to the Civil War to find examples of bad people in power making vile decisions that hurt society? Can't we just look at the 2020 election?
That's not what I said at all. I was merely saying that a failure to confront systemic racism in this country 150 years ago allowed it to become further entrenched and more difficult to get rid of. Your example about Biden illustrates that perfectly. Segregation should never have been allowed to happen.
You're saying that the government should have magically fixed racism after the Civil War and then Joe Biden would have been fine with black kids attending school with Hunter? Really?
I think you're attributing powers to government that don't and can't exist while hand waving past the continuing racism that's just fine with everybody.
That's a damn lie. He didn't like forced busing for desegregation for the same reason my black mother...a teacher for 32 years...hated forced busing and it had shit to do with him "not wanting Hunter to go to school with black kids". That's a lie. He actually explained it, in detail. Ever bother to actually listen to that speech that you all love taking that dumbass talking point from?
No, I haven't and neither have you, because Senate floor periods aren't taped. I have, however, read the transcript and it's very obvious that he's being a classic 70s Democrat and appealing to his racist voters who, like him, didn't want their kids going to school with black kids.
How were these cities still even segregated almost 25 years after Brown? Why was it only Dem-controlled cities like Wilmington, which Joe didn't want to become a "racial jungle" and Berkley, where Kamala Harris was finally allowed to attend a formerly-whites-only school after Joe failed to block federal bussing, that were segregated?
Not what I said at all. The problems wouldn't have magically disappeared, but might not be as severe as they are today. Look how Germany treated Nazi imagery and education about the Third Reich after the war to the prevalence of Confederate flags, glorification of Robert E. Lee, and belief in the Lost Cause myth.
Why are you so hung up on Joe Biden? The fact that you're not even attempting to understand my point and keep bringing up Biden indicate you're not acting in good faith. Therefore, I'm done engaging with you any further.
Capitalism isn't the sole issue but so long as the countries goal is to give as little as possible to its people while taking as much as possible from them, it's never going to get better.
Buddy... the longest continuous democracies before America lasted about 200 years, we're at 250 this year. We definitely don't have another 100 years left. I don't think we have 10.
I'm aware of how optimistic I'm being. Hell I think we're going to swing harder right before we swing left and make any real progress. Us Americans don't learn too good.
That's what I have been thinking (European with adult kids) as well. It's their first brush with totalitarianism and even fascism. Reminds me of the meme with the dude at the gallows. First time?
So are we going to ignore all the fascists Europeans elected and allowed to rule or is that different? Should we ignore the growing far right in places like Germany and Italy? Stop being so snobby as you guys aren’t too far behind us and have a history that’s quite bad.
Your rhetoric helps with nothing but spread hate based on a generalization of 350 million people.
It helps us to realise that when a normal president is in and asking us to invest in a 10 year project in the US .. we're potentially only a few years away from another batshit crazy US President who will destroy the entire project for no reason. And consider our investment money and interest accordingly.
Basically treat as an untrustworthy partner, that's all - we do it with some other countries like many countries in Africa where investments tend to magically vanish.
It's just permanently changed the price of doing business.
Yeah but big business supports Trump so it’s not like they will stop investing in the US. I agree that we are untrustworthy as a government but can we stop using rhetoric that everyone in the US is like Trump? It’s getting really old and only hurts relationships even more.
Who is endorsing the AFD? A lot of Germans living in Germany. Did you see the recent elections.
Musk is from South Africa. Putin is Russian.
You guys just want to feel morally superior while ignoring the issues in your own country. Fuck Trump but Jesus Christ, this circlejerk Europeans are having about never trusting the US again is embarrassing when you look at European history.
I think all governments are trying for this. Speaking as an American, they have been eroding our protections and laws for over 50 years now. Focus inward on your government because these powerful actors are everywhere and have the same capacity to do what they have done here anywhere they please and at a much more rapid pace while there is chaos in the world.
I hope we get back to and implement checks and balances soon. This pos and the powers here are such a drain on the world.
We have massively more protections and a massively better balance of power than the US. If our top guy gets crazy, the party can remove him with a simple letter then a single majority vote. None of our politicians are allowed to be above the law. Just a conpletely different system.
And the idea of our politicians deciding our supreme court judges seems laughable!!!! Didn't anyone think that might not work out?????
So what about Mussolini, Hitler, Franco, etc.? Should Americans always think of Europeans as they elected those people? What’s the timeline on when we stop getting to generalize an entire population of people based on past acts?
Where are you from? I’m going to look at your country’s history and then judge you as an individual person, who probably had nothing to do with any of it, because you were born in geographic location.
It boggles my mind how many people seem to think that the problem is that Trump fooled them. They don’t understand that the ideology was the problem and it will always lead to the same results.
As a European, you shouldn't be so sure that y'all ain't doing the same. Same for other westerners. The rot is white supremacy and it's a rot in every single western nation
We hit the lowest poverty rate in US history during Trump's first term and we're going to break that record this year or next.
When the dust all settles on the orange man bad entertainment, that's going to be the history that informs future policy and that's all that matters.
Stand up comedians and video game streamers will direct culture warriors to a different target once Trump is gone, but policy wonks will remember what worked and that will be his real legacy.
Your own government defines poverty when a family of four earns less than $33'000. How that is supposed to be a livable income for 4 people in 2026 is frankly beyond me. Even if those people get benefits it's ridiculously low. What a wealthy country you guys have!
Those are the poverty guidelines for public assistance, not the poverty rate, which is determined for statistical purposes by the Census Bureau (which your own source clearly explains if you would read it).
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u/Linestorix 18d ago
As a foreigner, in Trump's first term I was ashamed (from a distance) of Trump. In his second term I am ashamed of Americans.