I feel like things on Lemmy were pretty chill several months ago, and that’s started to change.
People used to talk each other like they would talk to a neighbor. Now I get the sense that people have become quick to be negative, attack, and not be constructive.
Am I crazy in feeling like the vibe has changed?
I feel like a very high percentage of posts and comments here are just “Americans bad.” And as an American, even though the things they are complaining about don’t apply to me specifically, it makes me feel very unwelcome.
Well, I’m an American and right now our country is going down the shitter and it’s important to call out the fascists that are taking us there. Does that shit apply to me specifically? No. Does that mean I ignore it? Fuck no.
Maybe you should grow up and accept valid criticism.
Yet it is stupid to ignore the progress we made despite the political climate. The No Surprises Act and Inflation Reduction Act come to mind. No amount of people saying “lmaooo american healthcare HAHAHA” is actually going to fix our healthcare, and repeatedly focusing on the bad without the good just represents a lack of understanding of actual issues.
Maybe you should grow up and stop seeing the world as black and white.
Well I do think it’s good to call attention to it. Before the internet, Americans just accepted their shitty status quo. Now that we have people shaming us showing their better life across the pond, I think it will help to slowly move the needle towards showing people that life can actually get better.
Online anyway, I’ve seen a lot more talk about issues from inside the US. Sure, you can say that more socialized healthcare, more safety nets, walkability etc. are European-inspired, but I can’t say the same about environment, wages, tuition, gerrymandering, and especially racism. I don’t agree with the idea that we were ever content with the status quo because it was inherently unfair for a lot of Americans in obvious ways.
It’s a bit on an echo chamber. The world is frustrated with us. But if you are in another country as an American, you’ll be judged more by your actions usually. In my personal experience most people still understand that there’s 2 Americas and a little bit of humility and humbility is all it takes to be seen as more than a red hat and a flag.
I intend to make “humbility” a word in my corner of the world.