I do it mostly because I’m a petty bastard, and tend to treat people how I feel they treat me. My experience with most people (in an online form) from the US is that they have such a horrendous habit of US defaulting and a ridiculous superiority complex. Also a bit of tall poppy syndrome happening there
They’re also basically the very manifestation of capitalism, greed, selfishness, and monopolistic practices, and COVID/gun control issues very much proved that an uncomfortably large portion of their population has zero care or concern for anything resembling the common good, or public benefit. And whilst I realise we have these issues here, too, they’re a lot more pronounced in the US (although I will grant that’s probably because they also have an exponentially higher population than we do).
And countries are more or less just the sum of their people, particularly in a democracy, no matter how flawed
(FWIW, I hang pretty much an equal amount of shit on Australia, too, when our pollies make decisions I strongly disagree with, or that don’t align with my moral compass. I think a part of my dislike probably comes from a fear that if left unchecked, we’ll basically end up being mini America, which I think we’re already on the path to becoming)
E: and to address the last part of your question, I don’t really hang shit on Russia/china because I’m not entirely convinced that they are quite as bad as American media tends to make them out to be. Don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware that china is pretty dystopian, makes very liberal use of slave labour, and that Russia uses propaganda bots online, but the US does/has in the past done that as well. And I simply don’t know enough about Russia or China to feel like my opinion is really worth having. Likewise for most non western countries. I don’t feel comfortable criticising things happening in large swaths of Asia primarily because I don’t know enough about local customs, norms, beliefs, etc to feel comfortable holding an opinion. It kind of feels like I’ll end up just being another white person telling African countries what they’re doing wrong from the comfort of my couch on the other side of the world, or lambasting Cambodia for their poverty problems when I don’t know why it’s like that and can’t propose a solution.
The US is a different story, because they’re a western country, similar enough to Australia that I feel I can make assumptions and decisions about, and their politics/happenings are fucking everywhere. Can’t use the internet without stupid decisions in America being shoved down my throat…so I’ve read/seen/heard enough assessments about what’s happening, and why, to inform my opinions
You can tell when it’s a bot. They never offer solutions. They only offer hate and division. They never look for conciliation or understanding. It’s us and them. Victim and transgressor. There is no nuance, no history. They are quick to accuse, stereotype and name call.
@StudChud
We’re much more connected to the US than RU and even CN.
We have US “talking heads” here from the US as well. Alas, all propaganda has some effect.
I transitioned over 15 years ago and had no issue. I fit into society perfectly well… until trump. That’s where I lay the majority of the blame. I had ONE transphobe in some 14 years. Now my life is at risk.
Of course certain politicians here are reading from his playbook and we have certain groups here that are US RWNJ’s.
Oh yeah, agre on this too. We are deffo more influenced by the US. I just wanted to make a point that Russian bots have added fuel to the flame the US started.
It’s fucking disgusting how many human rights they are rolling back, for women, lgbtqa+, PoCs. Anyone who isn’t a white fundie Christian supporting project 25 is at risk there, and therefore so are we.
Trump, his administration, they want Israel and Palestine to go off properly, to fufill the end days prophecies (which is fucked, revelations was a political piece about how Nero (iirc) was a shithead and would fuck society up, it wasn’t an actual prophecy, it was allegory and metaphor).
I’m sorry things are getting harder for you, I loathe how much of that hateful far right rhetoric affects and kills our own fellow Australians. It’s a fucked up situation
Why do you lie so much . Stop putting words in my mouth. Lying is a hateful act.
Show me exactly where I wrote what you said?
It’s Australia’s choice to follow the news about the prejudices of America and the choice of foolish and misguided and even hateful people to act on those prejudices. We could choose to be ourselves, we could choose to report and focus on many European countries and aspire to have many of the same social policies.
But I think the main reason American news and social movements, for the good and bad, are reported on and followed are because we share the same language, English.
Nobody here has offered hate to you. You’re choosing to interpret simple facts in that light. Australia and USA diverge on many topics, and no: we don’t blindly follow their policies on anything.
While the rhetoric in their media has been ghastly on trans issues this past decade, I have not seen that mirrored in Australia. There is no debate raging in parliament over dunnies or drag queens reading. In fact, when some loonies tried to protest such an event here, it didn’t go well for them. We even had a drag queen come read to my kid’s class. Fully supported by the school.
Yes, we are culturally influenced by the US, but we don’t blindly follow them. If the US were a paragon of Trans rights, there would still be dozens of nations around the world where trans people are persecuted. We don’t need to be fixated on any of these countries or their politics. We can (and do) go out own way.
Because the US is literally one of the most powerful nations and militaries on Earth, and they have a rapist, treasonous, failed businessman as a president. During a time when Russia has decided to stretch itself into a facsimile of it’s Roman Empire inspiration of conquer and assimilate, Israel and Palestine are going at it really fucking hard, and they all (besides Palestine) have nuclear weapons.
Yeah, I think we’re allowed to be vocally critical of them.
Not one of. The US is the richest and most militarily powerful country in history. They have so many natural resources and such good human resources they can afford to make many mistakes and not really lose any ability or potential.
Fuck 'em, and everyone else don’t care which country or their horses that they rode in on including everybody without horses I don’t discriminate unless it’s a miniature horse (bit of a soft spot for those little guys).
Shetland ponies are bonsai carthorses. With extra attitude. I’ve had a fair bit to do with them over the years - I have a lot of respect for them but not much affection. Little turds. It’s the floof factor that tolls in the general public, and is highly deceptive as a guide to general character. They’re smarter than most humans and a whole lot stronger. Certainly not suitable as kids’ ponies imo due to general oppositional attitude. I’ve seen so many kids scared out of horsemanship by a ‘cute’ shetland pony who got the wood over the kid from day one.
Don’t know much about minis but I have a deep distaste for these mutants. Same as for munchkin cats - a human creation that isn’t really viable as a cat but feeds the human preference for neoteny. Like dogs bred for extra ‘cuteness’ at the cost of their health and longevity. Too many spend their lives in constant pain as a result of their human preferred and encouraged disabilities. But they’re cuuuuuute so will continue to exist to feed our human fantasies for pseudohumans that cannot grow up into true adults. Don’t get me started on the whole concept of furbabies. I know this view isn’t shared by a lot of people.
Commensal animals are NOT human - and we do them a huge disservice by pretending to ourselves that they are human babies. We owe them the respect of treating them in accordance with their species - not trying to force them into a human mould and a pretty horrible and exploitative human mould at that.
The press here has been anti usa ever since founding in the early 19th C. It’s so we don’t get ideas about freedom and revolution and breaking ties with the UK. Also why they banned guns in the 1850s, don’t want a repeat of the Eureka Stockade and more, eh.
Interestingly, accepted public opinion is that England is ok and America is awful but in real life Aussies don’t like English people and do like Americans. ( generally speaking )
Why does everyone here have to dump shit on the US all the time? (and never any other countries)
At least you’re punching up and not down so that’s admirable I guess.
I do it mostly because I’m a petty bastard, and tend to treat people how I feel they treat me. My experience with most people (in an online form) from the US is that they have such a horrendous habit of US defaulting and a ridiculous superiority complex. Also a bit of tall poppy syndrome happening there
They’re also basically the very manifestation of capitalism, greed, selfishness, and monopolistic practices, and COVID/gun control issues very much proved that an uncomfortably large portion of their population has zero care or concern for anything resembling the common good, or public benefit. And whilst I realise we have these issues here, too, they’re a lot more pronounced in the US (although I will grant that’s probably because they also have an exponentially higher population than we do).
And countries are more or less just the sum of their people, particularly in a democracy, no matter how flawed
(FWIW, I hang pretty much an equal amount of shit on Australia, too, when our pollies make decisions I strongly disagree with, or that don’t align with my moral compass. I think a part of my dislike probably comes from a fear that if left unchecked, we’ll basically end up being mini America, which I think we’re already on the path to becoming)
E: and to address the last part of your question, I don’t really hang shit on Russia/china because I’m not entirely convinced that they are quite as bad as American media tends to make them out to be. Don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware that china is pretty dystopian, makes very liberal use of slave labour, and that Russia uses propaganda bots online, but the US does/has in the past done that as well. And I simply don’t know enough about Russia or China to feel like my opinion is really worth having. Likewise for most non western countries. I don’t feel comfortable criticising things happening in large swaths of Asia primarily because I don’t know enough about local customs, norms, beliefs, etc to feel comfortable holding an opinion. It kind of feels like I’ll end up just being another white person telling African countries what they’re doing wrong from the comfort of my couch on the other side of the world, or lambasting Cambodia for their poverty problems when I don’t know why it’s like that and can’t propose a solution.
The US is a different story, because they’re a western country, similar enough to Australia that I feel I can make assumptions and decisions about, and their politics/happenings are fucking everywhere. Can’t use the internet without stupid decisions in America being shoved down my throat…so I’ve read/seen/heard enough assessments about what’s happening, and why, to inform my opinions
@useless_modern_god
Because when the US sneezes we get the flu.
What the US does, or doesn’t do, directly impacts out lives.
They lead the charge and we play lapdog. AUKUS has a very real chance of failing now and we might be subject to sanctions and a trade war.
They are the ones making abortion and trans rights an issue, they are screwing up the lives of Australians.
Why do we dump shit on the US? It’s warranted. We don’t get a vote in their processes but we suffer the consequences.
we have the choice to ignore them and follow our own issues
@Seagoon_
That’s like ignoring the rain. You will still get wet.
No it isn’t. There are choices.
@Seagoon_
So trans people being attacked because of americancer is their choice?
So transphobic attacks are the choice of transgender people?
So victims of assaults are to blame for the assault?
Your words. Go back to the 50’s.
The US and Russia are both cancers on this earth, Russia has bots that post anti-trans, anti-lgbtqa+, anti-women, racist shite, and the US laps it up.
I agree with you on this. This is all so fucked up.
The bots are so bad.
You can tell when it’s a bot. They never offer solutions. They only offer hate and division. They never look for conciliation or understanding. It’s us and them. Victim and transgressor. There is no nuance, no history. They are quick to accuse, stereotype and name call.
@StudChud
We’re much more connected to the US than RU and even CN.
We have US “talking heads” here from the US as well. Alas, all propaganda has some effect.
I transitioned over 15 years ago and had no issue. I fit into society perfectly well… until trump. That’s where I lay the majority of the blame. I had ONE transphobe in some 14 years. Now my life is at risk.
Of course certain politicians here are reading from his playbook and we have certain groups here that are US RWNJ’s.
Oh yeah, agre on this too. We are deffo more influenced by the US. I just wanted to make a point that Russian bots have added fuel to the flame the US started.
It’s fucking disgusting how many human rights they are rolling back, for women, lgbtqa+, PoCs. Anyone who isn’t a white fundie Christian supporting project 25 is at risk there, and therefore so are we.
Trump, his administration, they want Israel and Palestine to go off properly, to fufill the end days prophecies (which is fucked, revelations was a political piece about how Nero (iirc) was a shithead and would fuck society up, it wasn’t an actual prophecy, it was allegory and metaphor).
I’m sorry things are getting harder for you, I loathe how much of that hateful far right rhetoric affects and kills our own fellow Australians. It’s a fucked up situation
Why do you lie so much . Stop putting words in my mouth. Lying is a hateful act.
Show me exactly where I wrote what you said?
It’s Australia’s choice to follow the news about the prejudices of America and the choice of foolish and misguided and even hateful people to act on those prejudices. We could choose to be ourselves, we could choose to report and focus on many European countries and aspire to have many of the same social policies.
But I think the main reason American news and social movements, for the good and bad, are reported on and followed are because we share the same language, English.
@Seagoon_
Your words. Don’t blame me for them. Taste a bit off do they? I’d hope so.
You said it’s my choice whether the crap out of the US affects me or not.
No, I don’t choose the actions of others.
So you try to blame me… that’s ironic considering that’s what you just did minutes ago.
You can try to repackage it but people can read what you typed… unless you delete it.
As for me, I am blocking you, I don’t want transphobes in my life. You can blame me for that too if you want.
Nobody here has offered hate to you. You’re choosing to interpret simple facts in that light. Australia and USA diverge on many topics, and no: we don’t blindly follow their policies on anything.
While the rhetoric in their media has been ghastly on trans issues this past decade, I have not seen that mirrored in Australia. There is no debate raging in parliament over dunnies or drag queens reading. In fact, when some loonies tried to protest such an event here, it didn’t go well for them. We even had a drag queen come read to my kid’s class. Fully supported by the school.
Yes, we are culturally influenced by the US, but we don’t blindly follow them. If the US were a paragon of Trans rights, there would still be dozens of nations around the world where trans people are persecuted. We don’t need to be fixated on any of these countries or their politics. We can (and do) go out own way.
transphobe , lol , stop making things up
Because the US is literally one of the most powerful nations and militaries on Earth, and they have a rapist, treasonous, failed businessman as a president. During a time when Russia has decided to stretch itself into a facsimile of it’s Roman Empire inspiration of conquer and assimilate, Israel and Palestine are going at it really fucking hard, and they all (besides Palestine) have nuclear weapons.
Yeah, I think we’re allowed to be vocally critical of them.
Not one of. The US is the richest and most militarily powerful country in history. They have so many natural resources and such good human resources they can afford to make many mistakes and not really lose any ability or potential.
The EU comes in second.
I would think that question is fairly easy to answer, considering recent events.
Fuck 'em, and everyone else don’t care which country or their horses that they rode in on including everybody without horses I don’t discriminate unless it’s a miniature horse (bit of a soft spot for those little guys).
Them and Shetland ponies are adorable. 💜
/rant incoming.
unpopular opinion
Shetland ponies are bonsai carthorses. With extra attitude. I’ve had a fair bit to do with them over the years - I have a lot of respect for them but not much affection. Little turds. It’s the floof factor that tolls in the general public, and is highly deceptive as a guide to general character. They’re smarter than most humans and a whole lot stronger. Certainly not suitable as kids’ ponies imo due to general oppositional attitude. I’ve seen so many kids scared out of horsemanship by a ‘cute’ shetland pony who got the wood over the kid from day one.
Don’t know much about minis but I have a deep distaste for these mutants. Same as for munchkin cats - a human creation that isn’t really viable as a cat but feeds the human preference for neoteny. Like dogs bred for extra ‘cuteness’ at the cost of their health and longevity. Too many spend their lives in constant pain as a result of their human preferred and encouraged disabilities. But they’re cuuuuuute so will continue to exist to feed our human fantasies for pseudohumans that cannot grow up into true adults. Don’t get me started on the whole concept of furbabies. I know this view isn’t shared by a lot of people.
Commensal animals are NOT human - and we do them a huge disservice by pretending to ourselves that they are human babies. We owe them the respect of treating them in accordance with their species - not trying to force them into a human mould and a pretty horrible and exploitative human mould at that.
/rant over
Are you originally from the United States?
The press here has been anti usa ever since founding in the early 19th C. It’s so we don’t get ideas about freedom and revolution and breaking ties with the UK. Also why they banned guns in the 1850s, don’t want a repeat of the Eureka Stockade and more, eh.
Interestingly, accepted public opinion is that England is ok and America is awful but in real life Aussies don’t like English people and do like Americans. ( generally speaking )