Vance and Grenell are neither European nor German (although Grenell was ambassador to Germany), neither of them have a clue about the political structures in Germany. Nevertheless, both insist on expressing great concern about the endangered freedom of expression in Germany. And this from a country where freedom of expression is currently being trampled underfoot. Why should non-Americans not be allowed to comment on developments in the USA?
I’m anti MAGA as well, but I’d expect people you argue with about politics to use that.
Very true, and that’s actually an understatement. If anyone tried to put together a list of ways that US policies affect Canada it would be very long and contain many surprising and obscure items – the obvious ones are the economy and spin-offs like the job market and housing market. But it’s so much more than that.
Just for one random example, as I mentioned elsewhere, a pediatric clinical trial in Canada that hoped to help children with brain cancer had to be terminated because funding was abruptly cut to the US program with which it was affiliated. I’ve no doubt that there are thousands of such examples that the public never hears about, mostly related to research funding and the availability of medicines and vaccines, all of which the troglodytes currently running the federal government are against.
Like it or not, we are so closely intertwined with the US that the scourge of Trump is seeping over the border like a flood of raw sewage. The question to a Canadian of :“why do you care about US politics” is tragically laughable.
Maybe it’s just me but I wouldn’t do that personally. I’m happy to talk about the flaws of my country or anywhere else I’ve lived with people from wherever.
The only time I might clap back about someone’s own country is when they are trying to make a relative point which is flawed eg An American trying to suggest that right now the US has more freedom of speech than the UK. But in that case it’s the whole topic, so it’s not me indulging in a “No, you!” effort.
The major reason I avoid most discussions about politics is that people quickly become emotional and report to all sorts of nonsensical arguments.
I would expect that a MAGA type would use anything they could in an argument, and if you say you are not American they would use that.
report → resort
I agree. For instance, the aforementioned “solve your own problems at home first!” argument only holds water for people who do claim that their own country has no problems with right wing extremists. The overwhelming majority of liberal democracies I can think of do, and the ones that I can’t immediately think of I still have suspicions of.
Stripes came out in 1981, 44 years ago. Using that phrase is as timely as calling something the cat’s pajamas.
Well said. Half of us are disgusted by this administration. It’s a stain that will take generations to remove.
And we are disgusted at the deplorables that put that thing in office. Bunch of racist bigots. We have been down this road before. They want to do it again? They may find that moderates are better armed than they think.
We’re not exactly the youngest population on the internet though, are we?
I have no issue with foreigners taking an interest in U.S. politics, unless they focus on a single issue that is secondary at best to most of us and use that to divide what passes for “the Left” in this country. I’m thinking of a certain Australian journalist* who spent most of 2024 railing against Democratic “shitlibs” who failed to disown American support for Israel. Given the hair’s breadth margins on which presidential elections are won or lost in this country, I believe that might have been a decisive factor in Trump’s win. Yet the far greater threat to us, there and then, was not Zionism but Trumpism. And it still is.
Now this same journalist rants about Trump’s administration. Well, no shit.
*Not saying her name in public as I’m not trying to form a “flame gang”. I’m only pointing to her as an example.
If you are getting pushback because you care about America’s politics, it is likely pushback from Trump supporters who are worried your concern will make it harder for them to push through their agenda. That is a good sign. When the KKK is upset about something you are doing, that means it is harming the KKK and their agenda. You should be proud of that. A world where the KKK are happy is a world headed in the wrong direction. A world where the KKK constantly feels triggered, attacked and angry, and where they constantly try to manipulate and gaslight people into being passive in the face of their destruction is a world that is standing up to them.
As an American, lots of us welcome help from anywhere in the world. Tariffs, boycotts, cancelling vacations and subscriptions, etc. We need as much help as we can get.
About 70-80 million Americans are a major threat to the world, and we welcome as much help as possible from the other 8 billion people on earth to help limit the damage those 70-80 million Americans are doing to our country and the world at large.
The only people that truly benefit from the US’s descent into authoritarianism are dark triad types (Putin, Trump, Musk, Thiel), plutocrats and white supremacists.
This is something I find frustrating too. The rise of authoritarianism is global, the US is just further along than a lot of our allies. The share of the vote that Le Pen has gotten in France has grown consistently in the last 20 years.
All our countries are moving towards authoritarianism due to a mix of covid, backlash against immigration, and economic inequality. Its a global movement.
The only time I hear that tired cliche used, it’s by old white men dismissing the concerns of others.
Utterly uncalled for.
Older people remember older movies, that was my only point. Don’t cast me in that light.
I’m also not white, for whatever that’s worth.
The OP never bothered actually providing any examples of the thesis to demonstrate it happens (even if only by a few), and now we’ve got somebody (poorly, and also in an ageist and racist manner) stereotyping posters responding in the thread.
“When America sneezes, Canada catches cold.”
I don’t want to hijack, but just to ease my mind was there some racial context to the “lighten up. Francis” line? If there is and I’d known about it I wouldn’t have said what I said. But I barely remember that film at all.
No, but the post directly before your previous one mentioned a cliche only old white men use to dismiss the concerns of others
He/she was quoting me directly.
It seems stepped on the proverbial rake; I had no idea anyone would take offense.
No racial context, the character’s name was Francis but insisted on being called Psycho and was very aggressive. Harold Ramis’ response was “Lighten up Francis”.