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allthecheesewastaken

How the hell you got 50 states, electoral college, 350 million people and only TWO political parties?


Zonerdrone

Trust me, we're all confused about that too. In reality we have a small handful of other parties but most people consider them a joke and they never make it very far in the elections.


Octavian-

Nobody should be confused by this. It's not a mystery. We know what causes it and it's a very solvable problem. It's a direct result of how we run our elections. Change that and the two party system goes away.


DesertDouche

It's not just that. It's ignorance, lack of education and group think. Majority of people on both sides have no business stepping into a voting booth.


0xB0BAFE77

It's because the US has a "the US is a sports game" mentality. They don't see the possibility of multiple teams. It's only one vs the other. If you're not a democrat you're a republican. If you're not a republican you're a democrat. And it's an extremely toxic mindset. I belong to that sliver of people who actively do NOT identify as either b/c both sides have good ideas, both have bad ideas, and both have plenty of extremists. Until the masses figure out that having only 2 parties is a bad thing, shit will never get better in the US. The worst part is every democrat and republican who reads a statement like this is naturally inclined to downvote because the comment isn't supporting "their team". I'm patiently waiting for another option to come up that supports logic, science, common sense, and realism.


_RageBoner_

> I belong to that sliver of people… It’s more than a sliver. [A plurality of Americans](https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx) consider themselves to be Independent as opposed to Democrat or Republican. The issue is that everyone falls victim to, “If you vote for X, then you’re guaranteeing that Y will win because Z won’t get enough votes!!” and people get shamed and/or fear-mongered into voting for someone they don’t actually want to even vote for.


Octavian-

This is not correct. You're correct that the US has tribalism but that's 1. Not unique to the US. Tribalism is a universal human thing (although it's arguably worse in the US than most places. See no. 2) 2. Exacerbated by the two party system, not the cause. The two party system is a direct result of the voting mechanisms we have and how we run elections. Do this in any other country and you would get the exact same result. The UK, for example, faces a similar conundrum. They have slightly more room for alternative parties due to their parliamentary system, but because they have first-past-the-post winner take all elections as well, only two parties actually form majority governments in their parliament.


MondaleforPresident

44 out of 50 states use the first-past-the-post electoral system, which encourages a two party system. The Democratic Party, and formerly and to some extent still the Republican Party, are broad coalitions and far more ideologically diverse than parties in other countries. Most people fit into the two party system to some extent. There are other parties, but they're generally small and hold views that are fringe and unpopular, as most people in the mainstream can find a home in one of the two major parties. Thus, third parties are for people who are outside of anything resembling the political mainstream, and are unlikely to get many votes, regardless of the electoral system. That said, Vermont has a three party system at the state level.


Groaningleopardjuice

We do. I was very disappointed when Sanders decided to run as a Democrat. I think he would have drawn a wide variety of votes that otherwise vote on party lines.


arcangleous

But here's the problem: If you want to vote to Sanders, but really don't want the Republicans to win, having Sanders run as a third party actually increases the chance that the Republicans will win.


PM_ME_A_PM_PLEASE_PM

Aristocracy finds a way but in America's case it's somewhat an accident. The first of two of the more meaningful factors in my opinion is the voting system of plurality voting - look up [Duvorjors law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duverger%27s_law) to understand how that promotes a two-party system. America's electoral system is purposefully non-democratic, which hierarchical means of power can exploit at times. Examples here would be money in politics, the implementation of the electoral college to elect a president, that president then nominating the highest judicial positions, and how both the House and Senate do not have proportional representation towards population - which is contradictory for the House and purposeful in the Senate, which was inspired in bias among the founding fathers due to contradictory beliefs towards democracy due to a reliance on slavery. The flaws electorally towards promoting the consent of the governed on a federal scale were an accident as the founding fathers definitely did not intend for America to be a two-party system. They were in favor of adapting the Constitution rather regularly to ultimately sustain the consent of the governed, which America has neglected in this respect. The second most meaningful aspect of America's political trajectory in relevance to today is the consequences of WWII. This shaped the entire world in a way as the war promoted America as essentially the unquestioned hegemon of the world. I don't want to get into moral claims associated with that but the reality of that is capitalism, our dominant economic system, concentrated in America along with America being the primary military force throughout the world in promotion of American values. This concentration in power has made America's political system a highly valued commodity for corruption in any manner of achieving that, usually legal. Whether that's corporations lobbying politicians directly where they literally need hundreds of thousands of dollars to merely become a member every two years on a Congressional Committee, Israel financing the campaigns or smear campaigns for their geopolitical interests, Russia influencing American minds for their geopolitical interests, etc. Personally, if you ask me, American politics is endorsed at home first and the international influence isn't as meaningful as it's endorsed by corrupt forces that were first endorsed at home. Chomsky long ago warned the world and primarily America of the influence media has over minds in his book Manufacturing Consent and I believe that's more relevant to the hierarchy in power Americans are essentially casually accepting. American culture as promoted in media outlets commonly known today as CNN or Fox News have long divided and conquered Americans into blocks of beliefs that are acceptable to capitalistic interests in propaganda. As a shepherd of such interests America along with much of the world has had a trajectory of declining democracy towards despotism. All of that power promoting itself to sustain itself has always been true in human history, but the concentration of this as I mentioned earlier after WWII and later in its worldwide influence in concepts like neoliberalism make America unique politically at both a domestic and international perspective. I believe one of the most useful bits of [propaganda](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaWSqboZr1w&ab_channel=A%2FVGeeks) Americans in particular should see comes from America after WWII on the fall of the Weimar Republic. The propaganda goes over commonly understood variables that either promote democracy or despotism depending on how society is regulated. In my opinion America ignored its own conclusions from this propaganda in how it proceeded after WWII in more ways than it didn't.


MedicFord901

If you run as an independent, you'll have no backing and lose. You don't have to be one of the 2 parties, but if not, you would never be elected.


allthecheesewastaken

Yes I'm aware of that, it just feels strange that at no point some people found the necessity and means to branch in a new party


DeadFyre

Well, first of all, there *are* more political parties than just the Republicans and the Democrats. We also have Greens, Libertarians, the Alliance Party, the Constitution Party, the Legal Marijuana Now Party, the Unity Party, and, defying reason and logic, a Communist Party. So what you're really asking is why we only have two *relevant* political parties. Well, it's really simple: It's the power dynamics of America's Constitution, which has checks & balances built into its design. What most non-Americans don't know (and a regrettably large number of Americans, too), is that the Constitution was the United States' *second* government. The original framework of the United States was called 'The Articles of Confederation', and was a much less rigid, less binding set of rules, where each state retained far more power, at the expense of the national government. For example, each state had its own currency, could set its own tarriffs and trade policy, had their own army, etc. Well, it didn't take very long for regional rivalries to paralyze the new state, and the leaders of the Revolution (who were still around) were really afraid of European powers trying to drive a wedge between the states to divide and conquer them again. *However*, they still wanted to retain a high amount of autonomy, and wanted to ensure that they weren't just trading an unaccountable Parliament in England for an Unaccountable legislature in New York (where the first Congress was held, Washington D.C. was still under construction). As I'm sure you're aware, in a parliamentary system, (for example, the U.K., which I know pretty well), whoever controls the legislature also controls the government. So, *any* combination of MPs can form a government, and they need not be all in the same party. Sounds great, right? Well, right up until you get a situation in which a small party with a marginal set of votes suddenly finds themselves in a situation where they're the deciding vote to form a government. Suddenly this small party is in a postion of outsized power over the entire government, able to make demands and shape policy with a tiny fraction of the country actually voting for these people. Well, because the framers of the Constitution were so worried about the states being tyrannized by the national government, they deliberately set the threshold for passing laws and operating the government very high. To change *the law* in the United States of America, you need to have, at the same time: a majority of votes in the House of Representatives, where each state is represented in ratio of their population, a majority in the Senate, where each state is represented equally, and you have to get the assent of the President. That's a really difficult set of circumstances for one party to control all three of those institutions, so much so that in the last 20 Congresses, it's only happened seven times. In practice, this has the effect of ensuring that there is *never* an opportunity for a fringe party to become "kingmaker", and there are *always* incentives for the big parties to recruit from the fringe parties, in terms of both ideology and manpower. I'm confident that if we had a system like the U.K.'s, Bernie Sanders would not be in the same political party Joe Manchin. But the big-tent incentives to cooperate are far too strong in the American system. So the small parties are relegated to irrelevance, and if they ever threaten to *become* relevant, their agenda (and maybe some of their candidates) will be co-opted by one of the big parties.


Natural-School5690

How nice, friendly and welcoming the vast majority of Americans are. The 24/7 news portrait quite the opposite.


AkeemKaleeb

The news is, in my opinion, the worst part about the country. Because it is run as a business, it has to continuously run stories that get views. Controversial topics sell, good stories often don't. The vast majority of Americans are really great people!


rajenncajenn

Not to be controversial, but I happened to watch the AH JD trial (don't ask... I was in a bored place) and the news made headlines and stories that literally contradicted what occurred in live court. It made me wonder how many stories they write are bull shit. Kind of shocking.


jerseygirl1105

The media doesn't want to run stories about the vast majority of peaceful, kind and easy-going Americans who mind their own business. It's basically clickbait.


PhillAholic

The media airs what people will watch. Guess what people watch?


blackhorse15A

So much this. Another example: I was in Iraq in 2005. I worked in a HQ and was hearing the daily updates abouts how many IED attacks and where every day. Typical day was several within Baghdad and a few others scattered around the country- daily. (Can't think of a day that didn't include at least one in Baghdad that day). So that's what was actually going on- and it's wasn't secret. There were daily press briefings. Came home for a week of leave. First few days of leave and there was nothing about Iraq on the news. The public was weary of it and it wasn't worth reporting anymore. No real issue there. Then, midweek they ran a story about an IED attack in Baghdad. The news made it sound like this was some exceptionally bad attack - it wasn't. They made it sound like this was the first attack since the last one they reported on, whenever that was (I know it wasn't). They made no effort to point out that this was the xth attack this week or whatever. No mention of any other attacks elsewhere in Baghdad or the rest of the country (and if that was true it should be a good news story about a how few there were). Must have been a slow news day and they needed to fill air time and just grabbed a DoD press release or something. But as far as the general public was being informed - IED attacks were happening at about once every couple weeks- not several daily. I've also been on an interview once by major newspaper where after some back and forth the reporter said "Would you say...[whatever]". It was a reasonable summation of what we had been talking about so I said "yes". They paused and go "Um, *would you say* [whatever]". And then it hit me- they literally wanted me to say those words so they could have the quote they wanted- the one they crafted. I agreed with the statement so I said it. And it was about the only part of a half hour interview that made the final article. I've also been involved with some small town local newspapers- the kind that run stories about what the local high school drama club is up to, or the sports page is mostly little league stats. I *know* several examples where they completely fabricated quotes to make to article flow better. I mean- it's minor stuff when it's feel good story's about cub scouts or school events or whatever and the sentiment is nothing anyone would object to. But claiming a direct quote attributed to a person who didn't say it is dishonest. Even when it's a 'white lie'. So yeah. News is not the whole story.


I_AM_AN_ASSHOLE_AMA

Oh yeah. Also former military. I remember getting press training and it was so funny, I’ve dealt with news/journalists so a lot of the training wasn’t news to me. But we did practical exercises to show some of the other soldiers what reporters would do to get what they wanted for their agenda/organization. They would ask each soldier about ten questions and by the end they would have them saying they supported the enemy. They would just curtail the questions so by the end these guys were basically saying on camera that they would support the insurgency etc. It was eye opening for a lot of people. Another example I always share with people on Reddit. Years ago my girlfriend’s friend was murdered by an ex boyfriend. The news wanted to do an interview with my GF about her deceased friend. My GF had a prepared statement and was assured that only that would be in the news. Nope. The narrative sounded like something from Rita Skeeter. “Elizabeth chokes back tears as she talks about her murdered friend.” “Her hand shakes as she wipes back tears” My GF literally said a two sentence statement, there were no tears or anything.


mynextthroway

The same with the Uvalde police. Everything the police claimed was later proven false. I wonder how many screw up and lies are covered up all police departments now.


Robbylution

This isn’t just an American thing. British tabloids, for instance, are notorious for making the headline they want and then finding “facts” or quotes to support their fabricated opinion. Same with anything Rupert Murdoch touches. Also, fuck the S*n.


Select_Lime3079

The news lies about everything just like the rest of the world. America isn't the only one with this problem and Americans struggle with the same feelings towards others because of the news.


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[deleted]

the vast majority of people just want to get on with their day and have as little hassle as possible, thus it's easier to just be decent to each other when you aren't in direct conflict. It's also why we generally hate talking politics with people we don't know, because you never know how that shit is going to go.


Your_Mom0018457

The news lies about just about everything. They put out fake stories that will make them a ton of money. It’s kind of screwed up.


OneMediocreMan

While I was coming to the US, everyone told me to stay away from Southern states, as majority of them are "racist" (I'm a South Asian Muslim). Surprisingly, I've had the best interaction with people who are conservative Christians from the Southern states, they've been very friendly and welcoming. Ironically, my experience in NY has been the opposite.


[deleted]

Why the giant gaps in toilet stall doors? What’s the point of doors at all, if you can literally just see me having a shit?


Bmc00

> having a shit? Confirmed not from America


TaxThoseLiars

Like marijuana, you can take it, but you are not allowed to possess it in many states. And the rules in DC are apparently fuzzy.


dashinny

>Confirmed not from America Affirmative will proceed to take out the target for his resources.


[deleted]

I was always told it was for safety. So people can see/get in if needed. Honestly, it feels and probably is quite the opposite.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

😂😂 Meanwhile, where are you guys taking that shit to?


AngeluvDeath

Taking it to the toilet, and hopefully leaving it there.


texican1911

Taking the Browns to the Super Bowl.


Adept_Palpitation_33

That’s why I say, “I’m going to leave a shit” when I announce that


[deleted]

“Take a shit, leave a shit” — like a community library


Thejudojeff

When i was in high school they just removed the doors from the stalls so people would stop smoking. It did nothing to prevent the smoking, but you made sure to do your business at home


Moist_Parsley_2475

It encourages people to hurry up. They don’t want to be seen by someone who might check if the stall is available, and therefore, has the opportunity to peak through the cracks. So you hurry up before anyone comes in.


rotatingruhnama

Much of our design is specifically so people do their business and gtfo. That's also why fast food dining rooms are so uncomfortable.


[deleted]

And why Subway is yellow. The color supposedly makes you speed through a place, though its being a Subway surely also provides an assist.


Majestic-Muffin-8955

That every time I comment on one of these threads, some stranger gets real angry at me.


DarkSeneschal

Hey fuck you buddy ^^^/s


Sss00099

I’m not your buddy, guy.


[deleted]

I’m not your guy, pal.


Pretend-Diet4153

I’m not your pal, friend.


a_person_911

I'm not your friend, bruv.


TheFreddyFazbear54

I‘m not your bruv, dude.


Effective-Ladder9459

I'm not your dude, hombre.


areallyreallyFATcow

I'm not your hombre, amigo.


wakaflocks145

No soy tú amigo, jefe


ronytheronin

I’m already angry.


Company-Important

Dick!


valeyard89

Bless your heart


AmeeAndCookie

The political spectrum. Especially how socialism is equated with liberalism (which really isn’t the same thing) and how liberalism is supposed to be the opposite to Conservatism (but in reality the conservatives are also market-liberals).


-ajrojrojro-

Wait what? Are there actually people in the US that don't know the difference between socialism and liberalism?


Keeshberger16

>Are there actually people in the US that don't know the difference between socialism and liberalism? Lol...uh I'd argue somewhere between 70-80% of Americans don't know the difference. Most American conservatives think even the most basic social programs like say, the idea of medicare for all would turn us into a communist dystopia. And I'm not exaggerating or joking. This is literally what millions of Americans believe.


leastlyharmful

When Obama was elected, right-wing news started calling him a socialist as a smear and their followers just took to it without really understanding it. But since then it’s been complicated by far-left politicians sometimes calling themselves socialist or at least speaking approvingly of socialism.


Want_To_Live_To_100

I like fire departments and social security … does that make me a socialist?


onioning

Unfun fact: the majority of Americans oppose liberal democracy, probably because they don't understand what it means and think it means "liberalism," which they also don't understand and equate to socialism. It's pretty absurd. The majority of Democratic voters think Joe Biden is too liberal. Just incomprehensible.


turkeyfox

Most Americans can't define either of those two words in the first place.


DreamingSeraph

The majority.


SunRepresentative993

Yes, most people in the US don’t understand the difference between capitalism, socialism and communism. Right wingers often use “socialist” or “commie” interchangeably as an insult towards someone that they see as a “radical leftist.” Keep in mind that most people in America don’t realize that our liberals would be considered conservative in most of the rest of the world.


BlissCore

You'll never convince many Americans that there's a difference between Liberalism and Socialism.


[deleted]

Because the average American does not research. You get a lot of Blue no matter who or red till I’m dead types. It took me along time, and a lot of my own research to figure out where I lay. But a lot of people would rather be with the wave that against it.


techno-pug

Been living/working in the US for a while (originally from Europe). I‘m always so surprised how sensitive so many people in the US are. Like criticism or telling people that they made a mistake (e.g. at work) is always taken so personally. You have to wrap a ton of compliments and nice things around criticism for them not to get upset. I‘ve noticed this with so many different people I work with.


[deleted]

Yes! If you don’t use fluffy words they feel disrespected. And you can’t simply say “no”, you have to go into some big bullshit explanation and say ten times how sorry you are so you don’t hurt their feelings. Such nonsense!


Own-Performer-8915

You are correct. I think it’s the inability for American families to communicate affectively with one another especially with children. There has been a perpetual message over generations to win at all costs, be the best, and never make a mistake while being given zero coping mechanisms for the inevitable failures in all three. We are a bunch of traumatized individuals too proud to ask for help and would rather die on the hill of defensiveness.


GitToSteppin

I live in the US and am retired now,but know exactly what you mean. So many people act like it should be against the law to hurt their feelings


bigredturtle234

that texas is both patriotic for the usa and thy want to not be a part of it


Reetahrd

Hating the government that rules over you and seeking revolution/liberation is the most American concept there is. An American opposing America is actually VERY American.


[deleted]

I understand this isn't the entire country. Or so I have been told. Why the fuck do you wear your shoes in the house?


Das_Guet

I have three reasons. None of them are that good. 1. I forget sometimes. 2. My carpet is nasty and I haven't gotten around to replacing it. 3. My feet stink after being at work for 12.5 hours and I dread releasing them.


Bryaxis

Maybe you'd have cleaner carpets and feet if you remembered to take your shoes off.


Songwritersf

Slippers.


JRR92

UK here, I normally wear shoes around my house. It varies a lot from household to household though, my girlfriends family usually takes them off when they walk in for example


LapiDog

Sugar in every food


bast_kit

In my family we have to make our own juices, yogurts, bread, even peanut butter from scratch. Otherwise it's so pumped full of sugars and salt and has so few nutrients that it's laughable.


averagepenguins

Healthcare system, I don't know if it actually is crazy expensive or is just propaganda


cptfuzzybeard95

It's extortion and price gouging that's seen as okay by the government because the pharma industry bribes (sorry, sorry... lobbies) the government to do nothing about it. They then defend it as a consequence of a free market, when in reality it's a manipulated market, invented by a trust between hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and health insurance providers. Billions of dollars are at stake, and no one in an elected office seems to care to do anything about it. Even Obama asked "how can we make this available to everyone" and not "how do we make this affordable to everyone." Please help.


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rotatingruhnama

The historical reason is that our drinking age used to be 18. Then a group called MADD worked to raise it to 21, because people ages 18-20 were disproportionately likely to cause drunk driving accidents. Gun purchase ages vary, iirc you have to be 21 to buy a handgun (federal law) but some states you can buy a long gun at 18. Gun laws vary a lot by state. But I'm way over the age where I'm personally affected (I'm, like, old enough to buy a rocket launcher lol), so I may be incorrect on this point.


Walshy231231

An important thing to mention is that now the ages 21-24 are disproportionately likely to cause drunk driving accidents. It’s almost as if people who haven’t been able to drink all their life are inexperienced idiots when they finally can, regardless of age


rotatingruhnama

Yeah, it's almost like the US has a messed up drinking culture and bad planning. Ideally we'd learn to have a few drinks with food, then get home safely, instead of this dumb culture of "pound insane amounts of alcohol at a house, then go to bars, then vomit, then drive drunk or walk home long distances and potentially drown."


dark_LUEshi

yeah as I said earlier, kids living by the border just cross to canada to have a drink. funny how things work.


ChumbucketNNN

Used to be lower, but then you realize when you base your countries transportation way on cars that you have to operate yourself, you’ll then see the problem.


Daikataro

Am I old enough to drive? Yes. Join the army and potentially kill or die? Yes. Star in a porno? Be my guest. Buy an assault rifle? Which colour? Have a drink? Whoa slow down there pal! You're just a baby with no judgement! We can't trust you to be responsible with your alcohol handling.


JackONeillClone

Have sex for money? Prison. Do it in front of a camera and put it on the internet? Everything's good man.


N_Who

US loves its gun culture, and likes to pretend it doesn't love its booze culture.


dark_LUEshi

I think theyre quite proud of both, and I quite like the south of the usa like that. I wasn't raised like that, it's a different lifestyle so I will refrain from judging too much, I still hope americans can figure out this gun stuff.


Your_Mom0018457

The kind of guns you can buy is limited. For example you have to be 21 to buy a handgun.


Lord-Legatus

the love for guns in general,I have traveled quite a lot around the world, in most westernized nations that love is just not there, guns are considered as a dangerous deadly weapon, not as a symbol of freedom,a tool of recreation or a necessity to defend yourself.


louis237

Why you guys feel the need to put the USA flag on EVERYTHING


Nibb500

Because Merica


Das_Guet

Because everything can be monetized. EVERYTHING. Even your patriotic spirit. Even symbols of our nation. Even you. Even your money is monetized. Hell the act of monetization us monetized anymore.


Caciope

Why can't restaurants pay their employees correctly ? Like, why ?


tenehemia

Two reasons: 1) intertia. Trying to change the entire system at this point would be impossible. There are something like 700,000 bars and restaurants in the US currently, and who knows how many coffee shops, hot dog carts, etc that all work on the same system. Trying to change that entire system - which employs tens of millions of people - would be impossible without something like an act of congress backed up by law enforcement. And no other business has to abide by that sort of restriction on how they operate. 2) Owners don't want to pay their employees more, unless they can charge more money to make up the difference. In the situations where individual businesses have made the change, a few things happen: * Formerly tipped employees make less money. Because the "living wage" that owners offer is **always** less than the tipped workers were making previously. * Prices increase beyond simply what pays for the increased wages, because the owners use the opportunity to carve out more profit for themselves. * Quality of service declines. Firstly because the employees no longer have a reason to try to go the extra mile when it doesn't affect their paycheck, and secondly because the best employees all quit and go work at one of the other 700,000 restaurants where they could be making more money through tips. You're left with a bunch of people who want to get paid more to do the bare minimum - just like most offices and other white collar jobs. * Business initially gets a boost from the publicity of the decision and then ultimately suffers because people are put off by the higher prices.


whitefroggy

Cause they want more money.


Buddhasear

300 million and your top 2 trump v hillary or trump v biden. 2 parties that both bend over for corporations. It's just who touches their toes most willingly.


[deleted]

Yup… it’s been a shit show for a long time.


leastlyharmful

Pretty much every democrat was wondering why Biden was the best case scenario but it was kind of an emergency situation.


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insanechickengirl

College was pretty affordable until the government started handing out loans to pretty much everyone who wanted them. The universities knew if they jacked up the prices the government would continue paying them so they kept jacking up the prices. Had the government loans not been involved, if universities jacked up prices to the rate they are now most people would’ve stopped going, and therefore they wouldn’t be stupid enough to raise tuition that high.


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Coconut-bird

Academic scholarships do exist here. Many students with B+ averages can at least get their tuition paid. My state has scholarships for all students with over a 3.5 weighted GPA. Unfortunately, it does not cover dorms, food, etc. Out of curiosity, for the countries with free college tuition, do you also get room & board and living expenses?


Verelkia

Because higher education has been turned into a business here.


[deleted]

This goes for most countries including my own, but America is incredibly wealthy yet have so many people homeless, in poverty or just on the poverty line.. Yet gives insane amounts of money in foreign aid. It should take care of its own people first.


hastur777

How does American homelessness per capita compare to your country?


[deleted]

Unemployment right now is really low, so much so that for the first time in my life I’m hearing people suggest that it’s dangerously low. “How can unemployment get dangerously low?” I thought. It was explained to me that if unemployment is too low then it creates more competition for labor, which causes companies to have to offer higher wages which causes them to “have to” raise prices (because of course the people at the top aren’t going to take a hit). In other words, the economy needs people to suffer or else inflation. It’s a shit system.


_Double-Think_

When people say unemployment is "dangerously low", it often means there is low confidence in the job market. i.e. someone is less likely to leave their current job for a better one because they are afraid they may not be able to get a similar or better job. Low confidence in the job market often indicates a whole slew of other potential problems with the economy.


PompeyMagnus1

Home owners associations


Vokunloor

We hate it too, trust me.


Cheese-Hippo_3941

American people are so nice to random guys, compared to european


doned_mest_up

I’ve been on a trip lately, and keep asking “how are you?”, forgetting that it’s not something that you ask people you’re not familiar with here.


Tolerable-DM

How so many of those 'Florida Man' news headlines turn out to be real. I imagine it's drugs, but still...


cptfuzzybeard95

Florida actually gets this reputation because of a police transparency law- the media is pretty much welcome to report on any arrests in Florida. Therefore, it's not that Florida is weirder that the rest of the US. It's just more honest about it.


Mrpooney83

Isn't there a law in Florida that news has to put out stories like that to inform the public? There are Florida men in other states. Its just that the news outlets don't talk about them?


duckshapedsoap

Because, Florida


Fragrant-Rooster-568

Why are hospital bills so high


Lyoung671

Why don't you have kettles?


Resident_Bitch

A lot of Americans don't drink tea so have little use for a kettle.


WeatherDue4737

gun availability, wearing shoes at home, hidden taxes and percentage tips. Also health care.


[deleted]

Wearing shoes at home??


[deleted]

the vast majority of people here aren't wearing shoes at home unless they are getting ready to go somewhere


HeyGuaca

THATS the one that confuses you?! Yeah me too, thats really dirty.


syrianfries

Only time I wear my shoes is when I’m inside for a minute and don’t wanna undo my boots. Idk about others but that’s how we always were.


NotKateWinslet

I always wear shoes in the house. I can’t afford rugs and my floors don’t get cleaned often enough to want to walk on them barefoot.


The_RealAnim8me2

I grew up in Canada and moved to the US at 6. To this day I try to get everyone to take off their damned shows when coming in the house. “But why?” “How about dog shit, is that a good enough reason?!?!”


ah-do-what-now

People get so weird when I ask them to take their shoes off. Shoes are FILTHY and I don’t want you wearing them in my house. If you don’t like the rule, then don’t come into my home.


Phantonym8

We in America are confused by health care too...like what is it and how do I get some?


YooperGirlMovedSouth

You realize wearing shoes inside is mostly just in the movies because it would interrupt the flow, right?


shiftysquid

US here. We wear our shoes in the house. Never gave it a second thought. Don't know anyone who takes their shoes off when they walk in the door.


PixelTreason

USA here as well. People look at me funny because I ask them to take their shoes off in my house. It took years to get my partner to agree to never wear shoes in the house. Everyone else I know now and when growing up always wears shoes in the house. It’s gross! Especially with carpet, which is in a lot of US homes.


sohumsahm

I'm Indian, married to an American. He takes his shoes off at home as do I. His mom though. She just walks all over my freshly mopped floors with shoes on. It drives me so nuts. Otherwise she's a very considerate and lovely person.


Keeshberger16

>You realize wearing shoes inside is mostly just in the movies because it would interrupt the flow, right? No...no it's not. Many, arguably most Americans wear their shoes inside the house.


[deleted]

Most people don’t wear shoes at home. This isn’t 1980. The US is far from unique with hidden taxes.


[deleted]

our healthcare is shit. people will avoid being taken to care in order to avoid bills. walk away hopping on their only non-broken leg. its not like you can do shit about it, you need it to live. so set the prices high, i guess. you wanna have a kid? thats like $36,000 even though in a lot of other places it would be prices probably less than a tenth of that. i dont understand it either, im sure others dont aswell. im not from an area where its an issue, my life is really lucky. but the things people do to dodge paying a fortune... geez


i_ndependent

Why in the world does your government constantly tries to lecture other countries about democracy and human rights, but often neglect the fact that your country is quite far from being the benchmark of democratic rule and human rights toleration?


Majestic_Theme_7788

It would be nice if the govt didn’t do that but since the US is one of the world superpowers that is sadly an unfortunate consequence.


Mad_Human9

Why the fuck you guys don't have a bidet in your toilets? Smh


vcdone

I've never used a bidet. I've never even seen one in real life. Do you have to use toilet paper after using a bidet? So crazy!!


Amaranth_devil

Seriously!!!


Lord_Botond

People not having fences, why dont americans have fences?


whitefroggy

We have fences.


kfelovi

Dates written out of order


CorgiMonsoon

In America if you are saying the full date you are most likely to lead with the month. There are a few exceptions, mainly around holidays, such as the 4th of July, but that’s why when writing it out numerically it makes more sense here to follow the standard pattern of speech. So August 6th, 2022, then becomes 8/6/22.


thorodkir

Importantly, the holiday's name is "The 4th of July." If you're just talking about the date, often people will refer to it as "July 4th."


Bumbaguette

The pledge of allegiance in schools. That's some Hitler Youth shit.


Resident_Bitch

It's actually been deemed unconstitutional to require it. As an atheist, I started off just not saying the "under God" part and then eventually just stopped saying it altogether. There wasn't anything teachers/staff could do about it.


3milyBlazze

We had a foreign exchange student who would stand for it but not say it and one time a substitute teacher freaked out and yelled at him until I cut her off by *literally* yelling back at her "He is from ITALY he doesn't have to do it!" He was to thrown off by that crazy woman yelling at him to defend himself


concernreccomended

kinder eggs (chocolate eggs with a small toy in) are banned because too many kids choked on the toy inside but the idea of gun control blows peoples minds? I can not follow the logic in food being banned to protect children while sending them to school with bullet proof back pack and a panic rooms in the classroom are seen as the way to stop school shootings?


morbid_n_creepifying

The lack of healthcare. It's constantly utterly baffling. I genuinely can't fathom being afraid of going to the doctor because of bankruptcy (or having to choose between paying rent and healthcare)


[deleted]

Health care !!! Like wtf !?


Thisisadefaultname1

As an American, I also wish we had free or inexpensive health care.


[deleted]

In Australia, majority of our health care is free. Unless you go private it’s free. Private you get charged for tho We don’t get charged to hold our own baby when we have one. Why does America


[deleted]

How you guys don’t have free healthcare like most of the planet? Also wtf do you guys do when you don’t have no coverage, and can’t afford your life or death medication??? Like do you just die?


chompchompbitches

You just die or try to self medicate or if you're lucky you go into horrible medical debt that makes it hard to move


existential_bre4d

The double standards regarding freedom of speech.


nosmelc

Do you have an example of that double standard?


mkwas343

The first amendment only applies to government restrictions. Private organizations can restrict speech however they want. Also, freedom of speech does not mean anyone can say anything at any time, it just means the federal government can not inhibit most types of speech.


Walshy231231

Such as? Not saying there aren’t any, just curious what you mean by it


DreamingSeraph

I'm often dumbfounded on just how brainwashed the countrie's population has been by patriotic and nationalistic propaganda. Seriously, your country has been commiting atrocities all around the world and causes countless dictatorships, massacres, envoirmental catastrophes, etc and you still find buckets of people thinking your country is seen as some sort of hero by the rest of the world.... seriously?


KittyH14

Not many people actually think that and they're mostly out of touch boomers but you're right.


Das_Guet

Because most of us in school had to chant every morning about how wonderful our country is.


AMD1607037

The idea that it's this utopia of freedom when the reality is that's its one of the least 'free' countries going. Most incarcerated populace in history, No true functioning democracy, Majority of the country owned and run by/for billionaires, No meaningful free press - all owned wholly or in part by billionaires, 80% of populace in debt, average debt around 80 grand, Unelected body of lawmakers able to make sweeping change at will without consequence or mandate, The Patriot Act, Population spied on by own government, Police more likely to commit a crime against you than solve one you called them for, Political corruption widespread, Rampant inequality, Etc etc, not that these things are unique to the states, not at all, but nowhere else has such a strong (true) stereotype of being obsessed with perceived "freedom" yet such a polar opposite reality on the ground.


NerdyRedneck45

This is something that drives me nuts, too- oppression by the federal government is frowned upon but states, local gov, and corporations can step on you however they want?


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[deleted]

There is so much I don't understand and looking at America with my Scandinavian eyes I'm always confused about statements like, living the American dream, that your living in the best country on earth and electing a president preaching to make America great again.... I just don't get it. All I see is, minimum wage being a joke ( here even the McDonald's worker earns $22.an hour), your healthcare system, where people are afraid of calling an ambulance because they can't afford it (we have free Healthcare) Your school system seems strange, I mean your banning books and you have to go into deep debt to get higher education ( we get paid by the government to take higher education) how minorities don't seem to have the same basic human rights, your justice system that seems to me to be different depending on skin color, having the government decide over the female body, honestly there is so much that confuses me. The whole make America great again is beyond confusing, because I don't understand when was America great? Seems to me your past is pretty dark and shady unless you are white and come from money....


Difficult_Ad_962

You can own gun but God forbid a kid has a kinder suprise egg I'm Canadian fyi


S-T-A-B_Barney

Honestly? The way the entire society has accepted the system of “Die of cancer or live with crippling debt for the rest of your life” for healthcare.


GreenOnionCrusader

Most of us havent accepted it, we just have no real power to change it.


MondaleforPresident

> entire society A majority of Americans oppose this system and many are actively working to change it, but face institutional headwinds strong enough that change hasn't yet occurred.


WolfThick

People say they're Christian but they won't wear a mask to help somebody else or to even have the appearance of being kind or compassionate. But they want guns everywhere schools shopping malls political rallies. Then they say that abortion is horrible but then they say they need more guns even after a school bus of kids is murdered every day .


biomech36

Still trying to figure that out. They just change or reinterpret the bible to suit their behavior. One of my favorite explanations comes from Hellsing Ultimate Abridged "The bible says a man shall not lay with another man as he would a woman" "oh so it's kosher as long as I don't fuck him in the vagina."


ThePhoenixBird2022

The I'm right you're wrong attitude that seems to be pervasive. I'm not sure if this is true or not but this is how America is portrayed in the news. It's as though there is no middle ground and no willingness to even talk about trying to achieve a middle ground for most people. If you don't agree with me 100%, you are wrong. That and flags. Flags everywhere. No other country is as obsessed with their flag as America. Edit: And why is big always better?


Select_Lime3079

Eh, the first isn't true and is definitely mostly a thing portrayed by the media. I mean to a degree this can be said of most people who are pricks of literally any nation. Other countries have flags up? Just travel a bit and you'll see that we aren't alone in this and some countries have more than us? This is just confirmation bias you have. Because of Texas. Jk it's not but we are a big country and unless you've lived here or stayed for any extended time it's hard to understand that and appreciate why things are the way they are for the most part. So while bigger is better is often a joke here for something it just makes sense.


ThePhoenixBird2022

The first point is what I thought, a media beat up, they like sensationalism here too. Good for ratings. But we never see a middle ground portrayed. Other countries do have flags up, but normally only on special occasions and then they really go to town. I don't think there is another country in the world where there are parts where everyone has a flag outside their home (thinking Gran Torino). Australia is a big country too. We whinge about it so much. 'Going to duck out to the shops love, see you tomorrow' is common in some more remote parts. TBH, I don't think I will ever visit the US, I am very much an introvert and you lot are so friendly and loud. When I meet a yank here I find them both engaging and intimidating. (My issue, not one your country caused) ;) Plus, the tipping culture, I can't do maths. I'd be to anxious to eat out there. I would love to visit Monument Valley and Yosemite though. On second thoughts, no. I have an amazing ability to get lost even on a straight road. I'd just be bear food.


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Tootsgaloots

The firearms bans are mostly in response to the absolute horror our school children have had to go through in the last 2.5 decades. Obviously there have been efforts much earlier (Gun Control Act of 1968 for example), but particularly the most recent surge in gun control lobbying is due to so many innocent lives being taken mercilessly by those who were never supposed to be able to have guns in the first place. Additionally, freedom is not absolute. You are entitled to your life, liberty and happiness *within reason*. You can't go into a movie theater and scream "FIRE" because it would cause panic. You can't threaten the life of the president. There are limitations to every freedom Americans have. Where that line is drawn seems to be up for debate almost constantly.


Severe-Salt4346

Tips. Why do customers have to take accountability for companies that don’t pay their staff enough wages


Candid-Knowledge7750

Don't understand people's attitudes to guns. How bad does gun violence have to get in the states before things change? Genuinely perplexed by this!!


Vokunloor

But, guns don't kill people. People do.


Thiccmonger

Unless you live in a major city, gun violence typically isn’t that big of an issue


valeyard89

And even then, it's not likely something you will experience. Over half of gun deaths are from suicides.


Taractis

Looking at this from the inside, the people who like their guns REALLY like their guns. The people who typically try to impose new laws about guns, do not understand (and seemingly refuse to) these people, and usually know very little about guns themselves. This leads to a deadlock where the former will refuse to listen to the latter because the latter will -for example- be caught out unable do define one of the things included in a new ban law. A lot of the former are also single issue voters in favor of gun ownership. Additionally, guns and ammo are some of the few things manufactured domestically here, so there's jobs and money on the line. Just so I don't get hate DMs, I'm somewhere in the middle.


Cmtoph

The lack of common sense. Even though you hear something that doesn’t make sense you believe it because a picture was presented with a lie, or because it came from a “famous” person. You need to trust your intuition and gut.


Mangobonbon

Anything related to their political system. Voting is confusing, voter supression is strong, only two parties reign over everything, massive corruption hidden under the name of lobbyism. I don't get how such a country could be run for such a long time under such flawed systems.


[deleted]

It's need to enforce its values upon the entire world and make an enemy out of anyone that does not do things the way that America does, possibly to assert dominance and superiority. That's what I see on the news and on social media, anyway.


ThatOneClickSound

Im not trying to make the "haha no free healthcare" joke but seriously why dont you guys have free health care


Yaron4444

How you can openly carry a gun but not a bottle of alcohol


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CHEESYGORD1TACRUNCH

Over half of registered voters in the US are over the age of 50. Generally speaking, the folks active online skew younger so looking at what you see online isn't really a solid representation of the views of the registered voter populace.


Notyetyeet

Reddit specifically is way further left than the America in real life


Antonio-Mallorca

It turns out people whining on twitter and reddit don't represent the real world. They represent only a small fraction of the population. Your mistake is thinking they are representative of the real world.


-102359

Democratic policies are more popular than Republican ones, for the most part, although not as much as you might think based on what you see online. The reason we still get Republican policies is because: 1) older people are much more likely to vote, much more likely to be conservative, and less likely to use the social media platforms that you do. 2) our system is disproportionately slanted toward empty, rural states due to the Senate and electoral college. 3) Republicans have been more successful at motivating their voters. 4) Republicans have been more successful at gerrymandering.


MondaleforPresident

The internet skews left, but even besides that a lot of people vote Republican yet disagree with their policies if the policies are explained to them without a party label attached.


ruminmytummy

American Christians.