Do Americans understand how far they have fallen in world's eyes?

Anytime I have someone visiting from abroad, I take them to the local gun shop, which is about the size of a Kroger or Giant or whatever you have locally.

That is when they understand what we deal with.

A few have asked the perfect question to an employee - “why?”

The Second Amendment shit really sounds moronic to everyone else in the world.

As for Trump... I was watching I Might Destroy You on HBO and a black gay man was walking down the street with another black male, and they were talking about being gay. He said to stop being nervous because they were in England. No one was going to beat them or throw them off a building for being that way. MAGA 2020.

 

Um.

London bus attack: Lesbian couple viciously beaten in homophobic incident - CNN

 

I'd be in favor of repealing the Third Amendment and substituting it with "Do what thou willst, but do no harm."

 

In Before Times, when I could still travel to other countries, it was apparent how far we’ve fallen in the eyes of the world. Can’t imagine how much worse it’s gotten.

Totally embarrassed by it. But at least help is on the way.

 

Foreigners do not understand the Second Amendment obsession.

And foreigners from advanced countries do to understand the American health care system and the unwillingness to provide universal coverage. And in advanced countries people generally do not feel that the American health care system is better than their home country version.

 

One word: Baseball.

 

It is interesting to think that the world view of the States has gone from - "They're so full of themselves and just dominate the conversation." to "Man, that is one messed-up place. Glad we're rid of them. (but sure would be nice to have their voice in the room when we're dealing with China and Russia)."

 

I don't doubt that . . . but how do they know?

Show me someone who regularly deals with both systems --- not someone who spent the previous decade in one system in the current decade in another --- and I'm all ears as to what he says. But most people only have the point of reference of their own system, plus a few selected anecdotes (usually negative) of the places they deem worse.

 

I've lived in London for a long time. Weirdly, some of the most unsettling experiences I had were when Clinton was president. A fair number of women found him hot and had no compunctions about telling you so.

Some things therapy just can't handle.

 

My wife and I were in Ireland in July 2019 and we were on a day trip to Northern Ireland. We were waiting for people to come back to the bus from the Titanic exhibit - we opted for a black cab tour of Belfast, fascinating stuff - when a guy in an Oakland A's hoodie, noticing my Blue Jays hat, asked if I was Canadian. I replied in the affirmative and we talked baseball for a bit, then he asked me what Canadians think about Trump. This guy was built like a Coke machine - turns out he was a firefighter in San Francisco - and since I wasn't interested in any kind of possible argy bargy I lied and told him I didn't follow politics. He said, "It's OK, everyone thinks we are a fucked up country....and I completely agree."

 

I think a lot of Americans who travel internationally are more open-minded than those who don't. I know that's a generalization that doesn't hold necessarily. But I had a friend once upon a time ago, my husband and I were planning a trip, and she made some weird statement about why would you even want a passport? Yes she is a vapid Trumper.