@randahl Way before the current shithead, the US re-elected Bush even knowing about the lies that led to the illegal invasion of Iraq. They have made many worse election choices since then. It will take generations of good behavior before they might be trusted again.

@randahl Money talks, as USians often say.

We can all do our bit - cancel any US-based or US-owned subscriptions and find alternatives.

There are 500m people in Europe - that’s a lot of monthly subscriptions if you subscribe to any of the following, all of which have alternatives:

Apple Books
Apple Music
Apple apps
Tidal
Gmail (you’re the product, they harvest your data)
Google Search
Google apps

https://european-alternatives.eu/

#buyeuropean

@randahl

I’m beginning to think it’s not Trump that is the problem. Trump didn’t create the racism, the xenophobia and the hatred of gays, trans people and women. It was already there in the American people. Not all of them but enough for him to bring it all into plain sight. I can see the US shunning the autocratic madness of King Baby screwing with the rest of the world but the beast lines will last.

@randahl As somebody else said, the damage has already been done. Even if democrats win the next election, what's the point, when any further election could bring people like Trump back? (and let's not even touch the fact that most US democrats seem to be quite content with what's happening there)

@randahl
No, it's the world view of the American system is what has changed. The American politico-economic system is now untrustworthy not only because of Trump, but because oligarchy has been allowed to grow for decades and NO ONE stopped it (see graph abt the performance of the US "democracy").

The 1% billionaires who run the political machine in the US shouldn't be conflated with the rest 99% of Americans, like the 1% Russian oligarchs shouldn't be conflated with the 99% of Russians.

@randahl
No, it's the world view of the American system is what has changed. The American politico-economic system is now untrustworthy not only because of Trump, but because oligarchy has been allowed to grow for decades and NO ONE stopped it (see graph abt the performance of the US "democracy").

The 1% billionaires who run the political machine in the US shouldn't be conflated with the rest 99% of Americans, like the 1% Russian oligarchs shouldn't be conflated with the 99% of Russians.

@randahl I remember we met an American couple in Denmark in the 80s. They were travelling Europe in a rented VW van. They regretted renting it in Germany. Due to the German license plates people thought they were German, which was still very negative, especially in eastern parts…

@randahl @tdp_org Vance smashed the Champaign bottle against that ship’s bow in Munich. Trump roared ‘full steam ahead’ on his ‘liberation day’. The good ship ‘Trust US’ is well over the horizon by now.

The world is set on the path of unwinding its dependencies on America. These wheels turn very slowly - but they grind fine.

I think in 30 years time we will mark 2025 as the year America destroyed its own status as a superpower.

@randahl
The whole world will take a major step backwards, Mr. Fink. If US citizens don't rediscover their values ​​in the near future.
The USA is catching up with the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period.
The "great, arrogant age" of kings and emperors. That is, the era of absolute monarchy and feudalism, in which they saw themselves as divinely ordained. Mr. Trump!

There are so many intelligent and clever people in the USA.
Don't forget, USA, you're not Trump-class, you're World-class.

@randahl I've already committed to that stance with USA, even if they vote in Democrats next term.

@randahl I had the same experience in the 80ies in the Netherlands when working there as a young Austrian. Older people would not talk to me in German, said they'd never talk German again.
Today, two generations later, things changed. My perception is there's no more really bad feelings towards the German speaking people.
That doesn't mean, though, that it's been forgotten what's been done to the Dutch.

@randahl Should that be "fundamentally change its' view" ?

I only follow a few people on here and you are one of them. Thank you for your work and Merry Christmas !

@randahl " the world will keep loving the American people"

Keep?

A lot of people don't differentiate between "american" people and US government. And this time, the majority of US citizens even voted for the republicans, so the distinction is not as sharp as one might thing.

In history, the USA behaved like today Russia. Declaring without any legitimation a "zone of influence", the Monroe Doctrin. They supported torture regimes like in Chile. They payed death squadrons.

They also attacked Iraq, Afghanistan, Grenada, Libya, soon Venezuela, Vietnam...

*) "american" is almost always wrong. America is a huge continent, host to many different nations. We are culturally insensitive if we just use "America" when we mean "USA".

@randahl Not in all the people.

With respect, Trump is just the icing on the cake 'started' by Reagan. The US has got a few decades of mostly-ignored-by-the-world-and-its-media history to account for. What is happening now is just the "out in the open" stuff that they can't be bothered to hide any more.

@randahl
I've never been romantic about America ( but about some Americans ❤️ ).

I hope that Americans will review their situation carefully and consequently #vote .
( I see efforts from @benroyce - and that looks like an uphill battle. But it ain't over 'til it's over! ✊🏻✊🏿)

The rest of the world is actually reframing and it may take at least a generation to get back - to a realistic level.

There's hope - let's keep it up! 🙂

@randahl || We have had 20-25% rabid Christians for as long as I can remember(I'm pushing 80). It's almost a contagious disease when people feel they are abused, this group feels so sorry for themselves it's sickening. The conservatives has been trying to gain/regain control since FDR. Started with McCarthy, then Nixon brought co-opted Xtains, Reagan added the rich and powerful and destroyed the economy. Will we survive, if we do it will take decades to repair. Regain our image ???? Peace.

@randahl you reelected him. Pretending "this is not who we are" is just fantasy at this point.

@randahl Fact is, they did elect him. Twice. Even though there was plenty of info, even the first time, what kind of person he is. So he did and does represent an intellectually lazy, dumb and purposely uninformed people. We know forever America cannot be relied upon as a force for democracy and justice. Which of course we should have known since the seventies, but then only Southeast Asia and Latin America suffered from their antidemocratic tendencies and we didn't.

@randahl The USA is another Venezuela. But with nukes.

@randahl I think that the change is already happening and that there's a lot of damage done now. Trump is trying to invade Greenland and Canada, is stealing oil from Venezuela, is backstabbing the Ukraine and extorting the EU. These are things you cannot fix in a single summit in Mar A Lago......

@randahl I'm afraid that ship has sailed.

@randahl
u.s. elected trump ... twice. i don't think this a random event, it starts to be a pattern.

i don't trust u.s. anymore. even if non-republican replaces trump or vance, u.s. needs to rebuild trust afterwards, may take decades.

short:
for non-americans, it starts to be imperative to build coalition to support democracy and will of the people.

@randahl I am an American and I don't trust Americans any more. We elected this monster twice. That says everything you need to lnow.