Americans Need To Get Out More

[signalmankenneth]

It’s pretty embarrassing to be an American traveling abroad these days. Trump’s “shithole countries” comment is just the latest blow. People we meet in Mexico—from Europe and Canada as well as the locals—offer their condolences when they learn where we are from. Our President is making us look ridiculous to the rest of the world.

Now more than ever, it’s important for Americans to get outside the land of “USA! USA!”

We brought our kids to live here for a year in part to escape the ugliness personified by our Ugly American-in-chief, and in part to get a larger view of the world. Americans are famous for our ignorance of other cultures. Three-quarters of us can’t speak another language, and more than half have never been outside the United States, and yet we’ve made it an unspoken requirement that candidates for public office, Democrats and Republicans alike, describe America as “the greatest nation on earth.” How would we know? We’ve never been anywhere else.

The irony is, Trump sounds like a tinpot dictator in one of the “shithole countries” he derides. See Trevor Noah’s of Trump and various African dictators, including Ugandan despot Idi Amin.

My favorite response to the “shithole countries” flap was Botswana’s official letter declaring that it was requesting clarification, through its ambassador, as to whether Botswana falls into the “shithole” category.

Clearly, Trump’s insulting remark about Haiti and African countries is racist.

But as much ink as Trump has generated with his flagrant appeals to his racist base, it’s our President’s ignorant provincialism that jeopardizes our relationships in the rest of the world. We are becoming a nation of shut-ins—of angry old white men griping about immigration and slamming the door on the rest of the world. The idea that we are going to be stuck in the house with this guy, while the rest of the world moves on, with or without us, should worry us.

The night after Trump made his vulgar comments about immigrants from other countries, a national news program in Mexico aired a long segment on Russia, noting that, with his recent political moves to end the war in Syria and take the lead in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, Putin intends to fill the gaps left by the United States, as our country withdraws into xenophobic isolation.

Living in Mexico, we have been impressed by how friendly and forgiving of U.S. citizens Mexicans are, considering that our President has denounced Mexican immigrants as rapists and drug dealers. People here don’t blame us for Trump as much as we blame ourselves. But then people in countries that have endured corrupt and antidemocratic regimes—many imposed with the support of the United States—understand that the citizens of a country do not necessarily share the views of their leaders.

The good news is, people who have lived under abusive, authoritarian governments understand how powerless Americans feel. The bad news is what that says about the kind of country we have become.

By Ruth Conniff

[PostmodernProphet]

get out, Kenny.......

[cancel2 2022]

It’s pretty embarrassing to be an American traveling abroad these days. Trump’s “shithole countries” comment is just the latest blow. People we meet in Mexico—from Europe and Canada as well as the locals—offer their condolences when they learn where we are from. Our President is making us look ridiculous to the rest of the world.

Now more than ever, it’s important for Americans to get outside the land of “USA! USA!”

We brought our kids to live here for a year in part to escape the ugliness personified by our Ugly American-in-chief, and in part to get a larger view of the world. Americans are famous for our ignorance of other cultures. Three-quarters of us can’t speak another language, and more than half have never been outside the United States, and yet we’ve made it an unspoken requirement that candidates for public office, Democrats and Republicans alike, describe America as “the greatest nation on earth.” How would we know? We’ve never been anywhere else.

The irony is, Trump sounds like a tinpot dictator in one of the “shithole countries” he derides. See Trevor Noah’s of Trump and various African dictators, including Ugandan despot Idi Amin.

My favorite response to the “shithole countries” flap was Botswana’s official letter declaring that it was requesting clarification, through its ambassador, as to whether Botswana falls into the “shithole” category.

Clearly, Trump’s insulting remark about Haiti and African countries is racist.

But as much ink as Trump has generated with his flagrant appeals to his racist base, it’s our President’s ignorant provincialism that jeopardizes our relationships in the rest of the world. We are becoming a nation of shut-ins—of angry old white men griping about immigration and slamming the door on the rest of the world. The idea that we are going to be stuck in the house with this guy, while the rest of the world moves on, with or without us, should worry us.

The night after Trump made his vulgar comments about immigrants from other countries, a national news program in Mexico aired a long segment on Russia, noting that, with his recent political moves to end the war in Syria and take the lead in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, Putin intends to fill the gaps left by the United States, as our country withdraws into xenophobic isolation.

Living in Mexico, we have been impressed by how friendly and forgiving of U.S. citizens Mexicans are, considering that our President has denounced Mexican immigrants as rapists and drug dealers. People here don’t blame us for Trump as much as we blame ourselves. But then people in countries that have endured corrupt and antidemocratic regimes—many imposed with the support of the United States—understand that the citizens of a country do not necessarily share the views of their leaders.

The good news is, people who have lived under abusive, authoritarian governments understand how powerless Americans feel. The bad news is what that says about the kind of country we have become.

By Ruth Conniff

Ken, why do you never provide links to your articles? Is it deliberate or are you losing the plot?

Sent from my Lenovo K8 using Tapatalk

[signalmankenneth]

get out, Kenny.......

If Trump is re-elected, I will be leaving for Panama! In the meantime, I will be fighting for the resistance to remove Trump from office and end the GOP hold on both houses!

[PostmodernProphet]

[SIZE=3][B]If Trump is re-elected, I will be leaving for Panama!

sure.....just like you did in 2016 when he got elected.....

[signalmankenneth]

Ken, why do you never provide links to your articles? Is it deliberate or are you losing the plot?

Sent from my Lenovo K8 using Tapatalk

Here you go?

http://progressive.org/dispatches/am...-get-out-more/

[Truth Detector]

It’s pretty embarrassing to be an American traveling abroad these days. Trump’s “shithole countries” comment is just the latest blow. People we meet in Mexico—from Europe and Canada as well as the locals—offer their condolences when they learn where we are from. Our President is making us look ridiculous to the rest of the world.

Listen up you pathetic whiny little retard on steroids; I was BORN outside of this country and have probably been to more countries than a hopeless little punk like you could hope to see in a lifetime. I don't give a shit what some African or Hispanic from shithole countries have to say about us. Even less for those living in European leftist shithole utopias.

Only pathetic America hating small brained leftist idiots like you give a shit. We get out a lot asswhipe; when we have to save these shithole countries and our allies from despots, dictators and criminals....the same one's you leftist assholes like to celebrate while berating a man that truly loves this country and epitomizes the best it has to offer.

Now more than ever, it’s important for Americans to get outside the land of “USA! USA!”

Wrong; now more than ever, it is important for whiny leftist asswhipes like you to try removing your empty heads from your assholes and get some oxygen to those tiny indoctrinated brains of yours.

We brought our kids to live here for a year in part to escape the ugliness personified by our Ugly American-in-chief, and in part to get a larger view of the world. Americans are famous for our ignorance of other cultures.

Do the country a favor and stay "there" wherever that may be. We have enough America hating assholes living here and don't need more.

[Truth Detector]

If Trump is re-elected, I will be leaving for Panama!

One more great reason to re-elect Trump. Hey asswhipe, can you take a bunch of your retarded America hating leftist pals with you? TY in advance.

In the meantime, I will be fighting for the resistance to remove Trump from office and end the GOP hold on both houses!

You really are dumber than a rock; but alas, you wouldn't be a willful idiot for the Party of the Jackass if you had a brain.

[cawacko]

It's interesting the author says we are going into xenophobic isolation but hasn't that been a call from many Americans, including progressives, to not be the world's police and just be another country? So what is the line between not being the worlds police (and leading trrrorist on the planet depending on who you believe) and the supposed isolation we are engaging in now?

[canceled.2021.3]

Nobody cares


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Truth Detector]

It's interesting the author says we are going into xenophobic isolation but hasn't that been a call from many Americans, including progressives, to not be the world's police and just be another country? So what is the line between not being the worlds police (and leading trrrorist on the planet depending on who you believe) and the supposed isolation we are engaging in now?

Astute observation....and that was Obama's calling card.

[Jade Dragon]

It’s pretty embarrassing to be an American traveling abroad these days. Trump’s “shithole countries” comment is just the latest blow. People we meet in Mexico—from Europe and Canada as well as the locals—offer their condolences when they learn where we are from. Our President is making us look ridiculous to the rest of the world.

Now more than ever, it’s important for Americans to get outside the land of “USA! USA!”

We brought our kids to live here for a year in part to escape the ugliness personified by our Ugly American-in-chief, and in part to get a larger view of the world. Americans are famous for our ignorance of other cultures. Three-quarters of us can’t speak another language, and more than half have never been outside the United States, and yet we’ve made it an unspoken requirement that candidates for public office, Democrats and Republicans alike, describe America as “the greatest nation on earth.” How would we know? We’ve never been anywhere else.

The irony is, Trump sounds like a tinpot dictator in one of the “shithole countries” he derides. See Trevor Noah’s of Trump and various African dictators, including Ugandan despot Idi Amin.

My favorite response to the “shithole countries” flap was Botswana’s official letter declaring that it was requesting clarification, through its ambassador, as to whether Botswana falls into the “shithole” category.

Clearly, Trump’s insulting remark about Haiti and African countries is racist.

But as much ink as Trump has generated with his flagrant appeals to his racist base, it’s our President’s ignorant provincialism that jeopardizes our relationships in the rest of the world. We are becoming a nation of shut-ins—of angry old white men griping about immigration and slamming the door on the rest of the world. The idea that we are going to be stuck in the house with this guy, while the rest of the world moves on, with or without us, should worry us.

The night after Trump made his vulgar comments about immigrants from other countries, a national news program in Mexico aired a long segment on Russia, noting that, with his recent political moves to end the war in Syria and take the lead in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, Putin intends to fill the gaps left by the United States, as our country withdraws into xenophobic isolation.

Living in Mexico, we have been impressed by how friendly and forgiving of U.S. citizens Mexicans are, considering that our President has denounced Mexican immigrants as rapists and drug dealers. People here don’t blame us for Trump as much as we blame ourselves. But then people in countries that have endured corrupt and antidemocratic regimes—many imposed with the support of the United States—understand that the citizens of a country do not necessarily share the views of their leaders.

The good news is, people who have lived under abusive, authoritarian governments understand how powerless Americans feel. The bad news is what that says about the kind of country we have become.

By Ruth Conniff

I'd love to, but the best I'm doing is being in Canada for awhile this summer, as part of a tour. I speak only English fluently, I'm disabled, and live on a budget. I'm having to sell off a few things, and do without to afford this trip this year. This shithole is my home, it's not the land that sucks, it's a lot of the peoples attitude, and disgraces. We are a nation touting Christianity, while being one of the most sinful, disgraceful, and ungrateful. Some of the worst are the very ones touting the Christian values.

[Truth Detector]

I'd love to, but the best I'm doing is being in Canada for awhile this summer, as part of a tour. I speak only English fluently, I'm disabled, and live on a budget. I'm having to sell off a few things, and do without to afford this trip next year. This shithole is my home, it's not the land that sucks, it's a lot of the peoples attitude, and disgraces. We are a nation touting Christianity, while being one of the most sinful, disgraceful, and ungrateful. Some of the worst are the very ones touting the Christian values.

Maybe we can take up a collection to help disgusting filth like you leave this "shithole" so you don't have to live in shame anymore? I would suggest Zimbabwe or Venezuela. Moron.

[RB 60]

I'd love to, but the best I'm doing is being in Canada for awhile this summer, as part of a tour. I speak only English fluently, I'm disabled, and live on a budget. I'm having to sell off a few things, and do without to afford this trip this year. This shithole is my home, it's not the land that sucks, it's a lot of the peoples attitude, and disgraces. We are a nation touting Christianity, while being one of the most sinful, disgraceful, and ungrateful. Some of the worst are the very ones touting the Christian values.

It's people like you who are trying to turn this country into a "shithole."

[cancel2 2022]

Here you go?

http://progressive.org/dispatches/am...-get-out-more/

OK, so can you remember to do that in future?

Sent from my Lenovo K8 using Tapatalk