I think it’s easier to find success stories if you ask this question about your town than your country.
A few weeks ago I took my kid to a parking lot by a park so he could practice biking, and when we got there there were nearly a dozen kids biking, and a band was playing etherial middle eastern music next to us to a crowd as the full moon hung over a lake draped in light of the setting sun.
It was gorgeous, and free, both financially and in spirit. It was a beautiful appreciation of people and art from across the world. I thought for a moment that it was a picture of what I’d like America to one day be, then realized that I was in America, and it was already a picture of what America IS. It’s unfortunate that America is also many terrible other things. But America is also this. And that spirit is what brought these musicians or their parents to America, and eventually to that parking lot by the lake under the full moon.
loads
protect your democracy and vote dem in november
good luck!
the drain has been clogged for decades, now its just BACKING up, which we are facing the consequences of clogging it in the first place. before we could use the plumber to unclog, but now its so big(trump) its just overflowing.
Nationalism tells you your nation is what to be proud of, but that’s dangerous and manipulative.
Instead, focus on the people. You can be proud of the people who are protesting, people who are running secret grocery runs for people hiding from ICE, people promoting progressive or scientific thought in threatened educational spaces, and so on.
There are still plenty of us left in the US, some against our will, and you can still be proud of them for still trying when so many others have given up.
Hell yeah! America is now the number one exporter in highly qualified workers!
There is this video about some American traveling and complaining that everywhere he goes people look at him with disgust and disdain. So there is that.
Curious: As a Chinese American, is it technically possible for me to just… pretend to be a Chinese National (I’m talking about after getting through borders and putting away the US passport), and fake a Chinese accent when speaking English… and like “conceal” my American identity? (I can speak basic Mandarin btw)
Is it actually better? Since I heard that Chinese Tourists sometimes get hated on too…
Or since I speak Cantonese too, I could pretend to be a Hong Konger…
Or I could pretend to be from Taiwan… most people probably can’t tell anyways, its just the same Mandarin to them
hmmm 🤔
imo speaking with an american accent wouldn’t even particularly call you out… i know a bunch of people that speak english as a second language that speak with at least somewhat of an american accent
Or I could pretend to be from Taiwan… most people probably can’t tell anyways, its just the same Mandarin to them
If you say you’re from taiwan, i think many people will say, “oh i love thai food!” 😆
🤣
My ancestors are actually from Taishan. Not Taiwan, Taishan (台山).
But if I say that irl, nobody would know where that is lmfao.
(Guangdong Province… which is in Southern part of Mainland China)
I spent like 6 months in 雲南 and 18 in 台灣 but yeah i’m not familiar with 台山.
But for years afterwards people who i talked to would ask me about thailand, even a close friend took like 6 months to understand no, not thailand, somewhere else. I think most places you could speak cantonese and say you’re from cambodia and no one would bat an eyelid 😆
Depends where you are, but I’d advise against presenting as Chinese, chinese tourists have such a bad reputation sometimes you see signs like “no spitting in the dish sink” or “do not put toilet paper in dust bin” exclusively in chinese in hostels. Which indicates behavior expected of Chinese tourists
Across asia, I get curious looks rather than any hostility. I kinda wonder what the american was doing that drew so much attention, if they weren’t making it up for content.
I always introduce myself using my native birth country, never as an American. If prompted I’ll say I’m a New Yorker. I refuse to represent that stain on the planet
American and Chinese tourists are the two most hated tourists and it’s not even fucking close.
American because they are loud annoying impolite and destroy shit
Chinese because they are ignorant disgusting foul and destroy shit
Some people love their country like a child loves their parent. Uncritical. They can do no wrong and are the best ever. Don’t be like that.
Some people love their like like a peer loves a peer. You see their flaws and want them to be the best they can be. Be like that, even when it’s uncomfortable and difficult.
For me its like loving a relative who is a writhing hateful shell of what they used to be. Think Alzheimer’s or something.
The US consistently ranks among the most charitable countries in the world, being #1 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2019.
Let me tell you the good news: we’ve always been fascist, racist, bullies. This admin is just not covering it up at all. Glad you’re awake now my guy.
Any nation that still ends official messages with “god bless America” and whose primary power projection has been weapons for centuries, is still a shithole. You’re not saying “allahu ackbar” because your religious extremists use a slightly different book.
Pretty much this, my friends and family thought I was being negative. But now, a few either, don’t like admitting it or they act like I’m a wizard.
yea that was really good news. I ment so a small part of me can be proud again to be American?
A trick is to acknowledge that there’s many alternatives. You can choose to be proud of your state, county, or simply just say “yeah my country is a cunt, so what?” And realize pride of your country doesn’t impact whether or not you’ve been a good, nice, or kind person.
Despite having done things that seem dated in other countries, you guys did plenty of good
Just look at all the technological innovation coming from your country that saved a ton of lives (yes you have a spud healthcare system, but these innovations will help humanity for the rest of its existence, they cannot be taken away)
Yeah like tomahawk rockets
Don’t forget the Big Gulp
If you’re a birthright citizen, why would you be proud over something you did nothing to achieve? It’s also not your fault, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of either.
It shakes out a little differently if you’re naturalized, but only marginally. That naturalization test isn’t much of a barrier.
Yes, yes we are. We have been for pretty much forever. We fucking suck.
We’re finally learning that it indeed sucks to suck
Well, you freed the slaves that you had enslaved. I mean, their descendants anyway.
I guess the answer is yes. Some small part of you can be proud to be American again. All you have to do is not think about it too hard, and you could try yelling “Silver Bullet” and shotgunning a Coors Light every now and then. That could maybe act as a stand-in for pride, anyway. C’mon buddy, it’s
notthat bad…In all seriousness, individually Americans are pretty good people. Well, a few of the ones I know personally anyway. That’s like a couple of baker’s dozens! That’s something!
No reason ever to be.
You don’t think there are any good reasons to be proud of being an American? Why not?
Usually it’s considered pretty stupid to be proud of things you didn’t have a hand in. Why be proud of where you were born, when it was just random chance? I can see being happy or feeling privileged to be an American - that at least suggests what you’re appreciating is that it benefits you. Saying you’re proud implies that being from the USA is some sort of moral success and it’s just not.
I don’t know if you want to call it something other than pride, but I’ve never learned another word for what I would feel if John Brown had been my grandfather. It’s not my achievement, nor would I feel entitled to it in any way, but it would make me feel warm and grounded. My actual grandfather was a wife beating alcoholic, and I feel shame about him, even though he died before I was born and I had nothing to do with this.
I think that’s pretty common, even if it’s not logical, which happens a lot with feelings. I know several people whose parent(s) died when they were teenagers and in a period of tension with each other. All agree that the others shouldn’t feel any guilt for being normal teenagers when their parents died, and that the other parents knew they were loved, but most of them still feel as though they themselves had wronged their parents because of their teenagedom.
Why would you be proud to be American?
It was founded on cruelty, and never improved.
The civilised world has always sneered at the US, and for good reason
There are several websites about current good news, some of which is happening in this country right now.
In October 2025, following pressure from United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered cities across the state to remove LGBTQ+ Pride crosswalks and other road markings that “advance political agendas” and “ideologies.”
Abbott cited safety concerns and violation of state and federal guidelines as reasons to invoke the measure, which required cities to comply within 30 days or risk losing transportation funding.
…
But, in the meantime, the new, colorful sidewalks do not violate any local regulations, and Kaur and McKee-Rodriguez hope they signal an ongoing commitment to LGBTQ+ Pride in San Antonio.
I was not expecting a literal rainbow road.
When the Idaho legislature banned Pride flags on public property to punish the City of Boise for flying one at city hall, the mayor and city council adopted the Pride flag as the official city flag. Best part, city hall is two blocks away from the state capitol building, so the bigoted fucks get a nice view of it when they’re at work 😊
Hi. Random straight guy here.
looks at picture
…not sure why anyone would have an issue with this.
I’m more confused/concerned why there’s a series of traffic cones turning a 2 lane road into a 1 lane road without any obvious reason why.
Also, holy shit! That’s a lot of random solar panels! Someone call that phone number, and ask them what they power.
The reason for the cones is just out of frame at the top.
Cones might have something to do with those tents on the right. Might be an event at a venue.
This is actually one I didn’t know about. A small gesture, but a pleasant one. Of course the only story that made the front page was the one that sparked outrage when it was originally removed.
Nah it’s been a shit hole for centuries, both culturally and politically. Fun fact most of my ancestors were in North America before the United States existed, hasn’t stopped dipshits from trying to “Americanize” us.
Many of my friends are organizing everything from mutual aid, protection of the targeted, and have expressed a willingness to die for the best values we were taught, if it comes to that. People like that are one good thing about America. Each of us can contribute in our own way, and many are quietly doing so. I don’t have a crystal ball to predict the future but good people fearlessly doing what is right feeds my soul.
The only difference between now and what it used to be is that the mask has been taken off of US politics. Who you see in Trump and the entire Republican administration is who this country has always been. Regardless of whether it’s Democrat or Republicans, they’ve always been war hungry, serving only the CEOs bankers and Wall Street while tossing us occasional table scraps, so we didn’t get too loud in our grumbling.
The only effort that Democrats have put in is trying to put that mask back onto US politics and back to business as usual. Once the mask comes off it can’t be put back on.
Edit sp
“It was real. I’d seen it. I’d seen it in reality.” • The mask of humanity fall from capital. It has to take it off to kill everyone – everything you love; all the hope and tenderness in the world. It has to take it off, just for one second. To do the deed." And then you see it. As it strangles and beats your friends to death… the sweetest, most courageous people in the world." “You see the fear and power in its eyes. Then you know. That the bourgeois are not human.”
Disco Elysium?
Da Comrade
Hell yeah. I need to do a replay one of these days.
Here’s my favorite quote:
"TRUE LOVE IS POSSIBLE ONLY IN THE NEXT WORLD—FOR NEW PEOPLE IT IS TOO LATE FOR US
WREAK HAVOC ON THE MIDDLE CLASS”
It’s promoting Europe and the rest of the world to come closer together with new treaties and trade. It’s a positive move in the next phase of global relations.
They better figure defense out too, China isn’t building a massive military for nothing
China spends 1.7% of their GDP on the military, half the percentage of the US and less than that of the EU.
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS
They spend 1/8 of the US and 1/5 of the EU per citizen they have to defend.
Government might be corrupt as hell but at least culture of Mental Health acceptance is much better than Chinese culture.
I’m originally from Guangzhou, China, am naturalized and I overall like the US… at least more than China…
I just hate the corrupt politicians.
Also, so much entertainment stuff… movies, tv, are made in the US. Chinese entertainment is boring as hell (IMO)
Also: Usually those in the Entertainment industry lean relatively more left.
I still think Americans are generally good, if they actually knew the truth and not just far-right propaganda. (I mean that’s just humans in general… people are easily manipulated by the evil few)
The problem is low voter turnout, first past the post, winner take all electoral college, gerrymandering, most important of all, the PROPAGANDA.
Americans in red jurisdictions… rural areas… those who never met a non-white person… have a problem with a distorted worldview…
Primary turnout is atrocious…
Right now my parents and their culture are smothering me to death… they hate the idea of medications and depression is not a serious problem in their eyes.
