We are officially a shithole country

[octoberlib]

Link to tweet

Uruguay today issued a travel warning to its citizens visiting the United States of America, citing “growing violence” fueled by “racism and discrimination” that American “authorities are unable to prevent” due to “indiscriminate” gun ownership. Let that sink in for a minute.

[Tertullian]

1. I agree.

no message

[calimary]

14. Welcome to DU, Tertullian.

Sad, frustrating, infuriating day. I found a website that tells you by the numbers what day this is - in the year. Like when you wonder how many mass shootings there've been so far this year, versus how many days there've been so far in this year.

Last I saw, Dayton Ohio on Sunday made it 251 mass shootings - THIS year. In 216 days - as of Sunday, August 4th (the 216th day of 2019).


https://www.convertunits.com/dates/
EXAMPLE: “Today is Monday, August 5th, 2019. It is the 217th day of the year, and in the 32nd week of the year (assuming each week starts on a Monday).”

Useful when you're trying to keep track of the statistics.

[malaise]

34. The USA has a shithole president

but it is not a shithole country

[UpInArms]

56. Here is a website that tracks gun violence

https://www.gunviolencearchive.org

Home 2019
Total Number of Incidents 33,361
Number of Deaths1 8,850
Number of Injuries1 17,527
Number of Children (age 0-11)
Killed or Injured1 397
Number of Teens (age 12-17)
Killed or Injured1 1,818
Mass Shooting2 253
Officer Involved Incident
Officer Shot or Killed2 185
Officer Involved Incident
Subject-Suspect Shot or Killed2 1,209
Home Invasion2 1,044
Defensive Use2 893
Unintentional Shooting2 947
Gun violence and crime incidents are collected/validated from 6,500 sources daily – incidents and their source data are found at the gunviolencearchive.org website.

1: Actual number of deaths and injuries
2: Number of INCIDENTS reported and verified

22,000 Annual Suicides not included on Daily Summary Ledger

Numbers on this table reflect a subset of all information
collected and will not add to 100% of incidents.

www.gunviolencearchive.org www.facebook.com/gunviolencearchive

Data Validated: August 06, 2019
Gun Violence Archive

[LittleGirl]

57. Thank you for that link.

Wow.

[calimary]

61. Terrific data source. One of the ones we used last weekend

when we got together to work on our Indivisible group’s Call to Action email - and a gun-related ask. This was a few hours after the news broke about the El Paso shooting.

[Claritie Pixie]

2. What have we become.

[luvtheGWN]

13. I can see upper New York State from my back deck.

It's just across the river and I haven't crossed the river since November 2016. I have several friends and relatives who have sold their Florida winter homes. To a person, they are afraid of the gun culture, and have a difficult time discerning between what might be Trump lovers and progressive-minded folk. My American relatives (well, most of them at least) are full of shame at what has happened to their beloved country. It is all just terribly, horribly sad.

[dem4decades]

3. Do all shit hole countries have shit heads for their leader?

[octoberlib]

7. The fish rots at the head.

[calimary]

16. If we qualify as one, then we certainly do have a shit head for a "leader."

I don't want to say "our leader." I want NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with him, and I certainly didn't vote for him.

[Beringia]

4. I got the translation

The Foreign Ministry warns compatriots traveling to the United States to take precautions against growing indiscriminate violence, mostly for hate crimes, including racism and discrimination, which cost the lives of more than 250 people in the first seven months of this year.

Given the impossibility of the authorities to prevent these situations, due among other factors, to the indiscriminate possession of firearms by the population, it is especially advisable to avoid places where large concentrations of people occur, such as theme parks, shopping centers, festivals artistic, religious activities, gastronomic fairs and any kind of cultural or sporting events. In particular, it is recommended not to go with minors to these places.

Likewise, it is suggested to avoid some cities, which are among the 20 most dangerous in the world, such as Detroit (Michigan), Baltimore (Maryland) and Albuquerque (New Mexico), according to the Ceoworld Magazine 2019 index.

https://www.gub.uy/ministerio-relaciones-exteriores/comunicacion/noticias/9219-alerta-ciudadanos-uruguayos-viajen-estados-unidos

[octoberlib]

6. Thank you!

[marble falls]

5. Jebus. Donnie Two Scoops has brought it all to this. No point even trying to deny it.

From Wilipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruguay

A series of economic crises put an end to a democratic period that had begun in the early 20th century, culminating in a 1973 coup, which established a civic-military dictatorship. The military government persecuted leftists, socialists, and political opponents, resulting in several deaths and numerous instances of torture by the military; the military relinquished power to a civilian government in 1985. Uruguay is today a democratic constitutional republic, with a president who serves as both head of state and head of government.

Uruguay is ranked first in Latin America in democracy, peace, low perception of corruption,[11] e-government,[12] and is first in South America when it comes to press freedom, size of the middle class and prosperity.[11] On a per-capita basis, Uruguay contributes more troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions than any other country.[11] It tops the rank of absence of terrorism, a unique position within South America. It ranks second in the region on economic freedom, income equality, per-capita income and inflows of FDI.[11] Uruguay is the third-best country on the continent in terms of HDI, GDP growth,[13] innovation and infrastructure.[11] It is regarded as a high-income country by the UN.[12] Uruguay was also ranked the third-best in the world in e-Participation in 2014.[12] Uruguay is an important global exporter of combed wool, rice, soybeans, frozen beef, malt and milk.[11] Nearly 95% of Uruguay's electricity comes from renewable energy, mostly hydroelectric facilities and wind parks.[14] Uruguay is a founding member of the United Nations, OAS, Mercosur, UNASUR and NAM.

Uruguay is regarded as one of the most socially advanced countries in Latin America.[15] It ranks high on global measures of personal rights, tolerance, and inclusion issues.[16] The Economist named Uruguay "country of the year" in 2013,[17] acknowledging the policy of legalizing the production, sale and consumption of cannabis.

[ancianita]

12. +1 Truth!

[malaise]

36. Uruguay is one of the most racist countries in South America

Just saying

[marble falls]

40. I've never read about that anywhere. Have to look at it.

[marble falls]

43. Shocked and unpleasantly surprised.

[malaise]

44. Horrific racism there

Trust me on that one

[FakeNoose]

47. I thought it was Paraguay that was bad

I wouldn't know because I haven't visited either Paraguay or Uruguay. But after WWII Paraguay took in a lot of former Nazis who got out early, when other South American countries wouldn't let them in.

[malaise]

48. The four worst in South America would be

a tie for the worst - Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil fourth.

[Celerity]

66. I would deffo add Chile as well, and yes agree with your other four, Brazil is the worst IMHO

especially if you are full stop (or mostly) African descent.

[malaise]

67. True

[Celerity]

68. it's such a dichotomy in Uruguay, they are really progressive on weed and especially on LGBTQ rights

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Uruguay

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Uruguay are among the most liberal in both South America and the world. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal with an equal age of consent since 1934. Anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBT people have been in place since 2004. Civil unions for same-sex couples have been allowed since 2008 and same-sex marriages since 2013, in accordance with the nation's same-sex marriage law passed in early 2013. Additionally, same-sex couples have been allowed to jointly adopt since 2009 and gays, lesbians and bisexuals are allowed to serve openly in the military.

In 2016, Americas Quarterly named Uruguay the most LGBT-friendly country in Latin America, calling the nation "a model for social inclusion in Latin America". It also hosted the first international LGBT rights conference in Latin America in July 2016, with hundreds of diplomats, politicians and activists from around the world addressing LGBT issues. A large majority of Uruguayans support same-sex marriage.

[malaise]

69. Interesting

but they sure hate people of African descent

[marble falls]

49. A lot of Nazis, including Josef Mengele went to Uraguay, because like ...

Paraguay there is a common border with Argentina.

Uruguay's population is 91% white because the indiginous populations were killed off. The 9% classified as black are the descendants of slaves introduced in the early 1800's.

They are still agitating for equal rights and recognition as a cultural group.

[OMGWTF]

60. And weed is legal!

[ecstatic]

8. I came to that realization the moment those words

came out the shithole n' chief's mouth.

[ancianita]

9. A shithole country with infrastructure. Yes. More than Uruguay have issued travel warnings.

25 others have, as well.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/68276/25-unusual-foreign-travel-warnings-visiting-us

[rictofen]

10. Homicides are at or near historic lows in the US

Their citizens are far more likely to die in a taxi to or from Carrasco International airport.

"it is especially advisable to avoid places where large concentrations of people occur"

Ridiculous fearmongering.

[ancianita]

20. Here's 538's thoughtful look at gun death in America. I don't read that total deaths are down.

Can you link your "historic lows" claim? Because maps I've seen show so many mass murders that you must be comparing numbers in one death category with those of other gun death categories.

I can't find what are officially considered the "best" figures we have, so that's why I ask.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/gun-deaths/

[rictofen]

25. I'm referring to all homicides

Because that's what should be relevant if a foreign government is genuinely concerned about the safety of their citizenry while traveling abroad. Not to sound crude, but dead is dead. Mass shootings are a small fraction of all gun homicides and homicides in general. Even in a relatively bad year such as 2017 which saw almost 120 people killed in mass shootings, that is less than 1% of the ~14,500 total gun homicides which occurred in that year.

The murder rate has ticked up slightly in recent years to 5.4 murders per 100,000 people, but that's still almost half of what it was from the '70s up to the early-mid '90s. Gun homicides have similarly halved, declining to 3.4 in 2015 from 7.0 in 1993.

Homicide rate: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/facts-and-research/murder-rates

Gun homicide rate: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/10/21/gun-homicides-steady-after-decline-in-90s-suicide-rate-edges-up/

[ancianita]

26. Thanks.

[mr_lebowski]

27. The homicide rate is still one of the highest in the world, from any cause, no?

And esp. among countries tourists from Uruguay are likely to visit, no?

It's also #1 in mass shootings in public places, by a LONG shot, is it not?

And just because our homicide RATE is down overall, that's a) kinda irrelevant, and there's also WAY MORE PEOPLE, which affects the rate. Doesn't mean homicides overall are down much, if at all, in raw numbers.

And do you know somehow that Uruguay hasn't issued similar warnings for other countries with high homicide rates or other dangers, such as Venezuela for example?

I'm betting they have, but if you know different, feel free to share.

[former9thward]

30. No, No, and No

The homicide rate in Uruguay is 8.2. (per 100,000) and the U.S. is 5.3. So their rate is almost double. Where exactly are Uruguayan tourists likely to visit? Their neighboring South American countries? Paraguay where it is 9.3? Columbia where it is 24.9? Venezuela where it is 56.3? Brazil where it is 30.5?

And no, rates are not affected by population. Just the opposite. That is why raw numbers and made into statistical rates so comparison can be made without regards to population differences.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

Uruguay has their own problems with minorities derived from the slave trade in that country. They are called Afro-Uruguayans and they are generally not allowed to go past primary school and are regulated to the lowest jobs in the country. I am not going to jump on Uruguay about that because in my travels in South America that is the standard in almost all the countries there.

[mr_lebowski]

42. I know what rates are, what I meant is that INSTANCES of homicides goes up as the population

increases, if the rate stays the same.

Okay, so you got me on our rate not being among the highest ... but do you know whether Uruguay has advisories against other places in the vicinity? As long as they do, I don't see how this is some big affront.

You're a sight more likely to get randomly shot, specifically, in the USA vs. just about anywhere I would have to think. And the way things are turning these days, looking Latino probably increases your chances of being a victim thereof.

And Uruguay is certainly not the only country that's done this re: the USA.

[raccoon]

29. Tell that to the families of the victims killed by a mass murderer

Shooter.

If I was a citizen/resident of another country, no way in HELL would I come to United States.

[rictofen]

62. And yet a great many do come here

Perhaps they don't put much stock into travel advisories when they aren't grounded in reality.

[cwydro]

35. Not in my hometown.

They’ve already passed last year’s homicide figure, with several months to go.

[rictofen]

65. That's unfortunate

But Uruguay is talking about our entire country, and recommending the avoidance of any large concentrations of people to boot. What a way to live.

[LanternWaste]

45. Is discrimination at or near historic lows as well? As that was part of the metric used.

Ridiculous rationalizations.

[rictofen]

64. I'd say near it, yes

I'm sure it's ticked up thanks to Trump, but it wasn't that long ago that gay people couldn't marry, for instance.

[DesertRat]

11. k&r

[Initech]

15. We're a shithole country run by assholes and a hostile foreign entity posing as a news network.

[lunasun]

17. I would think most Latin American countries would have some advisable warning against

travel to the USA

[ancianita]

21. This is the end result of the U.S. being the worst neighbor in the Americas.

[BigmanPigman]

18. Is Stephen Miller happy yet?

[sandensea]

19. Temporarily soiled

But like a baby whose diaper hasn't been changed in too long, we'll clean up nicely.

The sooner we start (new administration), the easier it'll be - and it can't come soon enough.

[world wide wally]

22. Does this mean America is great again?

[SCVDem]

23. I see President Biden sending

Ambassadors to the World, Barack and Michelle Obama on a goodwill tour, repairing this traitors damage.

With a special appearance by Oprah!

[FakeNoose]

52. I'm hoping PBO will be our next Secretary of State

Wouldn't that be awesome?

[NCjack]

24. Now we need a shithole nickname. My suggestion is: Trumpistan. nt

[murielm99]

28. My son-in-law, a Canadian citizen,

refuses to renew his passport. He will not come here. He is convinced that he will be shot.

My daughter has come home a couple of times.

[cwydro]

37. If he doesn't renew his passport, he can't visit other countries either.

[tanyev]

31. I can't think of any reason why foreign tourists would want to come here right now.

[Pacifist Patriot]

33. Same here

I was in Scandinavia in June. I did not want to come back.

[llmart]

38. I could understand you wanting to stay there.

I've actually never been to any of the Scandanavian countries, but I am a huge fan of Rick Steves and when I watch his episodes on those countries, I can't help but say to myself, "Why couldn't I have been born there?"

[Pacifist Patriot]

39. Granted it was June...

and I'm no fan of the cold. But I think I could adjust and be quite happy there, even in winter. That's what saunas are for, right?

[a la izquierda]

41. I'm in Holland at the moment.

I’m applying for a highly skilled migrant visa and then in December, I’ll formally apply for an Irish passport.
I have no intention of living permanently in the US ever again.

[Pacifist Patriot]

32. Other countries have had us on travel advisories for a long time.

I know Canada upticked their U.S. travel advisory in October 2017, and I wouldn't be surprised if they've done so since then.

Increased alerts, such as this from Uruguay, are going to happen all over the globe.

Typically the alerts have been related to the high cost of emergency health care if something medical were to occur while traveling in the U.S. and avoiding violence escalation such as road rage or queue jumping. Travelers to the U.S. are encouraged to purchase travel insurance that includes medical coverage and avoid doing anything that might piss off an American because he or she is likely to be carrying a gun.

We began getting more alerts referencing indiscriminate, unpredictable, consistent mass shootings over the last decade. Now they are explicitly warning about racial discrimination. Are we great again, or what?

[majdrfrtim]

50. So. Much. Winning.

/s

[PJMcK]

51. We've been a shithole country since November 2016 (n/t)

[Buckeye_Democrat]

53. It's been that type of country...

... in my opinion for as long as I remember.

The USA is considered the biggest threat to peace according to polls of people around the world, conducted by Gallup.

Behavior that promotes personal and tribal desires over civilization is what I've witnessed repeatedly.

[pwb]

58. Cops of the world remember that?

Ah shit, Im showing my age with that one.

[TheRealNorth]

54. If you want to go with that, I would suggest rephrasing

Re-phrase it to Donald Trump and his MAGATS are making this a shithole country.

[Fritz Walter]

55. And this fits Putin's plans perfectly

He is succeeding in bringing western democracies down beneath his level, and his stooge in the oval office is making absolutely sure that our country hits rock bottom first.

Cadet bone spurs probably won't even have to wear his pResidential knee pads when he next sees Vlad for his quarterly performance review.

[flying_wahini]

59. This makes my day! Thanks!

[NCLefty]

63. Shittrumpistan(TM).