As an outside observer there is a sick sense of schadenfreude about all this...

[Locut0s]

Last edited Mon Nov 21, 2016, 01:35 AM - Edit history (1)

As an outside observer there is a sick sense of schadenfreude about all this...




First I wish to apologize to anyone I might anger with this post. I realize that many of you are living right at the point literally of a nervous breakdown and I don't blame you at all for it. For those who are there I caution you not to read further as I at times make light of the situation. Though certainly not in the ultimate conclusion.

Like I said here before I'm terrified of the outcome, because it's going to effect the whole world not just you guys. I've never been more glad I'm Canadian in my whole life. And I feel sad too as I know there are so many wonderful people south of the border who don't at all deserve any of this.

But of the various issues that us outside observers have always felt a sad sense of bemusement over, your deeply divided and far right of centre politics has often taken centre stage. And often us foreigners will unfairly like to make fun of the US for its ignorance, its struggles, its messed up nature. Heck it's something of a guilty national past time for us Canucks. I say unfairly because of how many amazing people I know you have, and this forum presents that. And for the fact that the issues are serious, systemic and deeply ingrained. Most of the Americans I have personally met have been amazing, kind, people, granted of course I probably see a somewhat biased subset of those who travel up here.

But still it's hard not to partake in watching what I'm going to label, for lack of a better term, Americaporn, the reality TV show that is mainstream politics to the south, and sadly just mainstream news in general. I greatly blame mainstream media for this too. Like I said we certainly have our own 'red states', our own deep divisions here, our own battles against tyranny. But it's not on the same level of "fucked up" as you guys sadly have to deal with. So in these dark times I watch with a certain sense of horrified fascination at what is transpiring south of the border.

I feel fear and anger for myself and my friends among you. But I also feel some measure of guilt for also taking a certain, not small, sense of sadistic satisfaction in seeing it all go to shit. Because in some ways I want to scream "where the fuck did you think all of this was going to end up!? I told you so!"

And of course I'm saying the sentence above symbolically, I'm not actually blaming anyone reading this, the membership of this forum least of all!

I'm guessing that many liberals in the US may share my schadenfreude. Only sadly you have to live with a MUCH greater measure of real fear. At the end of the day I can almost treat it as the reality TV show it seems to be, because when I turn it off I'm back to some measure of sanity.

I am sorry for what you are about to go through. And I beg you not to destroy the world lol. If I could speak for my nation, which I can't, I wish to offer you all a warm comforting hug in these dark times.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. I appreciate you sharing a fascinating take on this tragedy.

In a way, I feel a bit the same way in that since we turned TV off 8 years ago and don't really partake actively on social media all that much, hence am completely oblivious to not only pop culture, reality shows and all the other shit that populated the hundreds of channels, or the useless media - I really don't recognize life here any more. There is benefit and detriment to living in a bubble...such as the utter shock of how this whole mess went down. So my wife and I feel like though we live in the US, we are completely disconnected with a whole lot of it.

Adding this after thinking more - we are capable of so much, but now settle for so little. Laziness, apathy, narcissism....and more.

[Locut0s]

12. When you choose to disengage from the all pervasive media bubble..,

You start to realize just how biased you used to be and how sadly unrepresented the vast majority of the people of the world are. And yet when you live in a Nation for which the majority are in said bubble, disengagement can seem like cutting a vital limb off. Because you find yourself so alone

[leftofcool]

2. This American agrees with everything you just said.

[cilla4progress]

3. Thank you.

Really.

It honestly sucks being an American right now.

[mountain grammy]

4. Thank you.

I'm ashamed of America, not just for trump, but for absolutely and stubbornly refusing to acknowledge, much less learn from, our history. We don't learn from our past because we don't teach it.

[tavalon]

5. I'm limiting my enjoyment

To the time before he has the nuclear codes. Hopefully Ivanka keeps those away from Daddy, but who knows?

When he gets sworn in, I will be intently focused on whatever I can do to deligitimize and legally destroy this fascist.

[The Wielding Truth]

6. I don't think that you are beyond the range of his destruction. You are in the Russian retaliation

flight path. If you are wise you must know that you can't really enjoy your schadenfreude .

God help us all.

[tavalon]

7. I have a real concern that tRump Pussy Grabber

Really will destroy the world. Mike Pence would make it worse, but he is a trained politician. Trump is a trained, thin skinned Orangutan. He's a loose and dangerous cannon. He needs to be removed quickly.

[LeftInTX]

8. I follow a Canadian on YouTube

Apparently our politics are a form of their entertainment. Lilly was heart broken and red eyed the day after the election. (Can't find the video)
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Lilly is no small time YouTuber
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[Dan]

9. Do not take this lightly

and I understand what you are saying...concerns appreciated.

But if things go to shit here - real bad shit - like the Orange turd decides he really wants a police state, and total control.... I hate to say it, but the shit will hit the fan in more than America. The Orange Turd will not be contained to the 'toilet that he will create in America', he will want to overflow....

[LeftInTX]

10. Unfortunately, the US is a superpower, just like the USSR was.

There is no sense of schadenfreude around here. (Except the Rs that are laughing at the Dems) Trump isn't a small politician. He is the most powerful person in the world. He will be more powerful than other presidents because there will be almost no checks and balances on him.

[McCamy Taylor]

11. Problem with the US is problem with Ancient Rome.

To us it's all gladiatorial wars---amusement, sports. The result of our crazy ass elections is really only felt in other countries--and Americans don't give a rat's you know what about what happens to anyone in any other country (except maybe the country they identify as their "homeland".)

So what if W. stole a war so his brother could proceed with Project for a New American Century? Now, if the Project included bombing California and the rape of New York, then the media talking heads might have done something to b;ock the coup. But it was all just fun and game to them---as long as the victim lives in another country.

Is that realistic enough? I have no rose tinted glasses when it comes to my fellow Americans. We moan about our first world problems and don;'t give a crap that people in other countries are literally dying so we can get fat and comfortable.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

13. Because in some ways I want to scream "where the fuck did you think all of this was going to end up!

I feel the same way.

[Grey Lemercier]

14. many of us in the UK feel the same way, and yes, I have heard it referred to as Ameriporn (slight

spell change) too. We look on in horror and fascination, but now it is truly no longer a game. My heart breaks for what so many will now suffer and go through. Hopefully the damage can be somewhat contained at all levels, and not truly spill over into global contagion of turmoil and possible war.

All thoughts to my fellow Americans living inside the borders of the nation.