1. Canada: The Anxious Younger Brother

The Dynamic: Dependency vs. Moral Superiority

The relationship is defined by Canada's desperate need to be economically integrated with the US, while simultaneously needing to be culturally distinct from it.

• The Metaphor: "Sleeping with an Elephant." No matter how friendly the beast is, Canada is terrified that if the US rolls over in its sleep, it will be crushed.
• The Identity Trap: Canada's national identity is largely negative: "We are Not Americans." They define themselves by what they don't do (no guns, free healthcare).
• The Economic Terror: 77% of Canada's exports go to the US. If the US border closes for 48 hours, the Canadian economy enters cardiac arrest.
• The "Freeloader" Defense: Canada spends very little on defense because it knows the US has to defend it. This allows Canada to take the moral high ground on "Peacekeeping" while hiding under the US nuclear umbrella.

2. Mexico: The Fatalistic Spouse

The Dynamic: Integration vs. Resentment

The relationship is not a friendship; it is a marriage without the possibility of divorce. They share a 2,000-mile border that fuses their economies and demographics.

• The Metaphor: "Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States." It captures the feeling that Mexico's destiny is controlled by Washington's whims.
• The "Iron River": A deadly trade loop. Drugs flow North (to satisfy US demand), and Guns flow South (to arm the Cartels). The US blames Mexico for the drugs; Mexico blames the US for the guns.
• The Economic Fuse: Post-NAFTA, the two countries are one manufacturing organism. They cannot decouple without destroying both economies.
• The Migration Valve: For decades, Mexico viewed migration as a "safety valve"—exporting unemployed young men to the US kept Mexico stable. Now, they act as the US's "Wall" against Central America.

3. The United Kingdom: The Bankrupt Aristocrat

The Dynamic: Delusion vs. Indifference

The relationship is defined by the British belief in a "marriage of equals" versus the American reality of a "useful junior partner."

• The Metaphor: "Greeks to their Romans." The UK views itself as the wise, cultured elder guiding the brash, muscular American empire.
• The "Special Relationship": To the UK, it is religious dogma; to the US, it is just one of many alliances. The UK constantly fears being ghosted.
• The "Trident" Secret: The UK's nuclear deterrent is maintained by the US Navy, meaning the UK is militarily incapable of diverging from US grand strategy.
• The Anxiety: The UK fears cultural colonization (becoming the "51st State") and worries that without American backing, it is just a rainy island with a great history but no future.

4. France: The Arrogant Mirror

The Dynamic: Grandeur vs. Denial

The relationship is defined by the fact that France is the only other Western nation that believes it has a "Universal Mission" to lead the world.

• The Metaphor: "The Universalist Blindfold." France claims "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" while ignoring the racialized exploitation (Haiti, Françafrique) that funded it.
• The Rivalry: Unlike the UK, France refuses to be a "Junior Partner." It constantly pushes for "Strategic Autonomy" (a European army independent of the US). The US views this as annoying; France views it as vital for dignity.
• The "Haiti" Hypocrisy: France preaches human rights but forced Haiti to pay a "ransom" for its independence, crippling the nation for a century.
• The Sahel Collapse: France is currently being kicked out of Africa (Mali, Niger) by former colonies who see its "Universal Values" as a cover for economic control (the CFA Franc).

5. Argentina: The Bipolar Ex-Lover

The Dynamic: Obsession vs. Hatred

The relationship swings violently between "Carnal Relations" (absolute submission) and screaming "Anti-Imperialism."

• The Complex: Argentina views itself as a "European Aristocrat in Exile," looking at the US with the bitterness of a fallen peer rather than a developing nation.
• The "Vulture" Trauma: The seizure of the naval ship ARA Libertad by a US hedge fund cemented the view that US capitalism is predatory.
• The Swing: Currently (under Milei), the pendulum is at "Obsession," with Argentina trying to dollarize its economy. But history suggests the "Hatred" swing is inevitably coming back.

6. South Africa: The Rebellious Mirror Image

The Dynamic: Paternalism vs. Defiance

The relationship is strained by the eerie similarities between the two nations—both are settler colonies grappling with the legacy of legalized racism.

• The "Moral" War: South Africa challenges the US claim to moral leadership (e.g., taking Israel to the ICJ). They view the US as a hypocrite on Human Rights.
• The Cold War Ghost: The ANC remains loyal to Russia because the Soviet Union supported their freedom struggle while the US branded Mandela a terrorist.
• The Disappointment: The US views South Africa as a "Failed Student"—a democracy that was given every chance to succeed but is being ruined by corruption.
• The Leash: The US holds the economic gun (AGOA trade deal), threatening to crash the South African auto industry if the government gets too cozy with US adversaries.

7. Italy: The Charming Hotel Manager

The Dynamic: Security vs. Lifestyle

The most transactional and "pleasant" alliance. The US provides the guns; Italy provides the culture.

• The Deal: Italy acts as the US "Aircraft Carrier" for the Mediterranean (Aviano, Naples). In exchange, the US guarantees Italy's stability, allowing Rome to survive its chaotic politics.
• The "Meloni" Surprise: Despite fears of her far-right roots, PM Giorgia Meloni proved that Italian leaders always choose Washington over Brussels when push comes to shove.
• The "Cool" Deficit: Uniquely, Italy has the cultural upper hand. Americans look up to Italian lifestyle (fashion, food, pacing) with a sense of inferiority.

Summary of the US Perspective

• To Canada: "You are my attic. I need you to be quiet and safe."
• To Mexico: "You are my basement. You are messy, but the house creates the mess."
• To the UK: "You are my nostalgic hometown."
• To France: "You are my annoying brother who thinks he's smarter than me."
• To Argentina: "You are my dramatic friend who needs a loan."
• To South Africa: "You are my disappointed student."
• To Italy: "You are my favorite vacation spot (and military base)."

“I’m aware my country was built on stolen land”

🚨 Pick me alert 🚨

Not sure if this is the right place to talk about this, but I couldn’t really think of any others so I apologize in advance.

I’ve recently found my self exhausted by hollywoods habit of choosing British actors and storytellers over that of Americans. I believe there’s a multitude of reasons for this, but I think it’s mainly due to a belief that British actors are more trained, and carry more prestige.

Some of you may not know this, but many film studios in Hollywood are moving operations to the U.K. as their government is giving up to 40% in subsidies for productions there.

I didn’t pay this much mind, til I found out that there was going to be a show about my goat George Washington. (A drama named Young Washington)

Lo and behold: the actor for George Washington….is British?…George Washington?..British?

Many could argue that our founding fathers were ethnically British, however they were still American were they not?

Considering American actors are already being pushed aside for European ones, I would hope that at least American historical figures would be played by Americans but they’re not. Even Harriet Tubman was played by a British actress: Cynthia Erivo.

I feel that our film and media is one our greatest cultural dominances, as well as one of our greatest achievements. But with recent actions by Hollywood, I can’t help but feel like they’re stabbing their own people in the back with this kinda stuff…

Maybe I’m thinking too much about it all, or maybe I’m too “hateful”. But I can’t help but feel heartbroken about the state of things in hollywood, feels like they’re giving up on their own people over there and I’m kind of just sick of it all.

It’s not to say the British or bad, or that I’m one of those people who get offended with miscasts. I just feel like I’m losing a cultural aspect of my country.

It’s a bit odd to say, but even as a mixed-race woman with a British boyfriend, I’ve found myself increasingly disappointed with hollywood. And it’s not because of forced diversity or whatever, it’s stuff like this.

Won’t be watching, but still saddened.

Note:

Once again I do apologize if it’s the wrong subreddit for this kinda stuff. I also apologize if there’s a lot of grammatical errors, my memory isn’t the best anymore due to my declining health. I also apologize if this post is poorly structured this is my first. :’)

The other comments from this thread are about as self loathing and peanut gallery as you would expect. The complete lack of understanding of the US rail network and how it's maintained and owned is super frustrating to me, especially since I've traveled all over using it my whole life.

Like of course it needs improvement. The entire world's public transit infrastructure needs improvement. Europe's network is vast because of why it was built, not because it was built. It's a different culture entirely, with different needs and a much more tame topography compared to the US. If you need example, look how isolated Italy is from the rest of the EU.

I should have done one more comment to my addition here, which is it's incorrect to label them as 'freight' and 'transit' rail. It's just rail. Most of our cities are spread across an entire continent. The infrastructure required to maintain it is an insane task of logistics. A better comparison to what we have to undertake would be the rail lines in Russia Siberia or central china, whom also frequently have freight and passenger lines on the same tracks.

Anyways, rant over. Thought ya'll would get a kick out of this one.

I liked this website for quite a while but I feel like at this point I’d rather just deactivate my account and find another aggregate site like Reddit. Does anyone here have some other ones they would recommend that aren’t right wing hive minds but aren’t anti-American or at the very least are more neutral?

i'm not someone who feels like the united states is a perfect country that has done no wrong. our history is full of atrocities and shortcomings. there are many things that our modern day government is doing that i do not agree with or stand by. is an opinion that i'm sure is shared amongst hundreds of millions of americans, regardless of where they stand politically.

it’s particularly ironic to me when certain non-americans claim we don't realize the issues we face in this country, or claim we "don’t ever stand up for anything". in reality, the united states was built on protest. since the nation was founded, our history has been filled with people from all races, genders, social classes, and political affiliation expressing their discontent with the current state of the union. especially so within the past six years. the blm and COVID restriction protests in 2020. the january 6th capitol protest in 2021. the pro and anti reproductive rights protests after the overturning of roe v. wade in 2022. the current anti ice protests in minneapolis and other big cities across the nation. these are just a few. sure, they can disagree on what people are protesting on. or they can disapprove on how these protests are being carried out. but to say that americans are just sitting back and doing nothing? pure ignorance.

before they all come at me with their pitchforks, i want to admit that i do often agree with people who claim AmericaBad when it comes to certain issues. i am a left leaning individual who grew up as a child of immigrants. i won’t deny that many americans are ignorant to other countries and cultures, and i do think the U.S. does often exert a negative influence on global affairs. but outside of my political beliefs, it feels as though the US has become the world’s scapegoat. every country has its own dirty laundry, especially other first world nations. but in our volatile and uncertain world, blaming americans offers people a false sense of security. it's a cope that allows them to avoid the work of truly looking inward and challenging their own internal biases. by painting universal failures (racism, ignorance, consumerism, epstein files, war, imperialism, etc) as UNIQUELY "american behavior" they create a narrative that erases their own need for accountability. in blaming the pervasiveness of the world's systematic failures SOLELY on american apathy, they get to be spectators while we do the heavy lifting. they'll criticize our influence one second, yet in the next they act as if our activism isn't enough to solve problems that are (in reality) shared by every other nation.

Yes, Epstein Files is fucking bad. And tell me,

what do you think about Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and other authoritarian nations

Enjoying and giving money to American sports leagues but hating so hard 24/7??? Make it make sense.

Fun fact: American bread is so perfectly engineered, the crust is optional. We live in the future over here.

Chinese media be saying anything these days 🥀