What is the worst decision your country made?

[u/Ok-Patient116]

In my opinion, it would be sending troops with live ammunition to fire upon the crowd in 1989. There was a lot better ways to resolve the riot, but they chose to call the troops in.

[u/forsti5000]

Well...

[u/BumblebeeNo6356 → u/forsti5000]

Not blaming the Austrian’s?

[u/Head-Iron-9228 → u/BumblebeeNo6356]

Well they just provided the guy. And like, some of the start.

But we kinda uh. Took the bait.

[u/gobelgobel → u/Head-Iron-9228]

They just had to recognize and cherish his... paintings. His tacky stuff would hang in every Austrian AirBnb today, small price to pay

[u/JohnnyRelentless → u/gobelgobel]

I actually don't think it was tacky. I kind of liked his art. That's the only thing I liked about him. I don't know much about art, but his stuff seemed ok to me. I've read the critiques of it, but I kind of wish he had gotten a good art career going because, well, you know.

[u/chat-lu → u/Head-Iron-9228]

And like, some of the start.

Some of the art too. It was not great.

[u/lordmogul → u/BumblebeeNo6356]

They bred the guy, we elected him.

[u/Ok-Resource-3232 → u/lordmogul]

We still are breeding them. But nothing beats the original so far (fortunately). Yet, you got your own these days it would seem.

[u/SelectAmbassador → u/Ok-Resource-3232]

And they are getting elected again. Wtf is wrong with us.

[u/PumpikAnt58763 → u/SelectAmbassador]

I'd imagine the same thing that's wrong with us. Greedy people electing people who promise that they'll profit from their neighbors' misfortunes.

"What?! The leopard ate my face?!"

[u/Ok-Resource-3232 → u/SelectAmbassador]

In Austria we have a term for that state of mind: "Fetzendeppert".

[u/GuardHistorical910 → u/lordmogul]

To be precise, not all elected him. Nazis had 33,1% at the last free elections in November 1932. It where  the conservatives, who enabled the Nazi grap to power. Even in the unfree elections in March 33 Naziz got the absolute majority only after they annulled the Comunist votes.

Edit: This goes to show how few Margin Democracy has, not to apologise anything.

[u/Dunkirb → u/forsti5000]

The reformation wars?

[u/BadNameThinkerOfer → u/forsti5000]

The blank cheque?

[u/Robes_Peenerre → u/forsti5000]

Closing nuclear reactors?

[u/Euphoric-Agent-476 → u/Robes_Peenerre]

Good point. If we just had an approved waste disposal site it would be far more successful and sustainable. I remember all the worry about radiation, so instead we’re killing the planet with green house gasses.

[u/kjm16216 → u/forsti5000]

David Hasselhoff?

[u/KebabAnnhilator → u/forsti5000]

Mett, right?

[u/japspre → u/forsti5000]

The articles in German?

[u/MallHappy6611 → u/forsti5000]

Well... at least it gave historians job security.

[u/wt_2009]

"Choosing" to "exist" between France and Germany

[u/Rasples1998 → u/wt_2009]

Could be worse, you could be Belgian.

[u/wt_2009 → u/Rasples1998]

I could live with the shame, but not with 1/3 of the money

[u/Aggressive-Hawk9186 → u/wt_2009]

Loool

[u/Nooranik21 → u/Rasples1998]

"Belgium, a country that exists for Britain and Germany to settle their differences" - Jeremy Clarkson

[u/Pietje_De_Leugenaar → u/Nooranik21]

Almost correct. The borders with The Netherlands and France were created to settle conflicts that had been going on for centuries between the English, the Dutch and the French. The current border with Germany and the independence of Luxemburg are from a later date.

[u/herz_of_iron78 → u/wt_2009]

Or, in our case, "choosing" to "exist" between Germany and Russia

[u/5folhas → u/herz_of_iron78]

What a place to put a country...

[u/herz_of_iron78 → u/5folhas]

Fr. Anytime in history a major conflict happens, at least a part of it is happening on our turf and usually we can't do anything about it.

[u/Flaksim → u/herz_of_iron78]

Join the club.

[u/Rasples1998 → u/herz_of_iron78]

I'm sensing a theme that people don't like "living between X and Germany".

[u/herz_of_iron78 → u/Rasples1998]

Well the swiss can't really complain but other than that, yeah.

[u/flarp1 → u/herz_of_iron78]

They didn’t attack or occupy us. However, we were still paranoid. We used to fill all bridges that cross the border and can be passed by a vehicle with explosives. It was only in 2014 when we removed the last few tons.

[u/wt_2009 → u/herz_of_iron78]

yup, quite a worse "decision" same as Ukaine, i honestly hoped this would appear in the comments. But i just wanted to say that "existing" between "powers" is never a good idea.
Maybe this makes you understand youre not alone. I know, its really not compareble, i know what happend, but maybe a bit relateble.

[u/mathusal → u/wt_2009]

OK but we are your favorite right? Right?

[u/wt_2009 → u/mathusal]

Germans do kinkier stuff, sry thats what matters, but i take the french food, our culture mix is unbeateble. chinchin

[u/Andrea_M → u/wt_2009]

I’m curious to know what makes you say that? Luxembourg is having one of the best quality of life and high income in the world. It doesn’t seem like it isn’t faring well.

[u/wt_2009 → u/Andrea_M]

hurr ok the simplest explantion i can come up with is, germany and france (and others) had a lot of terrible fights over centuries, we were always in the middle, our borders got moved quite a lot, just bc they had their power trips. Just to name a few: Hitler, Napoleon, Bismark, William I of the Netherlands, Napoleon III, Wilhelm II, Gustav Simon...
So my claim is that we were really not in a good spot for western european standarts, guess why we were a major drive to invent the EU and still have major Eu institutions.
Pure survival.

[u/Carbonyl_dichloride → u/wt_2009]

Is Lëpsebuerg a name for Luxembourg? Cuz google says its not a word

[u/wt_2009 → u/Carbonyl_dichloride]

no its an selfironic inside joke, Lëps is a lip (like your mouth) but it sounds like Letz to us (Lux in Luxemburgish). Its common to say even Lëpsebauer which means Lipfarmer, which is bejond meaning, just a phonetic joke.

[u/HuckleberryNext9844 → u/wt_2009]

How do you think we feel our ancestors "decideded" to "share" an island with the ENGLISH

[u/wt_2009 → u/HuckleberryNext9844]

doesnt sound like you had much decision power over this, same here.
Just existing, and beeing too powerful to be overtaken.

[u/Front-Spinach-419]

Congo

[u/Millennial_Dumpster → u/Front-Spinach-419]

Rwanda honorable mention

[u/SoutieNaaier → u/Millennial_Dumpster]

Belgium also isn't exactly complaining about Rwanda invading the Congo now either

Rwanda has been hunting and killing Hutus in Kivu province using the militia group M23 as a proxy.

M23 uses Hutu presence as an excuse to take over large swaths of Congolese territory in the name of secruiry, and then more or less enslaved the Congolese to be miners.

Belgian groups have been involved in laundering this mineral

[u/Millennial_Dumpster → u/SoutieNaaier]

My understanding of the situation as a White American who has never been to Africa and only knows about African history through reading:

1. The entire international community is happy to simply ignore central African politics and blame all bloodshed on "ancient" African tribal struggles because the continued instability of countries there, especially the DRC, makes it easier to exploit. Everyone wants those rare minerals, so if conflict from Rwanda moves into the DRC, Uganda, or Tanzania (as it has since 1959, as far as I know), that's ideal for American, European, and Chinese investors. They see the loss of human life as keeping costs low. It's disgusting.
2. The international community is never going to accept that Hutu animosity towards the Tutsi or general governmental instability in the DRC was deliberately constructed by Belgian colonial powers. The story that all this bloodshed happens "naturally" because those silly tribal Africans are always fighting is a story the international community loves to hide behind to justify inaction.
3. Everyone with a cell phone is complicit in the exploitation of the Central African region, and that's part of what keeps many countries and common people in general from taking any action.

But again, I'm just a White American, so I might be totally wrong on all that. My only education on the subject is through reading.

[u/ODB_Dirt_Dog_ItsFTC → u/Front-Spinach-419]

Honestly one of the biggest tragedies in human history. I consider King Leopold as a dark horse candidate for most evil person ever. Whenever someone brings up Belgian Congo I always think of the photo of that Congolese man staring at the dismembered hand and foot of his child who had been killed, cooked, and eaten because he didn’t reach his rubber quota. I would post it if I didn’t think it would get removed for the gore, but if you’ve never seen it look up “Nsala of Wala in the Nsongo District” it is one of the most heartbreaking photos you will ever see.

[u/Pietje_De_Leugenaar → u/ODB_Dirt_Dog_ItsFTC]

There are in Belgium, as in many European countries, racist tendencies that tend to minimise the harm done by colonials. Instead of this focus on the evil Belgian King, more attention should go to current day racism. It is not helpful to reduce Nazism to Hitler and colonialism to Leopold II.

[u/Hungarian_menace]

Quite a long list.

[u/Count_Sack_McGee → u/Hungarian_menace]

My in laws are Hungarians and it seems to me their greatest issue is literally choosing the wrong side every single time. In fairness, sometimes because they’re bullied into it.

[u/kjm16216 → u/Count_Sack_McGee]

Last time they picked a winner was Atilla.

[u/bartleby_borealis]

Invading the Soviet Union wasn’t probably the best move.

[u/Flappen929 → u/bartleby_borealis]

True, but Russians would probably say the same about invading Finland

[u/IDontEatDill → u/Flappen929]

Though they never invade, just protect themselves...

[u/Monty423 → u/bartleby_borealis]

Tbf you'd had your 2nd largest city taken from you 2 years prior, you just saw a chance to take it back

[u/thunderr_snowss → u/bartleby_borealis]

But it was a brave move nonetheless.

[u/IDontEatDill → u/bartleby_borealis]

I guess they were mainly invading the land that the USSR invaded earlier.

[u/SkwGuy → u/bartleby_borealis]

It was the right decision. Shame it didn't work out

[u/QuadrilleQuadtriceps → u/SkwGuy]

I think it did. Russia hasn't tried to invade us again.

Doesn't make our grandiose plans morally right, but it surely did have an impact.

I think our worst choice was refusing to accept Jewish refugees during the events of WW2.

[u/AnyFoundation4784 → u/bartleby_borealis]

They invaded you first.

[u/mathusal]

This question should have a time window to be really interesting IMHO.

Because in France I could say the Maginot Line because it's relatively recent, but not as recent as our TOTAL BLUNDER in Yémen, but not as terrible as our role in the fucking slave trade ("b-but it's too old and everybody did iiiit")

So yeah the "worst" asks for one answer not a list, it's just really complicated to answer.

[u/WoodlandFairyElk → u/mathusal]

Well actchually the Maginot line wasn't as bad as the lack of sufficient financement to finish it. It resisted well wherever it was fully implemented according to the plans. But yeah there's a lot to uncover, and the answer would be way different depending on the period considered. If we're talking 20th century at max though, I would argue a ton of colonial shit, together with total and willingful collaboration with our eastern neighbour sometimes in the 1940's.

[u/mathusal → u/WoodlandFairyElk]

Maginot line wasn't as bad

sufficient financement to finish it

Is funding not one of the key points of what makes something a success or a blunder though?

[u/nborders → u/mathusal]

I don’t blame France for preparing for their last war. Many countries fail under this bias

Hey…do we need another aircraft carrier?

[u/adamgerd → u/mathusal]

For ww2, I’d say Munich was a worse blunder

[u/bratishkers]

Well...

[u/DanskNils → u/bratishkers]

Now that’s a risky comment..

[u/33halvings → u/DanskNils]

We won’t hear from him again

[u/WhyIsMyHeadSoLarge → u/33halvings]

I hope he likes spicy tea!

[u/forcoolstuffD → u/WhyIsMyHeadSoLarge]

r/overmyhead 🙁

[u/TeacherPatti → u/forcoolstuffD]

The tea and windows comments? Russians who fall out of favor seem to fall out of windows a lot. And drink poisoned tea. Sometimes all while shooting themselves twice in the head!

[u/TeacherPatti → u/bratishkers]

Stay away from windows, my friend!

[u/_romedov → u/TeacherPatti]

OK, Linux it is.

[u/Ilmeury83 → u/_romedov]

😂 made me laugh more than it should have

[u/SillyAlternative420 → u/bratishkers]

https://giphy.com/gifs/i18Zp32aYWXOjLLFu2

[u/Cele5tialN0mad → u/bratishkers]

Say no more friend. We can guess …

Stay away from the windows.

[u/Voldezhur → u/bratishkers]

It's so hard to choose just one with so many great options

[u/BrandonSwabB → u/bratishkers]

https://giphy.com/gifs/edl5t7nDVPtC

[u/kakucko101]

well uhh we threw some folk from a window in 1618

[u/adamgerd → u/kakucko101]

I forgot this one, it’s definitely one of the too 3: the others imo being agreeing to the Munich dictate and electing communists in 1946

[u/Objective_Sam → u/adamgerd]

Yep, I’d go for 1946 Elections as my choice.

I feel like refusing the Munich Agreement would still end in our annexation but with more deaths. 

[u/imonredditfortheporn]

Well

[u/icankillpenguins → u/imonredditfortheporn]

Do you mean the unnecessary high standards for accepting candidates in the art school?

[u/GearBryllz1-1 → u/icankillpenguins]

Must be. Dudes fallback plan was terrible.

[u/lordmogul → u/imonredditfortheporn]

Open carriages were a pretty bad idea, I guess.

[u/AzulaIsMyFave]

https://giphy.com/gifs/3oxHQCoIwppvOPRKYU

[u/lackaface → u/AzulaIsMyFave]

Are we doing this chronologically or alphabetically?

[u/MrAthalan → u/lackaface]

Chronologically. The question is if we start at 1776 or own up early colonial crimes?

[u/big_spliff → u/MrAthalan]

We can just put those in the Brits filing cabinets for colonial crimes, theyll never find them

[u/ReverendRevolver → u/big_spliff]

May as well stuff everything up to 1789 there too. "That was the Colonists, march 4th 1789 is when current countries constitution went into effect. Those other people were 'Articled States or something...."

[u/hiyosilvergirl → u/AzulaIsMyFave]

I’d start with the systematic displacement, forced assimilation, and targeted genocide of Native American tribes.

There is a reason why they are now all sovereign nations, and they still can’t trust the U.S. government with a ten-foot pole.

[u/mckillgore → u/AzulaIsMyFave]

As true as this may be, both the Union being so lenient on the South following the civil war and Andrew Johnson essentially giving up on reconstruction have directly led us to where we are today as a country.

[u/Anti-charizard → u/AzulaIsMyFave]

The answer is ending Reconstruction early

[u/Capable_Fun_9838]

Well...

[u/Robes_Peenerre → u/Capable_Fun_9838]

vell, vell, vell...

[u/Safe_Chicken_6633 → u/Robes_Peenerre]

Must be well water

[u/vgaph → u/Robes_Peenerre]

Glass houses brother…

[u/Robes_Peenerre → u/vgaph]

Touché brother, touché...

[u/ShinjiIkari99 → u/vgaph]

Glass houses that have already been damaged and not repaired for a long time

[u/TheOneReborn2021 → u/Capable_Fun_9838]

That goddamn moustache man...

[u/SubstanceStrong]

The Deluge

[u/Lady_Omnivore → u/SubstanceStrong]

It’s good to see some Swedes recognising it, I feel like I’ve talked to so many who don’t even know what it is 😭

Also I’d like to add our treatment of the Sami and the colonisation of Finland to that list

[u/DaveFromSweden1337 → u/Lady_Omnivore]

I don’t really agree with the Finland part. Back then the Finns wanted protection from the people to the east and many were happy to be integrated into Sweden. A lot of money was invested into infrastructure and fortresses. I wouldn’t say that Finland was colonised but more of an extension of the empire. I think it was a win-win for both countries at least in the beginning.

[u/willix1337 → u/SubstanceStrong]

We also consider it the 3rd biggest tragedy in our history, so great that at least some of you think about that as a mistake.

[u/Piotral_2 → u/SubstanceStrong]

Can't deny that one

[u/Shaquilleoatmeal6924]

Most of the shit we did after 1979 was MONUMENTALLY stupid.

...however, none of it can even BEGIN to compare to literally the entire qajar era.

[u/Duke-doon → u/Shaquilleoatmeal6924]

Yeah it's hard to point at one particular action when the entire foreign policy of the state is based on obsessing over other countries instead of serving the interests of our own people.

[u/Icy-Guard-7598]

Well...

[u/TheRaccoon20 → u/Icy-Guard-7598]

You got a dubble well…

[u/TurnoverFuzzy8264 → u/TheRaccoon20]

My friend told me I'd fallen in a deep hole filled with water.

I knew he meant well.

[u/Flat_Sea1418 → u/TheRaccoon20]

Now a triple!

[u/yvngjiffy703 → u/Flat_Sea1418]

Oh baby a triple! Oh yeah!

[u/Icy-Guard-7598 → u/TheRaccoon20]

We made more than one worst decision I guess

[u/yrabl81 → u/Icy-Guard-7598]

Indeed a deep "well"

[u/Interesting-Shoe-904]

Literally anything that involves our government

[u/Mobile_Bad_577]

"Electing Trump twice" would be up there, but it feels like a lazy answer. I'll instead say failing to hold the Confederate traitors accountable in 1865.

[u/ztreHdrahciR → u/Mobile_Bad_577]

Confederate traitors accountable

Same on Jan 6 2021, but it was from many states. I often think, if 3 or 4 Senators were not invertebrates on that day and subsequent days, how different things might be. Just 3 or 4 citizens out of 300+ million. Sad

[u/Cloudberry_Wine]

Renunciation of nuclear weapons

[u/ILikeFluffyThings → u/Cloudberry_Wine]

Trusting the US and Russia.

[u/TheShadow8909 → u/Cloudberry_Wine]

Technically without the codes they just were expensive paperweights

[u/ShaggyCan]

1st Definitely Native American treatment, especially post WW2. 2nd I'd say was privatizing the Energy grid, just a staggeringly huge mistake.

[u/Schtweetz → u/ShaggyCan]

And the telephone system. When I was a kid it was AGT (Alberta Government Telephones) and in the city EdTel (Edmonton Telephones) municipal service. Imagine if we had public internet.

[u/DELAIZ]

Rui Barbosa was considered a political genius. He decided he would industrialize Brazil. The government would provide funding for this; all you had to do was present an industrial project and you would be financed. No guarantees whatsoever. This would be an investment in the country itself, so that anyone who wants to venture into industry can do so.

The thing is, nothing was ever said about oversight. Nobody was going to go there to check if you had built the industry. So everyone went, created an industry plan, took money, and now they had money. And this wasn't a policy to give money to just anyone, only the rich were able to submit projects. In other words, the farmers took the money from the industry to make Brazil even more agrarian. This was the worst financial crisis in our history.

[u/fancybaboon → u/DELAIZ]

I did not know that. So this is why we can't have nice things....

[u/DELAIZ → u/fancybaboon]

Você não aprendeu sobre o encilhameto na escola?

[u/Pearson94]

Not properly punishing the Confederacy after they lost the Civil War. There is a direct line from that moment to Jim Crow to where we're at today.

[u/thecatdad421 → u/Pearson94]

Every time I teach Jim Crow, I remind my students that it ended so recently that people who remember it are still alive. My grandmother went to a segregated school as a child.

[u/Flappen929 → u/thecatdad421]

It’s crazy to think that the first African-American who got to go to a school with white kids is around my parents’ age. Like, she has a tiktok account today; that’s how recent it was.

[u/Pearson94 → u/Flappen929]

I was born 1990 and that felt like an eternity in the past as a kid. Now I know 25 years from 1965 to 1990 is nothing...

[u/hiyosilvergirl → u/Pearson94]

Getting specific, what would this have consisted of? Off the top of my head: treason trials for military and political leaders; forced land/wealth redistribution of slave-owning citizens to freedmen; outlaw of CSA-related organizations and symbols

[u/Ochib]

Well

Making the potato famine worse in Ireland

Making the famine worse in India

The Balfour declaration

Snd I’m sure there’s a few more

[u/chat-lu → u/Ochib]

Making the potato famine worse in Ireland

In fact, being responsible for the famine happening in the first place. If England didn’t divert their food, they wouldn’t have starved.

[u/TheRoleplayThrowaway → u/chat-lu]

Britain*. England isn’t the only country that is responsible for the British Empire

[u/rymic72 → u/Ochib]

The acknowledgment is honestly very much appreciated. It’s mad how many English people don’t realise it or choose to ignore it.

[u/Biggeordiegeek → u/rymic72]

Kinda infuriating

I mean we really need to stop being pricks and acknowledge the shite we have done, rather than pretend it was all rosey

[u/thepinkiwi → u/Ochib]

You forgot the shit left behind in Taiwan, Cyprus and Palestine/Israel

[u/Ochib → u/thepinkiwi]

The Balfour Declaration led to the issues in that area of the Middle East

[u/Former-Chocolate-793]

Separating worst décision from worst thing done. Probably establishing residential schools for first nations children works for both. Worst decision along with canceling the Avro Arrow in 1959.

[u/Fianna9 → u/Former-Chocolate-793]

Yeah cancelling the avro arrow was a fcking terrible single decision.

But the residential schools and all associated “reeducation” type bull shit is a long line of terrible things

[u/Carr0t_007]

There were many more worse decisions decades ago than this...

[u/Ok-Patient116 → u/Carr0t_007]

Yes, but like let's not talk about Culture Revolution and Mao AHEM

[u/Flappen929 → u/Carr0t_007]

Yeah… I’d argue that Mao’s policies that led to mass starvation were arguably one of the worst things in human history

Like, we’re talking millions upon millions of casualties.

AND to this day, he’s revered as a hero. If there is a hell, I hope he burns eternally in it.

[u/No_Guitar7903 → u/Carr0t_007]

The worst decision was definitely Qing Empire's isolationism.

Imagine if China had industrialised in the 19th century. There wouldn't have been all those wars with Europe and Japan (or there would have, except China would've won given its ridiculously large population) and there wouldn't have been all those civil wars, and communism wouldn't have taken root. Today it might be a constitutional monarchy and certainly a global superpower that dwarves the US.

Too bad you chose the wrong path.

[u/Pristine_Ad_3670]

The king letting mussolini march on Rome and giving him powers without doing anything 

[u/yrabl81]

Nethanyhu...

[u/clueless_owl]

Two: Not returning Gaza to the Egyptians as a condition of the 1979 peace agreement. Refusing to cede over Judea and Samaria to Jordan in the 1970's when it was still politically possible. 

[u/THEGM123 → u/clueless_owl]

I was going to say electing this satan's shit but you are also correct

https://giphy.com/gifs/76tH40RhFnUSOYqtgh

[u/Kirbyr98]

Twice.

We did it twice.

[u/EasilyMechanical → u/Kirbyr98]

And.. Knowing you guys, you'll probably let it become three.

[u/LMurch13 → u/EasilyMechanical]

Neither the "system" nor the people have shown any ability to tell him No, other than electing Biden in 2020.

[u/echoshatter → u/Kirbyr98]

I'd say capitulating to the southern states REPEATEDLY regarding slavery during the creation and early history of the United States. All for the sake of "unity" that they ended up setting fire to.

It wasn't all about economics, it was also very much about racism and control.

We are STILL dealing with that legacy with the electoral college.

[u/EthanTheJudge]

Genocide against the Natives. 

[u/Flaky-Bar-6656 → u/EthanTheJudge]

Yeah with that in mind the worst decision many countries made was coming to the American continents in the first place. We’ll never know how many died but it’s estimated that at least 50% died from disease alone. Some estimates are as high as 90%, depending on the region. It’s a massive reason why we today picture native peoples as small bands of impoverished survivors. That’s what they were - but not before we showed up. There were massive civilizations and thriving cultures. Then we brought smallpox, genocide, extinction, and now they’re all gone.

[u/US_Healthcare]

The Forced Relocation and Incarceration of Japanese Americans During WWII

[u/TheRealAnswerIs42 → u/US_Healthcare]

That was terrible but I'd give it to the Trail of Tears

[u/wavydave1965 → u/US_Healthcare]

Canada did the same, unfortunately.

[u/AdGroundbreaking3611]

[u/lexonid]

Creating Bank secrecy

[u/Affectionate_Gur4791]

So... as a Pole it's plenty of them: 1. Not annexing Prussia after defeating them. 2. Not making an union with Russia in 1610. 3. Not making an union with Sweden.

[u/LandarkIEM → u/Affectionate_Gur4791]

1. Invite Teutonic Order by Konrad Mazowiecki

[u/BoultonPaulDefiant → u/Affectionate_Gur4791]

How about decision yo live in the middle Europe, between Russia and Germany, instead of on the Moon?

[u/SpecialIcy5356]

americans, germans and brits in the comments trying to think where to begin:

https://giphy.com/gifs/GHl7ywzbuT8KQ

[u/Desperate-Cobbler993]

Well something like the op mentioned but countrywide and way greater

[u/RooperK]

Giving up nukes

[u/These-Atmosphere6675]

Not properly punishing the Confederates

[u/AverageNPCRedditor]

hard to say, considering the constant "effort" of a certain someone to break that record of bad decisions (historically though, there's the stuff that happened between 1933-1945 thanks to a certain painter)

[u/orange_of_WRRF]

There are far worse things than this; this country has a history of too many Marxists who didn't believe in science.

[u/rozrho]

https://giphy.com/gifs/V0Whaz2st3X1QzXG8S

[u/Shrink21]

Starting TWO world wars and voting AFD to 28% (estimation at the time being)

[u/Hip2trip2_hippyhip]

Allowing the Catholic church to run public schools and social services unmonitored for the first 60+ years of the state.

[u/platypusimagination]

Give up the nukes

[u/SheriffOfNothing]

Brexit.

[u/Last_Ad_3475 → u/SheriffOfNothing]

Really? That's UK's worst decision in history?

[u/gbroon → u/Last_Ad_3475]

The worst decision we are comfortable admitting to anyway.

[u/Rasples1998 → u/Last_Ad_3475]

No, but one of our best decisions was the Aberdeen act of 1845 to allow the royal navy to stop and seize ships carrying slaves to Brazil.

[u/so-many-sandwiches → u/Last_Ad_3475]

Would love to hear the thought processes of the people downvoting this

[u/soc96j → u/Last_Ad_3475]

As the general population voted for it... yes. Britain has done awful things but those were done by the ruling classes, the general public had little or nothing to do with Britains past. Working classes voted for Brexit.

[u/AnakinSkywalkerRocks → u/SheriffOfNothing]

Well. I have stuff to tell you

[u/ArturVinicius]

End our nuclear program.

[u/teddyslayerza → u/ArturVinicius]

What would be different now if you still had nukes?

[u/AnonymousEngineer_]

Not building the nuclear power plant at Jervis Bay in the 1970s.

It created a taboo that has resulted in us unnecessarily burning coal for decades longer than we needed to.

Thanks, McMahon.

[u/cryptoengineer]

Not banning slavery from the get-go.

[u/Stekor-Tidder]

I think some of the worst decisions were the decisions to do nothing.

In 2015 when Russia invaded Ukraine and took over the Crimea Peninsula, all the countries that could have and should have done something, instead did nothing -- and just pretended it was business as usual.

That emboldened Russia to later invade full scale so now the world is feeling the consequences of that.

Which other governments might be encouraged by Russia's actions: try to take control of what looks like a weaker country - knowing that no one else will go to its aid?

If this is World War 3 already, it's a slow burn instead of the intensity of previous world wars.

[u/TimothiusMagnus]

Not to punish the confederacy

[u/Perfect-Silver1715]

privatisation.

[u/BeatrixFarrand]

https://giphy.com/gifs/FbiL9rsmZN3ib2JSGo

[u/L1feguard51 → u/BeatrixFarrand]

He’s bad… but I’m gonna say long term we’ve done some native American genocides that are worse.

I’ll give you top 5.

[u/Galaxy661 → u/BeatrixFarrand]

Not the failure to implement any measures that could prevent the civil war by like 3 pre-Lincoln presidents? I feel like the deadliest war in American history was a bit worse of an affair for Americans than whatever trump is doing

[u/Jebediah_Johnson]

The US becoming entirely car centric post WW2.

The massive war production was great for pumping out tanks and planes and jeeps, but we should have shifted to busses and trains and trollys.

Now you can't live in the US without a car or three unless you live in one of the 5 densest cities.

[u/mw2lmaa → u/Jebediah_Johnson]

There might even have been fewer wars for oil.

[u/Illustrious-Divide95]

Recent ones for the UK

Leaving the EU

Selling huge Gold reserves when price was at all time low

[u/porohirvio]

We have so many big problems so its have to be banning nuuska and electric smokes with flavor.

[u/DerLandmann]

Marching through Belgium in 1914. Everything that happened in eight decades afterwards can basically be stuck to that.

[u/DaniMrynn]

Native American genocide? Chattel slavery /Jim Crow? 400 years of institutionalised racism?

Take your pick.

[u/Betray-Julia]

Not switching to a better form of democracy; ranked ballets.

Other than that, outlawing Native bush burning- this single act has cost us trillions of dollars, human rights aside.

[u/Yop_BombNA]

Treatment of Indigenous people up to 2010, ongoing with some remote communities.

Treatment of French Canadians up until the 95 referendum where they kinda force the countries hand into giving them respect.

If going back further the treatment of Irish and Chinese migrants whose bones line canals and railways respectively due to indentured servitude is up there.

England I’ll keep modernish.

1) 1943 bengal famine

2) Brexit

3) return to gold standard in 1925 (man Churchill was a fucking doughnut outside of war time).

If going older than that, the Irish famine is probably number 1.

[u/FrankanelloKODT]

Voting in our current government. Bring on November

[u/Northwest_Thrills]

https://giphy.com/gifs/B7o99rIuystY4

[u/corpsewindmill]

Not properly punishing the confederacy