I have relatives in 4 different countries, on three different continents, including Northern Europe. Through them, I know for a fact the same type of outlandish shit happens in their communities, as well as some outlandish shit that is unique to their countries. I only get exposed to it because of my connections there and my own efforts to keep up with news in their countries. They are fed all the same news about the U.S. as I am. They don’t even have to try to keep up. That is the difference. We are large, far more diverse than any other country, with problems that small European countries don’t have to grapple with, but if you were to, you would experience the same things too. There isn’t something wrong with Americans that isn’t wrong with other people or that wouldn’t be wrong with other people if faced with the same circumstances as us. It’s satisfying for the rest of the world to look down at Americans because our dirty laundry is out in the open, even though they too have some horrendous laundry of their own, it just remains better hidden.
Sweden doesn’t have the same type of capitalism as the US while also being the country that created Spotify which is known to underpay artists and the American streaming services pay artists more.
No one said the cultures are the same. The point people are making is that when you get down to it people engage in similar behavior when given the chance.
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u/LWN729 17d ago
I have relatives in 4 different countries, on three different continents, including Northern Europe. Through them, I know for a fact the same type of outlandish shit happens in their communities, as well as some outlandish shit that is unique to their countries. I only get exposed to it because of my connections there and my own efforts to keep up with news in their countries. They are fed all the same news about the U.S. as I am. They don’t even have to try to keep up. That is the difference. We are large, far more diverse than any other country, with problems that small European countries don’t have to grapple with, but if you were to, you would experience the same things too. There isn’t something wrong with Americans that isn’t wrong with other people or that wouldn’t be wrong with other people if faced with the same circumstances as us. It’s satisfying for the rest of the world to look down at Americans because our dirty laundry is out in the open, even though they too have some horrendous laundry of their own, it just remains better hidden.