r/politics • u/croato87 • 4d ago

America Lost the First Biden-Trump Debate Soft Paywall

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/america-lost-first-biden-trump-debate-1235048539/
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u/Gotanyfunkopops 4d ago

Very demoralizing

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u/Spacebotzero 4d ago

It legit makes me feel depressed about the country.

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u/Turd_Nerd_Bird 4d ago

With this and all the shit the Supreme Court is ruling on while they can hide behind the debate coverage, it's not looking good for the country.

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Legit why once I finish this degree I’m moving abroad. Tried it out with a semester abroad (note: I’m almost 30 but in grad school). Loved it. First world nation. My GF is over there and had considered coming to America. But when we saw how well Trump was doing in the polls…

The fact he has even 10% support, not to mention how much he has, made us decide we didn’t want to be here. Too many racists, too many fascists. So finish up, accept the job abroad, and likely not come back.

Spent near 30 years here and actively campaigned for DNC but it’s just not feasible to remain.

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u/Kyrasthrowaway 4d ago

If the US falls to fascism, it will spread everywhere. No where is safe.

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u/vNocturnus 4d ago

Probably true, but for an individual currently in their 20s or older that simply wants to prioritize the best quality of life, safety, and happiness for themselves, it likely will take long enough that moving to an actually decent country is absolutely the better move - if you can do it. Sure, in 1-4 decades that nicer country might also be overrun and destroyed by fascists and crony capitalists, but that's better than 1-4 years.

Unless of course Trump round 2 leads directly to WW3, which is such a frighteningly strong possibility I'm actually kind of surprised that the only country in the world apparently trying to influence the US election is doing so in favor of Trump. In that case, the entire world is fucked within 1-4 months, never mind years or decades.

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u/Extinction-Entity 4d ago

I think Trump absolutely telegraphed his lust for WWIII right in the debate. He randomly accused Biden of dragging us that way, but people who've been paying attention for the past decade know that every accusation is a confession.

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u/Pure-Rough-9650 4d ago

That's just an absurd line of thinking. That wasn't a random line, this is a presidential debate, every single line these candidates used has been practiced for weeks if not months. He is not trying to gaslight Biden with backward-speech, he's trying to appeal to American voters. Trump said that line specifically to appeal to voters who don't support American interventionism and don't like the current US foreign policy in regards to Russia and China.

Please, we, all americans, need to start discussing actual policies and not weird fallacies like "hrrm well trump is a gaslighting narcissist so just reverse everything he says!" and "hrmm well bidens geriatric so its actually obama pulling the strings!". Like it really cannot be that hard to just discuss policy.

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u/Extinction-Entity 4d ago

There's actual precedent for every accusation Trump makes being an admission of his own actions/wants. It happens so much more often than not that it's just absurd to ignore.

Please, you're giving Trump too much credit. Did we watch the same debate?? Like it really cannot be that hard to just discuss the fact that one president has purposely instigated an insurrection at The Capitol where the majority of US Government is housed, and the other one couldn't enunciate an entire thought outside of his golf game and "we beat Medicare."

Reducing the election to simply policy, after we have lived under the presidency of both candidates running, is reductionist and it's a very ostrich-like gesture to ignore the geriatric felon and the geriatric not-felon who both--quite realistically--could die during the next four years.

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u/CaptaiinCrunch 4d ago

Did you miss the part where the utter incompetence of the current administration is already leading us towards WWII? Repeatedly blocking peace deals in Ukraine and Palestine, funding the mass slaughter of hundreds of thousands and saber rattling in Taiwan?

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u/Extinction-Entity 4d ago

So let’s speed it up and vote Trump in, then, so we can solidify our status as an Axis power!

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u/CaptaiinCrunch 4d ago

Sarcastically arguing a counterfactual strawman isn't as smart as you seem to think it is.

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u/JacobLovesCrypto 4d ago

Trump said that line specifically to appeal to voters who don't support American interventionism

There we go, a lot of americans are tired of us being involved in so much BS abroad when we dont even deal with our own problems well.

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u/BlackOpz 4d ago

In that case, the entire world is fucked within 1-4 months, never mind years or decades

Dude wanted to Nuke a Hurricane. This time its ALL 'Yes' Men. I'm wondering how long until his first cRaZy order gets implemented.

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u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 4d ago

Dude it's not going to take decades. The nazis conquered half of Europe in a few years 8 decades ago. If America falls to fascism its giant army will join forces with Russia and start rolling across Europe.

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u/Pure-Rough-9650 4d ago

I understand disliking Trump and fearing what domestic policies he might put in place, but claiming a Trump 2nd term will lead to WW3 is ridiculous and fear-mongering, just like all the countless tabloids in 2016 that said "Trump will lead to WW3!" You should be making criticisms of Trump based on his track-record and what policies he wants to put in place, and Trump's policies are far, far more isolationist than most modern US presidents - which objectively means fewer wars. If any president in modern history were to start a world war with China or Russia, Trump would probably be near the bottom of that list.

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u/Extinction-Entity 4d ago

It's very generous of you to assume that with a Trump presidency that the US would be on the "Allies" side again and be fighting *against* Russia or China. You really don't think he'd leave NATO as fast as his legs could carry him?

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u/JohnnyGuitarFNV 4d ago

If Trump wins, you can practically hear the Kremlin and Xi popping the champagne. NATO is all that's holding europe together and NATO is practically the US alone. He will leave Europe and Taiwan to the dogs

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Not necessarily. The EU has a larger population and despite the far right gaining their also has inalienable rights. Japan and Singapore have different models and some things I don’t agree with, but they also have their own blocks and methods.

America falling would be the strongest democracy falling.

But at this point with the amount of people willing to vote for a racist, the fact that every election is basically either we win by the skin of our teeth or someone continues to dismantle democracy…

It’s just not tenable. By GF/Fiancee is Asian. I’m from Texas. I can’t even imagine wanting her to move there after how brutal people were during Covid. And people still want to support that party!

Every year there’s supposed to be less boomers and we should be winning by larger amounts… but it’s still always so close.

There are viable alternatives. America is rich and powerful but other nations can step up. Even ones that are population time bombs. The EU already does more for Ukraine than the US and Germany, too, was a dream to live in.

And that’s not getting into the public transport, better and mostly free education, healthier food, sugar taxes, and more.

After having lived in Singapore and Japan, and before that Germany, I honestly question if anything could get me to stay.

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u/g0dless_heathen_ 4d ago

"Every year there’s supposed to be less boomers and we should be winning by larger amounts… but it’s still always so close."

The one glaring issue with that idea, in my experience (lifelong Texan) is those boomers raised conservative children who are now carrying the mantle. Sure some of them change as they age but most turn out just like you'd imagine, the spitting images of what you think of when you see a truck covered in Trump flags.

Hell the young couple (late 20-30's?) down the road from me had a skeleton with a Biden mask on it for 7 months out of the year with a sign and special political message for each major holiday. Because what is Easter about if not making a pun about "Illegals HOPPING the border". I shit you not.

We cannot just ignore this issue until it fixes itself.

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

No I fully agree. And that’s my frustration. Every election it seems like people keep saying “The boomers and the older generations are dying out, soon they will be gone! It won’t be close anymore!”

But… it ignores more people get old and start voting right. It also ignores all the conservative kids growing up.

Hell I was one until Trump won the primary around when I turned 20. I pivoted hard away thankfully. College helped. Many people didn’t.

I’ve actively campaigned HARD for the Democrats in the last 8 years. But enough people just… vote like their parents. The idea the GOP will naturally die out kept me hopped up for the last few elections but at this point it seems obvious they won’t, they have new blood, and we are stuck in a vicious battle every 2-4 years where if we lose we may lose democracy itself.

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u/g0dless_heathen_ 4d ago

It's incredibly frustrating and I wasn't calling you out, I had a feeling you and I would feel similarly given your flair. That idea just leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I hear it.

Having said that I think the waiting it out would work IF Republicans would accept when they eventually start losing which they have proven they will not. And at this point I have to assume they will try anything all the way up to and including violence to hold onto power.

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u/undermind84 4d ago

If America falls, NATO will not be capable of defending themselves and that sets up WW3 in Europe.

Not to mention the impact on the world economy and the power vacuum that would create.

USA is too big to fail.

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Nato can survive without the US. Yes the article talks about a need to bolster their military- vut they can do that.

I’m not hoping the US fails. But at this point it seems almost inevitable. The foundations have been eroded since at least Reagan.

It would leave the world without a super power but the EU does have a larger population and a collective military that outclasses both China and Russia- just not the power projection.

Not to mention even if democracy did get fully eroded there would still be many of the same economic treaties- no different than (then) KMT Taiwan or now Communist China still having trade.

I’m sorry I’m not willing to sacrifice the safety of my family, nor put my loved ones in the line of fire. My entire life has been watching the nation crumble. I’m here to finish my degree and then GTFO.

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u/undermind84 4d ago

You should leave if that makes you feel comfortable, but what you wrote is pure cope. NATO/Europe does not stand a chance against Russia/China/Iran/NK,ect...without US military and financial help. Europe also plunges into a financial recession if the US economy fails.

Democracy is also eroding in Europe. If you are serious about moving to a safer location, you should be looking at places in South America, Australia, New Zealand, or maybe a nice isolated island in the Pacific.

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u/apocbane 4d ago

If China, Russia, and a corrupted US ran by trump align. That’s the largest militaries in the world. There would be no safe country. It would be time for civil war for what’s right, destruction of the corrupted system.

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u/ErusTenebre California 4d ago

I think this is the thing a bunch of people miss - Project 2025 would isolate the US from the world, but an even WORSE case scenario would be the US aligning with the malefactors of the world. Without a full blown civil war, the US, Russia, and China would be very unlikely to lose a World War. It would be a civilization ending event.

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u/ErusTenebre California 4d ago

a nice isolated island in the Pacific.

This is more appealing every year... but I'd prefer the whackjobs move out there and run their little crackpot dictatorships.

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u/undermind84 4d ago

It's funny that OP is concerned about authoritarian takeover, safety concerns, and eroding democracy then speaks of moving to Singapore over living in the US. 💀

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u/ErusTenebre California 4d ago

HAH Well you do see they live in Texas right? They don't have the best education system there...

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Everywhere plunges into a recession.

EU can do so. They already can do so and they would have to step up. But they can. China and Russia are both ticking time bombs population wise anyways. Their economies are beginning to crumble, slowly but surely.

Singapore is just fine for me and one place I’ve lived. Basically Switzerland, great support, nearly free housing for citizens (albeit housing lottery). Trades with every major country. I already have my job offer in fact- just have to graduate.

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u/HansElbowman 4d ago

You said you're leaving America because it's too racist. Are you upset about the concept of racism existing here, or are you concerned about actually having to deal with it? Because if your worries come to pass and the world goes to shit then that is usually when people get very, very not ok with immigrants, and you're making yourself an immigrant. How do you square that logic? Why would racism on a generally safe continent be worse than racism on a war torn one?

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u/TheySayIAmTheCutest 3d ago

when someone doesn't even know the difference between racism and xenophobia and yet talks like he's the big expert :D

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u/pablonieve 4d ago

Can NATO survive if right wing parties take power across the continent (in particular France) and elect to weaken or straight up pull out of it?

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u/forthewatch39 4d ago

If I were you, I’d leave now and just finish the courses online or transfer. Get out while you still can. You may not be able to escape after finishing your degree.

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Sadly it’s a law degree, I’ll be doing work as an American lawyer in Singapore and then Japan after my two year period. So I can’t leave now. But I’m also working on a second degree online both to specialize… and also because it opens a second career path (CompSci) which, should America ever become someplace where they don’t need barred lawyers from, I could still have a fairly well paying job.

Coming back after 6 months abroad was…

The transport sucked. The food is so caloric. Even the mental health help is so little- something they’ve worked very hard on. I miss it everyday.

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u/SusanForeman 4d ago

USA is too big to fail.

Haughty words.

Babylon was too big to fail.

Rome was too big to fail.

The British Empire was too big to fail.

All it takes is a despot ruler to break a nation into factions, then down it goes.

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u/HansElbowman 4d ago

They clearly meant that it is too important to fail.

Very poor choice of words on their part, because the historical meaning lines up with the way you interpreted the comment. But still, their intended meaning was obvious.

Edit: Also, nice username. The last few episodes must have been exciting to watch with the callbacks and teasers.

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u/helthrax 4d ago

It may have also been a jab at the 2008 financial crisis, which makes more sense considering the US stock market is a global indicator of how we are doing generally since we are predominantly the stock market most other countries invest in.

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u/dfci 4d ago edited 4d ago

None of those examples you gave fell as the result of a despot ruler breaking them into factions.

Ancient Babylonia lost prominence due to bigger, badder groups of people subjugating them. They were never really more than just the most powerful city state in the region, and with the rise of true empires like the Hittites, Assyrians, and Persians, they subsequently only ever had short periods of independence.

Western Rome existed for ~1,100 years, and Rome itself it you count the Eastern Empire (which I would and they did contemporaneously) for another ~1,000 years beyond that. While it was broken into factions, it wasn't the result of a despot leader as much as it was the realization an Empire of that size was simply too large for one ruler to handle, hence the establishment of the Tetrarchy. While over time it did lead to fracture between east and west, it took a couple hundred years, and I would argue the intention of the Tetrarchy was initially good.

The British essentially gave up their empire voluntarily as empire and colonialism largely went out of vogue among great powers internationally after WWII.

As for the US, I would argue the structure of our government and civilization largely addresses the causes that led to the fall of each of those other empires. Short of aliens invading, it is unlikely a bigger, badder military power will subjugate the US. The decentralized nature of our governmental structure, both at the federal and state level provides a lot of protection against the fate that befell Rome, as long as the dysfunction at the federal level doesn't get so extreme it causes states to attempt succession again. The British still exist and are arguably doing fairly well compared to much of the world, they simply got out of the business of subjugating and exploiting others, which I'd argue is a good thing.

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u/Asyx Europe 4d ago

If Trump wins, the EU is going to be at war with Russia within his term. And the US will probably join Russia.

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u/thatrko 4d ago

Joe Biden and the concrete Jungle remarks and celebrating Robert Byrd but Trump is the racist one, crazy how the Trump is racist stuff was never a thing until he ran for president as a republican.

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u/ytrfhki 4d ago

FALSE! Repeating word for word debunked online claims. SAD!

https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-racism-election-obama-018824651613

CLAIM: Donald Trump was never called a racist until he ran for president.

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The federal government sued Trump for allegedly discriminating against Black apartment seekers in the 1970s. Black pastors also accused the New York businessman of stirring racial animus during the “Central Park Five” rape case in the 1980s. Native American groups criticized him for making derogatory remarks about tribes seeking to build casinos in the 1990s. Trump was also a leading voice of the “birther” conspiracy that baselessly claimed former President Barack Obama was from Africa and not an American citizen.

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u/thatrko 4d ago

he was not *widely accused of being rascist* until he ran, there- u happy. I am glad you cherry picked some obscure bs from the 30 years because a handful of people alleged people were denied apartments due to their skin color and that he with plenty of others believed the 5 dudes who were accused by police to have committed a crime happened to be black.

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u/encapsulated_me 4d ago

Says nobody. The US doesn't control the entire world, it just imagines it does.

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u/alanbright 4d ago

Lol getting roasted from both sides. Like imagine saying this to people fleeing Nazi Germany right before things got real.

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u/ValoisSign 4d ago

I think the key is which countries has Trump not heard of? Maybe Laos, Benin, uhhh... Transnistria?

I came out as non-binary trans and have a music project that means there's plenty of documentation to prove it lol, I don't want to sound dramatic but which country to make my escape strategy is really looking like something I gotta figure out. Luckily I am not in the US but close enough and with similar issues that I basically just get a head start. No one like that wants to oppress a minority group just a little, and the less competent the more they will lean on hurting others to energize their base. Don't love the odds.

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u/Major_Magazine8597 4d ago

It will be the end of NATO, and the unchecked violent overthrow of the Ukraine and Taiwan.

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u/SpectralMalcontent 4d ago

It's all pretty relative. I think an important key distinction between the U.S. and the rest of the developed world is that we're the only one with 10's of millions of bloodthirsty, committed Christo-fascists who are absolutely armed to the teeth,  have an established history of committing terrorists attacks and has the backing of the highest court in the country along with the majority of law enforcement. We are a fucking powder keg and absolutely going to be ground zero and the worst place to live when it finally goes down. 

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u/Eihe3939 3d ago

The US is not the world power it once was, you’re not that important and special. The world does not blindly follow the US anymore, particularly not with leaders like these haha

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u/DoubleTFan 4d ago

Mexico, Bolivia, etc just kicked fascism to the curb. Seems the solution is to not support centrists who supply genocide.

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u/meep_meep_mope Kentucky 4d ago

You can either be the cause of or victim of American foreign policy. I say this as a naturalized US citizen with dual citizenship.

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u/anonymous_matt 4d ago edited 4d ago

Hard to say for sure. If the US takes an isolationist stance then Australia, New Zeeland, Japan and South Korea will be in a dangerous position vs China. The EU will be hard pressed against Russia-China and Ukraine will probably be forced into an unfavorable peace that might see Russia gradually taking over much of it's former empire. Without US opposition they may be able to reassert their power in Georgia, Kazakhstan and other places. All hope wouldn't be lost but things would be real bad. It's also possible it would spark fascist takeovers in other western countries in imitation which could destabilize things further and possibly break up the EU. Things wouldn't be completely without hope at this point necessarily. Some democratic resistance would hold on in Europe and other places but they would be hard pressed.

If the US goes imperialist all bets are off the table and we may see a WW or some sort of agreement/cold war between the US, Russia and China (and maybe India) carving up the rest of the world between them.

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u/dfci 4d ago

Hard disagree. There are corners of the planet the rest of the world largely doesn't care about and I think will continue as it has been. Notably, much of the global south.

Also, fascism is a bit hyperbolic imo. We've already experienced 4 years of Trump, and civilization didn't collapse.

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u/Friedick 4d ago edited 4d ago

It is safe to say that you have no idea what fascism is or was, therefore you wouldn't know a fascist state even if living in one

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u/Overall-Injury7462 4d ago

Falls to fascism? What do you think is happening now under Biden?

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u/chrisleesalmon Colorado 4d ago

Please at least stay to cast your vote. If people leave en masse, those who remain will have no chance.

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

I’ll be staying until I graduate in May, yes, and then take the bar, so I probably won’t leave until September. I can still vote while abroad until I get citizenship anyways.

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u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 4d ago

Why bother taking the bar if you're not going to stay to practice? It's not like US bar associations grant you the ability to practice in other countries.

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Because for Japan for instance it allows me to practice American law in that country- same for Singapore.

Moreover it allows me to join American BigLaw firms which have presences in those countries.

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u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 4d ago

Interesting, I didn't consider that angle. I imagine those firms mostly want folks who have passed the federal bar, and maybe like NY and CA?

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u/Nukemind Texas 3d ago

Not federal bar, just any state bar generally which is the general requirement. Singapore then has a small test as both it and America are common-law, Japan just wants lawyers as "advisors" after they have practiced for 2-3 years in other jurisdictions.

Many nations have special visas for doctors, lawyers, MBAs (Japan does NOT for MBAs), CPAs, etc. Japan lets a lawyer become a permanent resident in a single year- most professions require 7-10 years for instance.

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u/Extinction-Entity 4d ago

Yeah, I love how the ones who can afford to leave are leaving the mess to the plebs with a good luck pat on the back.

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u/Nukemind Texas 3d ago

FWIW I was born poor… like mobile home in a shitty trailer park poor.

Worked my ass off and now almost 30.

I won’t deny luck played a role. But working through undergrad, before undergrad, and in graduate school, plus studying my ass off for scholarships did too.

I’ll still always say luck played a role- my first promotion to manager which let me save extra and escape the rent cycle. Just instinctively getting the LSAT so not having to shell for test prep companies. Etc.

But I wasn’t born with a silver spoon. If anything one reason I’m eager to get out is my experiences on the bottom rung where there was no help. If I have kids and something ever happens to me… well I’d want them and my fiancée to be in a place with those safety nets. And affordable housing/healthcare.

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u/Mephaala 4d ago

I recently moved to the US to be with my husband and I wanted to ask where are you guys heading? And do you speak the language of the country you're moving to?

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Naturally! My fiancée is from Japan but lived in America for ~5 years. We will be moving to Singapore. However I speak a good bit of Japanese already and am sitting for a Japanese Language Proficiency Test soon. Was kinda important for meeting her family lol. Her dad and mom can speak English but really impressed them I cared enough to learn a language as complicated as Japanese, even if partially.

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u/Mephaala 4d ago

Ah, I see. It's good for you guys to have options! I'm asking since my husband doesn't speak my language and I was wondering if you guys were in a similar situation. For us moving would be more complicated and I'm not sure if there would be any chance for him to find a job in my home country (I'm from Poland). Anyhow, good luck and take care!

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Thanks you as well! Always check around! If you have advanced degrees many places give easy visa including to spouses, or alternatively based on potential income. Lots of options, even student visas, but definitely check around if you ever want to move!

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u/Funnel_Hacker Georgia 4d ago

As someone who has traveled, the US is one of the least racist countries you will travel to. Europe, for example, is super outwardly racist. If you think America is bad, you’re in for a rude awakening. Try going to France or the UK. It shocking what comes out of people’s mouths there.

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u/thecrapgamer1 4d ago

We wish you well

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u/Dulcapodeta 4d ago

I've lived in the midwest my entire life- Once I save up enough, I'm moving to Ireland for school and getting a job there after. Then I'm going to try to naturalize.

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u/allgreen754 4d ago

You know other nations are worse with racism. It’s just more publicized here as a news story.

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u/Bidwell64 1d ago

Hope the country you have in mind isn't France...

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u/Nukemind Texas 1d ago

Nope! Already got the job offer, in Asia.

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u/Bidwell64 1d ago

You had best not be giving away our nuclear secrets Nukemind lol

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u/Earptastic 4d ago

America has its issues but it is less racist than pretty much any other first world nation.

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u/invocation_array 4d ago

Not a reason to stay compared to everything else

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u/thatrko 4d ago

Yeah man, 2016-2020 was so rough living through all that racism and fascism how did you even survive? Lol good riddance.

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u/SpezModdedRJailbait 4d ago

You're gonna be disappointed to find out that pretty much everywhere is having these same issues to some extent. The far right and centrists are ruining everything in pretty much every country right now.

College is genuinely worse here than most other countries though so I understand why you'd have felt that way of you were abroad studying.

I do think living abroad is great (I'm an immigrant myself), but don't expect anything to be better anywhere else. You'll have better food, education, and healthcare but you'll still have the same fascists and cowards running things. If we as a planet don't get our shit together we're all going down together. Outside of the bubble of school, expect xenophobia in most countries too.

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Food, education, healthcare- but also public transport, gun violence (the two we’re looking at are between 1/30th and 1/50th the rate of America), and more.

Please note while I was studying in grad school over there I was allowed to work ~20 hours a week and lived off campus. As I was planning to move there I went to all parts of both cities- the worst parts (Kabuchiko and Geylang) and the best.

Affordable housing also plays a role for me. I know it’s not perfect. But it’s a fuckton better.

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u/SpezModdedRJailbait 4d ago

The public transit is mixed. There's places in the US with good public transit but in general you're right. Gun violence of course, but also consider non-gun violence.

If you're an American moving to Japan be aware that they are deeply xenophobic. They'll be polite unlike Americans but you will find it very difficult to find friends. You'll also be moving to a country with a remarkably high suicide rate. Japan is a cool country but it's very conservative at the same time and they certainly have their fair share of issues.

You do you, I encourage you to see the world, but don't do it in the belief that things will genuinely be better. They'll just be different.

If you're still in TX, you'll feel a lot better if you leave. TX is a special kind of he'll right now

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Moving to Singapore then Japan a few years later. I experienced it. Having some Japanese skills definitely helps though. My fiancée is definitely looking forward to leaving Japan for Singapore though, I’ll admit.

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u/SpezModdedRJailbait 4d ago

Only you know what's best for you, but both Singapore and Japan are very conservative, and in a very different way than how TX is, both good and bad. Singapore and Japan both famously do not like immigrants.

I'm sure you'll find a lot of joy in Japan especially, but you are definitely going to feel like an outcast. It's hard enough moving continents (I know that first hand), with the culture shock and the feeling of being different and not fully understood, but you're definitely going to struggle to make friends in a deeply xenophobic country like Japan.

LDP are an explicitly right wing nationalist party and they've been in power almost continuously since 1955. If you're moving there to escape insane politics you are in for a major shock.

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

I truly do appreciate it, but I also understand. Like my seminal paper in undergrad was on the development of law and democracy in East Asia, from the Meiji Constitution, to the Taisho Democracy, to the Nationalists, to the LDP. I also focused on the liberalization of SK post Rhee, Park and Taiwan with the KMT, the gradual decline of PAP, and more.

I’ve lived there. I love it. And even their conservatives aren’t as bad as the republicans. We have abortion over there. No gun maniacs. Etc.

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u/SpezModdedRJailbait 4d ago

I hope you have a great time. Genuinely. And it sounds like you know a lot already so you'll have a great start I'm sure.

We have abortion over there

Kind of. Chapter XXIX actually says that abortion is illegal except in cases of endangerment to the woman, economic hardship and rape. Women need permission from their husbands to get abortions in Japan pretty often, or often even from the male partner outside of marriage. They're also not covered by health insurance.

Abortion is far more legal in most of America than Japan. Personally I'd never move back to TX, it's a terrible state, but other States are considerably more modern and progressive than Japan.

Regardless, it's important to see the world. I'm sure you'll have a lot of great experiences and grow a lot as a person. I know I have, it's just there are also going to be huge frustrations. You seem smart though, I hope you find a great group and are able to lay down roots of you want to.

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Thanks man! Really looking forward to it. Plus my salary in the law firm… in America it puts me pretty damn well situated. In Japan it’s literally like top .5%. Being paid in USD while there is a weak yen (and even SGD is weak) is… amazing.

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u/encapsulated_me 4d ago

It's amazing how incensed people become when you tell them you are getting out. No, it's not the best in the world, regardless of where you came from. Tell me of the horrors of Uruguay for example. 

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u/SpezModdedRJailbait 4d ago

You misunderstand me. By all means live wherever you want, just don't expect it to be better. Europe is falling into the same far right rabbit hole America is for example. OP is moving to Japan, which is just as far right and nationalist as TX is if not more.

I myself am an immigrant, and while I don't regret it, I do wish more people prepared me for how difficult it is.

The US is deeply fucked, but it's not alone in that. Moving from TX to Japan is going to be a very painful experience in a lot of ways.

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u/FrostyTheHippo 4d ago

Feel blessed that you have this option. Any time I see people saying this, it's usually always followed up by "yeah I'm a dual citizen or I'm married to one". Which is great, however I think people glance at this stuff and think that it's something your standard American has the option to do.

If you don't specialize in a skill desired in a foreign country or have familial connection there... You probably aren't gonna get to Expat, as romantic of a thought as it might be.

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Yeah I’m getting in due to a specialized skill. Worked in my younger youth to afford college, went to law school, opens alot of doors. The country we’re going to first is neither of our home nations.

Had to work through law school too but it was worth it!

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u/amcrambler 4d ago

Buhbye

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Don’t worry I’m still eligible to vote as an expat ;)

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u/amcrambler 4d ago

Won’t matter. DNC says your votes mean nothing and they can do what they want. Supreme Court agreed.

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u/Nukemind Texas 4d ago

Absentee Voting in the general election is allowed. And I will be voting every election until my citizenship changes over.

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u/amcrambler 4d ago

Ok. Good job.

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u/Ok-Profit4151 4d ago

Actively campaigning for the dnc makes you complicit but by all means, leave us here…..

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u/Thundfin 3d ago

Bye felicia

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u/Nukemind Texas 3d ago

Bye :D!

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u/Thundfin 3d ago

Maybe if you leave the country us tax payers won't be left with all of the failed college loans shrug

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u/Nukemind Texas 3d ago

Already paid my back thankfully! Worked in law school so I could get out ASAP after! No sword of damocles preventing renunciation of citizenship once I've been a resident long enough.

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u/TheFireFlaamee 3d ago

I'll stay here making sure the country stays racist and Fascist 😎

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/Nukemind Texas 3d ago

I've literally lived in three others. All were better.

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u/imatexass Texas 3d ago

If you think this is bad, you’re going to be pretty disappointed almost everywhere else. You can’t run from this shit, homie.

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u/Nukemind Texas 3d ago

I've literally lived in three others. All were better.

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u/fat_fart_sack 4d ago

“In a 6-3 decision…..”

Every fucking ruling from the SCOTUS

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u/BlakByPopularDemand 4d ago

Which is why we absolutely have to vote. If Trump wins Thomas and Alito retire from the court and Trump gets to pick two new younger fascists to replace them. Plus, project 2025 gives him all the tools needed to end democracy as we know it and usher in a dictator ship. I'll happily take four years of Joe (even if they have to weekend at Bernies him) with the guarantee of voting in someone younger and hopefully more progressive vs four years of wondering when they'll start sending us to camps.

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u/imsmartiswear 4d ago

My brother in Christ it's not just looking bad, it's done. Federal agencies can't enforce policy anymore. You want accurate food labels? Safe drinking water? Labor rights? Workplace safety inspections? Gone. Bribery is not only legal, it can't be illegal anymore- all a Corp has to do is pay the congressman/president/justice off after the deed is done and all parties are 100% in the clear. Chuck in Project 2025 and if we ever have another Republican president, we will lose civil rights, LGBTQ rights, all contraception and abortion, non-religious public education, and religious freedom. After last night's debate performance and an official statement saying Biden is not backing out of the race, that's very, very likely in 2024 and, if the DNC doesn't wake their asses up like they should've in 2016, absolutely in 2028.

I'm very fortunate and find myself in a position where I could leave the country, but I don't know if even that is worth it. Feels like the whole world is not gonna make it through to the end of my natural life expectancy.