r/politics • u/croato87 • 6d 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/Spacebotzero 6d ago

It legit makes me feel depressed about the country.

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u/Turd_Nerd_Bird 6d 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 6d 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/SpezModdedRJailbait 6d 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 6d 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 6d 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 6d 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 6d 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 6d 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 6d 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 6d 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/SpezModdedRJailbait 6d ago

Oh yeah that's the best way to do it for sure, keep the US income but pay Japanese prices.

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u/encapsulated_me 6d 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 6d 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.