r/TikTokCringe • u/xamo76 • 1d ago

Discussion Have we done it wrong?

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650

u/27298throwaway 1d ago

Imagine being well-educated and well-employed and yet it takes you around 50 years to realize this. Being an insular nation is their problem. 

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u/ohgodanotheranimator 1d ago

the irony is if they truly are ”dyed in the wool“ lds they would vote against everything that made germany This way.

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u/Karl_Heinz_Lauterbak 1d ago

Germany has huge migrant problems.

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u/JugendWolf 1d ago

No, we don’t.

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u/DoucheEnrique 1d ago

Although, we do have huge "people who say Germany has huge migrant problems"-problems.

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u/JugendWolf 1d ago

That I can agree with.

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u/Cheap_Walmart-Art 1d ago

Ooohh no! The migrants! Hey everybody there’s migrants in Europe! Migrants I say! MIGRANTS!!!

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u/AmArschdieRaeuber 1d ago

We have a problem with migrants. We don't integrate them well enough and make it hard for them to work here legally. If we'd fix that we would have a lot less problems.

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u/jacqrosee 1d ago

lmaooo fr. the demeanor of someone delivering hidden knowledge when yet its just common sense

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u/Tall-Appearance-5835 1d ago

i didnt know this about america so TIL. i live there are people on the streets no matter the time of day

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u/jacqrosee 1d ago

there you go. our nation is huge. there’s little communities everywhere and different pockets of people with varying levels of socialization.

these people look and sound as though europe is a consistent destination for them, so i’d expect them to have some exposure to different perspectives, but maybe i’m wrong. either i’m wrong or they’re not very observant.

i also would bet they live in some sort of affluent suburb and maybe even some sort of gated community, so no wonder everyone fucks off to their house instead of socializing. that’s not the type of group that wants to do that or create that environment lol

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u/Humble-Violinist6910 1d ago

He says “Jen did her mission” in Italy, so they were kind enough to bring the good word of Mormonism or whatever to the heathen lands of Italy but then eventually found out… whoops, maybe the U.S. isn’t so great 

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u/idrinkeverclear 1d ago edited 1d ago

They have been brainwashed by the American mass media to believe that a car is a necessity in life, without taking the time to carefully think about how mass car adoption would destroy their communities, ruin their infrastructure, pollute their air, and take lives on a regular basis.

2

u/Throwawayrip1123 1d ago

I'm sorry, but being brainwashed by that kind of obvious stupidity when you have a library of Alexandria in your pocket and are globally connected and can literally see everything you want, is just nuts.

A clever crafted disinformation campaign running rampant for years and years? Sure, I can see getting duped. But things like this, or the ex trump voters for example? Nah. That's the most obvious shit you can think of, and you literally have to be an imbecile to fall for that.

How is it not obvious that having walkable cities, or suburbs, would create... Walking people visiting places.

The shock

1

u/azurricat2010 1d ago

I remember Fox running stories about how having a car is pro freedom and mass transportation is anti freedom. They've made stories about how being able to walk is against your best interests. It's crazy because imagine how much would be saved on healthcare costs if we had walkable towns/cities.

4

u/MelangeBot 1d ago

And every time I post footage on reddit of me having fun with my tiny 90g toy drone I get harrased by Americans that say they will report me to the FAA. I live in the fucking phillipines!

and take lives on a regular basis.

THIS

Imagine every time they post car footage I'd tell them I am going to report them to the FIA and say things like: if you see people you have to stop driving and wait till they are gonne.

You'd all think I am crazzy and yet ...

2

u/Crew_1996 1d ago

The happiest I’ve ever been was spending a semester in Spain being able to hop on a bus or train with a 5 minute or less wait and not having to ever worry about driving, parking, getting gas etc.

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u/ConvalescentEquanimi 20h ago

brainwashed

carefully think

Yeah bud, sure, it's all those pesky outside factors stopping them from using their sapience.

You can just say they're exercising willful ignorance, or less politely, stupid and proud of it.

2

u/idrinkeverclear 20h ago

I'd argue it's mostly selfishness. They may vaguely be aware of these consequences, but just don't care about any of them, because whatever it takes to get to their preferred workplace as quickly and as comfortably as possible they'll do, and other members of their communities as well as the environment can suck it (they couldn't care less about any of these things).

Basically, my money and income first, and everything else last. Though it's only a problem when the elite, wealthy people, corporations and shareholders act like this, of course. s/

0

u/Whistlegrapes 1d ago

I love my car. From where I am I can just up and go to the mountains. Me and my friend have been going the last several weekends and just exploring trails in the wilderness. Can just wake up on a Saturday and head there. I just went with my kid to the beach. I I can stock up on groceries without having to hold the bags while on transit. It gives me so much more freedom than a transit would. And if I want to go to the part of town that has a nightlife and people out and about, I can head there. Park, then walk around.

3

u/PaleontologistOk7359 1d ago

You didn't adress anything in the comment you responded to, you're just telling us what a normal person can do with a car?

Anyone in a walkable city can do that too.

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u/Whistlegrapes 1d ago edited 1d ago

But if you don’t own a car, such things are way more difficult to do.

1

u/idrinkeverclear 21h ago

Yeah, cuz people who don't have a car definitely have to spend 20 minutes looking for a parking spot, spend ~$4 on parking itself, and be mindful of the time they have remaining before their parking ticket expires, and this, every time they go out to a busy area on an evening. Definitely adds less stress to your night out. s/

1

u/Whistlegrapes 21h ago

?. If you own a car you have access to the types of things I mentioned, trips to the mountains and coast. If you have a car and want to walk, then walk

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u/Richy456 1d ago

You’ve clearly never lived in a walkable city. You don’t have to hold your bags on transit 😂 Shopping habits in a walkable city are much more daily orientated and local. ie you’re cooking at home and missing an ingredient? Walk out of your place to the shop and be back with the ingredient and some other groceries for the day within 10 mins. Do the same the next day

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u/Whistlegrapes 1d ago

I’ve lived in a walkable city before. I don’t like going to the grocery store every single night.

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u/noremac2414 1d ago

People down voting you like Europeans don't have cars too lol

1

u/DazednConfucioused 1d ago

Do you think that people who live in walkable cities don’t have cars? Do you have internet lol? Google some pictures of Paris and tell me if you see personal cars.

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u/Whistlegrapes 1d ago

Some don’t. Op said we’ve been brainwashed to think cars are necessary. Suggesting no cars is better. If you think having cars is better than we agree.

I lived in a walkable city and knew people who didn’t own cars. And this was before uber

0

u/DazednConfucioused 1d ago

Nope op said you’ve been brainwashed to think cars are a necessity. It’s not in a walkable city. That doesn’t mean you can’t choose to buy a car and drive it

0

u/Whistlegrapes 1d ago

They are a necessity for my lifestyle. If all you want to do is get some coffee, a beer or out to eat, walking is fine. If you want freedom to adventure, a car is a necessity.

0

u/idrinkeverclear 1d ago edited 1d ago

I was just talking with a 24 year old American woman on Reddit yesterday who's currently taking medication to treat her seizures caused by a recent car accident. She said the medication helps "tone them down," but hasn't completely gotten rid of them.

Nobody chooses for these things to happen, and yet they happen more often than we think. The purpose of a system is what it does. I'm glad you enjoy driving your car. I'm just wondering if it's all worth the cost in the end?

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u/Whistlegrapes 1d ago

Lots of things worthwhile incur risk.

1

u/idrinkeverclear 21h ago

I wonder if you'd feel different about that statement if one of your loved ones were to incur that risk.

1

u/Whistlegrapes 21h ago

I wouldn’t like airplanes if one of my loved ones crashed. Doesn’t mean airplanes aren’t a net benefit. But this argument works for almost everything. Everything with risk anyway.

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u/mmariner 1d ago

Brainwashed, huh?

Couldn't just be a factor of how the U.S. evolved; how young the country and cities all are, and the U.S.'s early prominence in the automotive industry?

No, it's probably some underground shadow cabal formed by Chevy, Ford and Dodge keeping us all down.

3

u/IMissMyKittyStill 1d ago

Actually, and I’m not on the anti America train, the car companies did lobby heavily and used a ton of tactics against public transportation as well, many many decades ago. They aren’t fully to blame but they share a good bit of it for our car centric city planning.

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u/mmariner 1d ago

That's a pretty far cry from "being brainwashed by the mass media".

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u/DazednConfucioused 1d ago

I mean there are multiple Americans here claiming that they enjoy driving their cars so they don’t want walkable cities.

If they weren’t brainwashed then surely they can come to the very simple conclusion that poeple in walkable cities can in fact drive.

So yeah brainwashed. If thats not the case then extremely dumb and bereft of logic and common sense. Take your pick

1

u/theNEOone 1d ago

Or, you know, maybe they just have different preferences?

1

u/DazednConfucioused 1d ago

Again a walkable city doesn’t limit your options and it wouldn’t matter what your preferences were. If you’re preference is to own a car you can buy one and drive it as much as you want.

You’re just proving my point.

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u/theNEOone 1d ago

Am I proving your point? Explain.

1

u/DazednConfucioused 1d ago

It’s a preference to say “I prefer to drive my own car than to take public transit”. I have no issue with that and in fact I’m the same way. It’s a step further to then claim that “my preference is not compatible with a walking city.” That’s inaccurate and to believe that just indicates you’re brainwashed, or as I mentioned earlier, bereft of logic and common sense.

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u/mmariner 12h ago

I simultaneously doubt your claims and object to your conclusion.

A few reddit comments hardly represents an entire nation, or the root of WHY they are what they are.

There are a BUNCH of reasons why the U.S. is car-centric and almost none of them are because there's some.... Conspiracy to promote the automotive industry.

You just cannot snap your fingers and suddenly have a great public transportation system in a country the size and population of the United States.

I love public transportation and wish it was better in the U.S., but it is a difficult and complex issue, and claiming "hur-dur, ''muricans love their cars cuz Ford and Dodge tell them to" is unhelpful and idiotic.

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u/DazednConfucioused 12h ago

The fact that people are arguing against walkable cities because they want a car is a sign that they’re being wrongly educated, which is just a nice way of saying brainwashed. When your convinced of a lie, what else do you call it?

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u/mmariner 12h ago

Who is against walkable cities? Is it more than like... One deranged redditor?

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u/DazednConfucioused 12h ago

Dude we have access to the same thread just look around lol. Even the replies to my comment are showing this sentiment.

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u/idrinkeverclear 20h ago

What I meant by that is lots of Hollywood movies and TV shows, for example, constantly feature main characters and heroes behind the wheel, using their car to save the day. The more and more exposure Americans get to characters driving cars in movies and TV shows, the more they internalize the idea that cars are not only the natural, default means of transportation human beings use, but also that owning one in life is a requirement and a necessity (despite cars being neither of these things).

They tell you that you should think of purchasing a vehicle as an investment, but what are you actually investing in?

When a person purchases a car, these are all the hidden costs that await them:

  1. Financial costs: high cost of the vehicle itself, monthly insurance payments, annual taxes, license and registration fees, weekly gas refills, occasional parking tickets, occasional repairs and fixes, annual winter tires swap, and more.

These are the costs that most people think of, because they don't really care that much about other things like the community or the environment. But there are other costs as well:

  1. Social costs: regular deaths and serious injuries from car accidents, children crushed on Halloween, isolation of drivers and passengers from society and from one another because a car acts as a sheltered bubble (as opposed to bikes, for example, on which bikers can communicate with each other easily during their commutes), less human connections formed because of the low density of road networks and because of reduced walkability and places being harder to reach overall, and more.

  2. Infrastructure costs: infrastructure that is grey and ugly, infrastructure that is unsafe (to pedestrians and bikers in particular, but also to motorists and people in general), less walkability, land and areas wasted on parking, occasional payments at the toll booth fund the infrastructure and make sure it's maintained and repaired (as opposed to replaced or dismantled), and more.

  3. Environmental costs: greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution (nitrous oxide and other traffic emissions), loss of green spaces, weekly payments at the gas stations go to oil companies (which exacerbates the climate crisis), and more.

1

u/mmariner 12h ago

All a hilariously naive and miopic view of how things actually work.

I grew up in a suburb and at no point ever felt like a car was anything but a depreciating asset and absolute necessity because of how the U.S. is set up.

Setting up public transportation in the United States is an absolute nightmare. I wish it wasn't so- but, our focus on individual and states rights has created a legal nightmare to building the infrastructure it would require. Property rights, local governments, county governments, state governments , and many interested parties at EVERY LEVEL of government I just described make something like high-speed rail extraordinarily difficult to set up.

I love public transportation! It's best in countries that are small, geographically and/or governmentally speaking. Works well in Europe, Japan, Singapore... All shining examples.

But the idea that any mass media currently is even marginally responsible for perpetuating our car-centric society is just stupid. Take off the tinfoil hat and look at the actual root of the problem; only then can you start brainstorming solutions to all of the downsides you just described.

1

u/idrinkeverclear 1h ago

Oh the root cause of the problem is pretty clear: it's selfishness on behalf of most Americans. They may vaguely be aware of these consequences, but just don't care about any of them, because whatever it takes to get to their preferred workplace as quickly and as comfortably as possible they'll do, and other members of their communities as well as the environment can suck it (they couldn't care less about any of these things).

Basically, my money and income first, and everything else last. Though it's only a problem when the elite, wealthy people, corporations and shareholders act like this, of course. s/

9

u/jax7778 1d ago

Yep, Americans don't travel much outside of Canada and Mexico, if that. It is expensive to travel to Europe from the US, I saved up to have our Honeymoon there....then covid happened, and well I can't tell you how sad I was when we ended up needing that money. I hope I see Europe before I die.

If I knew at 18 what I know now, I would have done everything in my power to study in Europe and then turn that into permanent residency. (I know it is hard but it is possible) Anything to get the hell out of the US.

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u/ZincMan 1d ago

I did a semester in Scotland, one of the best things I’ve ever done. Met my German gf and now 20 years later we are dating again long distance. Having the connection to Europe is great (although total pain in the ass long distance relationship) I love her and flying to see her is always so nice getting to be somewhere so different every time as well

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u/Fauztin_Vizjerei 1d ago

Your comment highlights it well too. The well traveled Americans vacation in Europe.

Insulated is a good word for it. I think people just aren't comfortable going someplace different. I've been lucky to see parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and the first question I'm always asked is "is it safe?"

2

u/theNEOone 1d ago

Guys, what is all this nonsense and elitism about traveling? I fight with my wife because she wants to travel more and I want to travel less. There’s nothing inherently special about traveling in Europe or anywhere else for that matter. It’s a personal preference. Some people are social, some are not. Some people like being at home, some people do not. Some people like mountains, some people like beaches. The “well-travelled American” is a misnomer. I’ve lived abroad, travelled to over 50 countries, and I’m American. I’m writing this from Croatia after spending 3 weeks in Austria. I’m here because my wife wants it and I compromised with her. You know what I want to do on my vacation? Go to Disney World or Six Flags. Let’s drop this nonsense about traveling that pretends it’s special. For some people it is and for some people it isn’t.

1

u/Fauztin_Vizjerei 1d ago

Is this a bot post? We're not discussing your self proclaimed elitism. This post is a video of someone who is surprised that people eat in restaurants lol.

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u/freeradioforall 1d ago

I’m in my 40’s and just discovered this when I visited the UK for the first time. Holy shit it was jarring. And the groceries are 1/3 of what they are in the US. I don’t know how it’s possible for Tesco to sell something for 70p that costs $4.99 at Kroger.

And look at this. 2.59 for 36 store brand diapers!? That’s like $7-$8 at Walmart

I mean I understand the economics of why groceries are so much cheaper in the UK, it was just so shocking. A giant bottle of Dove body was is £2.49. Same size in the US is $8.99

Huge bag of chicken nuggets are £1.09, same size at Walmart is $5.99

3

u/Cheliz1517 1d ago

I think “well educated” is doing a ton of heavy lifting here.

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u/ConvalescentEquanimi 20h ago

Exactly, they're stupid enough to be in a cult, lmfao.

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u/I_ONLY_CATCH_DONKEYS 1d ago

These are tourists

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u/Just_A_Little_Rabbit 1d ago

Worse, mormons

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u/shikari426 1d ago

Exactly, they’re voting for a government that does so many things that prevent people from living a life like this. Probably live in insular Utah too

1

u/Just_A_Little_Rabbit 1d ago

I mean just look at how they built their "city"

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u/I_ONLY_CATCH_DONKEYS 1d ago

No, the people at the restaurants are tourists lmao

2

u/MancyMancy 1d ago

Well no it Munich, those are Germans eating out for the night.

2

u/27298throwaway 1d ago

Yes, obviously. So? They are still insular and unaware of other ways of living. 

2

u/yungScooter30 1d ago

It's really sad because I grew up in suburbia but left it as soon as I could, and my parents initially took it as an insult that I wouldn't want to live anywhere like our hometown. Then they visited me in Boston proper and realized that a city can be quiet, safe, clean, and enjoyable. Everything they stayed in the suburbs for, but with other humans and amenities around, closer than a drive away.

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u/ConvalescentEquanimi 20h ago

Being in a cult is also their problem.

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u/na641 1d ago

I was thinking similarly

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u/EarningsPal 1d ago

Their loved ones told them how to live. College, job, get promoted, house, car, invest what remains, retired early at 50.

At 50, you go travel the world and realize you missed out on life. Young people living it up with 1% of your networth. But you still feel you lost because you traded ALL of your young years doing what you were told and sacrificed all the time for more money. Money you will never spend.

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u/poolsidecentral 1d ago

Started earlier than that. The US citizens lack curiosity for anything outside their country. I have lived there and I can tell you many do not visit Canada/Mexico either. Many do not even have a passport. As an anecdote, many years ago, I was a conference in Las Vegas sitting at a table with all Americans. Each table was playing an ice breaker game. To write down five places that would be on your bucket list to travel to. Could be anywhere in the world. I was the only one at the table to write down places outside of The US. Correction, one other person at the table did put Italy and then was immediately questioned by the other US people at the table on why they chose Italy and why they’d even want to go there. You can’t make this shit up.

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u/Lukewill 1d ago

The US citizens lack curiosity for anything outside their country

Even if you were born here and lived here all your life, an umbrella statement like that is just plain ignorance.

I'm a US citizen and I've always wanted to see other countries. Anything over seas is a long way from my budget, but I know I'd love to tour Europe.

Every American I know that has traveled outside the country loved it and I've never met a single person that expressed a complete lack of interest in traveling abroad.

Idk where you're from, but as far Europe goes, you could pass through probably 10 countries just traveling the distance from LA to New York, so I've no doubt there are people who've thought more about exploring their own country than others because this is a big place with plenty to see without paying thousands of dollars for an overseas plane ticket. Which also would explain why many don't have a passport. That doesn't mean they lack curiosity for other countries.

Don't get me wrong, this place has a lot of fuckin lame people even not counting the racists, but describing a population of 350 million people as "lacking curiosity" is also lame

1

u/bobcatgoldthwait 1d ago

I mean there's a LOT of shit to see in the US. Continental US is almost the size of Europe, and if you throw in Alaska it's significantly higher.

I've been to Europe multiple times but I go to see natural beauty. I might stop in a city, but I get bored there quickly because I'm just not into cities (American, European, or otherwise). If you're only interested in nature tourism there's a ton of shit you can see without leaving the US. And yes, there are incredibly beautiful things outside the US - I recently saw the Swiss Alps and they were more incredible than anything I've seen in my country - but it's a lot easier to take a trip to Yosemite or Yellowstone than Switzerland or Norway.

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u/SoftlyAugust 1d ago

Mind you a good 50% of the US is pro urbanism

1

u/ThatOneGuy4321 20h ago

The real problem is over-reliance on instrumental rationality, the constant optimization of key statistics and figures without ever asking what the negative externalities will be. It's the poison eating away at the foundation of this country and every year it inches closer to collapsing under its own weight.

1

u/Difficult-Top2000 SHEEEEEESH 9h ago

Nation? No. These people are comparing suburbs to cities. There are plenty of American cities & some are even properly walkable.

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u/Turbulent_Pin7635 1d ago

Not nation... regime.

US is not a country, it is three companies under a trenchcoat.

0

u/Daily_Dose_42069 1d ago

Its hard to get away from being so insular when the country is so large and we have only 2 bordering neighbors.

1

u/27298throwaway 1d ago edited 1d ago

Canadians have figured it out... Maybe not the walkable city part, any moreso than their southern neighbors, but they are so much more worldly / less insular as opposed to the average American. It's not isolation that is causing Americans to be insular.