[Odenwaelder]

The US are getting weirder and weirder and weirder. I just can't wrap my head around Trump, gun laws, life-time sex-offender registries, the messed up health care system.

Yet, I have only met absolutely nice, intelligent, loving americans, and I've met many. I feel sorry for them. They deserve better.

[pluma]

I find that it's easy to hate the US for what it has been doing to others (yes, yes, tu quoque and at least the US isn't literally Nazi Germany) but what's really astonishing is what it's doing to its own people.

Sure, in theory citizens of the "home of the brave" have it pretty good but between the atrocious healthcare and welfare systems, the insane criminal justice system, the mass surveillance, the militarised police force, the widespread influence of religious conservative groups, and everything else... I'm not so sure US citizens are any less victims of the US than anybody else.

[Overtonwindow]

What you're seeing is the "though on crime" trap all politicians fall into. Vote for law X and show you're tough on crime. Oh you didn't vote for law X? Then you're not tough on crime, and that's why votes should go to your opponent in the next election. US politicians MUST be tough on crime or risk losing election.

[aanm1988]

> US politicians

In a lot of places in the US the Judges are elected. So never mind the politicians, the guy who just sentenced you to an absurd sentence did it because he needed the press for his campaign.

[Overtonwindow]

What I am speaking of are the crimes themselves, mandatory minimums, funding for rehabilitation, etc. That is set by politicians, not judges.

[noxToken]

Because most of use are just normal people who want great things for the people around us and (at the very minimum) nothing bad for other Americans external to our circles. Most of us aren't hyper-political. We're not getting abortions by the truckload. We're not hoarding guns in a weapons cache. We don't hate foreigners. There are exceptions to all of the above, but we're mostly just regular people who lead relatively normal lives wanting good things for everyone.

[Arizhel]

No, they don't deserve better. As a wise Frenchman once said, every nation gets the government it deserves.

Besides, if you're only met "nice, intelligent, loving americans", you haven't spent much time in America, or you weren't the "wrong" ethnicity in your interactions with them.

[Delmania]

Money and baby boomers will pretty much answer any question you have.

[Odenwaelder]

Is it really that easy?