Good comment.
Reminds of when LW realized their instance is not hosted in the USA but managed by a Dutch team using a German provider on Finnish servers.
As always, !AskUSA@discuss.online for US specific conversations.
Comment on The State of Lemmy (drama)
stormdelay@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
While you are probably correct that criticism of the USA (and of its citizens) pops up too often in unrelated topics, I think that you are basically just discovering what it is to not be the ultra dominant demographics on a platform. It doesn’t mean it’s right or anything, everyone should strive to make Lemmy a welcoming place, but it’s certainly going to take work on both sides. That said, I would like you to re-read some of what you wrote:
and their obvious jealousy and insecurity regarding Americans
For one thing, my command of the English language rules that out, which isn’t something I can say about many of you.
America controls the world, and Europeans are salty about it. I didn’t even realize how salty until I started using Lemmy
I swear to God I’ma start criticizing the metric system again
The amount of condescension dripping from your comments is frankly off the chart, and you should maybe take a minute to ponder whether you are actually behaving as you preach, rather than just being in your own American circlejerk, as you might have called it had the shoe been on the other foot.
In any way, being an admin/mod is a thankless task, so I for one appreciate you for doing that, and maybe everyone can learn a bit from sharing a community.
Blaze@feddit.org 5 weeks ago
imaqtpie@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
That’s fair, but somehow I never seem to see hatred directed towards any other nationality on Lemmy, aside from Americans. It seems like such behavior would inevitably be downvoted, as it should be.
But when it comes to Americans, it’s open season for people to take pot shots, and it always gets upvoted regardless of its accuracy.
I was being condescending at times, because people were throwing around insane accusations of me being a russian plant and refusing to acknowledge any validity to the complaints being voiced. Why shouldn’t I condescend those who spread senseless vitriol for no apparent reason? They deserve to be criticized and mocked, because that’s exactly what they’re doing to other people. The dude I was talking to literally bullied one of my users into deleting their account, then tried to put me on blast for no reason. I have more than enough justification to treat people such as those with disdain.
You all seem to implicitly think I’m somehow proud or bragging about America being the largest economic and military force in the world. That’s not even remotely the case, I think it’s entirely fucked. But that’s the world we live in. I’m just trying to explain what I’ve experienced and observed here, and understand what is causing that behavior.
stormdelay@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
That’s fair, but somehow I never seem to see hatred directed towards any other nationality on Lemmy, aside from Americans.
You might just not hang out in the right places to see it, but anywhere there’s a European political community, you will see plenty of shit talk and hate and blame being thrown around, especially towards the bigger euro countries like Germany, France and the UK (though not limited to).
I’m not saying there isn’t a good explanation as to why you might have been condescending, or that you are a dumb proud maga American, or anything of the sort, but keep in mind that we can’t guess what you might be thinking, all we have to go on is what you write and some of it that I highlighted does make you look a certain way.
Blaze@feddit.org 5 weeks ago
anywhere there’s a European political community, you will see plenty of shit talk and hate and blame being thrown around, especially towards the bigger euro countries like Germany, France and the UK (though not limited to).
Also, those communities discuss in their own language, that OP probably doesn’t read
taladar@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
I think this shouldn’t underestimated. Even as someone fluent in English I am much more likely to criticize my own country and/or neighboring countries relevant to my own country’s politics in my country’s language than in English.
fushuan@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
In lemmy, besides Germany I wouldn’t bet on it. The local language communities are pretty much dead besides german ones tbh.
otp@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
I think this comment you replied to summarizes things well.
I’ll reiterate here that pot shots towards Americans would generally be “punching up” in some contexts, which usually isn’t as frowned upon as punching down.
Also consider that it could be, uh…self-punching? It could be Americans poking fun at themselves, being unhappy with the current state of the country (and who is set to become president – Elon Musk as vizier, with Trump returning for the pictures).
imaqtpie@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
Yea I’m sure there are a lot of Americans hating on ourselves, the type of Americans who use Lemmy tend to be pretty pissed off at the direction of the country. But it still contributes to a really exhausting, depressing atomosphere at times. Not to mention unbalanced/biased
taladar@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
It can certainly be depressing at times but on the other hand not nearly as depressing as a complete disconnect between the bleak reality you observe yourself and overly positive portrayal in media (social or otherwise).
tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
For me, as an American, it’s easier for me to criticize America. I’m familiar with it and I can bring receipts. I will criticize certain actions of other countries but it feels wrong to start generalizing as I have neither the knowledge or experience of their day-to-day, culture, politics, etc.
Blaze@feddit.org 5 weeks ago
The dude I was talking to literally bullied one of my users into deleting their account, then tried to put me on blast for no reason.
If there was such heavy bullying, how come that this user didn’t get banned from SJW?
They deserve to be criticized and mocked, because that’s exactly what they’re doing to other people.
Just to make sure: because one of your users bullied another one, you made a derogatory statement towards a whole content?
Blaze@feddit.org 5 weeks ago
I never seem to see hatred directed towards any other nationality on Lemmy, aside from Americans.
French bashing from 9 days ago: feddit.org/post/6408713/3945015
Just remember this one, I can find out countless other examples when I have more time
Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
That’s fair, but somehow I never seem to see hatred directed towards any other nationality on Lemmy, aside from Americans
Because you only speak English, not German, Dutch, Italian or French (or at least, aren’t actively posting in those communities with this account). And, rather ironically, that’s a very common thing to see in Americans. I’ve never seen a German post about how few people are commenting on (negative) events in Sweden, because they realize that most people commenting on Swedish events are Swedes are posting in Swedish, in Swedish forums, and not Germans posting in German in German forums, except when it occasionally makes the German newpapers.
imaqtpie@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
That’s a decent argument, but America isn’t the only nationality that speaks English natively. Canada, NZ, Britain, Ireland, Australia all exist and the type of behavior I’m talking about doesn’t get directed towards them. Furthermore, English is the primary language of internet discourse. Lemmy has potential to move beyond that paradigm, but the vast majority of content still remains in English, and the vast majority of users speak English, even if it’s not their native language.
More importantly, I want to clarify my meaning, because you seem to be misinterpreting. People commenting on negative events in America is fine with me, I have no problem with that. It’s when people say crazy out of pocket shit in unrelated threads and get upvoted for it that I become annoyed.
I didn’t want to put anyone specific on trial here, so I didn’t mention it until now, but there was one specific user who provides a good example of this behavior. A few months ago I rebuked him for his constant insults and hating on Americans. I was able to find dozens of aggressive, insensitive comments that he had just made within the previous couple weeks. I won’t name him in his comment, but if you read through this thread you’ll know.
sh.itjust.works/post/26023070/14232483
First of all, note the 10 downvotes u/ferret received for making the simple, factual observation that the US has the largest population of English speakers in the world by a significant margin. That seems a bit unwarranted, no?
Then, when I provide the evidence of this user’s persistent toxicity towards Americans at the end of the thread, everybody who was downvoting us suddenly fades into the woodwork and pretends it never happened. That’s fucking gaslighting, people talk mad shit and then when they get called out they just run away and act like it never happened. I’m gonna transcribe that vitriol again, because I’m sick of people acting like I’m being super sensitive and it’s only because of my American privilege and it’s just the same shit that other nationalities deal with. It’s not normal, it’s abusive and pathological hatred and it’s only acceptable when directed towards Americans.
spoiler
>Glock pistols popular in US because of the proliferation of fucking cowards >Scared of their own fucking shadows, those pussies >What’s the difference between a cow and 9/11 >You’d stop milking a cow after 23 years >Seems a bit unnecessary when you could just dress the ivy up like schoolkids and the yanks would wipe it out in a week >>German >I’m guessing a yank whose great great great great great great grandfather once wiped his cock on a strudel >They’re using American weapons, they should just aim for schools >Holy fuck, yanks are weird >God I’d hate to have such poor reading comprehension. You’d last about a minute in UK based communities lol >You’re not out of the dark ages, you quivering shitebag lol >You mean prison slavery? That’s the US, get on it lol >Did it come out of the States? >If so, guaranteed utter fucking horseshit >You can punch your hand through your plasterboard mate lol >You can always spot an American because they’re so fuckin scared of everything. Look, this one’s scared of his own shite 😂 >Of course! >Just lose the - >- Guns >- Tiny-penis trucks >- the “right” to hate-speech >- the religious weirdo thing >And you’ll be getting close to the 20th century! >Know how yous get upset when people say “Americans are stupid” >Literally a third of you have demonstrated that you’d eat gravel if someone said it’d cure immigrants >A third. So lets just say only half of the other two thirds are stupid >That’s quite a few. Almost a quarter pounder >Yous cunts are greedy to the point of being fuckin EVIL >That’s just… evil, taking money from poor folk and their kids >How are yous letting evil cunts do this to your fellow citizens? How are you not fucking getting the flaming torches out? >Selfish fucking cunts, the lot of you. Stand up for not just yourselves, for all of yous >The bot is only “spreading misinformation” to people who are too stupid to realise that “left” and “right” mean politically different things in different countries >Mostly the yanks >I feel really sorry for this guy >What kind of unhinged parents call their kid Tyreek?
Again, that’s just from a single user over a period of 2-3 weeks. This kind of attitude is pervasive across Lemmy, and it’s a big problem because it drives away a lot of potential users.
See if you can find me an example of another Lemmy user who is on a crusade like that against a different nationality. Not just a reasonable criticism of a political or economic event, but someone who is actively going out of their way to insult and berate one specific nationality. Because I’d wager I could find dozens more lemmings that constantly act that way towards Americans if I really wanted to.
fushuan@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
I’ve read plenty cricism of the US, China, Russia, Mexico and some of canada, Ukraine, France, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Norway, India, Australia, Taiwan, Japan, Brazil, Venezuela. Those I can think on top of my head.
If you don’t see any hatred against anything besides the US, without trying to be too disrespectful, open your eyes.
mjhelto@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
You might be on to something with the demographic make-up of the platform. There are a lot of users from countries outside the US and for Americans used to seeing the opinions, primarily, of other Americans being the norm, it can seem like an attack on the country and their colossal fuck-ups recently are an attack on Americans, themselves.
It seems similar to the backlash felt by a lot of minorities when given rights closer to, or equal of, whites in this country. I don’t have a pony in this race, but it seems this is just human nature. We just don’t like competition and American exceptionalism is ingrained in almost every school book we are presented with.
That being said, I think you could point to some people being assholes to others. Just as I don’t blame all citizens of Jerusalem for the genocide in Gaza, nor all Russians for the invasion of Ukraine, nor all Americans for tRump, I think some people equate the citizen with the government like some sort of sports rivalry or deeply ingrained tribalism.
This is, however, just the opinion of an American who took off their rose-colored, exceptionalism glasses a long time ago.
samus12345@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
“When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”
stormdelay@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
There’s for sure some of that conflation happening, but I don’t think it can be ascribed to any particular group, it’s just a bad habit/process a lot of people use regardless of where they’re from. I don’t have a solution for that, and I doubt it’s something you can correct on an online social media platform.
Assholes will be assholes, we don’t need to put them in an American or euro or whatever else case to recognize them as such and deal with them.
anti_lib@lemmy.cafe 5 weeks ago
Half of the frontpage is about america. Maybe they would get less shit if they weren’t taking all the fucking space everywhere they go.