When police shoot people in Canada, there are no violent protests.

You are, kinda. Canada is quite boring, safer, but boring in comparison. Insurrections! Mass shootings (we've had some but only a few, again, by comparison). Your politics is so polarized (here we are free to trash everyone, even if we voted for them). All your flag-waving. I've been trying to understand what's been happening south of us, and I came upon this article this morning. It makes a lot of sense to me.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/us/democracy-gop-democrats-sectarianism.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

That's interesting. Some Americans see Canada as a slightly more polite, boring version of America. I have only visited Canada as a tourist I don't realy know very much about Canadian culture on any deep level.

I was raised American, I have spent a lot of time in Mexico. When I spend time in Mexico, it is not as a tourist. I have family there and am planning on living and working there. I have a more in depth understanding of Mexican culture than most people get from watching TV and relying on stereotypes.

A couple of years ago (pre-pandemic), I was telling my co-workers that I was spending a few months living in a small town in Mexico. My co-worker started telling me how dangerous that was. One co-worker became quite animated telling me how Mexicans all lived in constant fear of being kidnapped and that there was no business for anyone to live there.

I was perplexed. I have lived in Mexico, I have done chores and bought groceries and rented an apartment and figured out how to get a tire fixed and taken kids out for ice cream and all of the normal things that people do in life. Here was a guy who had no knowledge of Mexico, had never set foot in Mexico, telling me what life was like based only on TV and stereotypes.

You have the right to any caricature of Americans, or Mexicans, or Chinese people you want. These stereotypes are simplistic views based on ignorance.

They have no real meaning. You have no real understanding of America if you haven't lived in America, talked to Americans with differing perspective, been a part of normal life in America.

Lots of us choose to live here. In fact, lots of people choose to come here from other countries.

America bashing is cool. I get it.

You, sir, are incorrect. I was not America-bashing. I have travelled extensively around the world and in the US. I have only been to 27 states, but wish to do more, and more leisurely. Everywhere I have been, I have loved it and the people.

It's the POLITICS I am trying to understand and what is going on in your country. Like I said, we Canadians here in the frozen north just do not get excited about it like you guys do. Hockey? yes. Curling? yes Politics? No!

As far as Mexico goes and what some people understand about them, I agree. I have been to various parts of Mexico and avoid the tourist spots like the plague. I have never felt unsafe there and as long as one is on their toes anywhere, you'll be safe.

People freaked when I said I was going to NY and staying in Brooklyn. They freaked when I said I was going to Colombia for a month. I have never had anything stolen or been accosted. Then again, I don't wander out and about at night, either, or go to discos. People are people the world over.

Just don't put words in my mouth.

America is a politically divided country and both sides are moving toward the extremes. The each side is putting an emotional narrative first and not paying attention to actual facts.

The left picks out the most hateful parts of the right-wing narrative to justify its own extremism. the right picks out the ridiculous and controlling parts of the left wing narrative. No one listens to each other. It hasn't always been this bad.

If you want to understand American politics, you need to try to understand various points of view underneath these two narratives. As real Americans we have history, and families and stories and fears. Americans are a lot more diverse than you would see from our politics. I don't know if you have met many Trump supporters, some of them might surprise you if you would ever respect them enough to listen to them.

Maybe I am wrong about you Mame. But it sure seems like you are jumping on a political side in American politics without taking the time to understand and the cultural differences underneath our televised drama.

If you believe that every American who doesn't support "Black Lives Matter" is a racist... then you are really missing the point. This is a piece of political propaganda from a narrow (but well connected) slice of American society. It is a simplistic view that plays well on TV, but it doesn't represent anything real about America.

I wasn't born yesterday, max... I'm in my 60s. I've been to your country, countless times, 27 states, in fact. I have studied Canadian-US history in university. I'm a newshound. I have American family and friends. You don't know the first thing about me (although now you do) so why would you assume I wouldn't respect anyone enough to listen to their POV? I happen to have a very, very good friend who is a RABID Trump fan and I have asked her why she supports him so strongly. We've had several discussions about this. I don't understand her POV, but I still love her.



1. How could you be wrong or right about me when you don't even know me? It "seems" that I'm jumping....how do you know what kind of time I've taken to understand anything? It "seems" to me that you are jumping to conclusions about me. And you're welcome to do so.



Why would I believe that? Again, you are assuming things. And I think what's "real" depends on who you are, what you've experienced and where you live. I don't purport to know anything at all - I am simply trying to understand the dynamics of what's happening in the US at the moment. That's why I sent you the link to that article. It's the first one that resonates with me - makes sense of it all, if you will. I am not judging anyone, just like I don't judge my friend. And please, don't condescend to me.

I will concede the point that I don't really know your experience in the US or your "Trump Friend" (I don't know if you are aware of the "Black Friend" trope). I am not a Trump supporter... I am one of those Americans who hated Trump and also hated Hillary. I held my nose and voted for Hillary.

It is a fact that on this forum you are jumping into American Politics solidly on one side of our political divide. You are part of a group here with a very narrow range of ideological views. I have never seen you express an opinion outside of this ideological bubble. I have never seen you question the ideology in any substantive way. I have never seen you show any respect for any other point of view.. I have never seen you express a political opinion that would surprise me.

Of course you have a right to believe whatever you want even it it is predictible given the American political divide.

This is politics, I understand the game. But America is my home. These issues are things you see on the news, sure you can study them and make whatever judgements.

I live here.

I haven't expressed many opinions on here, so I don't know what you're talking about. And it doesn't matter. My opinion doesn't matter - I'm not American, 'living the dream'.

I repeat, I'm just trying to understand what's at the root of the divide and for the first time in years, I think I'm finally, finally beginning to understand. Nothing more to say.

I don't believe you are an objective observer to the American political divide. You have taken a side and you are cheering your team. In Snood's Chauvin Conviction cheerting thread, for example, you danced around lamenting the fact that someone wasn't shot by police (it made me chuckle how you carefully worded your supportive response to avoid the moral hazard).

Can you name a substantial issue where you think Trump supporters make a valid point?

This is the reason for the political divide in America. We have split into two sides that are extreme becoming more and more extreme. It is impossible for someone on the left to even contemplate the possibility that the other side might have a valid point. It is literally blasphemy.

Critical thinking is the ability to question your own perspective and find the validity of other viewpoints. That has almost disappeared in the United States political discourse.

1. I believe that "Black Lives Matter" makes a valid point about systemic racism in society and law enforcement. I believe that the Black Lives Matter movement can lead to necessary and important changes to how we do policing.

2. I believe that "Black Lives Matter" goes too far in three different areas. First, the tacit acceptance of violence is irresponsible and counterproductive. Second, some parts of the narrative don't meet the facts. Third, the demonization of police is dangerous to police and society at large.

The right refuses to accept the first point. Saying this makes me a terrorist.

The left refuses to accept the seond point. Saying this makes me a racist.

There is no reason that both of these points can't be valid.

I don't know why Max has started to dog you, but if it's of any comfort I doubt anyone but Max has been able to spin such a web of nonsense concerning opinions you have never expressed or even insinuated. This is perhaps an American conceit, but not everyone who lives here is the 'best or brightest'.

When it comes to the murder of George Floyd, the entire world was watching. But I believe they were watching to see if we would endorse justice or succumb to racism. You don't have to live in Mexico or Minnesota to understand the issue, and you are certainly entitled to your opinion. Having an opinion doesn't mean you are meddling in American politics, it only means you are engaging in conversation. Despite what some people think, not every thread is a bare bones debate.

Well, if he's dogging me, maybe he'll let off other people (although I seriously doubt it, him being who he is). He can dog me all he wants... I already have two dogs, he can be the third The more, the merrier. As long as he likes chicken hearts and I don't have to pick up his poop.

The more, the merrier. As long as he likes chicken hearts and I don't have to pick up his poop.

ahahahahahahahahahaha 😂😂 picking up the poop is the worst.

yeah, we def don't want to go there!

Mame, you are really going to pull this dog **** from thread to thread. I expect this nastiness from Glitterbag....

It is self-righteous. It is hypocritical. And it doesn't help anyone.