I'm extraordinarily pessimistic about North America in general and think the future probably belongs to the rest of the world. I have spent most of the past decade away from that continent, and my optimistic prospects have shot way up as a result, but I look back at that region and just balk worse every time. Visiting back to the place and it's just toxic bullshit everywhere, I even got punched in the head over a jar of peanut butter in my last most negative encounter. It's crazy how the pettiest of issues just balloon into the most horrible kind of drama out in that culture. I wish it wasn't so, but it's been really quite a breath of fresh air dissociating as far as possible when the writing on the wall for things not socially improving was clear enough for me to get a plane ticket and do my best to not come back. It's a place where you could get shot for too much mayonnaise on a subway sandwich. [1]
If they want to get with the program they'll have to do something about a giant portion of the population being horrible people. I don't know what to say about solutions regarding that but then again I go as far as pretending not to speak English when I encounter people from there while abroad so I don't have to have any bullshit. If I can sus them out as being alright (No utterance of bigotry as I hear them talk in English is a big one, basic international etiquette like not interrupting people on an automatic basis over everyone else in the room is too), I might be OK with them but otherwise it's just way, way more trouble than it's worth to bother too hard on that when there's a giant world of people who don't act like that.
Thanks for pointing that out in such a manner, that's really nice of you - I hope you have a fantastic and prosperous life wherever you may be and don't have to put up with the kind of incredibly horrible (And without getting into detail, very personal) experiences I've had growing up on that continent versus what I've experienced almost everywhere else I've been.
I'd like to add something - a quote amusingly often misattributed to Sigmund Freud or William Gibson, although probably just from someone on Twitter [1] - "Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes."
If they want to get with the program they'll have to do something about a giant portion of the population being horrible people. I don't know what to say about solutions regarding that but then again I go as far as pretending not to speak English when I encounter people from there while abroad so I don't have to have any bullshit. If I can sus them out as being alright (No utterance of bigotry as I hear them talk in English is a big one, basic international etiquette like not interrupting people on an automatic basis over everyone else in the room is too), I might be OK with them but otherwise it's just way, way more trouble than it's worth to bother too hard on that when there's a giant world of people who don't act like that.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peUYpHbuu5w