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[Dutchling]

The upcoming Dutch election campaigns are expected to cost less than €1 per potential voter.

I do not complain.

[PTTG??]

I must say, I'm really glad I'm not an American. Well, we still got to live with a world-spanning bully that decided he could fuck the environment or kill anyone in a 15-m radius around someone that may or may not be an islamist terrorist, anywhere in the world. But at least we only suffer from your foreign policies, while you have to deal with the rest.

To be fair, though, we aren't as bad as China when it comes to environmental policies. Well, ok, that's because we exported all those businesses to china, but point is we aren't running them here. Also we don't have intermediary censors, just intermediary monitors.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who still likes this country.

[RedKing]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who still likes this country.

Give it a few more years and you might be. At least the only one who makes less than $1 million a year.

[mainiac]

I like this country a lot.

[Nadaka]

I love America. What I don't like is what it is rotting from the inside out. I fear the concepts of liberty and justice (not just America) were a fleeting dream that the world will soon forgot.

[Sheb]

Yeah, but from an outsider point of view, I actually prefer China's point of view on climate change. Theirs is "We shouldn't be the one that do much about it, because we don't pollute that much per capita, and we've got an income gap to bridge." For a lot if not most of America's politicians it's "It snowed last year, so climate change is false!".

[MonkeyHead]

As a fellow outsider, I suspect that China will transition far more easily to renewable energy and fossil fuels alternatives far easier than the US, if for no other reason than thier style of leadership - "You will take your hydrogen powered car and like it!" as opposed to "I am entitled to drive my inneficient petrol car if I want to!"

[ChairmanPoo]

America is no worse than Europe because we are all in the same block, and for good and ill our goverments enable each other to a big degree. This is not as much a defense of USA foreign policy as it is an attempt to raise awareness of how much of that foreign policy has EU's tacit approval. We can't expect the USA to change if we don't, as well. Again, we are on the same ship, for good and ill.

[RedKing]

As a fellow outsider, I suspect that China will transition far more easily to renewable energy and fossil fuels alternatives far easier than the US, if for no other reason than thier style of leadership - "You will take your hydrogen powered car and like it!" as opposed to "I am entitled to drive my inneficient petrol car if I want to!"

There's also the fact that they don't have an entrenched oil infrastructure and massive lobby (although coal mining is a substantial part of the Chinese economy and does in fact have clout within the Party...that will be one hurdle). Most people are still making the transition from bicycles though, so yeah...if they can introduce a cheap, efficient microcar they're liable to get a lot more adopters than you would in the West.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

As a fellow outsider, I suspect that China will transition far more easily to renewable energy and fossil fuels alternatives far easier than the US, if for no other reason than thier style of leadership - "You will take your hydrogen powered car and like it!" as opposed to "I am entitled to drive my inneficient petrol car if I want to!"

You'll get adopters in the US once the oil starts to run low. After all, everyone knows Americans like having money, and it won't be too long until electric cars are less expensive than gasoline cars. The free market doesn't solve everything, but it does solve some things.

Also, the PRC administration won't be able to make their people transition if their people are trying to destroy them, which may well happen in the next few decades.

Yeah, but from an outsider point of view, I actually prefer China's point of view on climate change. Theirs is "We shouldn't be the one that do much about it, because we don't pollute that much per capita, and we've got an income gap to bridge." For a lot if not most of America's politicians it's "It snowed last year, so climate change is false!".

Per capita doesn't really give much comfort to the Chinese when there are entire cities where you have to wear a mask outside or choke on coal dust. I've said it before, I'll say it again: China is going to face a massive environmental collapse if they don't reverse direction soon.

Climate change denial is a passing fad, like evolution denial was. Even if there are people who still believe in either, they're fighting a losing battle.

[Sheb]

ChairmanPoo: While it is true that we rely on the US for defense, that does not mean that we benefit from stuff like drone killings. If anything, it makes muslims pissed at us and since we have a significant muslim minority, it's not a good thing.

[ChairmanPoo]

Then maybe the European goverments should pressure the US not to go into Middle East quagmires. Or avoid collaborating in "extraordinary renditions". Or any other of the unsavory stuff in which they jump onboard with the US gleefully. That some of this stuff ends up blowing in our face is no excuse. To put another example: European banks are as much to blame for the crisis as US ones.

[Sheb]

Yeah, because the US totally listen when European allies tell them they're going overboard. Like back in 2003 with all the anti-French feelings and the Liberty Fries.

Not to say we're blameless. We do a lot of shit (although as I'm from Belgium, we do a thankfully small amount of it). But nowhere near the level of America's.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Yeah, because the US totally listen when European allies tell them they're going overboard. Like back in 2003 with all the anti-French feelings and the Liberty Fries.

Alright, let me completely and totally clear this up once and for all in an absolute sense. If an American mocks the French and calls them cowards, they're most likely being fallacious. Americans who genuinely have something against the French are a small group. The same goes for Canadians.

Freedom Fries was a stupid move made by one Representative who wasn't thinking clearly, as happens to Representatives quite often.

Not to say we're blameless. We do a lot of shit (although as I'm from Belgium, we do a thankfully small amount of it). But nowhere near the level of America's.

You know full well that there is no way to quantify that.