American Reacts America is NOT the best??

Original Video: • Why America is NOT the...
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Hi everyone! I'm an American from the Northeast (New England). I want to create a watering hole for people who want to discuss, learn and teach about history through KZbin videos which you guys recommend to me through the comment section or over on Discord. Let's be respectful but, just as importantly, not be afraid to question any and everything about historical records in order to give us the most accurate representation of the history of our species and of our planet!
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[@germanmechanic8591]

The pledge of allegiance does its job. Uplifting but not necessarily enforcing critical thoughts. FUN fact: only North Korea does a similar „procedure“ at school. Just a thought.

[@MrChillerNo1]

Germany did too in the 30s, early 40s...

[@rat_king-]

@@MrChillerNo1 Where do you think it got its ideas? eugenics is from american progressives. that inspired that very racial sentiments that were, created and maintained by woodrow wilson, from jim crow and from the FDR. Ever seen the FDR hitler comparison? hitler copied FDR like a dog on a leash, with national industrial projects.

[@lm4122]

@@MrChillerNo1 portugal did it to while under dictatorship of salazar

[@jedsithor]

It's jingoistic brainwashing. Frightening really.

[@scottirvine121]

Agree its brainwashing, at least that's the way others see it

[@davidbell864]

Connor, people outside the USA sometimes look at America in horror. The craziness of some of the extremists (*Anon, religious fundamentalists, the survivalists etc), your bonkers gun laws, the insane health care system, the polarization of your politics and so on and so on. BUT, while there are young, intelligent, thoughtful people like you in America, there is hope for you. Power to you young man.

[@hullmees666]

there are crazies among progressives as well. just saying. you had etc but all the named groups were from one side.

[@JimbalayaJones]

Well said! Greetings from 🇩🇪 Keep goin, Connor!

[@sexpistol7712]

It's not a health care system.

[@newuk26]

There is an awful lot to admire about America as well though that I wish we had here. The optimism, the frankness, and the fact that Americans can still mostly unify around the flag.

[@fireheart6267]

So just because your uneducated we should feel bad? We don't have anymore extremists than any other country. Our gun laws are the best in the world and so is our Healthcare system

[@xxx_phantom_xxxw_t_a9479]

Hello from Switzerland, well, regarding freedom, the statement regarding freedom (which is also a matter of interpretation) is not necessarily true; Let's take Europe (Schengen area), you can travel to other independent states without a check at the respective border (e.g. Germany to France and on to Spain and Portugal), in the USA it is only possible within these, to Mexico and Canada do you need ID's or passports. Especially with your two parties, you have had one (sorry, there are 2) foxes in the chicken coop for decades, because neither party thinks about the well-being of ordinary citizens, i.e. workers. They only want the goodwill of the powerful, the rich, and the corporations. How can it be explained that social security is practically non-existent, health insurance is a luxury and yet only a minority can afford medical care. That alone shows that something is going terribly wrong. If we add the fact that a president who has been voted out of office still propagates election fraud years after his deselection, the question arises as to whether you still have a so-called democracy at all.

[@hobopwnr1]

Personally, I think the difference in freedom with regard to travel that you cite can be easily explained by the fact that the US has had no geographical necessity for such open borders. The scale (our states may as well be equivalent to nations in the EU) and rather unique geography (could literally stand on it's own resources without the need for foreign trade) of the US, coupled with only having *two* sovereign states maintaining a land border is juxtaposed to the EU, where each sovereign nation is so small by comparison and not as resourcefully diverse, which would necessitate higher degrees of trade and mobility in order to thrive at the level the US is innately able. Not saying one is better than the other, just saying the routes of development mirror the necessities of each respective group. I do definitely agree that our two-party system is terrible, because while not explicitly stated (constitutionally) to be so, that is how things have ended up and they most certainly give favor to their friends. Fun Fact: I have been an investor since 18, and have roughly doubled the market average growth since, but since beginning a new strategy where I mirror every trade in congress, I'm up 437% As for social-security and healthcare, the philosophy that governed the establishment of SS in the US needs to be understood before it can be criticized. It was meant to be a safety net for individuals who *happen* to live beyond the average age, NOT a guarantee for anyone and everyone (which is also part of why it was so opposed initially, because it was a system not everyone who paid into would benefit from). I'd say healthcare in the US is in a similar state of "misunderstanding," any proactive party can find and select care according to their needs (which is the really important part) and essentially gain any treatment needed for a fraction of the (albeit inflated) cost. Most of the people who have ongoing medical expenses that they complain about and document online that help facilitate this belief that the US system is unfair and in some ways "wrong" are individuals who, had they made a more informed decision, could be paying a lot less. For a personal example, I am a fairly healthy 24 years of age, I have no pre-existing conditions, so I know that any medical expenses I incur will either be so drastically low I wouldn't care, or so drastically high that I'd never be able to pay. So instead of doing what everyone does and locking myself into some lazy one-size fits all program, I find an HDHP that my employer supports so that essentially, I can only be expected to pay up to $3000 a year in medical expenses, after which 100% of treatments are covered. Could be over $1Mln USD in fees and I'd still only have to pay $3000. What does it cost me? ~$57 a month. That's it. Less than what you could expect to pay as a similar percent of taxes in a social-welfare state. These examples you see online are typically people with a one size fits all program that keeps them responsible for some % after their deductible is met. Again, maybe not the best system in the world for the group, but if every individual had the wherewithal to navigate the system, I'd argue it's the best for *any* individual. As for propagation of fraud, I'm not going to touch that with a 10-foot pole but I will say, free speech is alive and well lol. But for the record, we aren't a "so-called democracy," we are a democratic republic. I'd actually love to discuss this further at length if you or any others are interested, so please just let me know :) hope you and yours have a phenomenal day.

[@user-lv6rn9cf8m]

Agreed, except the free travel part... at least Sweden has run illegal border checks since 2015 now. "Temporarily" they say. EU has told them to stop but... nope. It's an extra big deal because how close Malmö is to Copenhagen - lot's of people work in one country and live in another. And as usual, people of color are more frequently targeted.

[@stevesmith9285]

Gday mate. I’m an Aussie in his 40s. I came across your reactions coz I like history documentaries and comedy. Kept watching your stuff coz it’s intelligent, funny and interesting. Your comments after the reaction were awesome (for lack of a better word). Would love to have many beers and conversations with people like yourself. Good onya mate 👍

[@oliverwest9789]

Hi mate, I'm a Brit and saw you were an Aussie, I just want to know what your thoughts were on CANZUK?

[@BeeLZBeeb]

The poms are piling on here lol, I’m a Brit too, 40, I agree. What a thoughtful response.

[@williamlarge69]

Another brit here conner is great talks abit to much (only joking conner) but in fairness he does great stuff esp history stuff

[@aussie_chick]

Many countries were left intact after WW2, not just the US. The US didn’t win the war by themselves. 50 years ago, most Australians lived a free and happy life too. Some of your comments are perpetuating the thinking that the US is the best country in the world by even suggesting that it was in the past, if not now.

[@rhyssanders9122]

Yeah mate I'm in my late 20s in Aus and I came through the rugby reactions haha

[@Steve-ys1ig]

This was a very intelligent reaction from a young man who is at least asking questions. Bravo to you

[@miafranlund6982]

I really love this reaction. You are a young man that always has put out good content on the channel, and I have truly enjoyed watching. This one seems to really have hit a nerve and I love the way you responded to it. So refreshing to see someone actually asking for nuance and for people being able to discuss things without digging trenches to protect beliefs no matter what the fact is. My respect for you just grew.

[@ja_ma]

I'm seeing some of the Nordics going the same way as The US, slowly but surely.

[@iriscollins7583]

@@ja_ma Capitalism started in Holland.

[@gaelsomerville5163]

I agree with what you say with the caveat that the US may not have been so free for all your black citizens in the 1940s and 50s.

[@0hffs]

Yes, was going to reiterate this. The question of FREEDOM for WHOM? whom was to take advantage of the freedoms that were “allowed”. There’s always this generalization that comes up when freedom is being given but the TRUTH of the matter is that it was for a select few, not for all. It’s rather amusing that some people quickly forget that the interstate highway system brought on by the automobile industry gutted poor black and PoC neighborhoods to pursue FREEDOM. Indeed, freedom came at the expense of others who didn’t ever get a chance to succeed in their very own country.

[@terryhayward7905]

This is one of the BEST reaction videos on KZbin. It's really good to hear someone thinking and talking sense. I hope you get a lot of views, and people might even start to think for a change. The major problem worldwide is the disparity of wealth. There are multi millionaires and billionaires who have more money than they know what to do with, and millions of people in the world with not enough money to eat properly. Some ultra rich do help to make the world a better place, while others buy a new yacht and private plane just because they can. I have no answers to this, but I know that until answers are found, things will not get better.

[@36814]

The world's greatest artists ????? SERIOUSLY ????

[@yendor9078]

Bs maybe

[@lyndarichardson4744]

Connor, you gave very thoughtful responses to that video.

[@austinlondon3710]

Connor, part of what he was talking about was President Roosevelt's 'War on Poverty' campaign and policy following the Wall Street Crash of the 1930s. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration (WPA) an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. It also finance public arts project, created free Community Colleges, and constructed major projects like the Hoover Dam. It was set up on May 6, 1935, by presidential order, as a key part of the Second New Deal. The period is know in USA history as the era of 'American Socialism'. This is the period in American history when all of the great Americans public buildings and social institutions were created and flourished. Particularly in the Arts, engineering, architecture, and sciences. It's the golden age of 'American Socialism' that people like Senator Bernie Sanders look back to for inspiration in solving the social and economic problems of today. It is also the period most demonised by the USA's Conservative Right-wing. Because it proved that Socialism could exist in the USA, with its own distinct American characteristics, and be successful. The New Deal position the USA economically and technically in a position to fight and help win World War 2. It also positioned the USA, to reap the economic advantage following the war. By the 1970s, the USA had the highest living standards in the world. The Conservative Right-wing push back against 'American Socialism' in the 1980s reversed all that. The USA went from 'War on Poverty' to 'War on Drugs', to 'War on Terror' in the 2000s. The gap between rich and poor in the USA, which was narrowed by the legacy of New Deal policies in the post-World War 2 period. Was widened by the abolition of the social programmes that underpinned lifting people out of poverty and creating the American Middle Class. The Reagan Administration enacted policies which transfered wealth from the poor to the rich. Used State powers like 'Eminent Domain' laws to asset strip the country of public commons established by the New Deal. Selling public assets of to wealthy corporations and individuals cheap. Social benefits were drastically cut and eliminated, and poor mostly Black communities, were targeted by the US Government and agencies for social and economic destruction. The Crack Epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s was the result of a Reagan Administration 'Black Opperations' programme, which illegally imported Cocain into the USA, and sold it into Black communities across the USA preprocessing as Crack Cocain. The effect was immediately devastating. But they all got away with doing it. This was all part of the Conservative Right-wing war on 'American Socialism'. Today, it has been an outstanding success. With the rich, far more wealthy than the have ever been in USA history; and the average "Middle Class" American, poorer than they have been, relatively, since the 1940s. With standards of living for average Americans constantly falling, year on year.

[@martindunstan8043]

That was well worth the time to read, thank you ✌️

[@austinlondon3710]

@@martindunstan8043 👍

[@gazinessex2]

It always makes me cry. I have never seen Connor so quiet.

[@stevesperry8649]

Good one Connor, Saw ur passion which is amazing. Good to see the real you, great reaction, coming from your heart and soul. Very well said Take care from New Zealand and have a great Xmas with your family

[@MrTrevisco]

What superb analysis of this video, and allowing to run its full course before breaking it down was great, like you only the last part where he mentioned things they used to do had me going 'what'? But it was a great speech.

[@aussie_chick]

He’s saying that they fought the war against the reasons poverty exists and supported ‘poor people’, rather than stigmatising and looking down on them.

[@blaen67]

Thanks Connor, as someone looking from the outside (Australia) in at the US, the place scares me and I think it scares the rest of the world too, and not in a good way. It looks like a place on the path to some form of major civil unrest that will be devastating. You video gives me hope that there is intelligent life left in the US with common sense, that can change things. Have you ever considered politics? You have the head for being a politician for the greater good.

[@user-pp9yk3tu4z]

Yeah completely agree the biggest problem is the American polarised media. In the UK the main tv news so BBC, ITV and channel 4 news are regulated by an independent body and have to be politically independent. Of course its often impossible to be completely independent and I'm sure people will say the BBC is more left leaning or whatever but at least they attempt to present the news in the most unbiased and truthful direction. It is so important that people are informed by reliable, non prejudiced news.

[@0hffs]

I’m curious to know what your thoughts are of Sky, giving the American company NBC, recently purchased Sky in the UK. How do you think Sky will be influenced to make their agenda worse now that it’s American owned? Do you think it will create propaganda that’s more bias than the BBC?

[@Steve-gc5nt]

I don't think the BBC attempt to be anything like independent. They drip their agenda. And anyone who says otherwise just isn't listening or it suits them not to.

[@user-pp9yk3tu4z]

@@Steve-gc5nt yes of course they do, compare the BBC to FOX news or CNN and its completely different. As I said it is often impossible to be completely neutral but they do try. the presenter Martine Croxall was suspended after she was found to have broken the BBC's impartiality so they clearly do try..

[@user-pp9yk3tu4z]

@@0hffs Im not really tbh but Ofcom, the uks regulator would most likely interfer if they felt sky news was being biased. They for example banned RT the Russian one cause of its misinformation.

[@Marco-zt6fz]

And still believe people America is the Greatest Country on the World. That America is the greatest countriy on the world , thats was for a long time ago. America need a change in the future, a problem is, that the US-Democracy has only 2 political Parties, another countries has 4,5,6 politcal parties. Democracy is not only voting politican, is also to fighting for more Freedom. I have american friends in Europe, they say we have more freedom then home in the USA.

[@robertmurray8763]

YES. Other countries have at least four political parties in there Congresses or Parliaments. America is regarded as a two party State and this is not a healthy democracy. Americans are less likely to vote compared too any Democracy in the World.

[@JoeChur]

This show was written by Aaron Sorkin (famous for the West Wing and a Few Good Men). For me - he is the best American script writer and I recommend you check out some more of his work. I think you will love lots of it

[@rightlyso8507]

Just another bolshevik!

[@scyphe]

The question of which country is the best is a weird question to begin with. Which metrics do we use to compare countries? To me there's only one metric that counts; how well a country/government takes care of it's citizens which includes everything from economic stability, maintaining a fair society, taking care of the less fortunate etc. to healthcare, equal rights, labor rights and fair salaries and so on. Unfortunately USA fails on many levels to care about it's citizens. USA is run like a corporation and thus prioritize accordingly which unfortunately create inequality, a massive gap between the poor and the rich. Freedom? Freedom to do what? Buy guns? Milk money from the low and middle class? USA is the richest country in the world but somehow can't/won't take care of all it's citizens. A government is supposed to work for the people, not the other way around. A government is paid by the people to do a job of supporting ALL of it's citizens and create stability. For some reasion USA seems to have forgotten about that. It's been replaced by manipulation and subterfuge to keep it's population in the dark by repeating the same old lies and nonsense about USA being the greatest country in the world.

[@LuvNickynGina4ever]

👏👏 beautifully said 🤟🙌

[@baramuth71]

This was not a movie but a TV show, but what has been said here hits the nail 100% on the head. America calls itself "The Land of the Free" which is the biggest farce and lie that has always existed. America is a land of the rich, they feel free in their view, but what about the other citizens who don't have the slightest chance of ever achieving that. The rich are getting richer and richer and determine the economic and political life in the USA and take serious influence on politics. In addition, the most impossible conditions in the U.S., the terrible gun laws, a health system where even the poorest country in Africa has a better. the high cost of living. Here you can only say that America is a third world country. And there it is the rich who prevent a change for the better. America has never been a democracy, America is a plutocracy where just as I said the rich have the say and determine. Sadly sad America.

[@ianjackson1674]

It might be appropriate to point out that the USA did not win World War Two alone. The United Nations coalition was around 30 countries, some occupied , some not, all making a contribution. In terms of casualties, Russia lost about 20 men for every life lost by the British and USA forces combined. The war was won by a combination of Russian blood, American treasure and British guile. (For the latter, see Enigma / Ultra, Radar, and nuclear weapons. Much of the basic technical research on the bomb was done in the U.K. before the Manhattan project began.)

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

The whole, three-season series The Newsroom, was a great US production. I think it ran eight to 10 years ago. It wasn't the iconic masterpiece which was The West Wing, but it was certainly one of the best drama series to come from the US in recent years.

[@JordiVanderwaal]

I think a lot of people from the US need to watch that scene. It's been quite some time but that speech is even more relevant now than 10 years ago. Tough times. Btw I don't know if that's gonna cheer you up, but the rest of the world isn't doing so well either. There's an economic, political or social crisis in almost every country. Some countries just straight up collect those crises. XD I liked your analysis on football team-like politics. Can't imagine what it's like to live on a country with a 2 party system. It just sounds so broken. I don't even vote for the same parties depending on if those are local, general or even European elections. 😱

[@blacksorrento4719]

I have not long returned from a cruise whereby the majority of guests onboard were Americans. I am not. Americans really need to see this scene, because in general I found them rude, arrogant and utterly ignorant of world affairs concerning other countries. I was appalled at how they demanded service from the wait staff. Please and thank you I took notice, were not in their vocabulary. This is just my observation from cohabiting with approx 1500 of them for 15nights. It could be very sobering to let the average American realise just where their country stands in the stats against the rest of the countries. They need to look outside their little bubble because there is a big wide world out there that has caught up and in many cases surpassed the USA, whilst they have been treading water on past glories. Yes the world is in a mess right now. I think we all need to take a long hard look and see what we can do to educate ourselves for a better outlook on others and the world in general.

[@EnigmaTimGaming]

Absolutely do react to the speech from The Great Dictator, maybe even watch the film it is from, but check out a synopsis of the film so you have some context of who Charlie Chaplin is playing (it's not exactly who it looks like) Also do bear in mind, Charlie Chaplin was an iconic actor from the silent days, this was his first speaking role and every single word of that speech is valid and impactful even today.

[@mosthaunted2]

It's a brilliant speech! Charlie Chaplin was a genius and that speech was well ahead of it's time.👍

[@iriscollins7583]

Charlie Chaplin was BritIsh. Who has a very sad difficult early life.

[@jenesisjones6706]

I got tears...and I'm an Aussie! I hope the US can wake up in time.

[@newuk26]

Its too late I think

[@petercav9440]

Wonderful reaction, Connor. Thank you...... there's still hope!

[@mats7492]

There is no "The best country".. that mindset alone is weird to me

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

What's worse is this 'talk' being a decade old clip from some tv series. Not politicians trying to change something right now .

[@arnodobler1096]

"Best Country in the world!!!" Where is the contest? Which other countries are participating? Are they invited to participate? Who will be the jury? Oh it´s more like the world series? USA USA USA

[@rightlyso8507]

It's how most Americans feel, that's all. We're not seeking anyone else's approval. You're from Germany, right? yikes! I understand.

[@willemdubbeldam9285]

The biggest mistake the USA has ever made is to make news commercial. Instead of making news as neutral as possible, it is the subject of ratings and ad revenue. This makes news be brought in such a way that it attracts as many viewers to that broadcasting station as possible. This is a big difference from how news is delivered in most European countries. There are no commercial interests there.

[@rightlyso8507]

You are correct! And the "news" programs spew out whatever the government tells them they must report. Any news in your media on the protests across Europe, such as Holland ... in China. Any "news" in the state-controlled media on the massively negative effects of the poke? Nope - no commercial interests, no matter how much "news" they allow you to receive.

[@gloryguyful]

Connor, i loved your thoughts on this, very humble and intelligent, the media feed in USA distorts peoples perspective, glad u looked at this as not a criticism of the US it is a shout to to research what made the US great

[@rogoth01themasterwizard11]

just to give you some perspective regarding the defence spending stat, this video was made a few years ago so isn't entirely accurate anymore (and by that i mean America is actually worse in the categories he mentioned than it was at the time this was filmed ironic really), but the amount of funding given to the US armed forces is so obscene the latest spending figures for this year has seen total defense spending surpass $800 BILLION, that's more money spent on 'defense' than the entire GDP of Switzerland ($751Bn), and as stated other than China who is viewed as an enemy, the US spends more on 'defense' than every other nation ranked below the US up to 25 nations down the list COMBINED. that level of spending is so egregious and so over the top, you could literally slash it in half and still be the highest overall spend of any nation on Earth ($375-400Bn) and the remaining funds could be used to FULLY PAY FOR a universal healthcare system that would cover every single person in the US with some spare change left over for a 'rainy day' fund in case of emergencies, that's how utterly fucking moronic your 'defense budget' is, that's how out of whack your public spending is, and is a relic of the cold war with too many old age pensioners in positions of power still living in an age and authorising such things as to make it seem like you are still living in the cold war era based on that 'small' detail of the US economy.

[@yosephbaomer7023]

This speech resonates with me strongly as we are suffering the decline of our societies. Although this speech was about America but as a Brit I feel the same can be said about Britain which used to be a great nation that shaped the modern world greatly but has fallen from grace massively. Intervention is needed now more than ever to stop this descent into oblivion and create societies that will allow people to thrive and be proud of.

[@angelavara4097]

You are right about that.

[@ja_ma]

The decline is happening all over the world though.

[@c_n_b]

You can't expect a tiny country to continue to rule the world after so much technological globalisation. We're doing just fine.

[@paul1979uk2000]

The UK does seem to be going down a dark path since the austerity measures over a decade ago and the states are showing the same kind of picture where we seem to be in decline in many qualities of indexes stats and Brexit has made it much worse by creating an unstable political environment and weakening the economy. I think the UK is going to take around 10 years to recover from the damage the Tories have done over the last decade or so but even then, it's highly unlikely we'll be as well off as we were in the EU. As for the US, they've got a long way to go to sort their problems out, they are slipping behind a lot of modern countries in many key areas that matter to the people and there doesn't seem to be any real signs of that changing any time soon. As for the decline is happening all over the world, that isn't true but for western countries, they are slipping a little the last year or two but that's a short term thing thanks to the pandemic and now the war in Ukraine, what we are seeing in the UK and US is that it's been happening for about 15 years in the UK, pretty much since the Tories took power and around 2 decades in the US., so the decline in the US and UK isn't related to the pandemic or the war in Ukraine, it's much deeper than that.

[@yosephbaomer7023]

@@c_n_b We are not doing fine and I am not dreaming for the UK to relive the empire days all I'm suggesting is for the UK to make a meaningful contribution to the world. Also the country needs to change how its economy is run, reform its political system and instill strong moral values back into large swathes of the population.

[@oliverwest9789]

Hi mate, brilliant reaction really enjoyed it, tbh it's not just the US, it feels like most places are going through this kind of thing, certainly is in England that's for sure, I totally share your frustrations but we'll just have to endure for now. Keep up the good work mate, look forward to your next video.

[@thegael791]

UK mate, if you want others to share this view then don't say England. There are 5 million Scots, 3 million Welsh and 2 million Northern Irish who get a bit sick and tired of the United Kingdom being narrowed to England only.

[@oliverwest9789]

Hi mate, sorry wasn't trying to narrow out the other nations at all but Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland all have their own parliaments and I'm afraid that I don't quite keep up to date with them as much as I should, apologies if anyone felt excluded. Where you from mate?

[@razmataz13drums]

I don't know the film, but it's kinda hilarious that the guy got away with saying 'freedom and freedom' and the guy in the middle gets hounded

[@michaelmclachlan1650]

You make an excellent point. Incidentally it's from a series called 'The Newsroom', first shown 2012 it ran for three seasons and twenty five episodes. Available on various streaming services and here on KZbin: kzbin.infoSCTO3jB1Uadw_-gMW-JhQasg?season=1&sbp=CgExGhoKGFVDbkh5bjM5RFBrTEdFdVYzM19iTjktZw%253D%253D

[@Billiousful]

A heart-warming response, Connor.

[@MLWitteman]

Great reaction man, and I’m sorry for how things are going in the USA right now. But I think these same issues are effecting politics worldwide at the moment. The only thing which stops this from happening as badly in the Netherlands, is the multi party system. At least, I think so. Because the truth can probably be more complicated.

[@daviel6595]

It's same in UK footballifacation It's like football support 1 team 1 party

[@astralnomad]

@mcjibbin - it wasnt a movie.. yes that is Jeff Daniels (the same guy that played Harry in Dumb and Dumber) BUT this was a tv show called The Newsroom. Specifically the pilot episode.

[@newuk26]

Connor, your point at 11:50 is a problem across the whole western world, not just the USA. We've all forgot what true greatness is, and that is why all western nations are in decline. We have no faith in ourselves anymore. Western civilisation has ruled the world since the 1400s. Via the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, French, British and then America. By the time that America took over from Britain as being the world superpower, the west was already in decline. WW1 did an immense amount of damage to the belief that western culture was the most civilised way to live. Once we started slaughtering each other in 1914 it became hard for people to believe that our culture was the most civilised. From then the self doubt has gradually grown, leading up to the present day, where almost everything once valued in western culture is hated by the youth. In the past there was always another western country to take over the superpower role. Unfortunately this time there isn't. Once America reaches a certain level of decline (which is inevitable eventually, every superpower in history has collapsed at some point), China or a revived Russia will be the superpower. God help us when that happens

[@johnchristmas7522]

The MAIN reason America is not the greatest country anymore is because its a BUSINESS not a country.

[@jedsithor]

I think the great tragedy of the US is that most Americans don't actually know what they're missing out on. It's only when they travel abroad (and only a few do) that they realise what they're being denied by their own supposed representatives. Most of Europe is socialist. Most of Europe is also capitalist. It's not one or the other. The political divide in most countries tends to be about the balance between the two, rather than one or the other. Things like mandatory paid vacation time, paid sick leave, maternity and paternity leave, these aren't things that employers decide on, they're matters of national law. Then there's the cost of medical care in the US which is abhorrent. Most people outside the US would probably think an American had to be joking if the American told them that you have to pay for an ambulance or that if you get cancer then you might have to get another mortgage on your house to fund your cancer treatments. The fact there are people who have to choose between life and bankruptcy is completely insane. What America has isn't freedom, it's exploitation.

[@majordisorder73]

such a great comment on the video. I'm totally with you, here... the world evolves towards an 'us against them' society. This is sadly becoming the case here in Europe as well.

[@SixFour0391]

14:25 Here, he means that we didn’t scoff at the homeless, we tried to help them. We “waged a war” on any system that tried to shove the homeless into some dark corner, so they wouldn’t bother us. We tried to end poverty, not discard them.

[@hcjorgensen]

Regarding the partisanship of American media outlets. You are on the right track. Know that you are not alone in thinking this way. To come to any form of consensus, the first thing you do is listen to and understand the person you disagree with as best you can. Hear them out. Only then can you have a debate. Only then is it even possible to say 'I disagree with you' with any sort of weight behind it. Following that, viewpoints may be changed, compromises may be reached to mutual satisfaction. Or not. At least it will be done in a manner where people respect each other's right to see things differently. If we can no longer get to that point, the winner will always be the one who yells the loudest. Not a very informed outcome. Keep doing what you're doing McJibbin. I like the way you think.

[@stephenveldhoen]

McJibbin you may not know this because you don't take World History in the US. Your Country didn't come into World War 2 until 1942 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbour in December. You were fighting against Japan. The UK and France declared war against Germany and the Soviet Union when they invaded Poland. The Commonwealth Countries had to join because they were part of the UK which was Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Guyana, Belize, India. Canada wasn't bombed by Germany because we were to far away. Canada 🇨🇦 is your neighbour. The United States is not the Greatest Country in the World anymore. Your Government doesn't care about you, businesses don't care about you, Hospitals don't care about and pharmaceutical companies don't care about you. Do you know that 66% of Americans declare bankruptcy do to Healthcare costs. 88,000 Americans die every year because they can't afford healthcare. Lot's of Americans don't go to Hospitals and Doctors because they can't afford it. So they decide to die or just get through it. You only get 2 weeks paid vacation every year. No sick days. You can't take off sick. No paternity and maternity leave. Which is disgusting. 7 million Americans die every 10 years in the US because they can't afford healthcare. 7 million Americans leave the US and immigrate to Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand because they feel safer than in the US. Get free Healthcare because they pay for it through Income Tax. Get Medications coverage, dental coverage through there work. Canada has strict gun laws here. We also have strict labour laws and lots of unions in Canada.

[@linky8899]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 Mr Mcjibbin......Halelujah!!! Is this America waking up to the real world??? To be honest ive watched you.for a.while now and you was at first an average American. But to see you open your eyes to the historic reason of US success and to see through the BS that is fed to your citizens makes me proud. Serious bro welcome to the real world!! ❤from UK

[@davidsande2342]

I suggest you check out some foreign news channels for a little different perspective on event's. They all have their own individual bias but are informative just the same.Usually less editorialize and more actual new. BBC, Sky News, CTV , Global, and maybe CBC but they editorialize a bit to much.

[@thelibraryismyhappyplace1618]

Regarding Sky News, British Sky News and Australian Sky News are two very different things. Do not watch Sky Australia. It is Murdoch drivel, the same as Fox in the USA.

[@dirtystarlight]

That's what I do too. National news dominated by political fighting instead of running the country for the benefit of the people? Time to flick through different news sources internationally to see what's actually happened in the world. I quite like DW too it's on a regular rotation

[@madrooky1398]

One outstanding fact is that the US has like 50 different polical parties, yet only 2 of them gather together 99% of the votes in general elections. Combine that with the thoughts how media networs act like they belong to one of those two parties, you get a sense in what state US democracy actually is. If media and news arent neutral democracy fails. Other countries have state funded networks, which isnt a perfect solution, but at least most of the time it is a reliable and neutral source of information for citizen. I am not saying there is any country on earth where bias isnt involved, we are all humans. But leaving the task of connecting people with the government up to the "free market" without clear rules for neutrality is a deep blow for "freedom" and "democracy". Alone the fact that Donald Trump got into office, but a guy like Andrew Yang ended his campaign so early in the primaries from which Joe Biden eventually became President is a sign of a struggling democracy. And the least problem is like Russia or China interfering in US elections. America does the most harm itself out of spite and arrogance.

[@lynseyh8876]

I got chills and I'm from the UK

[@DruncanUK]

@Connor That is some of the most insightful stuff you've ever said on your channel. Well said. It is rather depressing when you have to say those things but more people with your views etc is what is needed to pull this world out of the declining spiral. (I would caveat that with one thing, I think your statement about believing news stories because they "hurt the other team" is way off. So much "news" and "talking points" nowadays are outright lies and don't stand up to scrutiny for a second yet masses of uninformed people blindly believe it, politics has become a war of lies. Be sceptical, question everything until you find real evidence either way,) Now let's get back to the happy, cheery stuff. It is the Holiday season, after all. 🎄🎄🎉🎋🎉🎁🎀

[@michaeltunnicliffe4935]

On the topic of America being free. I have always thought that this was simply an idea from the days of the founding fathers that America was free form Britain. It has gone on to mean to most Americans that it's the land of freedom of speech and the land of freedom of thought and expression with free elections etc. But I have always taken it to mean simply the land of the free people who rid themselves of Britain's tyranny. Not many nations or colonies could say the same back then. They were certainly the biggest nation to free themselves from the largest empire the world had ever seen. It must have been quite a bragging right. To be the Land of the Free. And after this period, America made it very clear that they would never again allow a nation in North or South America be enslaved by a European power. America saw it's self as the protector of the new world. And so again, to proudly proclaim, WE ARE THE LAND OF THE FREE is to proclaim, we are free and will always be free. We will not be ruled by foreign powers again. As I say it has become known for something else and I think the new meaning makes significantly less sense. Most of the world is free.

[@Lottaquizzes]

I loved your reaction, you’re really wise sometimes. You should talk more.❤

[@stevefoulston]

One of the greatest truthful speakers ever all should watch this you can't live off past achievements for ever its up to all to continue and improve on them otherwise you are living a lie like right now today living a lie. Peace out.

[@kennethburridge862]

This time your reflections were deep ...great work :)

[@CerebralAptitude]

Waging war against Poverty and not poor people, means we fought AGAINST poverty and didn't turn our back on the poor.

[@MikeGill87]

It's not a movie but an Aaron Sorkin TV show, possibly his best one. Please, do watch it. It's one of the best TV shows ever made.

[@CaneRossso]

Used to be? When?

[@vaudevillian7]

Really great video Connor, agree with many of your points, I hope things can improve in the US sooner rather than later

[@davidrhodes5245]

One of the best, and most thoughtful reactions i’ve seen to this video. The WW2 reasoning makes perfect sense. The USA can definitely get back to being in a higher position on the list, but only if it WANTS to. Not easy to get there though with the government the way it is, and healthcare, and guns, and poverty..etc..etc.. to overcome. But it has to start somewhere. This video needs to be seen by as many as possible.

[@karenstrong8887]

This is from a movie but at that time everything he said was truth. I am Australian and for as long as I can remember no one except America thought they were great. You are the richest Country and that is all. You take our Nurses because they are so highly educated. You have been waiting to take my Granddaughter next year for the last three years. She is research Scientist and they want what she has proven at University to get her Bachelor Degree, she had to prove it. She was asked to do a year of Honours, then she was asked to come back to get her Doctorate and her Masters degree. She is one very student that will have her paper published while still a student. She teaches third year Biology and Chemistry while she is finishing her degree at University. Canada have been fighting for her too because our Government will not fund her research. I am hoping for Canada because if America gets her Big Pharma will make it go away. They make money by people staying sick, they don’t want a cure. They have done it before. You need to watch Why America Treats Their People So Badly. I like how you think but it will take everyone standing up against big business to change it. In Australia everyone who turns 18 has to vote. That gives us the power to take out the whole Government which we did in May. Thank you.

[@bobbybingle1662]

Nobody thinks America is the best apart from Americans. I live in the UK now and many Brits think Britain is the best and I am sure most nations think their country is the best.

[@johnwilletts3984]

That American post war boom was in part financed from Britain. In the early war years with Britain cut off from a conquered Europe, Food and war materials needed to be purchased mostly from the US. This resulted in a massive financial debt. Britain made the final payment with interest to America 31st December 2006. Only then did Britain become free and prosperous.

[@forevertoons9022]

A small part. The United States, was coming out of the Great Depression, which had affected millions more people, in countless more industries than in the rest of the world. We couldn't afford to just give the supplies over. At that very time, the United States still had yet to pay off it's war debts. Anyhow, all of those supplies were sold at a very large discount. I guess, while the UK was still going through their "austerity economy", in the 1950s, the United States was going through one of it's greatest economic booms. This due to all of the many technologies and innovations which they introduced to the world making us billions. Say that isn't so! The UK payments hardly contributed anything to the economy. Don't tell me that you actually believe otherwise. If Britain had stuck to it's agreement with the Czechs, after it's Munich deal, you might not have had a war. If Britain moved against Germany when they reoccupied the Rhineland, you would have had no WWII, either. As for 'free and prosperous" after 2006 - really?

[@claram4610]

Love this reaction. Been watching you for a while but this really hit. You are super entertaining to watch, but it's so obvious especially by this reaction you are super informed and wise. Looking forward to more content ♥️

[@unrealversum7729]

I would be interested if someone can answer it. As a European, I've only been interested in foreign policy and other countries since the Ukraine war. one thing i learned is that the usa is not a welfare state. USA is the only democracy I know that is not a welfare state. i know demonstrating in america is not patriotic. in europe, on the other hand, it is patriotic to fight for your rights by demonstrating. in the usa they say: "don't ask what your country can do for you, ask yourself what you can do for your country." politicians in europe would not be successful with this. in germany, for example, they say exactly the opposite. "the country is the people" or "we are the people". if the people are doing well, then the country is doing well. the question is why do americans not want to be a welfare state. it would obviously improve the quality of life. cheap health care system, cheap education, paid holidays at work, sick pay by employers, parental allowance... it would also reduce poverty in the us and make the country safer. In my opinion, the violence is not due to the many weapons but to poverty. some other democracies also have many guns. Why are Americans so strongly opposed to the welfare state? hopefully someone here can explain this to me. not related to himself but to the broad masses in the usa.

[@christinecoombs3536]

Thank you for your thoughtful and well considered responses. I think that the over emphasis on national pride and patriotism has been a problem for a long time. Was it Abraham Lincoln that said” patriotism is the last refuge of rogues and scoundrels”. I apologise if that is incorrect , I just seem to remember reading that in a biography of Abraham Lincoln.

[@alexandersteinmetz6857]

It is not enough to believe in something. You have to be willing to stand up for something if you want change. -Edward Snowden greets from Germany.

[@JH-ty3ic]

I remember when America did things "...not because are easy, but because they hard" but then profits not principles took the reigns of power.

[@Simon-hb9rf]

i hope you check out the full show, its a amazing fictional take on the real stories of the day and gives a valuable insight into how American politics got to where it is over the last 10 years.

[@Invictus357]

It amazes me that gen z (doesn’t matter which part of the world) for the first time in human history, have the sum total of nearly all of human knowledge at their fingertips, yet they would rather text friends, KZbin, TikTok, etc, instead of informing them selves about the wider world, instead of navel gazing, and looking inwardly. Yet, it makes me laugh when I see Americans, who have traveled overseas and seen how free the rest of the world is. Very thoughtful video.

[@Abbadonhades]

When McAvoy (Daniels) talks about the greatness that USA used to embody, I think he's talking about an idealized version of the US past. Waging wars for moral reasons, never beating your chest etc. can reasonably be questioned. Even when we get back to WW2 the US only entered after being attacked first. If there was a moral imperative at work, surely the USA would have joined the allies earlier on. I'm not going to get into the reasoning behind the Korean war or the Vietnam war, because those were obviously not morally grounded. I'll give McAvoy a point for emphasizing how politically divided the USA has become. That political discussions used to involve the possibility of bipartisan cooperation and compromise. That family and friends could vote differently, and still be able to maintain friendly relations. This is something which in the current climate seems increasingly difficult. I could be wrong, but isn't the roots of the partisan media to be found i a court decision from the 1980's? One that removed news medias obligation to report the news in a balanced manner? This would have opened the floodgates for radio stations, tv channels etc. to report the news in a one-sided way.

[@johnmoyle4195]

I think when people say that their country is the greatest, is on account of that they live there.

[@StephMcAlea]

Most of what Daniels says of the golden age is bullshit. When was the last time you saw a bad news story where the anchor didn't try to sell it with a sense of drama? Like they were a storyteller? That's not news, that's propaganda.

[@chrisgibson7591]

It's typically American , We're not the best now but we were better than everybody else,

[@linky8899]

He did say the best by default, ie every other country lay in ruins from the WW.

[@chrisgibson7591]

@Linky What did that have to do With having the best Literature and the best inventions, And america Didn't only go to war For the best reasons, Well maybe the best Reasons for America

[@valeriedavidson2785]

@@chrisgibson7591 The best literature and the most inventions are from Great Britain. Fact.

[@RaceSimCentral]

I think the speech references things like the New Deal, the Civil War, ending slavery, etc. There were laws passed to improve things in the past, and they don't happen today, not when compared to the military spending to defend against... Er... Our allies.

[@stephenveldhoen]

We have 7 political parties in Canada 🇨🇦 and that includes for the Provinces.

[@HenriHattar]

Harry Hatter says.. the United States ( NOT AMERICA) never was the best country in the world, never was!

[@ryanbadger4437]

That was a really good reaction. Intelligent and thoughtful. Really good to see from a young person.

[@SixFour0391]

14:55 “WALK SOFTLY and carry a big stick”. Means we treat everyone around the world with dignity, kindness and respect, but don’t screw with us. Cuz we’ll come out guns blazing. Beating our chest, refers to gloating unnecessarily. Be aggressive without provocation. After WWII, we were the white knight…we ended the destruction. So we saved people, and cared for nations that were in need. But then, we got cocky, beat our chest and boasted about being a powerful and great nation, when the stats don’t bear that out. We became ignorant and intolerant and isolationists. While I think we should spend more focus here at home, if we want to be world leaders, we have to, in fact, lead…the…world.

[@jacobmassey3897]

As an ex US citizen this video was so satisfying when I first saw it.

[@raypierce5818]

This clip has always moved me, first by Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant writing and secondly by Jeff Daniels’ spot on performance. It was wonderful to see your thoughtful reaction to this which was equally moving. This following scene aired at the end of the second season of the show, it captures just a little of what made the series so powerful. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHishWd-iZ2gg6csi=ORJ4jUY6aVggW-mO

[@connortopping6943]

brilliant video. I've always found It funny how Americans are so thinking they are the freest on earth when half the world is just as free as them if not freer

[@iansmith1286]

It becomes a downward spiral when your party affiliation is unchangeable and unquestioned. Sure, here in the uk there are people who will stick to voting for "their" party regardless but they are becoming more and more a minority . The majority now vote for the party whose policies are more attractive to them and surely that is how it should be. Belittling a good policy just because the "other" party came up with it will lead to stagnation of your country and its relevance to the rest of the world.

[@johnmcaleer7099]

"Sure used to be" i'll agree with that back in the 70s i loved it. Now, going back to the u s, not that much.🇬🇧 Ps jeff daniels is outstanding in this roll Pps well said connor👍

[@jochendamm]

I believe that the US' freedom goes back to their foundation period. Many people left the "old world" for good. Europe was messed up even before WW1 and people were pent-up in rules and regulations. Many people loved their home but left it to be able to breathe again. They left all behind for an unknown future and high risk knowing that Europe with its security felt like a prison. Captured by benevolence and hospitality but also hostility. They had no space for self-fulfillment. Especially the lower classes. And it got worse between WW1 and WW2 and with the nazi era.

[@ReaperZa23]

But in reality, since the collaborative WW2, America has NEVER won a conflict

[@esclad]

"We don't even know what our cage looks like because we have never seen it from the outside." "We should stop going around babbling about how we're the greatest democracy on earth when we're not even a democracy. We are a sort of militarized republic." - Gore Vidal.

[@rightlyso8507]

Oh my - Gore Vidal, now there's a voice from America for you!

[@esclad]

@@rightlyso8507 He was a very wise man who didn't suffer fools gladly.

[@rightlyso8507]

@@esclad Heh heh, I was being sarcastic.

[@esclad]

@@rightlyso8507 ;)

[@Terji]

100% agree with your rant at the end

[@ercsey-ravaszferenc6747]

Bro, I know that this is a very late comment, but here's my two cents as someone who had lived in the USA for three years. Of all the things that the actor mentioned the most concerning to me is the belittling of intelligence. It was my general experience, that if you're learned in the USA you're more likely to be looked down on and treated with suspicion. Intellectual has become a negative label. And the reason why it concerns me is because I'm a European and here in Europe we experienced a few totalitarian regimes. And if there's one thing that they all have in common is their fear of intellect, intellectuals, learned people. Every dictatorial regime has demonized and persecuted them. You know what's the biggest difference between America and other developed nations? It's that the others are well aware of their problems, imperfections, issues. They will openly speak about them and they accept criticism, in fact they welcome it both from inside and outside. In America meanwhile it's a small miracle that such a scene got into mainstream television. And God forbid, if you're a foreigner and you dare to mention anything in any other way then raving ecstatic praise, most Americans will start foaming at the mouth "If you don't like it, go home!". That makes you sadly unique in this world and it's disheartening.

[@CliveBilby]

I cannot wait to see you watch Charlie Chaplin's speech from The Great Dictator.

[@lorrainemoynehan6791]

I think, alongside historical ref to Roosevelt, I think it's an attitude to the poor, firstly there is no respect for working for a living. The first question I'm always asked by Americans is "what do you do for a living" from which they decide how much I earn and whether they wish pursue the conversation. The second part is how some people seem to despise the poor. They think it is their fault they are poor (I have no figures for social mobility) This absolves both government and citizen from addressing the problem. There is poverty in europe, but there are not streets rammed with people living in tents I think your assessment is well measured and objective

[@scouseofhorror104]

You got me thinking Connor. My sister has always been staunch Conservative here in the UK, and I've been a bit of a floating voter but tend to remain Labour in recent times. But when we get together we're like peas in a pod to the point nobody else gets what the hell were talking and laughing about! 🤔😅

[@newuk26]

I'm a Conservative and my best mate is Labour. Its never had any impact on us being friends. Having different opinions on how to improve things is never a reason to fall out. We all need to remember that neither side has a monopoly on good ideas. Its so sad to see now how politics on both sides has just descended into petty point scoring. The old adage of "I disagree with you, but I'll fight to my death for your right to disagree" has long gone.

[@stirlingmoss9637]

In the USA you're free to sink or swim, just as it's always been. Money speaks louder than rights. And you're the greatest debtor nation ever, $27 trillion and no possibility to repay. The UK is besties with the USA only when it suits the US. Nothing useful has ever come out of America, only harm. In my view.

[@sandraback7809]

Great reaction as always, Connor. Maybe it’s my age 😱😂 but the times I shout at the BBC when obvious bias and hyperbolic language is used to push a certain narrative or agenda😤😤😤😤😤. I want news to just give me information from all sides of events and issues. I don’t want a story that tries to lead me and make up my mind for me. 🤦‍♀️. There are good journalists and reporters but they seem to be on more local/ regional channels. JMHO

[@wayneperry7413]

The beauty of the internet you can find credible and decent news channels, such as DW News, PBS News and SBS Australia, albeit these will be covering more global stories than local news.

[@seamusconnolly9710]

When we talk about freedom. Does one have the freedom to go home with pay if I’ll? Just one example.

[@howellevans8679]

long time ago since this america has sunk way further down the toilet

[@ros8737]

Examples given aren’t disastrous. The scary part is The Democracy Index where USA is ranked number 26 as a “Flawed democracy”, which is a bad example for the stability of the world.

[@valeriedavidson2785]

Britain was the greatest country in the world, not so long ago.

[@GayJayU26]

It’s become exactly the same in the UK. Thanks Connor!

[@TheJonasbz]

I realy love to see an american thats not stupid, it gives me hope on the US, a smalll hope but still a hope, qousae the US has turn in to shit