Sometimes an outsider’s perspective can be an incredibly valuable thing – it allows an escape from the vested interests and entrenched biases that color domestic discussions and can give a more accurate, objective picture of reality.

It can sometimes be really difficult to accept, however, particularly when it involves criticism. The outsider often doesn’t know or care about long-standing habits or traditions, intangible things like loyalty, patriotism and religious faith. The outsider sees only the result of these things and tells it as it is.

This perspective – uploaded onto the subreddit r/MurderedByWords as a response to a post about the gun debate – is a brutally honest summation of an outsider’s view of American society.

For an American, it makes difficult reading because many people are raised to believe that they live in the undisputed greatest nation on Earth. The statistics don’t bear this out however and many foreigners, tired of being lectured to about freedom and democracy while being pressured into supporting war after war, are only too happy to set the record straight.

Harsh? Perhaps. Of course, this commenter has their own biases based on the reality of their own country; we all have different needs and expectations about life and governments choose different ways to serve the best interests of their citizens.

But some things are universal – the right to safety and access to affordable medical care for example – and many outsiders look on in horrified amazement at Americans squabbling over petty details whilst innocent people continue to die tragic and preventable deaths.

Perhaps it might be time to swallow some pride and take a little outsider criticism on board?

Just a suggestion.

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