42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To

Interview

It's easy to take a lot of things for granted if you never leave your home. One of the first learning moments many kids have is when they visit a friend or relative and realize that people live differently. But travel is the number one educator, a way to see just how differently folks from around the globe get by.
Someone asked “What's a luxury that most Americans don't realize is a luxury?” and netizens from the US shared their thoughts. We also got in touch with the netizen who posted the question. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own thoughts and examples in the comments section below.

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42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To As an American who now lives abroad, air conditioning .

ZeleniChai , varyapigu / Envato Report

Final score:

42points

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42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Windows with screens. When I lived in Geneva, I was in a sixth-floor walk-up flat with no A/C. I was in for a very unfortunate surprise when the weather got warm and I opened the windows only for bugs to swarm in. No screens! How was I supposed to sleep in a hot bedroom and I couldn’t even open my tiny window for some air flow?!

emmers28 , felixwong Report

Final score:

26points

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42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To The ability to use restrooms without charge.

callipygianvenus , Hafidz Alifuddin / Pexels Report

Final score:

22points

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Bored Panda got in touch with the internet user who posted this question and they were kind enough to share some more details. We wanted to know why they picked this topic in the first place. “My friend traveled to Poland, and she was surprised that drying machines for clothes were a luxury. Hardly anyone had them over there.

We were also curious to hear their thoughts on why the thread had so much engagement. “Popularity in questions asked on that subreddit are just random really. You can ask the same question another day and not get any responses. Sometimes they hit, sometimes they don't,” they shared.

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To School facilities. As a rural Canadian, I grew up watching American TV and was always seething with jealousy over American schools. I was especially jealous that Americans could sign up for the school play and meet a teenage heartthrob. We didn’t have school plays, or a theatre in general, or band, or football, or a swimming pool, or art classes.

Crow_away_cawcaw , RDNE Stock project / Pexels Report

Final score:

22points

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Space. We have so much space. Lived in Japan for 2 years and space is what I missed the most. Bigger cars, houses, trees, cities (more area), businesses, etc… other places mostly seem so cramped. Even bigger cities like Chicago have so much more room comparatively.

jiu_jitsu_ Report

Final score:

21points

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42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Our cheap gas.

Amiiboid , Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels Report

Final score:

18points

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We also wanted to hear if this netizen had any examples of their own. “I used to play WOW classic with a person in our guild that lived in Lebanon. He would not always have 24 hour electricity.” We also asked if they had any favorite posts. “I would say the entire thread is my favorite, it's a humbling read for any Americans that don't travel outside the country.”

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Excellent water pressure in showers. When abroad, showers are like a flower watering pot. I like to feel my shower. Make the pressure strong enough to tear my skin off, then back it off like 10%.

petertmcqueeny Report

Final score:

16points

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42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Great disability access. I can go to any place — theatre, store, office, school, whatever — with confidence that I'll be able to navigate fine in my wheelchair, and they'll have ramps and/or elevators.

5AgainstRhodeIsland , Jakub Pabis / Unsplash Report

Final score:

15points

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In the early 2000s I asked a refugee from Somalia what if she liked it here. She said yes. "What's your favorite thing?" I said.

"If my house starts on fire I can call 911 and someone will come put it out."

"Oh. Yeah. That's awesome.".

1block Report

Final score:

14points

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#10

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Garbage collection. When I traveled a little bit, one of the things that struck me most was the amount of garbage in the streets and piled in fields. There is no municipal collection in some parts of the world.

universalrefuse , Jack Blueberry / Unsplash Report

Final score:

13points

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#11

Unless you truly live in the middle of nowhere, access to good Mexican food is basically guaranteed.

brief_interviews Report

Final score:

12points

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#12

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To That at school your child can get free services like speech therapy.

1throwawayjustaques , CDC / Pexels Report

Final score:

9points

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#13

Access to all types of climates and natural wonders in a single country. You like mountains? Go west. Beaches? There are lots of American cities located right by the sea. Like the cold? We've got Alaska! Deserts, canyons, waterfalls, geysers, forests? Got you covered all in one country where people speak one language and use one currency.

HrabiaVulpes Report

Final score:

7points

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#14

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Controlling the temperature of your home to whatever you want 24/7/365.

Most other developed countries are either good at heating or good at AC, but rarely both.

Joystic , anurag upadhyay / Pexels Report

Final score:

5points

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#15

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Back yards! Even if it’s small, a patch of land attached to your residence that no one but you has access to is something most people in cities in east, southeast, and South Asia can only dream of.

Pemulis_DMZ , Marianne / Pexels Report

Final score:

5points

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#16

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Libraries. The American public library system is very advanced. It's also, general speaking, free to use.

cashmerecat999 , Clay Banks / Unsplash Report

Final score:

2points

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#17

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To We essentially bathe in drinking water.

Mr_Lumbergh , Bluewater Sweden / Unsplash Report

Final score:

1point

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#18

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Regular street-sweeping. You won’t notice it until you go somewhere without it.

emoyer68 , Adit Prabowo / Pexels Report

Final score:

1point

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#19

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Dryers that actually dry clothes. I'm American but my new apartment has a European style 2 in 1 washer/dryer which i thought was cool at first until I used it and it takes 4 hours for a dry cycle, is soooo loud, and the clothes still come out a little damp. I miss my American sized washer dryer separate units

sugarface2134 , Max Vakhtbovycn / Pexels Report

Final score:

0points

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#20

Hot water. Grew up off grid, and hot water from the tap meant you had to have the water pump working and you had to have water in the catchment. Plus propane for the water heater, so hot water wasn't a guaranteed thing. Been living in "real" houses for the last 15 years and everytime I turn on a hot shower I'm still thankful .

ChipotleLaw Report

Final score:

-3points

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#21

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Owning a separate car for every driver in a household.

AllenRBrady , Adrien Olichon / Pexels Report

Final score:

-5points

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#22

Drinks with ice ‼️Apparently Europeans don’t like ice. Room temperature drinks don’t quench my thirst.

salonpasss Report

Final score:

-7points

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#23

Flushing toilet paper in the actual toilet.

Dr-Mumm-Rah Report

Final score:

-7points

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#24

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Vegetarian and vegan options.

smar82 , Lina Kivaka / Pexels Report

Final score:

-7points

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#25

The public education system, like having the ability to go to a school that’s covered by taxes; sure, it’s not perfect, and there’s always issues, but there are many people throughout the world that have never had this sort of opportunity that I think we in wealthier nations often take for granted.

chibinoi Report

Final score:

-8points

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#26

While it's true that you will have to drive great distances to get where you want to go, the interstate highway system and the rest areas are a unique feature of the American landscape. In other countries they do not exist, or have been replaced by commercial enterprises. A gas station with a donut shop on the side of the road is not the same as a rest stop.

SamanthaSass Report

Final score:

-10points

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#27

The single family home.

The vast majority of people live in apartments or row houses/townhouses.

hadapurpura Report

Final score:

-11points

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#28

Clean drinking water. My folks traveled the world quite a bit and said that they were amazed every time they returned to the US that there is (or was, a couple of decades ago) clean water out of almost every tap or water readily available nearby. We don't realize how incredible and rare this is, and so we take it for granted.

jeremyjava Report

Final score:

-11points

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#29

People obeying traffic signals. Guy I used to work with who was from an African country I cannot recall(this was 15+ years ago) said one of the most suprising things he saw when he immigrated was that people actually obeyed traffic lights. He said where he came from they were treated more like mild suggestions.

bigloser42 Report

Final score:

-13points

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#30

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To The ability to buy anything you can think of and buying online arrives in less than a week...often in two or three days.

A lot of countries just don't have the access to big box stores or infinite option online merchants.

phoenix14830 , Artem Podrez / Pexels Report

Final score:

-16points

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#31

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Traveling to other countries without an approved visa.

James_p_hat , nappy / Pexels Report

Final score:

-16points

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#32

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Fully stocked grocery stores. Life post-COVID showed me how much of a luxury this actually is. I can so vividly remember driving to the store to pick up some things only to find half-empty shelves.

King_in_a_castle_84 , Hanson Lu / Unsplash Report

Final score:

-18points

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#33

Potable tap water.

Whitewineandshrimp Report

Final score:

-20points

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#34

Multiples of electronics, i.e., TVs, computers, gaming systems.

ColoTransplant Report

Final score:

-20points

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#35

The right to protest, hold whatever backwards belief you want, and say whatever you want (of course if it isn’t true threats or fighting words).

youassassin Report

Final score:

-20points

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#36

The freedom to speak openly about your political and personal beliefs, no matter how stupid or uninformed they are.

cyn00 Report

Final score:

-22points

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#37

Fresh fruit from around the world every day of the year.

killingitsmalls Report

Final score:

-22points

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#38

Currency that doesn’t devalue every other month.

OddNefariousness1967 Report

Final score:

-23points

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#39

Spices. Less than 100 years ago paprika was as expensive saffron.

xxwerdxx Report

Final score:

-24points

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#40

Not caring about customer support. « ill just buy another one »

They dont understand that once you pay for something, its supposed to work as long as physically possible.

Too many dollars on their hands.

mhdy98 Report

Final score:

-24points

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#41

This is a hot take but the healthcare. I was born in Europe and have a lot of family still there. In Europe my aunt got cancer. When she needed scans the wait was counted in months. The hospital was terrible, more like a prison with old outdated equipment (this is in a big cosmopolitan European city not some podunk town)

My wife got cancer in the US. When she needed a scan it was ordered by the doctor and she was headed down within the hour. Her room was like a five star hotel.

Sure in Europe it was free, but you get what you pay for. Here my insurance covered all of this amazing care, once I paid the $2500 a year in deductibles everything was free last that point.

My aunt passed, my wife is alive and thriving.

Iamnotthedoctorlove Report

Final score:

-24points

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#42

Being able to get insulin. As much as the cost of it sucks, it's still available at all. I haven't missed a single day of taking it in over 41 years. It's why I'm not dead.

Government funded dialysis care. I'm not on dialysis but I used to work in the field for years. If you need it, you get it. Without those 3 3-4 hour treatments a week, those people would die.

Lack of actual wars in our country for over a century has been pretty nice too.

stupididiot78 Report

Final score:

-34points

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I am a writer at Bored Panda. Despite being born in the US, I ended up spending most of my life in Europe, from Latvia, Austria, and Georgia to finally settling in Lithuania. At Bored Panda, you’ll find me covering topics ranging from the cat meme of the day to red flags in the workplace and really anything else. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, beating other people at board games, cooking, good books, and bad films.

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I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

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What do you think ?

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Shane P 4 months ago

Lol most of these are just blatantly false and unchecked, just like I would expect from most Americans. My favorite is spinning the fact that Americans pay an arm and a leg for healthcare to be a good thing because it somehow makes it more timely. Lol

27points

Tyranamar Seuss 4 months ago

That was so bad I choked. What American still believes that c**p?

2points

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Momifer 4 months ago

Healthcare varies though, doesn't it? It depends on where you live and the doctors/resources in the area. I think that's a universal kind of thing. Not everywhere in the US has quick services or even good services. Would it be a fair statement that not everywhere in Europe is the same?

0points

Layla Layla 4 months ago

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Verena 4 months ago

It would have been enlightning if the OPs had named the country where they experienced the deficiency

17points

Caro Caro 4 months ago

Yeah, you read it as if the OP has been to ONE country outside the US and thinks it's "the world". There's a vast difference between countries, continents.

9points

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Justin Tyme 4 months ago

Being able to pay (huge amounts of money) for healthcare while the government spends trillions of dollars to lose wars all over the world instead of funding healthcare. What!? You mean other countries don't get this great privilege?

11points

Layla Layla 4 months ago

💯

1point

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Boy-Ahn 4 months ago

Well, this was a steaming pile of çrāp.

7points

Just a ray of f'ing sunshine 4 months ago

Why do all of these posts about the US turn into "let's hate on Americans"?

6points

Just a ray of f'ing sunshine 4 months ago

The majority of us are perfectly normal likeable people...

3points

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John Smith (he/him/xy/️) 4 months ago (edited)

Because you call it upon yourself with this kind of America is the greatest-posts. It's not. Much of this c**p stems from ignorant and proud of it-people

2points

Rafael 3 months ago

Agree that most of you are allright. "Let's mock American redditors" is more adequate perhaps?

0points

Ervin Conn 4 months ago

As an American I find this entire list embarrasing.

4points

Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 4 months ago

Yeah, me too.

4points

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John Smith (he/him/xy/️) 4 months ago

Typical ignorant-american rant

3points

Julie S 4 months ago

I swear that whomever puts these posts on here do it on purpose to stir up arguments amongst us all. They make out that all Americans are arrogant and think they are the best and they also think the rest of the world are plebs but the majority of Americans don't think that way.

3points

S. K. 4 months ago

How about the ways the U.S. has seemed backwards to people who have gone there? - Garbage collection is still done by people physically lifting the bins into the truck - Internet banking is virtually non-existent. - Public transport is atrocious in most areas - The lack of affordable healthcare is Neanderthal - The violence of the society is unmatched by any country that doesn't have d**g cartels or a civil war - The anti-abortion laws... I could go on.

3points

Thrillion 4 months ago

I sincerely hope you don't believe these generalizations just as the original posts are wrong to generalize.

2points

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Ian Webling 4 months ago

Have any of these OPs actually been out of the US or did they write their pieces based on Fox propaganda. I live in a Third World country and agreed with only two of 42 opinions.

2points

Mimi M 4 months ago

42 Times BP figured out another way to be passive-aggressive to the USA and Americans in a petty, immature way...

0points

Guess Undheit 4 months ago

Remember 2015 when scumbag Shkreli increased the price of a medicine FIFTY TIMES higher from $13.50 to $750? (The same medicine cost $1 in Europe.) Compare that with Indian pharmaceutical company Cipla which in 2019 reformulated an HIV medication, changing it from a metallic and alcohol tasting liquid (children with HIV wouldn't take it) to a crystals that taste like strawberries and could be mixed with milk (which children happily drank). Cipla sold it to African countries for about $1 per dose, $365 per year to save children's lives. It cost Cipla SIX HUNDRE DOLLARS per year of medicine, meaning they were losing money on every child they saved, but saving hundreds of thousands of children from a death sentence. That's something you would never see a yank company do. [ https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/04/health/strawberry-flavored-pediatric-hiv-d**g-trnd/index.html ]

0points

DrBronxx 4 months ago

A list of people who either think that the rest of the world is still in the Stone Age, or who went to very specific places, and think those places represented "rest of world"

0points

Marcus Lynch 4 months ago

Some of these things are unfortunately the same things that are wrong with America. Not the water thing though. I like clean water. Alot.

0points

Drilbur 4 months ago

I feel like everyone here forgets there's more to the world than just America and Eruope. Most of the posts are likely referring to third world countries that don't have the same luxuries.

0points

Dave Pearson 4 months ago

What a load of claptrap. The worst BP Doom scroll I ever saw. Have any of the OPs ever actually left the US??? I doubt it.

0points

Andy-Pandy-Panda 4 months ago

There is a whole world outside of the US and I'd implore anyone from there to explore it and escape the 'north korea' style news and education. God help us all if Trumpty Dumpty gets back in power.

0points

Daniel Gómez 4 months ago

These kinds of articles are a joke. "America" vs the World... sorry for not accomodating and cater to your needs, since the rest of the world seems to be your playground and nothing more.

0points

Becca not Becky 4 months ago

All the comments seem to be assuming that these are comparisons to Europe. The world is much bigger than just the US and Europe, and the title is just asking about places people traveled to, without specifying where.

0points

El Dee 4 months ago

Mostly BS from people who have never left their home town..

0points

LilliVB 4 months ago

Really disappointing. I was happy to read something good about the states instead of the usual USA bashing article, but instead I got an article full of c**p. Couldn't the author of the article do a better research and giving us an article with some reliable facts?

0points

kelly 4 months ago

It's funny how these are observations by OP's and people are ripping them apart in the comments and getting so offended. I don't believe this post was meant to be mean or offensive to anyone outside of the US.

0points

John Smith (he/him/xy/️) 4 months ago

Welcome to a public platform where people can post opinions. Talk to a mirror if you only want to see people agreeing with you.

1point

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JayWantsACat 4 months ago

So many of the comments here are essentially "my personal experience is different therefore these are invalid."

0points

POST

Shane P 4 months ago

27points

Tyranamar Seuss 4 months ago

That was so bad I choked. What American still believes that c**p?

2points

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Momifer 4 months ago

0points

Layla Layla 4 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Verena 4 months ago

It would have been enlightning if the OPs had named the country where they experienced the deficiency

17points

Caro Caro 4 months ago

Yeah, you read it as if the OP has been to ONE country outside the US and thinks it's "the world". There's a vast difference between countries, continents.

9points

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Justin Tyme 4 months ago

11points

Layla Layla 4 months ago

💯

1point

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Boy-Ahn 4 months ago

Well, this was a steaming pile of çrāp.

7points

Just a ray of f'ing sunshine 4 months ago

Why do all of these posts about the US turn into "let's hate on Americans"?

6points

Just a ray of f'ing sunshine 4 months ago

The majority of us are perfectly normal likeable people...

3points

Load More Replies...

John Smith (he/him/xy/️) 4 months ago (edited)

Because you call it upon yourself with this kind of America is the greatest-posts. It's not. Much of this c**p stems from ignorant and proud of it-people

2points

Rafael 3 months ago

Agree that most of you are allright. "Let's mock American redditors" is more adequate perhaps?

0points

Ervin Conn 4 months ago

As an American I find this entire list embarrasing.

4points

Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 4 months ago

Yeah, me too.

4points

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John Smith (he/him/xy/️) 4 months ago

Typical ignorant-american rant

3points

Julie S 4 months ago

3points

S. K. 4 months ago

3points

Thrillion 4 months ago

I sincerely hope you don't believe these generalizations just as the original posts are wrong to generalize.

2points

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Ian Webling 4 months ago

Have any of these OPs actually been out of the US or did they write their pieces based on Fox propaganda. I live in a Third World country and agreed with only two of 42 opinions.

2points

Mimi M 4 months ago

42 Times BP figured out another way to be passive-aggressive to the USA and Americans in a petty, immature way...

0points

Guess Undheit 4 months ago

0points

DrBronxx 4 months ago

A list of people who either think that the rest of the world is still in the Stone Age, or who went to very specific places, and think those places represented "rest of world"

0points

Marcus Lynch 4 months ago

Some of these things are unfortunately the same things that are wrong with America. Not the water thing though. I like clean water. Alot.

0points

Drilbur 4 months ago

I feel like everyone here forgets there's more to the world than just America and Eruope. Most of the posts are likely referring to third world countries that don't have the same luxuries.

0points

Dave Pearson 4 months ago

What a load of claptrap. The worst BP Doom scroll I ever saw. Have any of the OPs ever actually left the US??? I doubt it.

0points

Andy-Pandy-Panda 4 months ago

There is a whole world outside of the US and I'd implore anyone from there to explore it and escape the 'north korea' style news and education. God help us all if Trumpty Dumpty gets back in power.

0points

Daniel Gómez 4 months ago

These kinds of articles are a joke. "America" vs the World... sorry for not accomodating and cater to your needs, since the rest of the world seems to be your playground and nothing more.

0points

Becca not Becky 4 months ago

0points

El Dee 4 months ago

Mostly BS from people who have never left their home town..

0points

LilliVB 4 months ago

0points

kelly 4 months ago

0points

John Smith (he/him/xy/️) 4 months ago

Welcome to a public platform where people can post opinions. Talk to a mirror if you only want to see people agreeing with you.

1point

Load More Replies...

JayWantsACat 4 months ago

So many of the comments here are essentially "my personal experience is different therefore these are invalid."

0points

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To

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