Stephanie Barnes
The United States of America is often referred to as the best country in the world. While this claim is usually made by politicians from the left and right, many everyday citizens agree, according to Bored Panda. However, not everyone is on the same page.
One New Zealander TikToker, who is currently living in the UK, finds the claim to be egregious.
In an attempt to prove his point, the man has created a TikTok account called “America Is The Bad Place,” which might be a hilarious reference from everyone’s favorite comfort show, The Good Place. There, he has been posting video after video addressing the problems in the US, including the cost of healthcare, quality of education, and horrible wages. He also regularly challenges unwavering American pride and the international image of the country.
Here are 20 of the things he’s mentioned in his video series.
1. Senate
Your Senate filibuster bill. The fact that 41% of senators are representing only 27% of the American people can block bills supported by 70% of the American people is about as democratic as just letting Ken Bone be king.
@america_is_the_bad.place
2. Police training
Measuring your police training in weeks. Two to four years is the norm elsewhere.
@america_is_the_bad.place
3. Health insurance
Letting people die of a treatable illness because they don’t have enough insurance. A country’s first job is to protect its citizens, not to act like a fireman who just continues watering his grass while watching the neighbor’s house burn down.
@america_is_the_bad.place
4. Vacation days
Forcing you to use vacation days when you’re ill. Some countries make employers change paid vacation days to paid sick days when you’re ill on vacation.
@america_is_the_bad.place
5. Gerrymandering
Democracy should have their voters choosing their representatives, not their representatives choosing their voters.
@america_is_the_bad.place
6. Military age
Sending 18-year-olds to war. When your country doesn’t believe they’re mature enough to buy beer.
@america_is_the_bad.place
7. Having recruiters in school
Having military recruiters in school. It’s especially with the biggest incentives to join the military are healthcare and affordable education, which are just considered human rights in normal countries.
@america_is_the_bad.place
8. The cost of giving birth
Charging parents for their baby’s delivery. Other countries consider it an investment in the future tax payers.
@america_is_the_bad.place
9. Meds on TV
Having TV ads for prescription medicine.
@america_is_the_bad.place
10. Maternity leave
Not having paid maternity leave. 14 to 68 paid weeks off is the investment that the 15 countries above the US on The Human Freedom Index make in their future taxpayers.
@america_is_the_bad.place
11. Ambulance charges
Needing to worry about the cost of an ambulance.
@america_is_the_bad.place
12. The anthem is everywhere
Playing your national anthem before a sporting event that doesn’t involve your country playing another country, especially when it involves kids at school.
@america_is_the_bad.place
13. More healthcare related issues
People getting married for the purpose of qualifying for health care through marriage is weird. So is people needing to divorce a dying loved one to avoid being responsible for their medical debt and all that for the low, low price of 53% more per person than any other country on Earth.
@america_is_the_bad.place
14. Wages
Minimum wage not rising with inflation every year.
@america_is_the_bad.place
15. Voting rules
Some of you think that voting should be made harder than buying a gun. Most prisoners in most developed countries can still vote. In some US states, an ex-felon will be blocked from voting, yet his neighbor on the terrorist watchlist will still be allowed to buy weapons.
@america_is_the_bad.place
16. Scholarships
Educational scholarships being a big deal. Education is normally free or heavily subsidized in the developed world.
@america_is_the_bad.place
17. Mass incarnation
The amount of people you lock up. 116 countries have an incarceration rate per million at under a quarter of the US.
@america_is_the_bad.place
18. Corruption and the prison system
You’ve reinvented the slave trade with your prison system – that’s weird. So are your coercive plea bargains, allowing companies that profit off this exploitation to invest unlimited money in the politicians that agree to do their bidding.
The strangest thing is that it doesn’t even cost much money to bribe a US politician, because if you have enough money to finance their entire next political reelection campaign, then all you have to do is threaten to spend that money on their next primary opponent instead.
@america_is_the_bad.place
19. Election cost
The amount your elections cost. Your five most expensive house of representative seats cost more than any election for any country in Europe.
@america_is_the_bad.place
20. Her body, her choice
A country still arguing about whether women should have bodily autonomy.
@america_is_the_bad.place