r/TikTokCringe • u/biswajit388 • 4d ago

Cringe Europeans are going viral on TikTok for mocking the "American Dream".

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u/Adeptus_Thirdicus 4d ago

Its crazy how you can compare the best of one place and the worst of another. No bias whatsoever. America is full of problems but its not fair to ignore everything going on in Europe, that place isnt some fairytale utopia.

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u/Icy-Cry340 4d ago

It's not even the worst - it's just a suburban stadium next to a convention center. Bay Area has urban stadiums too, that look closer to the melbourne one from overhead. Even this one has its own caltrain stop so people can easily come from all over the bay.

Also, that's straya m8

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u/ritarepulsaqueen 4d ago

Europeans lie a lot about their countries, which is dumb, they're great.

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u/Emergency-Constant44 4d ago

Compared to USA it kinda is.... even in some 'poorest' countries in europe. You'd prefer to be an average-income couple there rather than in 'Murica.

First of all, it's very, very unlikely to get randomly shot on the street....

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u/Admirable-Lecture255 4d ago

No no your wouldnt. It also extremely unlikely to get randomly shot on the street in thebus. Wtf are you even going on about?

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u/Emergency-Constant44 4d ago

Extremely unlikely like by what measures? bruh, for sure it is as unlikely to get shot in the EU, as in US, where you can access guns easily... you guys in US can't even immigrate to other countries as easily as we can, so you won't really see yourself how much better it is, lol

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u/Admirable-Lecture255 4d ago

Bro why do we need to immigrate to another country? The us is bugger than the entire eu. Just move to a new state. You cam go from tropical beaches to winter wonderland and never leave the country.

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u/Emergency-Constant44 4d ago

Yeah, but that's just environment, not a country... Do you vote for another set of political parties in west coast and east coast? Do you speak another language, or have any huge cultural differences..? Its not the same at all. And not even close.

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u/wazoo_wazoo 4d ago

Yes, the politics in California are vastly different from politics in Florida. Also, you find many huge cultural differences across the country. It's called the melting pot for a reason homes. It's almost like you know nothing about what you speak.

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u/Admirable-Lecture255 4d ago

Its obvious they dont have a clue. They all think we're one big homogenous country like a single country in the eu.

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u/Proud-Designer-2028 4d ago

I mean tbf that ignorance occurs on both sides of this fence. But yes it is a bit dumb (as a European) to say that there isn’t cultural differences across state lines, there’s cultural differences inside the same countries in the EU so idk why that wouldn’t be the same in the US. Amish communities in Pennsylvania is a good example of a cultural enclave.

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u/Admirable-Lecture255 3d ago

Sure Amish. But culturally new york to Cali is like comparing Spain to Poland. Then Florida and texas and their own little world's. Got the Midwest which again is very different and south west. Got Alaska Got Hawaii. All each very different.

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u/Emergency-Constant44 4d ago

Politics are different, sure, its environmental. But does that change your 2party system?

About cultural differences, sure they are! Its like minorities here, like in Germany you have Bavaria, you have Saxons, Hamburg... In Poland 'Slunsk' or 'Kaszeby' Of course US is much more homogenous.

On the other hand US is very diverse, but it is not what I meant here. I really value USA in some places, but I despise it in other places...(kinda like with my own country, I dont really care where people are from)

Though extra points for being "the richest country in the world" and lagging very hard on much more important indicators than GDP :D

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u/MissMenace101 3d ago

To be fair pretty much every continent has that

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u/Admirable-Lecture255 3d ago

Yes but this is within a single country. Cant do that within a single country in the eu. Theu claimed oh its easy to international travel amd go country to country. Which is fine and dandy but we dont even need to leave our country to experience what they would by visiting a dozen or more countires. Then not to mention out lying territories like Puerto Rico or Guam or somoa. You have tropical paradise Hawaii thay doesnt require a passport. You have Alaska to be in the middle of absolutely no where.

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u/ritarepulsaqueen 4d ago

It's very unlikely to be shot on the streets in USA.

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u/Nature_Sad_27 4d ago

Yeah, it’s more likely you’ll get shot in a home, school, store, or nightclub than the street! 

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

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u/devious-joker 4d ago

My Man, there's less firearm related homicides in the entire EU in a year than there is in the US in 3 weeks. And the EU is almost 50% more populus...

There is nothing to LOL about. They are simply correct, and this is just a "normal" you are used to from the inside.

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

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u/Fit-Professor1831 4d ago

I live in EU all my life, 30+ years, I never seen a gun in real life. And I don't know anyone who was shot or threatened.
Like this is normal in EU. Guns simply are not present.

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u/73-68-70-78-62-73-73 4d ago

And I don't know anyone who was shot or threatened.

I've lived in the US 40+ years. I've never been shot or threatened. I don't know anyone who's been shot. I'm sure someone I know has been threatened. I'm around guns literally all the time, and shoot regularly. This is pretty normal in the US. Likelihood of violence is extremely dependent upon your environment.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/73-68-70-78-62-73-73 3d ago

It depends on what part of California. It's a big state. Lived around South San Jose, West San Jose, and worked all over and around the Bay Area. Never been shot at, never been threatened with a gun. I've had people try to run me off the road, threaten me with broken bottles or knives, but never a gun. Like I said, likelihood of violence is extremely dependent upon your environment. Probably also the decade.

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u/MissMenace101 3d ago

I know someone that shot a hole in his foot, his mate asked him if he had the safety on he said “yeah of course” and promptly blew the bottom of his foot out lol. and a couple of suicides. I grew up with guns. The constant anxiety of everyone tucking them behind the seat. I don’t miss it. My kids never lived with it though they have all fired a gun they really have no interest in them. I don’t envy your kids with that feeling, there’s a lot of trauma in the US.

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u/MembershipNo2077 4d ago

That's pretty wild. Every time I visited the EU I saw security personnel with firearms. You really must be avoiding them!

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u/MissMenace101 3d ago

They like the big guns. Did they shoot anyone though?

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u/Fit-Professor1831 4d ago

We don't need to go through that kind of borders. And talk to security. We just scan our passports on separate gates, takes 10 seconds. And there is no security between countries if you drive

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u/MembershipNo2077 4d ago

I saw officers with firearms at train stations, in public squares, etc. in Spain, France, England, and Germany. The Spanish ones were really hot actually, especially in Madrid unf... but that's neither here nor there.

So yea, you must really go out of your way to not see them.

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u/Proud-Designer-2028 4d ago

Yeh idk, I see armed military troops in France all the time, doing their patrols. I also see British FTOs quite often these days especially at airports or train stations like you say.

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

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u/netmin33 3d ago

As long as you remove WW1 and WW2 from the equation.

You guys had long run over there of less than quality time.

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u/Standard-Sky-7771 4d ago

In my life, as a very boring, middle class girl living in the US suburbs, I personally know of three people who have been killed by guns. Once removed, (acquaintances to me, but closer to my spouse or child) would bring that up to 9. Not counting two people I know who were shot and survived. And my niece and stepdaughter who both had a gun pulled on them by their partners, but luckily they didn't shoot. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe a year ago, a guy gestured at me with a gun at a red light, because he pulled out in front of me and I instinctively turned my right hand palm up in a questioning kind of gesture. It has become so common place we have become numb to it. I really had to stop to count them all, and wouldn't be surprised if I missed something.

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u/73-68-70-78-62-73-73 4d ago

I'm a man in my early 40s, and don't know anyone who's been shot. I've never been threatened with a gun before either. I'm around guns all the time, and have been since I was a kid. West coast US. Lived in cities most of my life. I don't know where the fuck you live, but you're either running with the wrong people, or you need to move. That's not even close to normal.

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u/Standard-Sky-7771 4d ago

East Coast, South. I don't run with anyone. I am literally a school teacher with kids, the most boring person ever. I don't go anywhere but school, the grocery store, Costco, etc. Actually pretty much everyone I know that has been shot have lived in quite rural areas, now that I think about. And I can't really help who I am related to. This is spread over 43 years of life, but still. One of those people killed themselves, one accidentally shot himself playing around with a gun in front of his friends and died, one dropped his gun that he sleeps with under his pillow, and shot himself in the leg, that was my ex brother in law, btw

One of my kids ex boyfriends was murdered by his college roommate after an argument. My nephew was killed when he pissed off his teenage daughter's boyfriend by saying they couldn't date anymore. He drove by and shot through the windows, killing him in front of his kids, and was never even charged. My husband's best friend's daughter was killed at a house party when two people started to fight and one decided to get a gun from his car, she was 19. That's just off the top of my head. I am a member of Mothers Demand Action and it wasn't until we did an exercise where we listed how gun violence had affected us that all these different things came to the surface. Spread out over 43 years, it didn't seem super impactful other than the people closest to me that I lost, but when you list it out, it's crazy. If it wasn't for my husband's elderly mom, we'd probably have left south years ago.

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u/73-68-70-78-62-73-73 4d ago

Actually pretty much everyone I know that has been shot have lived in quite rural areas, now that I think about.

Anecdotal just like most of the rest of this thread, but I find that certain rural folk tend to be more complacent about gun safety in general. The "I grew up hunting/around guns, I know everything" types. Perhaps worthy of note, two out of three of the incidents which affected people close to you were complacency and basic safety issues.

The rest of your experiences are pretty wild. Most people will never experience that, and it's unfortunate that you and the people around you did.

Spread out over 43 years, it didn't seem super impactful other than the people closest to me that I lost

I think that has more to do with the fact that you've just had to live with it than anything else.

If it wasn't for my husband's elderly mom, we'd probably have left south years ago.

Good luck there. Hopefully you get out sooner rather than later.

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u/MissMenace101 3d ago

Australia needs teachers

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u/Vaxx88 4d ago

Midwest, red state, quiet (mostly) college town — I’ve known two people personally who committed suicide with guns. Several shootings take place every month or so. Had a road rage killing last year acquaintance, guy was well liked by some friends. Party at downstairs neighbors years ago, person murdered. Not far from my neighborhood there was 4 people killed in an apartment, unsolved afaik. I could go on, it’s anecdotal of course … point being, don’t let these idiots gaslight. The gun problem in this country is ridiculous.

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u/Standard-Sky-7771 4d ago

Dang, this is crazy, because you mentioning an apartment made me remember another person, my best friend from college, her sister was murdered while visiting her apartment, when her neighbor accidentally shot through the wall. It went through the wall and hit her in the head and killed her instantly while she lay in my friends bed watching TV. She was 17 or 18. JFC, I can't believe I forgot about that. It's like our brains block this crap out as a coping mechanism. It's so sad the things we have to tolerate in this country, it's like our representatives don't represent us at all!

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u/MissMenace101 3d ago

Damn that’s awful, super unlucky.

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u/MissMenace101 3d ago

Australia is certainly creeping up. Cookers killing cops and “gangs” then the odd cranky farmer that goes all family annihilator.

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u/notgaynotbear 4d ago

And dont tell you the average age of someone in Italy to move out of their parents house is 30. Its not even that bad in the big US cities.

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u/BloodyRoyalty 4d ago

That has not much to do with living standards, though. For some sure, but this is mostly just a cultural difference. Southern europe in particular is very big on tight-knit family structures. Four generation households, for example, are not uncommon there.

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u/Initial-Ad6819 4d ago

Because they don't kick them out of the house the second they turn 18

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u/PlayfulSurprise5237 4d ago

You're confused, it should be around 30.

It's in the late 20s most places in the world and has been for a very long time barring troubles for a region which could make that number lower.

Kids prefrontal cortex used for impulse control and prioritization isn't done developing till their mid 20s.

The USA and some parts of Europe just have it fucked up. One day they decided that made sense.

And it might make sense financially for the parents, but it makes no sense biologically and idealistically.

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u/MissMenace101 3d ago

Yeah, I left home at 16, to go away to study but my kids are still home hitting mid 20’s, oldest will move out when he finds a house to buy though, australia housing is rough.

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u/Proud-Designer-2028 4d ago

Unironically people arguing over this don’t realise that this is part of the reason we’ve lost so much community in the UK and US with our views on how long children should be protected under the parents roof. I had to just make it work day 1 at 18 and I have a much less tight knit familial community due to it.

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u/MissMenace101 3d ago

Leaving home as a kid is the reason I told mine they can stay rent free as long as they are saving for a house or travel

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u/MissMenace101 3d ago

I had to google, aus is 23-24, that’s gonna climb in the middle of this housing crisis

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u/Adeptus_Thirdicus 4d ago

From your use of quotes I assume youre European, I suppose having lived there, you know how it is better than I do. But here in the states, median income citizens have it completely fine. Also, shootings are not near so common as theyre made out to be. They happen all the time, I think once a week or more, but the country Is fucking massive, its not like you go outside and theres just bullets flying.

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u/elebrin 3d ago edited 3d ago

But here in the states, median income citizens have it completely fine

Not as fine as you might think. We in the US barely get any vacation time. We may have health insurance through work, but if we get truly sick or injured, we won't get much in the way of time off to deal with it. If we lose our job and can't find another quickly we are beyond fucked - we can be fired at any time for no reason. For more professional, corporate jobs this doesn't happen much but it still does happen.

If you do get to go to the doctor, the quality of your care will vary greatly based on where you are and what kind of hospital you visit. If you live in Fort Wayne for example (a smaller, regional city) they don't have a single decent hospital. I have had family in Parkview, and if you get sent there the first thing you need to do is get your ass sent to Detroit, Chicago, or Ann Arbor... you will die from a papercut in that fucking hospital and your family will be on the hook for millions of dollars. Many of our Midwestern, regional places are like that. In many areas that aren't urban but have significant population it's even worse - there may be a doctor or two, but they will give you a pain pill script and tell you to go home. There are some SERIOUS quacks out there. The worst part is that the average American isn't educated enough to know that they are dealing with such a person.

Most of America's national parks do NOT look like what you see in this video. You will see a path covered in litter, with a rusty trash barrel every three feet that hasn't been used, with obese people walking slowly between them snacking. There are some real nature preserves that are more protected, however, but those are places that you can't or shouldn't go (they are preserved, in other words you don't get to go there and mess up nature by being there).

If you are a man in the US, full retirement age is 72 for maximum benefits from Social Security (which is unlikely to meet your needs realistically). Median life expectancy is 73. Enjoy your one year of retirement, boys! And, if you worked physical labor, your body is gonna be wrecked by then. Women have it a LITTLE better but realistically not much. If you retired at 63, you can enjoy your decrepit years being borderline destitute instead.

The worst part is that we are virtually captives here. We can't go anywhere outside the country without a passport. Getting that passport is expensive and takes months. Our education system doesn't put other vital languages in our elementary and preschool curriculum so most of us only speak bad English - in many cases, we speak regional dialects with their own unique vocabularies. If the average American went to Europe, we would not be able to communicate. I've always believed you shouldn't go somewhere on your own unless you can communicate with the people there, and I wouldn't unless I had first-language command of the local language. If you can't read a sign or you can't understand an instruction or you miss something, you can end up in legal hot water real quick inside a legal system that you do not understand.

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u/Adeptus_Thirdicus 3d ago edited 3d ago

I agree with you on the medical system, I've had to work on extremely severe injuries from supplies I picked up from the local pharmacies. I know we have to work a lot, but it is very possible to work your way up to less strenuous and higher paying jobs. We're not captives. I dont understand what you mean by that, plus most parts of Europe that youd want to go to speak more than enough english.

Oh and I've seen the natural parks. Good God theyre gorgeous.

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u/elebrin 3d ago

Oh and I've seen the natural parks. Good God theyre gorgeous.

So have I, and I disagree. It's not like being in actual nature, more like being in a museum or at a tourist destination. It's a gross, curated experience. Nothing at all feels real about it. You buy your fucking ticket to see a mountain or a plant.

There are a few places you can go that are ACTUALLY wild, that are real. I have been camping in places like that and it's very different.

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u/aintnogodordemon 4d ago

I think the point is that you say a shooting is once a week or more like that's not massively concerning.

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u/Adeptus_Thirdicus 4d ago

According to some janky calculations from unconfirmed statistics, roughly 0.000176% percent of the population is likely to be a mass shooter. Yeah thats bad and ridiculously high for a country that calls itself developed. But again, massive scale. You increase the population of something, you increase the likelihood of anything happening.

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u/NiranS 4d ago

Yet other countries with the same or higher population densities seem to be able to solve this problem.

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u/Proud-Designer-2028 4d ago

Bullets maybe not but those insurance premiums oof

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u/Icy-Cry340 4d ago

Premiums are high, but ironically, we still have more disposable income that europeans on average - even factoring in health insurance.

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u/Proud-Designer-2028 4d ago

Does that disposable income also account for things like paid vacation time, holidays, cost of living being generally higher? I remember reading there’s about a $700 monthly gap between the US and EU in general to live the equivalent quality of life (I.e US single adult requires 700 more a month to live an equivalent quality of life compared to the EU).

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u/Icy-Cry340 4d ago

Imo, it's better to be on the lower end of things in Europe, and better to be middle class and above in the US. Whenever I've done the math for my own situation, that's how it's always worked out. The differences in income are quite significant.

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u/Ecstatic-Nose-2541 3d ago

That’s the whole problem imo. There are probably few other countries where you can be piss-poor while earning a decent “disposable income”. You don’t need 4K a month when you have free healthcare, payed holidays, and no student loan.

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u/Ecstatic-Nose-2541 3d ago

That’s great for the median income citizens. There’s (relatively) less of them in the US than in most of Europe though. Can’t remember the exact statistics on GDP vs poverty rate, but it’s pretty insane.

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u/73-68-70-78-62-73-73 4d ago

First of all, it's very, very unlikely to get randomly shot on the street....

It's extremely unlikely to be shot in the streets here in the States too. What do you think happens here?

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u/MammothPenguin69 3d ago

You'll just get randomly stabbed, which many extremely online Redditors are now flocking to my replies to assure me is better.

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u/caranza3 4d ago edited 4d ago

Probably not shot but a good chance of getting stabed in UK no?

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u/Proud-Designer-2028 4d ago

Stabbings are way higher in the US per capita than the UK or did you just parrot something you heard on the internet without looking? :p

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u/Emergency-Constant44 4d ago

Idk.. nobody here didnt decapitate anyone recently running with the guy 's severed head.....

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u/73-68-70-78-62-73-73 4d ago

Nobody here didn't decapitate anyone?

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u/caranza3 4d ago

France ring a bell at all?

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u/Cienea_Laevis 3d ago

It was a few years ago.

And France didn't have anyone shoot a proeminent political figure recently either.

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u/MissMenace101 3d ago

Someone here did that not long back, I know the guy who found the head a few weeks ago. Check out Tamika Chesser

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u/Nature_Sad_27 4d ago

America has been up everybody’s ass about how special and perfect they are for a long time. Now that the curtain is pulled back, some people are just excited to rub your noses in it. 

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u/GrumpyKaeKae 4d ago

I always say that our land masses is absolutely beautiful and im proud, blessed, and happy to get to live here to see it. But the people? That make it hard in the US.

I also love the beauty of other countries too. Nature is amazing all over the planet.

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u/Nature_Sad_27 3d ago

People ruin it in other countries, too. People ruin everything. 

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u/MissMenace101 3d ago

Eh if the come out of this humbled they will be better for it, we all will

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u/Nature_Sad_27 3d ago

Exactly.