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Comment by stephen_g | Hacker News Reader

It feels like actions by the current US administration are damaging the US's reputation around the world in a way that will take generations to repair. Do US based HNers release how much of the world is now hoping for the US's economic decline (and corresponding loss of geopolitical power) in a way few felt just two years ago?

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I think you underestimate how insular the US is, because of its size, location, and historical strength.

Without trying to sound rude, I don't imagine most Americans care at all what the rest of the world thinks of the country.

Which may go a long way to explain why Americans live such a lower quality of life compared to people in countries with much lower per capita incomes.

The insularity and the constant rah rah telling Americans that they live in the greatest country in the world is why they think it’s completely normal for massive numbers of Americans to live homeless and die in huge number of deaths of despair relative to their economic peers.

>how much of the world is now hoping for the US's economic decline

Is there a good way to quantify this? Ideally going back at least 20 years?

Maybe there are surveys or something? But it's just the vibe I get from family, friends, colleagues from here in Australia, as well as people online (like on Mastodon which has a lot of Europe based users). Feels like a big shift since the start of 2024. People around the office I work in have cancelled holidays planned to Hawaii and the States too, especially just recently with the social media requirement on the ESTA which tipped a few people over the edge.

*Sorry got my years mixed up, I meant since the inauguration of the current president so start of 2025.

I just don't understand why you would frame the observation this way. What do you want US based HNers to do about it?

Vote? Do they still do that over there?

Not in the way you may be expecting. Only Americans in what we call "swing states" get meaningful votes in presidential elections - because of how our system works, once you know that one candidate or the other is going to win your state, how much they win by doesn't matter. I still vote as a civic obligation, but I don't have any friends or family members in swing states, so neither my voting nor my advocacy has any effect whatsoever on who becomes President of the USA.

The election schedule is also infrequent with no provision at all for early elections. Most Americans haven't voted since November 2024, won't get to vote again until November of this year, and the next opportunity to vote for president isn't until November 2028.

No, it's just the world reverting to its usual state. US might decline a bit but it will devour weak suckers first

Reputation will be tarnished right up until the next administration offers up something shiny and all will be forgiven.

> Do US based HNers release how much of the world is now hoping for the US's economic decline

Do non-US HNers realize how much of the world isn't commenting online? Europe is having it's own right wing populist surge right now. Someone is voting for those parties.

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