• nkat2112@sh.itjust.works
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    1 hour ago

    Freestyle skier Hunter Hess was asked at a press conference Wednesday how he feels about representing America at the Winter Olympics, given its acute tension over violent immigration raids and other political crises.

    “There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t,” Hess said in Italy.

    "Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the US,” Hess added.

    Hess said it "brings up mixed emotions to represent the US right now.”

    This young man is a hero for speaking out.

    • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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      44 minutes ago

      Well spoken IMO.
      After winning WW2 America was a proud nation for more than half a century, and they had many things to point to that were good reasons to be proud. Obviously this got a boost again after the moon landings, which was not only a massive achievement, but back then NASA attributed it to the whole world, including the first words Armstrong spoke when he set foot on the moon.
      Americans were the heroes of the free world, and we all admired their success.
      It’s absolutely insane how this former pioneer nation has regressed to be scorned for their selfishness and disrespect for democracy and human rights. To a degree where even allies have to protect themselves against USA! This already was pretty bad with George Bush and the false intelligence used to invade Iraq, and the use of torture by Americans which was previously totally unheard of, and the use of Guantanamo Base for the GITMO prison, completely disregarding rights as either prisoners of war or civilian and human rights. This was in 2002, and USA still hasn’t managed or even attempted to repair that damage for 24 years now.

      It must be at least as surreal for the Americans that never wanted this, as it is for the rest of the world.
      Putin is probably ecstatic, because this is what he wanted, and probably a result of his political influence in USA.
      And Xi is probably pleased that USA is looking to become a more “manageable” problem in the future, as USA is losing the power of having many allies working towards similar goals.

      USA will never be the same again, and the world will never be the same again, and the winner is China. For Putin it is probably a Pyrrhic victory, as all his efforts will only result in the decline of Russia and possible the destroction of the Russian federation, which is the exact opposite of what Putin wanted.

      The problems with USA now are far from just Trump, they are a result of many years of mismanagement, declining moral and disregard for human rights and international law and a failing democracy, and is rooted in the American people.

    • danc4498@lemmy.world
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      50 minutes ago

      Anytime Trump talked shit about somebody, they immediately become a hero in my book.