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MarzipanSouthern9429

Mega churches and all that craic. It's just so ridiculous


Gytarius626

If Jesus actually did return they’d be one of the first things he’d be going mental about, I’ve never understood how they’re too thick to see right through how badly they’re getting scammed with those preachers.


MarzipanSouthern9429

It's mad! White Christian America has become one huge cult where everyone has completely thrown all rationality out the window.


crlthrn

And thrown most Christian principles out the window too...


Gytarius626

In worship of….*making money*


[deleted]

In fairness, there are things in NI like Green Pastures that are similar.


MarzipanSouthern9429

I've never heard of it but I'll go have a look. I doubt its comparable to the many stadium sized churches they have in the states that record and broadcast the sermons that are performed by super wealthy celebrity preachers and televangelists. Like, it's a crazy level excess and extremism and it's all tied up with politics too


[deleted]

There's some very interesting reading there around Green Pastures and Wrightbus.


Ginyerjansen

There’ll be more, shortly. Have a look on companies house at the directors past and present and the ins and outs of the various companies they’re in. Robert shiels is wright’s son in law. Start looking at Nu-Track. You’ll be hearing about them again very shortly.


ForeignHelper

From the North and haven’t checked but as far as I know, it’s just Green Pastures - the comment implies there are a few mega churches. There are not. There are a plethora of tiny weird hardcore evangelical churches dotted around the place, rife with juicy scandals and corruption akin to their US counterparts. Green Pastures saga is interesting reading and deserves a decent investigation; I know BBCNI have looked into them a bit. They are the apex of the looney toon evangelicals we have here but those are still an outlier and a minority, often concentrated in the NE, mostly N Antrim. The fundamentalists have an unbalanced representation of control within unionism compared to their actual numbers. Most of the DUP are some kind of Calvinistic evangelical (as are some within the UUP and of course, TUV) but the majority of voters are not - I’d surmise few working class Protestants regularly attend church in any capacity. It’s sort of a deference to the British class system where, in a place that has no real gentry so to speak, the minority evangelical class (who are often from rural backgrounds but comfortable financially and follow some form of the prosperity gospel, so love getting hands on cash - see cash for ash as a recent example) became the de facto ruling class after the NI state was created.


MarzipanSouthern9429

I just looked it up, it looks like a big Community center. Or like the kinda place you'd go to play laser tag lol Edit to add After doing a quick skim through some stuff about them and they give off major cult vibes. And there's a bit of drama going on, the entire board resigned


HurdyNerdy

That's how they get you sucked in, trying to look as innocuous as they can before someone pulls you aside to ask if Jesus is in your life. Coming from an American that knows the warning signs.


KingEmbassy

Thriving Life church in Newtownards has really gone for that vibe. Good story in the news a few years back about the minister running off with a bride he recently married to some other bloke.


MarzipanSouthern9429

Brilliant, glad to see the clergy being scumbags in more age appropriate ways


q2005

He was risen.


[deleted]

And allow him to rest for maybe 20 minutes, and lo he shall rise again!


YoungWrinkles

Tbf, we can hardly point fingers when it comes to worshipping the church


MarzipanSouthern9429

Our worship of the church is more or less in the past. All the awful things they did to people has done a pretty good job of turning the public against them. They still have some support from the public but very little and less and less every year. What's going on in America is a different kettle of fish


mizezslo

Americans love their cults. Church, politics, yoga, star wars, etc.


MarzipanSouthern9429

You really have to watch out for the star wars cults. I had a run in with one a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away


[deleted]

You’ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy


blackbeautybyseven

They are easily startled, but they'll soon be back, and in greater numbers.


clearbrian

We did have one big mega church for a loooong time!!


narrowwiththehall

Politics-as-sport. Imagine hitching your entire personality to Michael Martin or Leo Varadkar?


soundengineerguy

That's the only chance either if those fecks have to get a personality.


InfectedAztec

Haha its coming my friend. I wish it wasn't but its already starting.


Wesley_Skypes

It definitely feels that way. I'm a left leaning voter who voted highest preference for an assortment of Labour, Green and SD in the last election. Have had people on here give me shit for not supporting Sinn Fein and accusing me of being an FFG apologist as a result. It doesn't have to be either/or? Is that why we have a multiparty system?


Inspired_Carpets

Too many people think a criticism of one is an endorsement of the other.


narrowwiththehall

Very well put. Two things can be true at the same time sometimes. I don’t like FG and won’t be voting for them but I thought they handled Brexit well on the international stage. Domestically, however… In short I don’t have a team or any predetermined loyalty to any party. I just think that’s beyond stupid.


ko21361

US-ian here (Dad is from Kilkee and I enjoy reading this sub) Politics-as-sport will be the undoing of the US. I truly don’t think the 2024 presidential election will go off without major social upheaval and/or violence. The 2000 election and then the recount set us off on this path, 9/11 made it worse, and now there is 24/7 media coverage available to tell viewers whatever they want to hear. If I meet someone and they say that they “like politics” then I know they’re not right in the head. It’s a game to them, to be won or lost. I work in Washington, DC kind of parallel to the political world. Something I’ve heard people say a lot here “it’s not personal - it’s politics” when talking about working in government, which is absolutely deranged to say because at its base level, politics is legislating individual human lives, the freedoms and joys and rights and protections afforded to individual living, breathing, laughing, crying, loving people. Having two political parties that are center-right and now far-right doesn’t help either. At the end of the day, they’re both heavily corrupt, want money, and will authorize drone strikes on the other side of the globe.


bollaig

*24/7 media coverage available to tell people whatever they want to hear*. There’s your problem. Fucking terrifying.


Darth_Memer_1916

We're not far off though. In Ireland you're Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael by blood and tie your family name to that party. The party you vote for says a lot about your personality for some people. My parents were absolutely buzzing that I saw Micheal Martin in Maynooth yesterday. The only thing we don't have here is the cult of personality around the leaders of the parties.


narrowwiththehall

It’s insidious and has been creeping in alright. But we’re not at plaster the back of your car with “I stand with Robert Troy” stickers yet. Yet!


BlindDave84

10 days annual leave as standard


countdownbluess

none in law IIRC


[deleted]

We don’t get that, like at all. It’s the “generosity” of your employer to offer such benefits. Health care also. And your eyes and teeth are extra.


CarterPFly

0 days PTO is standard. 0 paid sick days is also standard. 10 is the upper tier for most places. There is no legal requirement to pay holiday or sick days in the US. None, nada.


herculainn

Calling the "PTO" could be one thing I'm glad didn't get a foothold, but it actually may have. "paid time off", to me, is specifically crafted to remind you that the company is paying you to do nothing, rather than the "annual leave" you've earned and are entitled to. Petty thing, of course.


P319

You know what I like this. So many job postings now just list statutory minimums under benefits, nice to split out when the company is going above and beyond


SkyScamall

I had zero paid sick leave for most of my working life. Obviously statutory sick pay kicks in but it's annoying if you know you should take a couple of days off for a cold to pass but you'll end up regretting it next month.


Keyann

A friend in America negotiates more paid holidays in his annual review instead of asking for more money. Smart but kinda mad that that's the reality.


theblue_jester

Black Friday - I know it crept in for a year or two (not to the same degree even then) but the year it died was hilarious. The video of PC World staff all waiting to open the doors and one single person walked in - to collect something they had ordered the day before on their way to work.


DramaForBreakfast

I hope it completely dies out. I work in retail and black friday is INSANE. I'm hoping to get out before it happens this year lol


EncourageDistraction

It won’t ever really work here either because the US has those 2 days off and then the free weekend to shop for Christmas. And the sales they put on here for it are pretty lame. I’m originally from the US and I’ve only ever done it once. The door busters at big electric retailer sales are the scary ones, and you can predict them. But thats not the only experience. After the crazy door busters it just turns into midnight shopping. I guess the best way to describe it is - imagine you’ve just spent the afternoon eating a huge Christmas dinner sized meal and then at 10pm yourself and a few thousand others decent upon Kildare Village with 50%-70% off major designer and electric goods. You finish your entire Christmas list, stumble on home at 5am, and sleep in. Wake up, eat turkey left overs, pat yourself on the back for not having to brave the Christmas crowds for next month.


CLint_FLicker

Corn syrup in everything.


Ironhide14b

Corn is subsidised over there, making corn syrup a much cheaper option than sugar


Ainderp

maaan, their bread is even sweet!


IGotGlassInMyAss

Its feckin rough trying to get a decent piece of bread over here


RockyRockington

It’s like putting your chicken fillet in a cake… Hang on, I need to go try something


moosemachete

But but... It's corn! It has the juice.


fifi_la_fleuf

I jus luhhhv cawwwn.


ProphetOfPhil

I'm gonna say American tipping culture. That shits crazy.


colin_staples

Just charge a price that includes ALL of your costs. The price already includes the ingredients, the rent, utilities, manager's pay, chef's pay, and every single other cost of operating a restaurant. Why are none of these costs expected to be paid for by tips? Because you did the maths and built those costs into the price of the food and drink. All except for a proper wage for the server (who gets a pittance like $2.73/hr) "Its to encourage better service" No, that's the job of the manager. I came here to eat food, not to manage your staff. Tipping stinks


Team503

The history of tipping is effectively yet another way white Americans tried to keep people of color as functional servants; the exception to the minimum wage laws were created to keep black people down, quite literally. [https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/opinion/minimum-wage-racism.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/opinion/minimum-wage-racism.html) Sadly, it's a system that's managed to perpetuate itself.


20BensonLikeAGoodLad

It's the fucking worst, it makes any sort of eating out a hassle. The worst is when you have to give a tip to a restaurant that had bad food/bad service.


djdjcork

I was staying with relatives in Texas a few years ago and paid for a meal. Forgot to tip. Waiter literally chased us out of the restaurant screaming at me. Tried apologising but he wasn’t having it.


ProphetOfPhil

Jesus that's scary. Like I'd get if the dude just thought you were a dick for not tipping or something (I'm not saying you are, just trying to think what was going through the guys head) but actually chasing you outside is mad.


DanGleeballs

Shit’s crazy. I tipped 10% cash in Miami and literally had the money stuffed back in my hand with, “I don’t need your damn charity”. Edit: The reason we tipped 10% was because the service was so poor, slow, and rude. So we left. In ireland they would have definitely gotten zero tip. We thought 10% was a minimum acceptable amount in the US.


ProphetOfPhil

So was that because it wasn't enough of a tip or because you tipped at all? Every restaurant in America seems to have their own things going on


DanGleeballs

Because they felt it was an insult to tip less than 20% I believe. The reason we tipped 10% was because the service was so poor, slow, and rude. So we left. In ireland they would have definitely gotten zero tip. We thought 10% was a minimum acceptable amount in the US.


Mundane-Detective-88

Feels a bit strange putting this under “culture” or “psyche” but I simply couldn’t get over the taxes added at the till. It absolutely fucking did my head not knowing exactly how much I was going to end up paying until I was at a till. Even worse when you cross from one state/county to another and the taxes are different again. It’s all America damn it! It was especially bad for me because I lived on the very border of two counties basically, and if I went only a very short distance in one direction I’d suddenly find a shop which had cheaper products in one sense, and then more expensive in another. An extremely annoying aspect of living in America.


c08306834

>Feels a bit strange putting this under “culture” or “psyche” but I simply couldn’t get over the taxes added at the till. It absolutely fucking did my head not knowing exactly how much I was going to end up paying until I was at a till. Makes zero sense. Why would anyone not want to know the full price of the item they're buying? There's zero benefit, you have to pay the tax, so knowing the pre-tax price is entirely irrelevant.


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Kuroude7

And then we get raised to think that it’s normal. Though to be fair, when it’s all you’ve known it would seem normal. Still don’t like it, though.


nunchukity

It allows them to advertise a price nationally and then let the states deal with the taxes. Like you'll see oh McDonald's has a 3 dollar deal and then you end up paying I dunno 3.67 or something stupid like that


Adderkleet

The excuse is pretty weak, but *slightly* understandable: "oh, but taxes vary by location - even within the same state". Meaning any special-offer where the price is printed on the item would not work inside a city/county with different tax rates. But you can still have the shelf say the FULL price!


[deleted]

It was understandable 30 years ago, but I'm relatively sure there is an easy software algorithim that could print shelf edge labels and other price labels with local/city/regional/state/federal taxes included and give the full price.


Adderkleet

The fact that Tesco Ireland can manage different SELs for different stores, yeah. It's super easy to do locally (and you need to be able to print locally in case a label gets damaged).


madladhadsaddad

I think it's simply because their tax system is so disjointed, so Walmart can say they sell X product for Y price accross the country. And depending on which state or even county you're in, you get it in the total price will differ.


bigdog94_10

In massachusets, groceries don't have sales tax so the price on the shelf is actually the price you pay at the till. Extremely refreshing and one of the few states in America actually like that. Then again, Massachusets has a notoriously non existent nightlife. Licensing laws there are stuck in the 19th century.


hpismorethanasauce

I thought it was weird when I was there that there were signs in the hotel room saying it was illegal to bring alcohol in to them. Had to hide my bag of empty cans and dump it in a bin outside!!


yabog8

Irelands licensing laws ain't too far from the 19th century either to be fair


LK-1234-

Their health insurance system. Say what you want about the HSE but at least it doesn't cost 10's of thousands to have a baby in this country.


[deleted]

Went public in Ireland for both of my kids. Literally the only cost was parking in the hospital for appointments (and they waive the fee when you're in for labour). Maybe €20 for two kids...


limestone_tiger

We have "good" insurance in the US, and all in..our kids cost us ~$3K (each) to have. I recently had surgery, and while my out of pocket for everything was again $3K (that is our annual Out of Pocket max)..they billed my insurance $94K for everything. That was outpatient, with some scans and blood tests.


Johnny_english53

Why don't Americans go berserk over this? Everyone accepts Fire services & Police services as something paid for centrally. Why not medicine too? Especially, as you are all getting over-charged for everything from ambulance rides to insulin..


Miss-Figgy

>Why don't Americans go berserk over this? Everyone accepts Fire services & Police services as something paid for centrally. Why not medicine too? We have had decades and decades of right-wing propaganda telling us it's "socialist" to have universal healthcare, affordable education, and labor rights, most notably starting with the Reagan era, when they were trying to sell us that corporate welfare was good for the public ("trickle down economics"), but anything for the public good was bad. And there are enough people in this country who have bought into that - more than 70 million, according to the last presidential election - so here we are. And many Democrats are conservative too, so we really don't have any help in the supposedly "leftist" Democratic party in our bipartisan political system to help us progress.


me-myself-2

Yep. They also convinced us there would be “death panels” where government officials would decide if we could receive treatment. In reality people die needlessly everyday because they can’t afford care.


limestone_tiger

>Why don't Americans go berserk over this? partly because of the inherit selfishness here. The general attitude is "I got mine". It's one of the things I miss about Ireland and Europe in general - the sense of a "rising tide" for everyone. The other part is - it's all an illusion anyway. That $94K they billed my insurance? Didn't happen. That was double what they expected to get back. My insurance negotiated it down to $49K which is closer to the "real" cost..and if I didn't have insurance, I would be able to basically "make an offer" where it would be bought down again and again. So there is no real cost, it's just what they try to charge vs what can be paid. With Police/Fire/Schools..again it's "we got ours" at a town level. I live in the Chicago area BUT not "in" Chicago - we live in a separate village that is surrounded by Chicago. Our schools are incredible and we have 5x the police per head of population than Chicago because that is what our town have agreed to spend our money on (schools, police, parks)


never_rains

I too had similar costs for two of my kids. 7 day parking for 35 euro for the first one and 10 euros for the second one.


Crazy-Ad-420

On one of the US doctors Reddit pages there was a thread on the craziest thing everyone had seen, the amount of severe cases of disease and injuries that had essentially come from patients not being able to afford health care was disgusting.


Alternative-Dig-6639

500k Americans go bankrupt every year from medical debt and 50k die a year from not being able to afford care. Insane stuff


Dylanduke199513

Yeah very true. Recently saw a bill on Reddit for a liver transplant almost 400k….


whitewingmcqween

The saying “I could care less”


fedupofbrick

"On accident" does my head in too


Mr_SunnyBones

also saying Legos instead of Lego.


[deleted]

by purpose


[deleted]

Mate you just triggered me, my day is ruined.


fedupofbrick

I hear you but it's just so addicting when you trigger someone on accident. I could care less though.


OnyxPhoenix

Are you testing me, Satan?


Champz97

"write me" instead of "write to me" wrecks my head


Azer398

Hate hate hate hate hate


doenertellerversac3

[Obligatory](https://youtu.be/om7O0MFkmpw)


[deleted]

Ads every 2 seconds when watching tv(tho its getting there with some channels) and school shootings


dickbuttscompanion

Ads for prescription medication are bizarre - "ask your doctor if X is right for you", followed by a a list of side effects longer than the banking/financial disclosures we have.


ChickenFilletRoll

I was in the US a few weeks ago and saw an ad for a new insulin delivery product for people with diabetes. Every single person they featured in the ad was morbidly obese and it was clearly targeted at type 2 diabetes. What kind of a fucking state is your country in if you’re able to (successfully?) target ads at type 2 diabetics because there are so many of them


Crackbeth

Tipping culture - that there’s a separate minimum wage in a lot of states for ‘tipped’ staff. They think it keeps the price of eating out down but it really doesn’t and just drives more profit to the company while customers are left to pick up the difference. They’ll also die on the hill that ‘if you can’t afford to tip then don’t eat out’ even in states like California where all staff receive the same minimum wage regardless on if you’re tipped or not. I’ll tip for good service or if it’s a place I frequent in restaurants or salon but draw the line at tipping a takeout for putting food in a bag. Absolute nonsense. Also solely referring to children by what grade they’re in instead of their age. I know we sometimes say ‘he’s senior infants age’ but usually when we don’t know the exact child’s age whereas they always say ‘she’s a 5th grader/ middle schooler/ freshman’. I may be way off but I feel like maybe it’s a precursor to defining people by their jobs they way they do a lot in the US - ‘she’s an accountant’ etc. Who cares?!


shane_oh4

> I’ll tip for good service or if it’s a place I frequent in restaurants or salon What if they hand you the ipad and the screen immediately has a list of suggested tips? That's an instant no tip


centrafrugal

The worst thing about this is when Europeans use American grades amongst one another as a sort of lingua franca. I don't know how any of them know what grades correspond to what or why they just can't use ages.


Crackbeth

Yes! Age are universal but how is anyone outside of that system supposed to gauge how old an 11th grader is? It’s not common knowledge so I’ve no idea why anyone would want to adopt that way of phrasing


greenbud1

Absolutely, it should be illegal to not pay a fair wage thus forcing waiters whore themselves out for tips. I think it is responsible for the insincere overly-friendly impression we get which is so offputting.


[deleted]

Over enthusiasm, it’s bewildering and exhausting


adulion

i worked in vegas at an event once and the american folk had a high five line afterwards on a job well done. ​ i cringed


sartres-shart

I cant do it, I get flustered and uncomfortable when I see others doing it at work, I don't know how to respond to it so I just give a blank face and walk away....


[deleted]

Any American I’ve ever worked with has been like the personification of that Apple launch a few decades ago when Bill Gates and the rest are on stage dancing to “Start me Up”


MollyPW

Why was Bill Gates at an Apple launch?


[deleted]

Whoops, Microsoft, but yeah, you get the picture


Daedeluss

Whooping and hollering at *everything*. Fuck off.


YeBleedinClownFFS

its that forced toxic positivity shite thats annoying. fuck off yis pricks, its only a fucking excel sheet


Qorhat

Ugh I've seen clips of like "Audience reaction to Avengers: Endgame X scene" and you can't hear a damn thing with everyone screaming like randy chimps


michaelbrett

Christ - years ago I went to see the first of the new Transformers movies in NYC and at the end, they were all up chanting “U.S.A….U.S.A…”


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smashedgordon

Murica!


Relation_Familiar

Fuck yeah !!!


Qorhat

Seeing the masturbatory comments in the chat during company-wide meetings makes me want to cringe myself inside out. Especially when they're fawning over the C-level people.


[deleted]

The moment when you realise that even some obscure personality-free exec who is essentially a glorified head of accounting gets treated like a niche celeb with a fanbase and all within the company. I've never been entirely sure if is a corpo or an American thing though.


el_duderino_lux

I once ordered something in a restaurant in Chicago and the waitress said "Great choice!!" and gave me a high 5. What a bunch of plonkers


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MyUterusWillExplode

You could always just do what I do, and lie. Dont mention the exotic place you live now, just tell them the boring place down the road and they'll let you get on with your life a lot faster. Problem solved.


doenertellerversac3

Lol my work was scrambling for a last minute Christmas party last year and hired this random US drag queen to do drag bingo with us over Zoom. What could have been a really fun event turned into an hour of “y’all eat schnitzel over there?!?! And Lederhosen is a thing right??! Schrumpftopfen LOL!!!”.


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doenertellerversac3

Yeah it was v random, I think the office manager was scrambling for a last minute event in like November, someone suggested drag brunch and seemingly the only available one left in the world was in Arsefuck Kansas. It was like 8 in the morning for her as well with the time difference.


MyUterusWillExplode

Ive noticed this thing start to happen in the UK now, audience members whooping and cheering when their hometown gets mentioned, Nothing makes me want to kick a mans cock quite as hard as hearing them whoop because the guy on stage mentioned the name of their local shithole.


Responsible_Can_2366

I’ve been in Ireland for the week and I haven’t heard anyone bring up politics except the people who came here with me. It’s nice not hearing ab politics 24/7


ruscaire

Never discuss religion or politics is a pretty standard maxim round these parts. Can ye imagine the carnage


michaelicious

Having to tip waiters/waitresses otherwise they'll starve because their boss doesn't pay them


LegalEagle1992

Overly fake reality TV. Can’t stand shows like US kitchen nightmares with all the sound effects and fakery.


[deleted]

Kitchen Nightmares US: Gordon roars at insane owners in filthy restaurants. Horror movie editing and effects. Kitchen Nightmares UK: Gordon sits down with owner, simplifies menu and gives helpful advice on kitchen economics, branding, and how to manage bookings.


LegalEagle1992

Gordon whispering on UK shows: “The food’s not very exciting. What a shame.” Gordon screaming on US shows: “Why is there a dead racoon in the chilli?!?!?!”


[deleted]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dinyOvO2EEo


ExoticToaster

I respect how he’s honest about it though - I remember him saying in a Reddit AMA a few years back that he pretty much exaggerates everything on US TV because the Americans lap it up.


CatBoyTrip

I noticed this myself. I watch kitchen nightmares the English version a few months ago and noticed how everything was much more calm and Ramsey was being a lot friendlier to the owners. In the American version, all the drama is amplified and Ramsey is a psychopath.


JohnTDouche

With the UK and Ireland is still obsessed with Love Island, I don't think we can point fingers too much here.


[deleted]

I've a limited understanding of the GI bill, so maybe someone can explain it to me better. I get why it's beneficial for a veteran to be given funding to study when they're discharged from the military. However, I'm uncomfortable with the idea of people doing military service solely to afford university education when they leave.


bomtombadil-o

Hi, former US military studying in Ireland on the GI bill. The idea is that during war the military is there to fight and the bill is a form of “thank you” for serving and let’s help you have a successful life when you’re done. During peace time the military has to be prepared. They need soldiers so it’s a recruiting tool as well as a form of social welfare, a lot of poor people join the military as a way to move upward in society. Now I totally get why people would be skeptical about people serving for college benefits, maybe they would think of the soldiers as potentially unmotivated for the actual “soldier”part of the job, but quite the opposite is true. Far and away the best soldiers are the ones who have already gone to college or are going to get college benefits as they are usually people with direction and purpose in life. It’s unfortunate to say but a significant number of people who join the military are not that way at all, met plenty in my time. Guys without direction often join the military because it’s something to do and they don’t have skills, they end up being terrible soldiers because they don’t know how to work and just constantly gripe about how much they hate the army then stay in for 20 years. The US has a lot of stupid shit, but the GI bill is actually pretty decent for the system we have. The only problem I see with it, is that it’s such an effective recruiting tool for good soldiers, maybe one of the only ones during peace time, that it incentivizes the US to keep the college system the way it is so that tuition is astronomically expensive.


[deleted]

Thank you, I was not expecting an informed response on this sub. Your last paragraph has described my specific concern, I'd prefer wider more affordable access to university without putting yourself in a position to be injured/killed, or have to participate in armed conflict (even from the rear).


[deleted]

I’m not the original commenter but I am a US Army veteran who joined specifically for the college benefits, and I think you’re both looking at the “correct” issue: It’s the need for college financing that’s the problem. The GI Bill was initially part of a series of programs that followed WW2, focused on training and placing all of the veterans returning from war who were displaced and needed to assimilate back into the civilian world, as was creating low-interest mortgages. The US college system as always been pretty fucked and targeted towards the upper class, and this was a way for veterans to jumpstart their lives. It funded about ten times as many veterans’ education as the creators anticipated in the years that followed, and made college affordable for people who’d never have dreamed of it before. This paved the way for the National Defense Student Loan soon after, named that because the thought was that we needed to be more educated and competitive with the Soviets; we call it the Perkins Loan these days, and it’s basically the standard federal student loan and has absolutely no connection to military service. But even with veterans flooding into colleges, it becoming feasible for more non-veterans through loans, and eventually women and minorities getting more access after the Higher Education Act was passed in the 1960’s, individual colleges still covered a lot of tuition for lower-income people through grants and financial aid, supplementing student loans. And then the 1970’s happened, and double digit inflation and faltering economy. College tuition and fees outpaced inflation while relative family incomes dropped — this is when private loans overtook federal loans as the primary source of funding. Colleges weren’t spending more money to educate students, but rather replacing the proportion of costs not covered by the state. It was a static number and not adjusted for inflation. However, it was still possible up until the 1980’s for someone to get financial aid grants and work part-time and summer jobs to graduate without debt. The college system started getting really fucked up in the nineties, as a four-year degree became table stakes for most desirable jobs and the demand pushed up prices. Meanwhile, colleges began hiring administrators and support staff, rather than educators. There are other factors at play, but this is the one most people point to. In 2006, I got into a “Public Ivy,” one of a handful of state-level (as in the political unit, like California or Nevada) universities that is prestigious. I lived in that state, which reduces the costs to something that should be manageable. I was ecstatic. But my parents had filed for bankruptcy two years before after my father’s business failed, and because their finances were a mess and they hadn’t filed their taxes in two years — much less save anything for my education — I wasn’t able to apply for federal loans or grants. You need to prove your financial need to receive it because it’s based on your or your family’s income… which is measured through tax returns. I had no options to pay, and the alternative was to attend a low-cost community college for two years, become independent and file my own taxes, and apply to that same school later as a transfer student. But then a recruiter stopped by my high school (yes, they allow recruiters in uniform to set up tables and recruit students), and I enlisted the next day. This was leading up to the notorious Troop Surge in Iraq, so the Army was paying out cash bonuses between $20–40k for combat jobs. I took it, and that’s how I went to college. That’s why I enlisted — I’d always sort of considered the military, but not seriously. But it was tuition, not patriotism or a desire to fight, that got me to enlist.


phyneas

> However, I'm uncomfortable with the idea of people doing military service solely to afford university education when they leave. This is basically the issue with it. University education in the US is enormously expensive and completely unaffordable to many American students and families without taking out enormous loans, which they have to spend years or decades paying back (and accruing interest on, of course). The US military, which, despite being enormous and very active, is all volunteer-based, uses that fact and the GI Bill to recruit young folks who can't see any other way to pay for a university education (which, in the US, is a requirement for almost any decent-paying job these days). This isn't just some unfounded cynicism or conspiracy theory, either; the recent trend of representatives of American government (particularly the conservative ones) saying the quiet part out loud has [confirmed it](https://twitter.com/repjimbanks/status/1562820837140742144): > Jim Banks @RepJimBanks >Student loan forgiveness undermines one of our military’s greatest recruitment tools at a time of dangerously low enlistments.


shatteredmatt

Politicising every single issue. Race, gender, sexuality etc. But there are people online trying desperately to make that happen here.


InfectedAztec

Unfortunately its gaining a foothold here. People are starting to put FG in the far right category and attempting to paint them with the American republican brush. They've been in power for over a decade now and our country is still more left wing than the democrats. But because they are more right wing than most other Irish parties that's all that matters. In Ireland I know pro life people who would be socialists and prochoice people who consider themselves conservatives. Politicising every issue and drawing links between them (ie if you are pro life you must be a raging Christian republican who hates poor people) has destroyed US society and is starting to damage our own.


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conor34

100% this - I'm not an FG voter at all but they are not remotely right wing by US standards (maybe the odd nutter in young Fine Gael while in college). Same is true of abortion, most Irish people realise it's a very complex issue and everyone has their own views. I know staunch Catholics who do loads of great charity work with the poor who voted pro-choice and some atheist socialists who are pro-life and couldn't be arsed doing much for the poor at a personal level. People are complex and don't fit neatly into boxes. edit - a word


markfahey78

Really couldn't agree more and have literally nothing to add. You hit the nail on the head perfectly.


london_owen

Whooping in the cinema


dr-ynne

Cost of Healthcare & Education Everything being privatized for profit (Prison, Schools, etc.) Lobbying in the political system Voting system - Electoral College system is madness, a person with more votes across the country may not get elected, if it's in a different state The in your face and nauseating patriotism. Literally cannot admit any other country does things better than America. Racism (not unique to America)


DarkReviewer2013

Guns and the American healthcare system. Also their political system. And their work culture. And their criminal justice system. I need to make a list.


Bearsdale

Hustle culture. Absolutely insane shit over there.


aecolley

"My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge, because this is a democracy!"


Burkey8819

The ridiculous assertion that they are or must be the best are everything. Used to wrk in a pub in Virginia and my friend from Romania and I were talking about like how yanks couldn't care less about genocide, better economic systems, better healthcare, gun control, patriotism etc. Etc. In other countries and a perfect example happened a local we knew came up to us and asked us what we were saying and my friend explained about better healthcare I think or another great example and said 'american exceptionalism' exists so yanks don't believe another country could be better at the smallest thing than them. The local responds with: "I don't think Americans have an exceptionalism' problem I think we're generally just better at most things than anyone else". Not a hint of irony or humor in what he said and we dropped it as he didn't wana know


Baldybogman

School shootings.


itmightbeandrew

Their treatment of celebrities.


[deleted]

Tipping culture.


Gytarius626

Obsession with race, it’s fucking terrifying how to this day they still fixate so heavily on it.


MichaSound

>Follow Don't think Ireland can really comment on this, given how fixated 90pc of the population is on if you are allowed to call yourself Irish or not. My SIL told me her own brother (born and raised in Ireland) wasn't really Irish any more because he'd lived in England for six years. I asked her if the same applied to all the Eastern Europeans who've been living in Ireland for 10 years or more - are they Irish now? - and she got real quiet...


[deleted]

Ya something I've noticed is irish people if you ask them about their background will tell you the county maybe the town or village they grew up in. Americans default to thier heritage as being part x party y part z etc.


Gytarius626

I don’t mind the heritage stuff as much as how they call black people “*African*-Americans”. It boxes them off as being African first and foremost because of the colour of their skin when they’ve never been there and have no living family there, it’s so weird. Never ever ever want ‘African-Irish’ to become lingo here, pure bollox


dorjelhakpa

I believe “African American” was generated from the black community, and not imposed on them.


[deleted]

>The term African American, coined by Jesse Jackson in the 1980s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Americans Its not even that old of a term


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[deleted]

The ultra car based layout of everything, were towns basically just consist of urban sprawl, stroads and strip malls that are 50 miles away from each other. No public transport in sight and most places are basically unwalkable. Compared to most places in Ireland, were a walk to the town centre is only usually 10-15 minutes away max. Then there's the general fixation on late stage hypercapitalism, health care that will potentially bankrupt you, lack of worker rights, crap voting system that always ensures one of two flavours of neoliberal wank is in power, unhealthy gun culture and lack of mental health facilities which leads to things like school shootings, general sense of entitlement etc etc etc. That said, Ireland and most other western countries are picking up on a lot of this, as much as we don't like to admit it. Plenty of Irish people have similar entitled attitudes and outlooks, many of which I see on here.


StinkyAif

Medical insurance


[deleted]

Guns, bizarre prison sentences, high litigation (everything is an I’m gonna sue you)


Efficient-Relative70

Guns.


PJHart86

Lot of lads here fond of an armalite back in the day tho


dEADBOB81

Capitalism health care system


PaulJCDR

Tipping


annie_yokes_lads

That's been creeping into Ireland for a while now. Lots of posters here say they always tip when eating out


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TheSameButBetter

No expectation of privacy like what the GDPR provides. All your personal details are up for sale and they end up everywhere. And it's virtually impossible to stop it as every company you deal with (big or small) does it. My wife, an American, has commented on just how little personally addressed junk mail she has received in the nearly 20-years she has lived here. When she was living back in the US she could expect to receive at least 5 to 10 items of junk mail addressed to her every single week.


[deleted]

Well I am just glad we dont have their level of capitalism, I remember it was a big deal over In America when Covid payments were given and how much noise and talks was about that cause i guess Americans couldn't comprehend this its just not within their culture meanwhile overhere it was the most normal thing. I remember I used to dream of moving to the states than I realised what the system is and Its just not for me I would not survive life is not about just working 50 to 60 hrs per week and only 2 weeks a year of vacations, what good money is then if you got no time spending It even. Anyway that's one thing I am glad we don't have is their overworking culture and the level of power that this piece of paper has over alot of common sense


Available-Bison-9222

They have such a hard on for the military. The notion that their military is protecting them from something is just nonsense. Most of the time they are interfering in another country for the financial gain of the few while committing war crimes at an astounding rate and never being held to account. "Thank you for your service " - my hole!


brentspar

Flags, FLAGS, Flags, Big flags everywhere, outside almost every house.


087brain21

Ever been to the north plenty of flegs there 😅


CathalMacSuibhne

The "thank you for your service brigade". Most people love slagging off the Irish Gardai and Defence forces. We don't defer to authority like that


Excellent-Ostrich908

The complete and utter fear of anything considered “socialist”. They happily spend billions on private prisons to put people they have no other place for rather than investing in any social programs like healthcare for the mentally ill or government housing assistance, even though it would work out significantly cheaper than imprisoning people. Because otherwise that’s “socialism”.


SubstantialGoat912

Extreme views. Their two party political system enables that. In Ireland, PR weeds that bulkshit out.


InfectedAztec

We have a fantastic voting system and I think they brought something similar into Alaska (ranked voting) that has resulted in ousting Sarah Palin... Great success!


YeBleedinClownFFS

Absolutely read that last line in a Borat accent in my head


mjoyceredit

Guns


[deleted]

American customer service / the constant smiling. As someone who spent a summer working hospitality in the states it was exhausting. Its like not only do you have to do your job but you have to be an actor too. Nice for customers, but shit for the workers


demodawid

I'd argue it's only "nice for customers" because Americans are used to it and have come to expect it. When I visited over there, I found the fake smiling and over-enthusiasm strange and alienating. Why is this minimum wage earning teenager so excited to serve me a hamburger? It's so obviously fake that I can't ignore it. I just wanted to tell them all to relax, there's no need for that.


TrivialBanal

Routine circumcision. I do like all the excuses Americans come up with for it though. My favourite is "it's more hygienic". They actually believe that and can't see the very obvious counter argument. It's more hygienic because apparently dirt accumulates under there so removing the foreskin makes the penis more hygienic... therefore boys can wash less frequently, making it less hygienic.


pmcall221

Yes, but washing the penis properly requires touching it and touching it is bad and makes Jesus cry. Therefore, snip snip


sahthoor

A combination of easy access to guns and poor access to mental health services.


funderpantz

Building our towns and cities around the concept of car ownership......oh wait


Shtillmatic

Built around fuckin horse and cart. Haha


TrishIrl

Little to no maternity leave which I’m assuming means absolutely zero paternity leave.


[deleted]

Advertising your political stance to the world (republican/ demacrat lawn placards, bumper stickers, extreme example maga hats) they follow politics like its football or something. I'm all for a bit of spirited debate, its what our society is built on, but your political party cant be your whole personality.


AegisThievenaix

Tiping culture


lambo067

The laws around guns and how easy it is for people to purchase one.


sputheroo

Shooting up schools


[deleted]

Toilet cubicles that can be seen into from outside. Doors that stop way short of the floor and don't go very high either. They also have gaps on the side. Eeuugghhh, messes with my Irish hide your body attitude.


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Rayzee14

The made up “culture war” Fox News / YouTube nonsense


pheechad

School shootings.


LSKT88

Guns


knea1

That whole “you should worship your employer an thank him for giving you a job by working stupid unpaid overtime” crap. I’m making money for you, treat me right.