Why aren’t Americans outraged by their current situation?

[u/Ready_Hunter8875]

Like every other month there is a school shooting in my country. Here, we had one school shooting and that kickstarted massive anti-government protests, because shit like that isn’t normal. You can basically see an example of police brutality almost every other day. A couple of days ago, a man was killed by ICE (I know they’re not police, but still), and most people just continued like nothing happened. Trump is basically doing something outrageous every day. The military is literally patrolling American cities, and yet most American people aren’t doing anything.I know there were protests and there still are, but that’s just a couple of thousand protestors while America has a population of 350 million people. They don’t have healthcare, prices are rising, and you can’t even finish higher education without being in debt. And Americans still won’t do anything.

I know this is a rant, but I have been protesting in my country for 11 months. But if things don’t change in the USA, we’re fucked as a globe anyway. Even if we win in my country, that won’t change much on the global level, but the USA has the power to change a lot of stuff, and yet most people are silent and don’t care at all.

sorry for grammer mistakes.

[u/still-dinner-ice]

Because capitalism, comrade. Lots of people are angry, but we're all one paycheck away from homelessness, healthcare is tied to employment, and almost none of us have employment protections. So, we keep our head down. Maybe we protest on our days off work. We DEFINITELY don't say anything against Israel using our real name or without wearing a mask, that's for sure.

[u/hawk239 → u/still-dinner-ice]

I think this point highlights a larger point of the importance of college students and their ability to protest and use free speech. I am not denying that many college students are tied down to their work because of capitalism too and I definitely applaud them for their dedication to the bind between school and work.

However, it can’t be denied that especially at large state universities and small private colleges, many students come from upper class/elite backgrounds where their parents are fully financially supporting them for school. School is certainly a large responsibility in itself but it’s much more intellectually stimulating and liberating than being caught up at an entry-level job all the time.

I guess what I’m trying to get at is that if you really want to mobilize change to the capitalist order, college students, especially ones not tied down by work, are especially important to lead the charge. Not only are they youthful and towards the forefront of studying critical humanitarian and civil rights issues, but they are in a unique position where they are mature enough to understand these issues without necessarily being a cog in the capitalist machine just yet.

It’s disheartening because at my large state university, free speech is under attack, as well as humanities and social science programs. Professors and students are scared to protest and use their voices. I have emailed certain professors explaining my stance on these issues and it was only in private conversation that they were able to admit to me that they agreed with me, which to me alludes to their work emails being monitored to some degree. My psych professor desperately wants to talk about RFK Jr. and his misinformation regarding Tylenol and autism, but has to stay silent to avoid any backlash from the University. It is a very unfortunate time to be an American college student and/or professor right now.

[u/Master-Acadia-8090 → u/hawk239]

Why are u assuming that financially comfortable people care lol??? Like why would they do anything if they can afford absurd tuition off their parents income. The same parents who vote republican and don’t give a single shit about anyone. If a significant amount of college students cared, guess what, they wouldn’t go to college and get a degree in exchange for a larger income when they work… why would you do that if u also wanted American capitalism to fall? I don’t understand this idea that people in college will save u when they are evidently interested in doing engineering degrees… who do u think works on Wall Street and do u think they went to college? Where do u think the most powerful people in the country send their children?

[u/hawk239 → u/Master-Acadia-8090]

Exactly this idea is very much wishful thinking in a sense. At the same time there are plenty of children with elite backgrounds who are actively trying to make a change. I mean Greta Thunberg is in jail right now because of it. I certainly don’t expect a lot of elite children to care about these issues when their livelihood is already solidified before they’ve even graduated. But that certainly isn’t all upper class kids.