There’s a simpler explanation: people who aren’t shitbags are made unhappy by being beaten down by shitbags, and the shitbags becoming more openly shitty.
You don’t need to bring a geopolitical philosophy into it.
The failing power of the empire and the rising resistance of the global south instills them with a sense of nihilism, because we are supposed to be enlightened and civilized (though we can no longer be said to be, with the rise of overt fascism in the west), while our enemies are regressive, authoritarian barbarians - two equal evils fighting each other, with no hope for anything better
No one is being instilled with a sense of nihilism because of a loss of American influence in the global south, and no one really gives a shit about our enemies and their moral character. People care about stuff like “healthcare”, “poverty”, “civil rights”, “not burning the world”.
The world, and life itself, is complicated and messy in 2026, and an awareness of it and the constant, always on vigilance of keeping up with all of the moral responsibility of trying to build a life that allows you to look yourself in the mirror every day in a world built to usher everyone into maintaining exploitative systems is draining and crushing.
If you don’t have to do that because you’re either ignorant of the machinery you’re part of, or don’t care, you just get to go about your life.
e: I misread your original post, I thought you were saying that both sides in the war were shitbags. I still think it’s too simple of an explanation in general, though. Such circumstances deserve a deeper look.
Why do you think things need a more complex explanation?
Do you really feel like this Iran incursion is somehow significant feeling compared to Iraq or Afghanistan?
Do you actually think that the hegemonic status of the US really enters into the consideration of most people, to say nothing of having a significant impact on their emotions? Do you think an awareness of that would actually make people feel better?
Because the explanation is more complex. Things aren’t the way they are for no reason, there’s historical context and theoretical frameworks that allow you to understand how and why the world came to be as it is, and how it is likely to change. If you understand this, then you also know not only that things are not going to be this way forever, you know that the world is changing right now. That we are closer to liberation than you think.
Knowledge is power, and understanding the world also means that you are more able to change it.
Do you really feel like this Iran incursion is somehow significant feeling compared to Iraq or Afghanistan?
The Iran situation is more significant than Iraq or Afghanistan, because Iran is going to win. This is a far worse situation for the United States government than both Iraq and Afghanistan combined, because it is breaking their aura of invincibility. They aren’t being slowly exhausted in a guerilla war, they’re being struck both militarily and economically by a country they haven’t even invaded, and will not be able to invade.
Do you actually think that the hegemonic status of the US really enters into the consideration of most people, to say nothing of having a significant impact on their emotions? Do you think an awareness of that would actually make people feel better?
You’re mixing up what is and what should be. No, most Americans don’t particularly care about the world outside their borders. If people understood that the power of the US government, of Donald Trump and his cronies, was based on American global hegemony - on the empire - and they further understood that that hegemony was crumbling and is indeed at a breaking point, they would understand that there is plenty reason to be hopeful.
Your oppressors, who are also the world’s oppressors, are being defeated! They depend both at home and abroad on the illusion of invincibility and the illusion that nothing will ever change. Those illusions are more broken today than they were yesterday, and were more broken yesterday than the day before. In the coming weeks and months, they will continue to break.
I think you’re gravely exaggerating the significance of the iran war we currently have. The resources brought to force and the scale of losses are miniscule, and there’s no grounds to even say what “winning” is for either side.
That’s entirely aside from the point though. You’re arguing the a crack in the facade of hegemony is more responsible for emotional distress than a stark reminder that your next door neighbors are horrible bigots. That people should be comforted that people they don’t know will lose power.
Will Trump losing power make my neighbor not think we should hang trans people?
Will a loss of US influence in global affairs cause us to build a social safety net?
Will embarrassing the US military spur a wave of environmental reforms?
The answer is “no”, because why would it?
I think you’re thinking about global politics a lot, and assuming it must be on everyone else’s mind as well.
I don’t think you actually know why people are exhausted and depressed, and you sure as shit don’t know what would improve that.
people openly supporting nazi’s are indeed simply shitbags
and yes non shitbags are sad to see people suffer, that is called empathy, it is only confusing to the shitbag party in the US because they generally lack said empathy
Yeah, definitely, but the world is much more complex than that. The current state of affairs is a result of historical contingency, and it isn’t going to last forever. As I have attempted to get across, the tide is already changing.
Feel free to think that the world is simple and unchanging - the bad guys are in power and always will be. That’s what they want you to think, after all, so why shouldn’t you? It’s out of your hands now. Americans could have changed America, and they still can, but not with that stupid defeatist attitude. The world will change without you, and you will be left in the dust.
There’s a simpler explanation: people who aren’t shitbags are made unhappy by being beaten down by shitbags, and the shitbags becoming more openly shitty.
You don’t need to bring a geopolitical philosophy into it.
No one is being instilled with a sense of nihilism because of a loss of American influence in the global south, and no one really gives a shit about our enemies and their moral character. People care about stuff like “healthcare”, “poverty”, “civil rights”, “not burning the world”.
It’s actually even simpler than that.
The world, and life itself, is complicated and messy in 2026, and an awareness of it and the constant, always on vigilance of keeping up with all of the moral responsibility of trying to build a life that allows you to look yourself in the mirror every day in a world built to usher everyone into maintaining exploitative systems is draining and crushing.
If you don’t have to do that because you’re either ignorant of the machinery you’re part of, or don’t care, you just get to go about your life.
e: I misread your original post, I thought you were saying that both sides in the war were shitbags. I still think it’s too simple of an explanation in general, though. Such circumstances deserve a deeper look.
Why do you think things need a more complex explanation?
Do you really feel like this Iran incursion is somehow significant feeling compared to Iraq or Afghanistan?
Do you actually think that the hegemonic status of the US really enters into the consideration of most people, to say nothing of having a significant impact on their emotions? Do you think an awareness of that would actually make people feel better?
Because the explanation is more complex. Things aren’t the way they are for no reason, there’s historical context and theoretical frameworks that allow you to understand how and why the world came to be as it is, and how it is likely to change. If you understand this, then you also know not only that things are not going to be this way forever, you know that the world is changing right now. That we are closer to liberation than you think.
Knowledge is power, and understanding the world also means that you are more able to change it.
The Iran situation is more significant than Iraq or Afghanistan, because Iran is going to win. This is a far worse situation for the United States government than both Iraq and Afghanistan combined, because it is breaking their aura of invincibility. They aren’t being slowly exhausted in a guerilla war, they’re being struck both militarily and economically by a country they haven’t even invaded, and will not be able to invade.
You’re mixing up what is and what should be. No, most Americans don’t particularly care about the world outside their borders. If people understood that the power of the US government, of Donald Trump and his cronies, was based on American global hegemony - on the empire - and they further understood that that hegemony was crumbling and is indeed at a breaking point, they would understand that there is plenty reason to be hopeful.
Your oppressors, who are also the world’s oppressors, are being defeated! They depend both at home and abroad on the illusion of invincibility and the illusion that nothing will ever change. Those illusions are more broken today than they were yesterday, and were more broken yesterday than the day before. In the coming weeks and months, they will continue to break.
I think you’re gravely exaggerating the significance of the iran war we currently have. The resources brought to force and the scale of losses are miniscule, and there’s no grounds to even say what “winning” is for either side.
That’s entirely aside from the point though. You’re arguing the a crack in the facade of hegemony is more responsible for emotional distress than a stark reminder that your next door neighbors are horrible bigots. That people should be comforted that people they don’t know will lose power.
Will Trump losing power make my neighbor not think we should hang trans people?
Will a loss of US influence in global affairs cause us to build a social safety net?
Will embarrassing the US military spur a wave of environmental reforms?
The answer is “no”, because why would it?
I think you’re thinking about global politics a lot, and assuming it must be on everyone else’s mind as well.
I don’t think you actually know why people are exhausted and depressed, and you sure as shit don’t know what would improve that.
people openly supporting nazi’s are indeed simply shitbags
and yes non shitbags are sad to see people suffer, that is called empathy, it is only confusing to the shitbag party in the US because they generally lack said empathy
Yeah, definitely, but the world is much more complex than that. The current state of affairs is a result of historical contingency, and it isn’t going to last forever. As I have attempted to get across, the tide is already changing.
x to doubt
Feel free to think that the world is simple and unchanging - the bad guys are in power and always will be. That’s what they want you to think, after all, so why shouldn’t you? It’s out of your hands now. Americans could have changed America, and they still can, but not with that stupid defeatist attitude. The world will change without you, and you will be left in the dust.