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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”.

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mycodesucks@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
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 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.

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GuyIncognito@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
That is indeed a simpler explanation. Much too simple.

I’m not saying people are nihilistic because of a loss of American influence in the global south, I’m saying they’re being nihilistic because they don’t see anything good happening. This extends to the current situation with the global south because you don’t see any “good guys”, you just see evil vs. evil. You said it yourself: “shitbags vs. shitbags”. You don’t have perspective.

Don’t see this as me calling you out, think of it as a good faith attempt to enlighten you.

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- baines@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  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
  
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  - GuyIncognito@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    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.
    
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    baines@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    x to doubt
    
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- ricecake@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  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?
  
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  - GuyIncognito@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    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.
    
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    ricecake@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    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.
    
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