Racism in the United States is astonishing. As a non-American, until Obama’s time, I used to think that, there was just some institutional racism left over from past decades and a few extremists in the South—but not much else. After Obama, it’s incredible how most white people have become extremely right-wing extremists, all because of a single president of mixed descent. Now, the problem seems enormous, and a solution doesn’t appear to be anywhere in sight.

What’s astonishing to me, as an American who grew up in white conservative rural and suburban areas, is that the racism is just one facet of a much larger shitty state of existence.

I see the same things IRL from ordinary people, like extended family, that I see from the people in the media who seem like hyperbolic caricatures trying to test Poe’s law.

It’s just an existence based in negativity. Every request has a hurried frustrated tone. Every discussion is composed entirely of complaints. The complaints about others are bigoted sure, but also very focused on money and material possessions which those other people never deserve and the speaker is neverrrrr jealous about. Personal identity is built from all the things you don’t like.

I have a good relationship with my family, but they are still miserable and draining to be around.