It’s an insult intentionally made to lack nuance and reduce any country called that as all bad. Every country has good and bad aspects and at one point in history, goes through turbulent times. Intentionally focusing on a country’s issues to deem it a “shithole” is in no way objective and is just a way to demean a whole country and the people living there.
A lot of biased Europeans will call the US a shithole and the US does have a lot of issues(especially right now) compared to peer countries like lower levels of development and infrastructure, higher levels of poverty, lower lifespans, higher rates of crime, higher rates of government corruption and police brutality etc. than many European countries, but obviously that doesn’t make the US a “shithole”. There are many good things about America as well, but the term “shithole” does not have that nuance because it’s a insult. It’s not meant to bring up the challenges a country has/ is working through, it’s just meant to label a country as worthless/irredeemable.
Comments
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
But…we are a shithole
Nah India is a literal shithole.
Yeah and so what.
Bros from Brazil or something and got called tf out lmao
There’s a healthy way to have a nuanced conversation about issues a country faces. Defaulting to “shithole” isn’t one, and it’s just being a jackass.
What’s your favorite thing about Somalia?
Eh US is a pretty big shithole.
Some countries suck man get over it. Like would you really want to live in Afghanistan? Be for real.
Yeah, but, like, Eswatini is a shithole. This is not calling it worthless or irredeemable, this is saying that, by the metrics we are using to judge this country, it fucking sucks and it would be terrible to live there.
It could and should be better, and if that happens, it will no longer be a shithole. But as it stands, it is a shithole.
I absolutely couldn’t agree more. Very well said!
I agree. As a European I think the US is mostly excellent. I’ve loved spending time in your beautiful country, and loved meeting Americans, most of whom are warm, welcoming and interesting people. There’s things I prefer about Europe, but also things I prefer about the US. I do wish you’d all get your politics together a bit (not to say we have it licked).
I think people who refer to another country as a shithole generally haven’t spent a lot of time there. The US is not a shithole, far from it, and I’ve travelled a fair bit and never found a place yet that is.
I think it’s perfectly fine to call your own country a shithole.
Banter between countries keeps things interesting.
I live in america and i can tell you large portions of it are either empty or shitholes
Ok stop using all language that have similar bias then. No kleenex, just paper tissues. No velcro, just hook-and-loop fasteners. No jetski, just personal watercraft. No chapstick, just lip balm.
Something about this smells like your country got called a shithole country. This is a great post.
most rational people understand this
I call my own country a shithole.
It’s a joke because of comments made by Trump in his previous administration. The trick is to use his language against him to humiliate him.
Depends what you mean.
If you’re having an actual serious conversation? Yea shithole probably aint the right term.
Casual conversation, like climate/temperature/Weather or whatever? Yea shithole is fine to use.
For example, politically or literally i wouldnt call Australia a shithole.
Someone brings up the weather? Australias the biggest shithole. Last week i was sweating my balls off in a t-shirt and jeans. This week im wearing four layers and afraid my hands will fall off.
It really depends on context.
The United States is objectively a shit hole country, and I am absolutely being derogatory.
If people are fleeing a country and claiming asylum from it, it is a shithole.
Totally agree, especially since a lot of these so-called “shithole” countries are in rough shape because of centuries of Western exploitation. People act like it’s just some internal failure, but ignore the pillaging that set them back in the first place. Also, nationalism just fuels that toxic “us vs them” mindset. It’s not the same as patriotism. You can love your country without using that as an excuse to look down on everyone else.
If you got your feelings hurt by some strangers on the Internet calling your country a shithole, you can just say that.
So if I go to a terrible country now, I can’t call it a shit hole if it was great 1,000 years ago?
Man people are really chipping in the comments lmfao
Like this is such an obvious point. You could say the same shit about like Haiti by saying “Haiti is a bad place to live” but you chose to use an expletive
Nah.
America is a shithole.
Would you like a triple jumbo upsize with that?