this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2026
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[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Other countries don't have this problem because they don't have the free for all media landscape that the US does.

For example, in virtually every other country there's a well funded public broadcaster. And, even when that public broadcaster isn't dominating the viewership, it's normally seen as the most trustworthy news source. So, people can watch their favourite news channel, but when they want to fact check something they know they can tune in the public broadcaster.

Other countries are also not as insane as the US when it comes to defunding public education. Having a population that is able to tell fact from fiction is seen as important by most other countries, even if that means slightly higher taxes. The US sees well funded education as communism, and is trying to get rid of it, or defund it at a minimum.

The US is also one of the only places with a true 2-party duopoly with no other options for voters. Even in countries where only 2 parties have a realistic chance at forming a government, there are other parties that siphon off the crazies, and/or put pressure on the mainstream parties from both left and right.

I've lived in 4 other countries and have visited dozens more. The US is truly unique, and not in a good way. I'm not saying it couldn't happen somewhere else, but it's much more likely to happen in the US because of unique US dysfunction.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Russia, China, and North Korea have state media too but it's . . . not that.

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Were you directing the "you" in your comment at people in Russia, China and North Korea?

If so, I don't think they'll be surprised that fascism is coming for them.

I understood "you" to mean people who believe that they live in free countries with a free press.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I dunno, they might be! But no, you understood correctly. I’m just saying state media is as state media does. Hopefully it keeps the signal to noise ratio high. But private media companies are always growing due to their immense Political power.

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 1 points 23 hours ago

But private media companies are always growing due to their immense Political power.

In the US that's true, but is it true of other countries? It seems like it in some countries like Israel, Italy and Hungary. But, those seem to be countries that have already gone pretty fascist.

[–] Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

US used to have well funded public media too, it took "conservatives" about two decades to defund it

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

No it didn't. The US never had well funded public media.

[–] Tinidril@midwest.social 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What's happening in the US was based on what had already been done in Hungary. Every single thing you mentioned happened there first.

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works -1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

A former soviet republic that never managed to stabilize after their soviet time doesn't really count.

[–] Tinidril@midwest.social 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No true Scotsman.

Maybe the US never recovered from being a slave-owning British colony. Everyone has their baggage.

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

The post I was replying to said "Other countries - it’s coming for you. "

Most Lemmy users aren't people using it from former Communist countries that never made the transition to working democracies. It may be coming (or have already come) for Hungary. But it isn't coming for "you", because "you" don't have the problems that Hungary or the USA does.