Politics is one of the most controversial topics, regardless of which country you're in. You can be part of the most peaceful society, but as long as there are two parties to vote for, clashes are unavoidable. And on some degree, that's fine—people have right to stand for what they believe in, and opposing views can push societies forward and prevent stagnation. Unfortunately, this can also take a deep dive off a proverbial cliff, especially when those same parties start leaning too far one way or another, which ends with political views becoming a point of deep divide. And worse yet, when those leanings are taken so far out of proportion they become insults.
More info: TikTok
American political terms are not unique and seem misused in a global context
Image credits: frauloewenherz
Image credits: frauloewenherz
Whether it'll surprise you or not, liberals, conservatives, and a whole plethora of similar terms are not native to the American political sphere. Other countries have them as well, but unlike in the US, those terms have different connotations and weight behind them. TikTok user frauloewenherz made a video highlighting the differences between American and German political leanings. "I think not a lot of Americans are aware of this," said the user. "Did you know that it means an entirely different thing to say you're on the political left when you're in the US versus when you're in Germany?"
Germany and the US have fundamentally different understandings when it comes to politics
Image credits: frauloewenherz
Image credits: frauloewenherz
Every country is different, so it's understandable that the views are influenced by the local society. However, the user pointed out that some of America's claims, such as what leftists are, are just fundamentally different from how Germany views those same terms. The user explained, "In the US, you're on the political left when you want things like universal healthcare and free education. In Germany, these things are such a given that not even our right-wing party would dare to dispute them. Our leftist party positioned itself as the party of the working class, advocating for things like higher retirement funding and restricting the power of landlords."
In Germany, Joe Biden would be considered a conservative, and Bernie Sanders—a social democrat
Image credits: frauloewenherz
Image credits: frauloewenherz
"If Joe Biden was making politics in Germany, he would be in the Christian Democratic Union. That is our conservative party." Generally, one's ideals and goals will determine their political leanings. In the US, President Joe Biden is a Democrat with moderate-left leanings and is viewed as the complete opposite of the Republicans, many of which support conservative politics. In Germany, Joe Biden's politics would place him on basically the other side of the barricade. "And people say AOC or Bernie Sanders would probably be in the Social-Democratic Party of Germany. That is not our most leftist party," said frauloewenherz.
The intention of the video was to underline the differences between German and American politics
Image credits: frauloewenherz
Image credits: frauloewenherz
The video wasn't made to divide or ridicule. As the user herself stated, "I don't mean to sh*t on anyone, I just want to give you some perspective." The intention was to show that the political views in America are not universal, since the terms they use are applicable all over the world, but with different meanings attached to them. And as a bonus: "Germans are having a pretty good laugh when Donald Trump is calling Joe Biden a radical leftist."
Naturally, people wanted to share their own insights on the topic
