Comment by mcv
6 years ago
US homeowners association are another great example that doesn't match European experience. Why do Americans turn everything that's supposed to be in their own interest, into a vehicle for power abuse? That seems to be the recurring story in American unions, as well as homeowner associations. Are there any other supposedly-good organisations that are toxic in the US? Political parties? News? Boy scouts?
> Are there any other supposedly-good organisations that are toxic in the US?
There aren't many supposedly-good organizations in the US.
According to Gallup[1], in 2019 there were only three institutions in which more than half of Americans had "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of trust: the military, police, and small business. The police probably lost that trust recently, leaving only small business and the military.
Only 29% trusted organized labor, which puts it below the presidency, in 2019. But even fewer trust big business, and trust in organized labor has been rising, so there might be some hope for unions.
1: https://news.gallup.com/poll/1597/confidence-institutions.as...
As an American I strongly agree with your insight, and independently arrived at it. It is an underlying cultural issue -- a lack of community spirit that is relatively widespread.
It is a universal human tendency that is strongly in effect here at the current time and place.
> a lack of community spirit that is relatively widespread.
How did this happen?
For homeowners associations in particular, I think a lot of the history is rooted in American race and class bias. A lot of American suburbs were created due to white flight [1]. And although they're mostly no longer explicitly racist, they're very stratified by income, which can be read as class bias and/or quiet racism.
That desire for exclusion and enforced superiority appeals to some more than others. So it's unsurprising to me that HOA boards frequently turn out awful.
Happily, as older, first-ring suburbs turn into cities in their own right, we're seeing some reversal of that. E.g., as kids and grandkids stay in the area, we're seeing demographic and income diversification. Some places are realizing that things they've previously excluded, like drug treatment and publicly supported housing, are now necessary.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_flight
> Are there any other supposedly-good organisations that are toxic in the US?
Definitely.
> Political parties?
Check. There are only 2, and cynicism towards both of them is pretty high, as neither really represents the people.
> News?
Check as well. See Fox News, which actually delivers "entertainment" disguised as news.
> Boy scouts?
Probably not, but who knows?
Disclaimer: Not an American, just a Canadian that follows US new a bit.
> > Boy scouts?
> Probably not, but who knows?
Just a long history of homophobia there.