AIBU to want Americans to stop using the phrase "leader of the free world"?

By not voting on the side of the UN about Ukraine, they have effectively sided with a dictatorship rather than democracy so no longer "leader of the free world".

American here. Agree that we are no longer the leader of anything, much less the free world (and probably never were). To be fair, I've mostly heard that term used by politicians. The last month, in particular, has been a dystopian nightmare.

Agreed. He’s not my fucking leader.

‘The Land of the Free’ my big, white, ginger bird’s arse.

A country founded by religious fundamentalists by way of genocide and ethnic cleansing; a country which embraced slavery, going to war with itself to keep it; a country which armed its citizens; a country that enshrined racial segregation in law.

It was only ever going to end this way. It’s a failed state, and all the self-mythologising and self-promotion has annoyed me for decades.

American in the US; we don't. It might be a media term not used domestically here, and we know it was used during the Cold War, but we're well aware that we have actual fascism afoot and certainly aren't a leader and aren't amongst the freest in the world. We're losing our freedoms by the day.

Throwing nearly a trillion dollars at the military doesn’t make the U.S. an effective leader, nor does it mean the world is safer. The U.S. has spent decades waging costly, destabilising wars with little to show for it.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan alone cost over $8 trillion, with thousands of American and allied troops killed, hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties, and entire regions left in turmoil. The 2003 Iraq invasion, based on false claims of weapons of mass destruction, toppled Saddam Hussein but created a power vacuum that fueled the rise of ISIS. Afghanistan, after 20 years of occupation, fell back into Taliban control almost immediately after the U.S. withdrawal.
Libya, Syria, and earlier, Vietnam follow similar patterns—massive U.S. military involvement, staggering human and financial costs, and no long-term stability.
Despite these failures, the U.S. continues to justify excessive military spending as a means of "global leadership”. The belief that throwing more money at the military makes the world safer ignores the actual results of U.S. foreign policy over the past several decades.

I understand your feelings in terms of the moral high ground and the defender of freedom, etc. But I think Trump is showing that America is the leader, maybe of a comfortable and smug world rather than a free one, but certainly a leader. A lot of our dealings with the US have been begrudging in the last few decades. There's been a lot of anti-American sentiment in the UK building up since the 90s, at least. But we have still happily relied on them for defense in a huge way. Both the significant military resources which NATO and other countries who rely on them have failed to come close to matching and foreign aid - which while not directed at us has helped in combating international crime and diseases that our efforts to fight would do a much worse jpb of on their own.

Now Trump is putting barriers in the way of the things we enjoy about American investment and trade and suddenly people are having to jump high to get them back.

I'm not suggesting here that the US is just a force for good in this - lots of the issues they defend against they have a huge hand in creating in the first place (though probably no more than the UK) - I'm simply pointing out that they are the leaders. They have a lot of power and they haven't been playing that card very hard until now. If they want to lead, we will likely say "how high", at least for a while.

I don't think the Americans care what you want.

I think British people (or "Brits") in Hollywood films are often very posh and arrogant. Just like French people are super sexy (and arrogant). And Americans are usually the main character and heroic. Its Hollywood. I like those films. But I think some Americans take it very literally - I have definitely heard the "I thought you would be stuck up from your accent" before. And I don't even have a posh accent. And I really don't care about 1776 - banter aside I don't know a singe British person who does.
People are also stereotyping Americans a bit right now. But first - its considerably less than Americans stereotype other countries. And second - its based on what they are seeing right now on the news (not fictional films). Its not fair on the many humble, kind Americans. But Trump is the person elected to represent America on the world stage. So it is to be expected. Complaining that the people making judgements are "stuck up Brits" is just a way of coping with that. Also to be exxpected.

I've lived in the US (no experience of Aus). I'd rather be a wingeing pom than a deluded and brainwashed American.

Yup!!!

Yes, and we probably complain a lot more than we should. Those moaning about how European trains are better than British ones have clearly never experienced Deutsche Bahn...

The Aussies call us "whinging poms" for a reason

Hang on @Drylogsonly I'm British. That was an ironic comment towards America! I agree with you.

You mean we're realistic about the shortcomings of our country. We don't do blind obedience and swearing to obey (Pledge of Allegiance) on a daily basis.

You wouldn’t win… no back bone… or sense of humour.

Shame you were 2 years late. Still, thanks for us allowing to get into such massive debt with the USA in Double-u double-u 2 that we only finished paying in 2006.
hey, let’s hope we don’t have to fight you guys in WW3.

Yeah whatevs bro. You won’t find a more self deprecating people than the Brits! At least we’re aware of our faults, unlike the ‘ best country in the World! ‘ Americans

Oh dear, touchy without reason
Donny, go to bed

Yeah and y'all won WWII all by yourself.

YAWN

You're not unreasonable but you're wasting your breath. The US is so insular it has no conception that the world sees it as corrupt, aggressive and ignorant.

Eh? Brits complain all the time.

Russian corruption is legendary. Pre Zelensky was when Ukraine had pro-Russian puppets as leaders. Does the Guardian still list Ukraine as one of the most corrupt in Europe today?

considering before Zelensky, it was considered by the guardian news to be one of the most corrupt in Europe

Assuming you’re from Britain it’s kind of ironic to comment on a country having an overinflated opinion of themselves.

They’ve promised they’ll come back to Romania to be prosecuted… 🙄course they have.

And now Trump has helped bring the rapist Tate bros to the USA- of course he has.