Meanwhile the vast majority of people in real world don’t consume a steady diet of r/politics et al, has actually spent an appreciable amount of time in the U.S., and has come to a different (nearly opposite) conclusion. I wonder which is more correct.

No, I spent multiple months working in the US and concluded I didn't want to live there long term. Not so much guns and healthcare as how screwed up the culture is and how little community there is. You guys are lonely and you really don't seem to get why.