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Thread: The U.S. has been touted as the "Greatest Country on Earth"...

  1. #1
    j2k4's Avatar en(un)lightened
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    ...now and again, within and without it's borders.

    What do you think?

    Please note your country of origin...
    "Researchers have already cast much darkness on the subject, and if they continue their investigations, we shall soon know nothing at all about it."

    -Mark Twain

  2. The Drawing Room   -   #2
    captain_azad's Avatar metallica > you
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    Prey tell where this book/article/column was published....





    (Prelude 3.0)--> And now it's over...

  3. The Drawing Room   -   #3
    100%'s Avatar ╚════╩═╬════╝
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    1. Does america realize that it has borders?
    2. I still want an answer to my thread about the armistance deal to force import american culture(movies) to europe.
    3.Define "great(est)" and then define why Botswana is Greater.
    4. Define "provoke via rod"

    Sorry you are not the greatest - personally i find Holland more realistic.

    This morning i woke up and felt great, went to shop and had a great conversation with with its owner who told me about the great things he had done in his life while he gave me the great reduction on the bill i owed him,he is a great guy
    Great almost spelt like Create
    to bad

    Nice Rod you got me

  4. The Drawing Room   -   #4
    l've never heard anyone but Americans make that claim, am l missing something? Personally, l have no desire to even visit the place again, l certainly wouldn't live there. Australia is the greatest country to live in, and we have more freedoms than you lot, something you'll no doubt find difficult to grasp.

  5. The Drawing Room   -   #5
    Busyman's Avatar Use Logic Or STFU!!!
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    Usually folks in their respective countries say that their's is the best place to live.

    As far as who may want to make their own way in a country, I don't hear much "I want to make it in Australia, Canada, or France" but that's only from my POV in America.

    America was built on "Hey come on over and make your way." However, other countries have immigrants too.

    The U.S. has been touted as the "Greatest Country on Earth"...by an American.

    No shit.
    Last edited by Busyman; 03-23-2006 at 02:49 PM.
    Silly bitch, your weapons cannot harm me. Don't you know who I am? I'm the Juggernaut, Bitchhhh!

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  6. The Drawing Room   -   #6
    j2k4's Avatar en(un)lightened
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    Everything everybody says about America is true to one extent or another.

    What I'm wondering is why anyone says it at all, given how most seem to feel.

    Does altruism exist to the same extent in America as it does in other countries?

    There is a dynamic which guides all international commentary thus, and it is quite true that the U.S. is under the microscope as no other country is.

    I wonder what such minute examination might reveal if other countries were given a look?

    After all, it is a common claim we here in the states are ignorant of other places, yes?

    Let's hear what we are missing.

    BTW-this thread was not formulated as a rod; it was meant to be explorative.
    "Researchers have already cast much darkness on the subject, and if they continue their investigations, we shall soon know nothing at all about it."

    -Mark Twain

  7. The Drawing Room   -   #7
    Barbarossa's Avatar mostly harmless
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    The USA is the most powerful and influential country in the world. I don't believe that makes it the "greatest" though. Different countries have different things to offer, and some do certain things better than they are done in the U.S.

    There is always room for improvement. However, as an overall package, the USA is above average

  8. The Drawing Room   -   #8
    Tweedy old crow
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    Can't really say as I've never been there.
    I'm Belgian myself, but I live in Scotland so I suppose I've got the advantage to have seen two very different cultures from up close.

    I have a rather negative image of America. There's nothing really that attracts me there ( except the Guggenheim museum) and most of the Americans I speak to have a very different idea about ethics, morals, emotions than I have. I've always found it very difficult to communicate with Americans on an objective level ( bar yourself j2k4 and a few other people around here).

    Then again, all I ever hear in the media about the States is always in a negative spotlight. The Brits aren't too happy about the USA, neither are the Belgians. Also, I come from a rather left socialist orientated background which may influence my opinion.

    I think the country has become a bit of a farce almost. It's hard to find anything unbiased about it. Or maybe I'm not looking hard enough.

    One thing I'd like to say though.

    The past couple of days I've been watching a programme called ' Let's talk sex' presented by Davina McCall. It's about how teenagers in Britain deal with sex, and to be honest. I am appalled.

    I never realised sex ed wasn't compulsory on the curriculum here and I cannot believe that the country with the higest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe still hasn't installed it!
    One of the teenage boys they were talking about honestly thought women laid eggs..

    I would love to have kids but there's no way on earth I will raise them in a country that is too prude and backeards to teach kids about sex when obviously it is a necessity.


    I seem to have deviated from the subject here. Sorry


  9. The Drawing Room   -   #9
    Busyman's Avatar Use Logic Or STFU!!!
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    Quote Originally Posted by Barbarossa
    The USA is the most powerful and influential country in the world. I don't believe that makes it the "greatest" though. Different countries have different things to offer, and some do certain things better than they are done in the U.S.

    There is always room for improvement. However, as an overall package, the USA is above average
    Your last sentence is a good summation. Before that, I was to ask you what one country does all of those "certain things" better than the US.

    From what I understand, foreigners on this board have the conception that it is so dangerous here 'cause folks have guns..as if the lot of them will be walking and just get hit by a bullet. The fact is those are isolated incidents just they are over there and there isn't a lot to be scared of. There are bad areas here just like anywhere else and there are maniacs.

    Tbh, I wouldn't grasp that a traveler wouldn't want to come here besides their own ill-conceived notions. Hell I'll be going to the UK maybe in '09.

    America has a different dynamic than other countries in that there's so many places for us to visit within the country. There are places that are on the list of "must go-to at least once" like Las Vegas, NYC, Disneyworld, Niagara Falls, etc. If I lived in a small European country, I'd wanna GTFO too. Some of those countries are the size of our states.
    Silly bitch, your weapons cannot harm me. Don't you know who I am? I'm the Juggernaut, Bitchhhh!

    Flies Like An Arrow, Flies Like An Apple
    ---12323---4552-----
    2133--STRENGTH--8310
    344---5--5301---3232

  10. The Drawing Room   -   #10
    manker's Avatar effendi
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    The reason for the altruism is simply because the US' foreign policy affects the rest of the world, because of its military and economic clout. If the US goes into recession, then it will affect the economic climate in my part of the world, so I might comment upon that, because it interests me.

    'I just wish they didn't spend so much on the military'.

    If the US President issues a statement which groups vast swathes of people as being part of an ungodly collective, I might discuss the folly of doing so because the repercussions might affect me in terms of the UK being an ally of the US.

    'Was the axis-of-evil phrase really necessary'.

    The UK, and other countries, doesn't have so much impact with its decisions, so this altruism doesn't exist amongst Americans.



    As to the 'greatness' of the US. apart from it being a powerful economic and military force, I don't think it's so great. The 'must visit' places noted above don't register whatsover. I'm not put off travelling somewhere by any perceived danger as I go to the Middle East a couple of times a year, at least I did up until recently ... but the places in the US just aren't very interesting.

    The US has basically no history or culture that it can call its own, so makes up for this with rampant commercialism.

    I really don't see anything great about that.
    I plan on beating him to death with his kids. I'll use them as a bludgeon on his face. -

    --Good for them if they survive.

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