what would in your opinions be the greatest country in the world to live in ?
Godfather.
From my short travelling experience, and considering every country has its share of problems, I would have to go with either of these:
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Finland
- Norway
- Belgium
- Canada
- France
I also really liked Australia, but the weather is just too damn hot for me...
nice ! why are they better ?
....sorry man but you answered
Godfather.
august 23, 2011: Vinny Goomba comes out of the closet and declares himself a socialist without actually saying it.
hahahaha
You know what else? I think I tend to suffer from "hood mentality" as 2Pac would put it, as in, you spend so much time in one spot that you don't believe anywhere else exists aside from that spot.
The past few weeks have had me in Lake George, NY, Provincetown, MA (North Truro really, but I spent some time in P-Town, great place), and Montreal, CA. All of which are considered to be very "liberal" but everyone had a very FREE feeling about them, as opposed to certain small cities in the Hudson Valley, NY where I live and spend most of my time, which also is considered to be very "liberal", but the local government is totally up your ass about everything. Spend some time on the PJ forums, read the news a bit, and it gets pretty depressing. Moral of the story: spend as much of your time on vacations and at bachelor parties as possible!
.......let me see if I have this right..if America opened it's borders to anyone,had a single democratic system,allowed gay marriage,had no military,had no death penalty,and higher tax's..then would it be the greatest country in the world ?....or did I miss a few things ?....WAKE UP SUNSHINE !!!!!!
Godfather.
I don't think anyone is about opening our borders to just anyone. Of course there should be an application process, but the general criteria should be that whoever enters is not a criminal and is here to make their life and this country better.
I'm not sure what you mean by a single democratic system? Do you mean a strong federal government with most laws coming from there and less decided by the states? I know that I personally am not for that arrangement. Others may argue differently. I prefer governance to be as localized as possible, right down to the family and individual wherever possible.
Gay marriage? Again-- voluntary associations between adults which have no bearing on the lives of people outside of those associations should be 100% permissible in my eyes. THAT is liberty. You definitely don't have to like it, or even accept it for yourself, but why deny others their right to freely associate with whoever they want to, while calling it whatever they want to?
No one advocates having ZERO military. The staunchest of liberals probably actually want as much probably want as much protection from outside invaders as you, maybe even more-- after all, many seem to like the idea of state provided surveillance and police, why wouldn't that translate to our military, FBI, and CIA? Cutting money for "defense" shouldn't be cutting money for actual "defense,"-- the cuts should be for the military industrial complex. There are billions on the books, and probably trillions off the books in wasteful spending blowing up countries, re-building them, blowing up our own vehicles and sending more over that needs to be stopped, just so a few individuals can profit off of this process. Listen to Ike Eisenhower's speech warning against the military industrial complex when he left office. His words couldn't ring truer today.
Death Penalty -- I understand how people think this is a deterrent, and rids the world of some bad people. It does. However, to give the government monopoly use of lethal force in my eyes is wrong. Self defense should be permissible for all people, and the only scenario when lethal force should be used. People who have committed crimes against humanity should be thrown in a cell with bare minimal care provided to them. There lives however, should not be taken from them.
Higher Taxes? I guess it depends on how they are used, and how "together" the people of a country are, as well as the size of the country. I personally would never advocate higher taxes for America, ever. Too much of the money is horribly mis-spent and disappears trillions at a time to some black hole somewhere, all while 300 million people with 300 million different agendas try and figure out a way to get a piece of their action back through the same system. I was just in Canada this past weekend, and I was in one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen, Montreal, where businesses appeared to be thriving, and the tax rates are probably greater than America. Now, I was only in one city for a few days, so it's really hard to say if that has anything to do with it, but I'll say that Montreal had their shit together. Canada's overall population is only the size of California's, and I have no idea what their debt to GDP ratio is, or what their government is REALLY like. I know that I saw tons of competition in businesses there, about 3 cops the whole weekend who really didn't need to lift a finger, the cleanest city I've ever seen in my life, good infrastructure, food was kind of shitty but, I know they're hardly involved in any overseas conflicts and surely don't have bases in every country in the world, and I had a fuckin blast. To attribute it all the higher taxes combined with significantly LESS government in some areas than the USA might be shortsighted... But-- maybe there is a certain efficiency to size ratio where a few extra bucks towards government employees / programs who share a similar vision of providing public service actually work to provide it might be ok? Generally speaking, my overall philosophy is to let the market figure out the best way to deliver services as much as possible. Everyday, we vote with our wallets religiously, and should take this vote very seriously.
So how does America get to becoming the greatest country ever, undisputably? Stop bombing the shit out of everyone, end all corporate subsidies and corporate welfare immediately, legalize all forms of personal freedom first, and then transition out of the social safety net programs by allowing people to opt out of them. Give it 40 years with these ideas put into practice and I believe people would find us to be the most peaceful, prosperous, and diverse country in the world.
damn Bro I promise that is the last question I ask like that ...great answers ,maybe not what I was looking for but still great...I'm starting to see your points but still imo the best country in the world, thanks.
my friend I respect all that you have done with your life and your talents and as I have said before ..your word but on this topic "America is best" as far as I can see you are wrong this time,can you tell me a better place to live ? or is your statement not about living here but the flaws we have as a country ? but still to me and many others this is the best country in the world even with it's flaws.
Godfather.
I think it depends on who you are/what your goals are.
If you have lots of money (or even comparatively) and are into the consumerism thing, and want THINGS, then America could very well be the place to be.
However, the guy who got in a car accident and has no health insurance, having to foot a bill of tens of thousands of dollars, probably doesn't think America is the best.
I'm a dual citizen (USA and Canada), there are a lot of things I love about both countries, and things that I think both countries could most certainly improve on. I've had the opportunity to visit Europe a couple times, and well, I'm not sure you could have a better life than living in Siena Italy if that's your thing. I think greatest country in the world is completely subjective based on the person, what they want out of life, and what they feel a society should do. For instance, I would never want to live in Dubai, but I'm sure some of the rick dudes there think it's a pretty great place to live.
So maybe for you, the USA is the best place for you to live in and I can't take that away from YOU as an individual. However, thinking somewhere is the best place doesn't mean you love everything about it.
Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
I don't know if I've made it clear yet, , but I was very impressed with Montreal!
Then again, I was WASTED for 3/4 of the experience ;)
Montreal tends to do that to you, AMAZING city.
Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
what would in your opinions be the greatest country in the world to live in ?
Godfather.
From my short travelling experience, and considering every country has its share of problems, I would have to go with either of these:
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Finland
- Norway
- Belgium
- Canada
- France
I also really liked Australia, but the weather is just too damn hot for me...
nice ! why are they better ?
....sorry man but you answered
Godfather.
I didn't say they are better that the united states. You asked in our opinions which where the best countries to live in. From the list of all the countries I've ever been to, those were the ones I liked the best and where I could see myself living. I didn't include the US for the simple reason that I've never been there, because they have rejected my visa application twice.
Mexico City - July 17th 2003
Mexico City - July 18th 2003
Mexico City - July 19th 2003
Monterrey - December 7th 2005
Mexico City - December 9th 2005
Mexico City - December 10th 2005
Mexico City - November 24th 2011
.......let me see if I have this right..if America opened it's borders to anyone,had a single democratic system,allowed gay marriage,had no military,had no death penalty,and higher tax's..then would it be the greatest country in the world ?....or did I miss a few things ?....WAKE UP SUNSHINE !!!!!!
Godfather.
I don't think anyone is about opening our borders to just anyone. Of course there should be an application process, but the general criteria should be that whoever enters is not a criminal and is here to make their life and this country better.
I'm not sure what you mean by a single democratic system? Do you mean a strong federal government with most laws coming from there and less decided by the states? I know that I personally am not for that arrangement. Others may argue differently. I prefer governance to be as localized as possible, right down to the family and individual wherever possible.
Gay marriage? Again-- voluntary associations between adults which have no bearing on the lives of people outside of those associations should be 100% permissible in my eyes. THAT is liberty. You definitely don't have to like it, or even accept it for yourself, but why deny others their right to freely associate with whoever they want to, while calling it whatever they want to?
No one advocates having ZERO military. The staunchest of liberals probably actually want as much probably want as much protection from outside invaders as you, maybe even more-- after all, many seem to like the idea of state provided surveillance and police, why wouldn't that translate to our military, FBI, and CIA? Cutting money for "defense" shouldn't be cutting money for actual "defense,"-- the cuts should be for the military industrial complex. There are billions on the books, and probably trillions off the books in wasteful spending blowing up countries, re-building them, blowing up our own vehicles and sending more over that needs to be stopped, just so a few individuals can profit off of this process. Listen to Ike Eisenhower's speech warning against the military industrial complex when he left office. His words couldn't ring truer today.
Death Penalty -- I understand how people think this is a deterrent, and rids the world of some bad people. It does. However, to give the government monopoly use of lethal force in my eyes is wrong. Self defense should be permissible for all people, and the only scenario when lethal force should be used. People who have committed crimes against humanity should be thrown in a cell with bare minimal care provided to them. There lives however, should not be taken from them.
Higher Taxes? I guess it depends on how they are used, and how "together" the people of a country are, as well as the size of the country. I personally would never advocate higher taxes for America, ever. Too much of the money is horribly mis-spent and disappears trillions at a time to some black hole somewhere, all while 300 million people with 300 million different agendas try and figure out a way to get a piece of their action back through the same system. I was just in Canada this past weekend, and I was in one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen, Montreal, where businesses appeared to be thriving, and the tax rates are probably greater than America. Now, I was only in one city for a few days, so it's really hard to say if that has anything to do with it, but I'll say that Montreal had their shit together. Canada's overall population is only the size of California's, and I have no idea what their debt to GDP ratio is, or what their government is REALLY like. I know that I saw tons of competition in businesses there, about 3 cops the whole weekend who really didn't need to lift a finger, the cleanest city I've ever seen in my life, good infrastructure, food was kind of shitty but, I know they're hardly involved in any overseas conflicts and surely don't have bases in every country in the world, and I had a fuckin blast. To attribute it all the higher taxes combined with significantly LESS government in some areas than the USA might be shortsighted... But-- maybe there is a certain efficiency to size ratio where a few extra bucks towards government employees / programs who share a similar vision of providing public service actually work to provide it might be ok? Generally speaking, my overall philosophy is to let the market figure out the best way to deliver services as much as possible. Everyday, we vote with our wallets religiously, and should take this vote very seriously.
So how does America get to becoming the greatest country ever, undisputably? Stop bombing the shit out of everyone, end all corporate subsidies and corporate welfare immediately, legalize all forms of personal freedom first, and then transition out of the social safety net programs by allowing people to opt out of them. Give it 40 years with these ideas put into practice and I believe people would find us to be the most peaceful, prosperous, and diverse country in the world.
damn Bro I promise that is the last question I ask like that ...great answers ,maybe not what I was looking for but still great...I'm starting to see your points but still imo the best country in the world, thanks.
Godfather
Thanks GF. I would love to think America is the greatest, but having only been to 3 other countries for limited amounts of time, I just can't judge, ya know? Lord knows the TV isn't the most trustworthy source as to whether other countries are doing things right or even better than us. I certainly love the idea of America the greatest, the one where liberty and freedom are maximized for everyone. In some ways there have been great strides towards these concepts: greater freedom and equal rights for women, minorities, and more than ever the LGBT community, which I believe are the last group. I think this country has gotten away from these concepts and has taken a step back by becoming too involved in the affairs of other nations, and has taken the earnings of our citizens to do it through a sneaky process of inflation and deficit spending. Subsidies, corporate welfare, and welfare in general have also been a step backwards in my opinion-- I do believe government has grown to the point where it is becoming harder and harder to do business, make a quality product, while trying to do it for less. I do belive competition is constantly stifled here through the actions of government both passively through super tight but well-intentioned regulations, and actively by businesses using the strong arm of goverment to impose regulations to put competitors out of business. I think if there had been a greater effort to apply the principles less government to a larger sum of the people by the founders, that people WOULD be still spilling into this country the way they did at Ellis Island, and would be on their best behavior in the process. That right there would be a huge indicator that the USA was undeniably among the greatest countries out there. Right now, people are doing their best to make it into America from the South most of all, and from some places East and West-- the question you have to ask is, are they heading towards an undeniably better life in the best country, or into one that is only better than the shitty country they are in right now? I don't see people dying to get here from the North-- why is that?
my friend I respect all that you have done with your life and your talents and as I have said before ..your word but on this topic "America is best" as far as I can see you are wrong this time,can you tell me a better place to live ? or is your statement not about living here but the flaws we have as a country ? but still to me and many others this is the best country in the world even with it's flaws.
Godfather.
What other countries have you lived in for an extended period Godfather?
I love where I live, but I know there are other magnificent places all over the world. And although I do believe the USA is a great place to live, I would NEVER say it out loud that it is the BEST place in the world, unless I sampled many of the others. it is a matter of opinion, and it makes us sound too big for our shoes and/or like we're gloating.
.......let me see if I have this right..if America opened it's borders to anyone,had a single democratic system,allowed gay marriage,had no military,had no death penalty,and higher tax's..then would it be the greatest country in the world ?....or did I miss a few things ?....WAKE UP SUNSHINE !!!!!!
Godfather.
Stop bombing the shit out of everyone, end all corporate subsidies and corporate welfare immediately, legalize all forms of personal freedom first, and then transition out of the social safety net programs by allowing people to opt out of them. Give it 40 years with these ideas put into practice and I believe people would find us to be the most peaceful, prosperous, and diverse country in the world.
Agreed with all of these, which is basically the Ron Paul platform. You even put it in order of importance to me. If this makes me a "socialist", so be it.
my friend I respect all that you have done with your life and your talents and as I have said before ..your word but on this topic "America is best" as far as I can see you are wrong this time,can you tell me a better place to live ? or is your statement not about living here but the flaws we have as a country ? but still to me and many others this is the best country in the world even with it's flaws.
Godfather.
What other countries have you lived in for an extended period Godfather?
I love where I live, but I know there are other magnificent places all over the world. And although I do believe the USA is a great place to live, I would NEVER say it out loud that it is the BEST place in the world, unless I sampled many of the others. it is a matter of opinion, and it makes us sound too big for our shoes and/or like we're gloating.
I guess it's just American pride, I have never lived anywhere....mexico for six months,cool people but a pretty brutal place otherwise. been to Canada but only for a few weeks at a time.
which part of town, city, county, state, province, coast, country, religion.....it would be nice when people get over the bullshit that they really had nothing to do with.
"Pride should be reserved for something you achieve or obtain on your own, not something that happens by accident of birth. Being Irish isn't a skill... it's a fucking genetic accident. You wouldn't say I'm proud to be 5'11"; I'm proud to have a pre-disposition for colon cancer."
— George Carlin
I love my country.
Why do I love my country? Here's why...
I love America for the basic foundations of what this nation has the potential of accomplishing. That we are bound to a document that basically grants rights... instead of limiting freedoms. I love the fact that our Constitution relies more upon laws that state, 'Congress Shall NOT...', rather than 'Thou Shalt Not...'.
I love it that I am free to voice my dissent on what this country does to me... and is doing to other people in other nations in my name... and am protected from my country by her own founding principles.
I love the fact that I do NOT have to agree with actions my country undertake... and can assemble with fellow countrymen, in peaceful dissent.
I love it that I do not have to wave my flag, pledge some creepy alligence to it... or wear some bullshit enamelled pin that was made in China on my lapel or take up arms to kill other people to prove my patriotism to her. I wear my country in my heart and don't have to prove it to anyone.
I love that I can be honest with America and can point out all of her blemishes and imperfections... because she has many blemishes and is far from being perfect... but, I still love her.
I love America... mainly because, she is home.
Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
Hail, Hail!!!
so you guy's don't like this guy's letter because it paint's America in a positive light ?
No. That's just what MotoDC said. MotoDC doesn't represent 'us guys'.
0
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,432
I think the letter is sincere though a bit naive. My reaction to it is that it is a little bit like someone who has come out of a horribly physically abusive relationship into one which is passive aggressive, negligent and domineering. The later is better than the form but far from what one should expect.
"Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!" -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
I think the letter is sincere though a bit naive. My reaction to it is that it is a little bit like someone who has come out of a horribly physically abusive relationship into one which is passive aggressive, negligent and domineering. The later is better than the form but far from what one should expect.
...
Naive is right. It is a pretty simple message that simple people will take to heart. It isn't 'black and white', as Mr. Simmons states... it is all grey. If you see America as only wearing the white hat... you are fooling yourself. We are often times the guys in the black hats.
It doesn't mean we are evil or bad.. it means that we do bad and evil things. Trying to whitewash over and/or make excuses or rationalize our actions does not take away from the truth of the matter... those acts are bad and evil. Part of the basic tenents of America is truth. And the truth is often times cold and ugly and shameful... to deny the truth... goes against what America is supposed to stand for.
Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
Hail, Hail!!!
my friend I respect all that you have done with your life and your talents and as I have said before ..your word but on this topic "America is best" as far as I can see you are wrong this time,can you tell me a better place to live ? or is your statement not about living here but the flaws we have as a country ? but still to me and many others this is the best country in the world even with it's flaws.
my friend I respect all that you have done with your life and your talents and as I have said before ..your word but on this topic "America is best" as far as I can see you are wrong this time,can you tell me a better place to live ? or is your statement not about living here but the flaws we have as a country ? but still to me and many others this is the best country in the world even with it's flaws.
Godfather.
i can... australia. even lex luthor thought it.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Godfather, so based on spending 6 months in Mexico and a few weeks in Canada you have come to the conclusion that the US is the best place in the world...? There are 196 countries in the world you know...and I've only been to about 15 of them and lived in 4 of them (including the US), and I still cannot say that there is one best place in the world. How can I? It all depends on so many different factors. I've found though that most people in the US who share your opinion, are people who barely have left their own state, well except for that spring break vacation in Cabo...so how can you possibly come to the conclusion that this is the best place to live in when you haven't seen much of the rest of the world? You sound pretty ignorant in my opinion.
Run away my Godfather. See it all. Oh see the world.
My favourite place in America is The Grand Canyon & Mesa Verde National Park.
America has some nice places, but I don't think I'd want to live there.
I'd rather live somewhere like Cuba, Thailand, or even just right here in China, where life isn't so...sanitized.
Also, I've heard that Columbia is a pretty cool country.
like cuba.. or actual cuba??? id like to live in actual cuba... not forever, but for awhile at least.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
0
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,432
There are amazing people and amazing places all over the planet.
Ideologies seem to migrate from one place to another
and change within each geopolitical area-- eventually.
What is a country?
Once it was one's village
and then it was one's environmental geography
and then it was one's political geography.
Today it's a lot of things,
like the web or music or film or books or the tsunami in Japan.
Tell me that wasn't part of your world at least for a while.
Kurt Vonnegut was not the only man without a country.
I'm not sure what a country is anymore.
Maybe I'll go back to the village someday.
In a way, I like your guy's letter, Godfather.
In a way I wish it were that simple. But I don't think it is.
"Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!" -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
my friend I respect all that you have done with your life and your talents and as I have said before ..your word but on this topic "America is best" as far as I can see you are wrong this time,can you tell me a better place to live ? or is your statement not about living here but the flaws we have as a country ? but still to me and many others this is the best country in the world even with it's flaws.
My favourite place in America is The Grand Canyon & Mesa Verde National Park.
America has some nice places, but I don't think I'd want to live there.
I'd rather live somewhere like Cuba, Thailand, or even just right here in China, where life isn't so...sanitized.
Also, I've heard that Columbia is a pretty cool country.
What do you mean by sanitized? Because I would think that in some sense, a life in China and Cuba is equally if not more sanitized...same with Columbia. Don't know much about Thailand. Have spoken in detail with someone else that lived there for a number of years with their family and they loved it.
What do you mean by sanitized? Because I would think that in some sense, a life in China and Cuba is equally if not more sanitized...same with Columbia.
I mean a bit overdone in the convenience/comfort department.
England's the same. Most people are stuck in a cozy routine, which consists of going to and from work and then sitting on a couch watching t.v.
Everything's just a bit too well-greased for my liking.
I prefer places that are a bit rougher around the edges.
Comments
....sorry man but you answered
Godfather.
You know what else? I think I tend to suffer from "hood mentality" as 2Pac would put it, as in, you spend so much time in one spot that you don't believe anywhere else exists aside from that spot.
The past few weeks have had me in Lake George, NY, Provincetown, MA (North Truro really, but I spent some time in P-Town, great place), and Montreal, CA. All of which are considered to be very "liberal" but everyone had a very FREE feeling about them, as opposed to certain small cities in the Hudson Valley, NY where I live and spend most of my time, which also is considered to be very "liberal", but the local government is totally up your ass about everything. Spend some time on the PJ forums, read the news a bit, and it gets pretty depressing. Moral of the story: spend as much of your time on vacations and at bachelor parties as possible!
Godfather
If you have lots of money (or even comparatively) and are into the consumerism thing, and want THINGS, then America could very well be the place to be.
However, the guy who got in a car accident and has no health insurance, having to foot a bill of tens of thousands of dollars, probably doesn't think America is the best.
I'm a dual citizen (USA and Canada), there are a lot of things I love about both countries, and things that I think both countries could most certainly improve on. I've had the opportunity to visit Europe a couple times, and well, I'm not sure you could have a better life than living in Siena Italy if that's your thing. I think greatest country in the world is completely subjective based on the person, what they want out of life, and what they feel a society should do. For instance, I would never want to live in Dubai, but I'm sure some of the rick dudes there think it's a pretty great place to live.
So maybe for you, the USA is the best place for you to live in and I can't take that away from YOU as an individual. However, thinking somewhere is the best place doesn't mean you love everything about it.
I didn't say they are better that the united states. You asked in our opinions which where the best countries to live in. From the list of all the countries I've ever been to, those were the ones I liked the best and where I could see myself living. I didn't include the US for the simple reason that I've never been there, because they have rejected my visa application twice.
Mexico City - July 18th 2003
Mexico City - July 19th 2003
Monterrey - December 7th 2005
Mexico City - December 9th 2005
Mexico City - December 10th 2005
Mexico City - November 24th 2011
Thanks GF. I would love to think America is the greatest, but having only been to 3 other countries for limited amounts of time, I just can't judge, ya know? Lord knows the TV isn't the most trustworthy source as to whether other countries are doing things right or even better than us. I certainly love the idea of America the greatest, the one where liberty and freedom are maximized for everyone. In some ways there have been great strides towards these concepts: greater freedom and equal rights for women, minorities, and more than ever the LGBT community, which I believe are the last group. I think this country has gotten away from these concepts and has taken a step back by becoming too involved in the affairs of other nations, and has taken the earnings of our citizens to do it through a sneaky process of inflation and deficit spending. Subsidies, corporate welfare, and welfare in general have also been a step backwards in my opinion-- I do believe government has grown to the point where it is becoming harder and harder to do business, make a quality product, while trying to do it for less. I do belive competition is constantly stifled here through the actions of government both passively through super tight but well-intentioned regulations, and actively by businesses using the strong arm of goverment to impose regulations to put competitors out of business. I think if there had been a greater effort to apply the principles less government to a larger sum of the people by the founders, that people WOULD be still spilling into this country the way they did at Ellis Island, and would be on their best behavior in the process. That right there would be a huge indicator that the USA was undeniably among the greatest countries out there. Right now, people are doing their best to make it into America from the South most of all, and from some places East and West-- the question you have to ask is, are they heading towards an undeniably better life in the best country, or into one that is only better than the shitty country they are in right now? I don't see people dying to get here from the North-- why is that?
What other countries have you lived in for an extended period Godfather?
I love where I live, but I know there are other magnificent places all over the world. And although I do believe the USA is a great place to live, I would NEVER say it out loud that it is the BEST place in the world, unless I sampled many of the others. it is a matter of opinion, and it makes us sound too big for our shoes and/or like we're gloating.
Agreed with all of these, which is basically the Ron Paul platform. You even put it in order of importance to me. If this makes me a "socialist", so be it.
Godfather.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OnWnwwxNPA&playnext=1&list=PL76C0083B8C85E6F4
"Pride should be reserved for something you achieve or obtain on your own, not something that happens by accident of birth. Being Irish isn't a skill... it's a fucking genetic accident. You wouldn't say I'm proud to be 5'11"; I'm proud to have a pre-disposition for colon cancer."
— George Carlin
Why do I love my country? Here's why...
I love America for the basic foundations of what this nation has the potential of accomplishing. That we are bound to a document that basically grants rights... instead of limiting freedoms. I love the fact that our Constitution relies more upon laws that state, 'Congress Shall NOT...', rather than 'Thou Shalt Not...'.
I love it that I am free to voice my dissent on what this country does to me... and is doing to other people in other nations in my name... and am protected from my country by her own founding principles.
I love the fact that I do NOT have to agree with actions my country undertake... and can assemble with fellow countrymen, in peaceful dissent.
I love it that I do not have to wave my flag, pledge some creepy alligence to it... or wear some bullshit enamelled pin that was made in China on my lapel or take up arms to kill other people to prove my patriotism to her. I wear my country in my heart and don't have to prove it to anyone.
I love that I can be honest with America and can point out all of her blemishes and imperfections... because she has many blemishes and is far from being perfect... but, I still love her.
I love America... mainly because, she is home.
Hail, Hail!!!
More bollocks.
The bollocks in this thread seems to be contagious.
No. That's just what MotoDC said. MotoDC doesn't represent 'us guys'.
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
This isn't true though, is it.
I've been posting here for five years and I've never read anyone saying that "America and everything American sucks" or words to that effect.
i concur.
want me to hold back your hair?
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Naive is right. It is a pretty simple message that simple people will take to heart. It isn't 'black and white', as Mr. Simmons states... it is all grey. If you see America as only wearing the white hat... you are fooling yourself. We are often times the guys in the black hats.
It doesn't mean we are evil or bad.. it means that we do bad and evil things. Trying to whitewash over and/or make excuses or rationalize our actions does not take away from the truth of the matter... those acts are bad and evil. Part of the basic tenents of America is truth. And the truth is often times cold and ugly and shameful... to deny the truth... goes against what America is supposed to stand for.
Hail, Hail!!!
How many countries have you visited Godfather?
i can... australia. even lex luthor thought it.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Run away my Godfather. See it all. Oh see the world.
America has some nice places, but I don't think I'd want to live there.
I'd rather live somewhere like Cuba, Thailand, or even just right here in China, where life isn't so...sanitized.
Also, I've heard that Columbia is a pretty cool country.
like cuba.. or actual cuba??? id like to live in actual cuba... not forever, but for awhile at least.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Ideologies seem to migrate from one place to another
and change within each geopolitical area-- eventually.
What is a country?
Once it was one's village
and then it was one's environmental geography
and then it was one's political geography.
Today it's a lot of things,
like the web or music or film or books or the tsunami in Japan.
Tell me that wasn't part of your world at least for a while.
Kurt Vonnegut was not the only man without a country.
I'm not sure what a country is anymore.
Maybe I'll go back to the village someday.
In a way, I like your guy's letter, Godfather.
In a way I wish it were that simple. But I don't think it is.
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
Bunch of convicts. :shock:
What do you mean by sanitized? Because I would think that in some sense, a life in China and Cuba is equally if not more sanitized...same with Columbia. Don't know much about Thailand. Have spoken in detail with someone else that lived there for a number of years with their family and they loved it.
I mean a bit overdone in the convenience/comfort department.
England's the same. Most people are stuck in a cozy routine, which consists of going to and from work and then sitting on a couch watching t.v.
Everything's just a bit too well-greased for my liking.
I prefer places that are a bit rougher around the edges.
Thanks for the offer, but I keep my head shaved these days so there's nothing to hold back. Just pass me the bucket instead.
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce