It is way too hard to pick a best country in the world. Too many factors come into play when doing so. Bias, personal taste, ethnicity, the list goes on. The US has parts that make it the best country in the world. You can say that about a lot of countries though imo.
HFD is an idiot, one of my closest friends is a jerk, and AMT is a shithole.
So 1) i said sound a like an idiot. And again I misread the room, seemed like a lighthearted barroom discussion about sports. HFD - I’m sorry. I wasn’t calling you an idiot for real and thought you would take it as joking talk amongst friends. I misjudged and I won’t do it again.
2) I guess you didn’t accept my apology as I should have stated “jerk statement” but we’ve been through that and you said you were ok, and apparently aren’t.
3) and yes AMT is becoming less and less enjoyable. Too many 1 sided discussions where people are berated if they think differently by groups of people to wear the points being made aren’t discussed anymore. And too many people being too sensative. I mistakenly thought that over the years several of us (though most are gone) have achieved a certain report. That’s my mistake. I think it’s likely that only 1 person left I can joke around with. So I’ll have to change how I interact or leave. And at this point I don’t want to leave. But I enjoyed this place a lot more when we could mess with each other without people taking things personally. I’ll just try and be more straightlaced.
you simply cannot expect people to know when you are kidding and when you are serious when it is a direct statement without obvious sarcasm in the written form. it's about being straightlaced. it's about being clear in your delivery.
I can't speak for Brian, but from what I saw of that apology was actually more of you doubling down on your initial statement. you seemed to simply refuse to acknowledge the events as Brian laid them out (his friend was ignorant on horse racing, saw something in real time that disturbed them, decided to look it up while there and quietly showed it to him).
I fall on different sides of discussions depending on what it is. what I have seen lately that has bothered me the most is people chiming in with trolling comments complaining about the discussion itself. complaining about someone being devil's advocate (which actually wasn't what I was doing at all) is the most recent one that I was involved in.
but whatever. I take breaks from this place all the time, because yeah, sometimes AMT does become a bit too much to take sometimes. when I notice myself chiming in making stupid comments that don't further the discussion, which I admittedly have done in the past (just ask @Thirty Bills Unpaid about the death penalty thread), I take a break.
“Stupid comments”...are you calling me stupid? /s, , joking.
well were you serious about telling me about how I'm "wrong on most accounts"?
Ugh seriously dude? When discussion American football vs Canadian football? If you want, let’s go. Otherwise I already apologized and ready to move on.
no, I honestly didn't know what you meant by this. I thought you were talking beyond football with this. all fine and good.
"Oh Canada...you're beautiful when you're drunk" -EV 8/14/93
It is way too hard to pick a best country in the world. Too many factors come into play when doing so. Bias, personal taste, ethnicity, the list goes on. The US has parts that make it the best country in the world. You can say that about a lot of countries though imo.
The start of that interview with Stephen Colbert (didn't watch the whole video) is the problem I have with americans speaking about the US. You can clearly see how american patriotisic indoctrination have removed people in the US from a factual reality - even liberal and for all accounts "intelligent" people like Colbert.
It's like all the times singing the national anthem, and all the flag waving and bullshit have caused a Pavlovs dogs situation with this stupid knee-jerk response about how "unique the US" is. You can slaughter the viatnemese and remove yourself from tax-funded healthcare and other things because... the US is still the greatest. "We have made mistakes as a country, but whatever - WE ARE SUCH A UNIQUE GOD GIVEN NATION".
Even if it's someone as bright as Stephen Colbert - and I've also been surprised by american "journalists" falling into that dictatorship-group-think - still fall in line and is stuck with the "The US is a unique exeperiment, with its unique foundation of everyone being uniquely equal with something called freedom of speech which no other nation has".
I've even seen it posted in this thread from people taking it for granted the US having some magic freedoms that makes it the greatest country ever. What is this magic freedom of speech or what is this foundation that the US has that e.g. Sweden lacks? This "magic" and uniqueness that make you take all things that OBJECTIVELY is worse and be like "but we're still the best"
To see what a sick state the US is in - just look at the video that prompted this thread and how it caused a stir and publicity for the pilot of that show. Someone saying "The US isn't the greatest" shakes the core to such a degree that it even becomes viral? That is something out of Russia or some banana-republic. Not a healthy democracy.
We've all seen the masterpiece The Rock from 1996 -- Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious. And the US is a great example of that.
I understand many from the US think this post is garbage, because like one of Pavlovs dogs you immdiiality go into the "...but we are the greatest country, with our freedom of speech and all these freedoms people in the 1800s thought out for us that is so unique to other countries. Now hand me my AR". You don't know better.
You are a country founded on mass slaughtering of the native population and colonialism, I understand you can't hang your head forever in shame - but roll with the reality instead of this nationalsitic/patriotistic/fatalistic bullshit that's been beaten into you from your first baseball game.
America is in no way the greatest country in the world - for it's population or for the rest of the globe surrounding it.
Post edited by Spiritual_Chaos on
"Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
It is way too hard to pick a best country in the world. Too many factors come into play when doing so. Bias, personal taste, ethnicity, the list goes on. The US has parts that make it the best country in the world. You can say that about a lot of countries though imo.
The start of that interview with Stephen Colbert (didn't watch the whole video) is the problem I have with americans speaking about the US. You can clearly see how american patriotisic indoctrination have removed people in the US from a factual reality - even liberal and for all accounts "intelligent" people like Colbert.
It's like all the times singing the national anthem, and all the flag waving and bullshit have caused a Pavlovs dogs situation with this stupid knee-jerk response about how "unique the US" is. You can slaughter the viatnemese and remove yourself from tax-funded healthcare and other things because... the US is still the greatest. "We have made mistakes as a country, but whatever - WE ARE SUCH A UNIQUE GOD GIVEN NATION".
Even if it's someone as bright as Stephen Colbert - and I've also been surprised by american "journalists" falling into that dictatorship-group-think - still fall in line and is stuck with the "The US is a unique exeperiment, with its unique foundation of everyone being uniquely equal with something called freedom of speech which no other nation has".
I've even seen it posted in this thread from people taking it for granted the US having some magic freedoms that makes it the greatest country ever. What is this magic freedom of speech or what is this foundation that the US has that e.g. Sweden lacks? This "magic" and uniqueness that make you take all things that OBJECTIVELY is worse and be like "but we're still the best"
To see what a sick state the US is in - just look at the video that prompted this thread and how it caused a stir and publicity for the pilot of that show. Someone saying "The US isn't the greatest" shakes the core to such a degree that it even becomes viral? That is something out of Russia or some banana-republic. Not a healthy democracy.
We've all seen the masterpiece The Rock from 1996 -- Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious. And the US is a great example of that.
I understand many from the US think this post is garbage, because like one of Pavlovs dogs you immdiiality go into the "...but we are the greatest country, with our freedom of speech and all these freedoms people in the 1800s thought out for us that is so unique to other countries. Now hand me my AR". You don't know better.
You are a country founded on mass slaughtering of the native population and colonialism, I understand you can't hang your head forever in shame - but roll with the reality instead of this nationalsitic/patriotistic/fatalistic bullshit that's been beaten into you from your first baseball game.
America is in no way the greatest country in the world - for it's population or for the rest of the globe surrounding it.
It is way too hard to pick a best country in the world. Too many factors come into play when doing so. Bias, personal taste, ethnicity, the list goes on. The US has parts that make it the best country in the world. You can say that about a lot of countries though imo.
The start of that interview with Stephen Colbert (didn't watch the whole video) is the problem I have with americans speaking about the US. You can clearly see how american patriotisic indoctrination have removed people in the US from a factual reality - even liberal and for all accounts "intelligent" people like Colbert.
It's like all the times singing the national anthem, and all the flag waving and bullshit have caused a Pavlovs dogs situation with this stupid knee-jerk response about how "unique the US" is. You can slaughter the viatnemese and remove yourself from tax-funded healthcare and other things because... the US is still the greatest. "We have made mistakes as a country, but whatever - WE ARE SUCH A UNIQUE GOD GIVEN NATION".
Even if it's someone as bright as Stephen Colbert - and I've also been surprised by american "journalists" falling into that dictatorship-group-think - still fall in line and is stuck with the "The US is a unique exeperiment, with its unique foundation of everyone being uniquely equal with something called freedom of speech which no other nation has".
I've even seen it posted in this thread from people taking it for granted the US having some magic freedoms that makes it the greatest country ever. What is this magic freedom of speech or what is this foundation that the US has that e.g. Sweden lacks? This "magic" and uniqueness that make you take all things that OBJECTIVELY is worse and be like "but we're still the best"
To see what a sick state the US is in - just look at the video that prompted this thread and how it caused a stir and publicity for the pilot of that show. Someone saying "The US isn't the greatest" shakes the core to such a degree that it even becomes viral? That is something out of Russia or some banana-republic. Not a healthy democracy.
We've all seen the masterpiece The Rock from 1996 -- Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious. And the US is a great example of that.
I understand many from the US think this post is garbage, because like one of Pavlovs dogs you immdiiality go into the "...but we are the greatest country, with our freedom of speech and all these freedoms people in the 1800s thought out for us that is so unique to other countries. Now hand me my AR". You don't know better.
You are a country founded on mass slaughtering of the native population and colonialism, I understand you can't hang your head forever in shame - but roll with the reality instead of this nationalsitic/patriotistic/fatalistic bullshit that's been beaten into you from your first baseball game.
America is in no way the greatest country in the world - for it's population or for the rest of the globe surrounding it.
It is way too hard to pick a best country in the world. Too many factors come into play when doing so. Bias, personal taste, ethnicity, the list goes on. The US has parts that make it the best country in the world. You can say that about a lot of countries though imo.
The start of that interview with Stephen Colbert (didn't watch the whole video) is the problem I have with americans speaking about the US. You can clearly see how american patriotisic indoctrination have removed people in the US from a factual reality - even liberal and for all accounts "intelligent" people like Colbert.
It's like all the times singing the national anthem, and all the flag waving and bullshit have caused a Pavlovs dogs situation with this stupid knee-jerk response about how "unique the US" is. You can slaughter the viatnemese and remove yourself from tax-funded healthcare and other things because... the US is still the greatest. "We have made mistakes as a country, but whatever - WE ARE SUCH A UNIQUE GOD GIVEN NATION".
Even if it's someone as bright as Stephen Colbert - and I've also been surprised by american "journalists" falling into that dictatorship-group-think - still fall in line and is stuck with the "The US is a unique exeperiment, with its unique foundation of everyone being uniquely equal with something called freedom of speech which no other nation has".
I've even seen it posted in this thread from people taking it for granted the US having some magic freedoms that makes it the greatest country ever. What is this magic freedom of speech or what is this foundation that the US has that e.g. Sweden lacks? This "magic" and uniqueness that make you take all things that OBJECTIVELY is worse and be like "but we're still the best"
To see what a sick state the US is in - just look at the video that prompted this thread and how it caused a stir and publicity for the pilot of that show. Someone saying "The US isn't the greatest" shakes the core to such a degree that it even becomes viral? That is something out of Russia or some banana-republic. Not a healthy democracy.
We've all seen the masterpiece The Rock from 1996 -- Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious. And the US is a great example of that.
I understand many from the US think this post is garbage, because like one of Pavlovs dogs you immdiiality go into the "...but we are the greatest country, with our freedom of speech and all these freedoms people in the 1800s thought out for us that is so unique to other countries. Now hand me my AR". You don't know better.
You are a country founded on mass slaughtering of the native population and colonialism, I understand you can't hang your head forever in shame - but roll with the reality instead of this nationalsitic/patriotistic/fatalistic bullshit that's been beaten into you from your first baseball game.
America is in no way the greatest country in the world - for it's population or for the rest of the globe surrounding it.
I am Hugh Freaking Dillon. And I approve this message.
"Oh Canada...you're beautiful when you're drunk" -EV 8/14/93
In Canada, we usually get a couple CFL games. Might as well watch US high school football over the CFL.
I bet to differ. CFL is a really good game.
Ok, you just crossed a line
Just stop lol
take away the production values of the NFL. CFL game is better. and I'm not saying that as a canadian. I'm saying that as a moderate football fan. CFL keeps my attentin. NFL does not.
Exactly. It is a better game in terms of how it's played and the small details that separate it from the way NFL is played. Obviously what it lacks is the best possible football players because those are all getting paid millions and millions in the NFL.
Post edited by PJ_Soul on
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Hugh - you are sounding like an idiot. CFL is no where near as good as the NFL. And the talent on the defensive side is why it takes more downs to get a first down. They aren’t playing against scrubs like the cfl.
jesus, dude. WTF is wrong with you lately?
You seriously offended by that? It seems like you were having a barroom discussion about this...jesus this place is a fucking shithole anymore.
here you go high:
Sir, I believe you are mistaken. While you poke fun at the NFL for its rule allowing a team 4 downs to get 10 yards (vs in CFL 3 downs to get 15 yards), you are neglecting to fully realize the entire situation. The nfl athletes are far superior, especially on the defensive side. Thus, while it’s fewer yards and more downs, when you include all factors, it is actually more difficult to achieve. Good day.
Stop calling individuals idiots and making "jokes" that are only jokes in your own head and your conversations will go better.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Hugh - you are sounding like an idiot. CFL is no where near as good as the NFL. And the talent on the defensive side is why it takes more downs to get a first down. They aren’t playing against scrubs like the cfl.
jesus, dude. WTF is wrong with you lately?
You seriously offended by that? It seems like you were having a barroom discussion about this...jesus this place is a fucking shithole anymore.
here you go high:
Sir, I believe you are mistaken. While you poke fun at the NFL for its rule allowing a team 4 downs to get 10 yards (vs in CFL 3 downs to get 15 yards), you are neglecting to fully realize the entire situation. The nfl athletes are far superior, especially on the defensive side. Thus, while it’s fewer yards and more downs, when you include all factors, it is actually more difficult to achieve. Good day.
Stop calling individuals idiots and making "jokes" that are only jokes in your own head and your conversations will go better.
In Canada, we usually get a couple CFL games. Might as well watch US high school football over the CFL.
I bet to differ. CFL is a really good game.
Ok, you just crossed a line
Just stop lol
take away the production values of the NFL. CFL game is better. and I'm not saying that as a canadian. I'm saying that as a moderate football fan. CFL keeps my attentin. NFL does not.
Exactly. It is a better game in terms of how it's played and the small details that separate it from the way NFL is played. Obviously what it lacks is the best possible football players because those are all getting paid millions and millions in the NFL.
In Canada, we usually get a couple CFL games. Might as well watch US high school football over the CFL.
I bet to differ. CFL is a really good game.
Ok, you just crossed a line
Just stop lol
take away the production values of the NFL. CFL game is better. and I'm not saying that as a canadian. I'm saying that as a moderate football fan. CFL keeps my attentin. NFL does not.
Exactly. It is a better game in terms of how it's played and the small details that separate it from the way NFL is played. Obviously what it lacks is the best possible football players because those are all getting paid millions and millions in the NFL.
Explain how the play is better?
There is already a big discussion all about this in another thread and these points are outlined there (not sure what thread). Try a search. Or google the differences between NFL and CFL. I don't think we need to go over it all again here.
Post edited by PJ_Soul on
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
We all know that in 1994 the us had the better hockey team.
That's weak. The most impressive hockey team the US has ever assembled (talent wise no, but they were a great team, they had guts, character and a fantastic coach that knew how to beat the Soviets) was the miracle on ice.
Do you guys end the season earlier than the nfl because of the weather?
yes. and it actually should be pushed back a month, since most of our stadiums are open air, which means if you are playing in Canada outside at the end of November, it can be cold AF. Up until the mid to late 80's or so, all Grey Cups were held in Vancouver or Toronto (both indoor stadiums).
I went to the Grey Cup in 1991 in Winnipeg. HOLY SHITBALLS was it cold. it was -16 C (that's 3 degrees F), add in the wind, and jesus mother it was cold.
"Oh Canada...you're beautiful when you're drunk" -EV 8/14/93
It is way too hard to pick a best country in the world. Too many factors come into play when doing so. Bias, personal taste, ethnicity, the list goes on. The US has parts that make it the best country in the world. You can say that about a lot of countries though imo.
The start of that interview with Stephen Colbert (didn't watch the whole video) is the problem I have with americans speaking about the US. You can clearly see how american patriotisic indoctrination have removed people in the US from a factual reality - even liberal and for all accounts "intelligent" people like Colbert.
It's like all the times singing the national anthem, and all the flag waving and bullshit have caused a Pavlovs dogs situation with this stupid knee-jerk response about how "unique the US" is. You can slaughter the viatnemese and remove yourself from tax-funded healthcare and other things because... the US is still the greatest. "We have made mistakes as a country, but whatever - WE ARE SUCH A UNIQUE GOD GIVEN NATION".
Even if it's someone as bright as Stephen Colbert - and I've also been surprised by american "journalists" falling into that dictatorship-group-think - still fall in line and is stuck with the "The US is a unique exeperiment, with its unique foundation of everyone being uniquely equal with something called freedom of speech which no other nation has".
I've even seen it posted in this thread from people taking it for granted the US having some magic freedoms that makes it the greatest country ever. What is this magic freedom of speech or what is this foundation that the US has that e.g. Sweden lacks? This "magic" and uniqueness that make you take all things that OBJECTIVELY is worse and be like "but we're still the best"
To see what a sick state the US is in - just look at the video that prompted this thread and how it caused a stir and publicity for the pilot of that show. Someone saying "The US isn't the greatest" shakes the core to such a degree that it even becomes viral? That is something out of Russia or some banana-republic. Not a healthy democracy.
We've all seen the masterpiece The Rock from 1996 -- Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious. And the US is a great example of that.
I understand many from the US think this post is garbage, because like one of Pavlovs dogs you immdiiality go into the "...but we are the greatest country, with our freedom of speech and all these freedoms people in the 1800s thought out for us that is so unique to other countries. Now hand me my AR". You don't know better.
You are a country founded on mass slaughtering of the native population and colonialism, I understand you can't hang your head forever in shame - but roll with the reality instead of this nationalsitic/patriotistic/fatalistic bullshit that's been beaten into you from your first baseball game.
America is in no way the greatest country in the world - for it's population or for the rest of the globe surrounding it.
Nice. I am American I just can't get upset about any of this (including the bold, which I could argue as "bashing")...but saying thins counter to America is #1, is sort of where America's aversion to political correctness ends.
Much of this summarizes where I am at with it. If I MUST pick a greatest country in the world (GCITW), maybe I'd say the US. But there is no MUST there. Nobody needs to pick a GCITW. Not only is there no value to it, but I believe, at least in the US (i.e., the only country I am familiar enough with) it does a disservice.
The Constitution is flawed, but generally brilliant. We founded jazz. We have the best rock-and-roll. We have outstanding arts, culture, and pro sports. Great cities, great small towns, great rural areas with unbelievable geologic features. Generally solid higher education. Our freedoms are derivative of the right ideals and without a doubt, there are countries that do not enjoy the same freedoms. We established ourselves to be free of tyranny (though I truly believe that is being put to the test).
So, in this "America Bashing" thread, I am generally curious to see whether I am truly "America Bashing" below...
We tend to think we're the only ones with freedom. Our desire to proclaim ourselves the GCITW makes us ultra-sensitive to criticism, blind to our flaws, and complacent in our "greatness." We don't want to hear about past wrongdoings or even current ones. After all, why be better when you're already the "best?" We don't want to discuss what it must be like to be black in America, where you can now have the cops called on you for just about anything because, hey, they could have it so much worse somewhere else (not everywhere else, but close enough). Sure, we have too much gun violence, but we're still the greatest, so what are you going to do.
We get more upset over people kneeling for our national song, than for cops shooting blacks or for students doing a nazi salute. The social pressure to show how patriotic you are boarders on the disturbing, at times. And in my opinion it smacks of insecurity. We are the GCITW and we have to keep saying it and keep shutting down others that challenge it, lest we be forced to consider the alternative.
GCITW? There probably isn't one. But thinking it does not serve us, or the world, well.
Did I bash America? In my opinion I pointed to flaws. And if we're unwilling to do that, we're unwilling to be better.
1995 Milwaukee 1998 Alpine, Alpine 2003 Albany, Boston, Boston, Boston 2004 Boston, Boston 2006 Hartford, St. Paul (Petty), St. Paul (Petty) 2011 Alpine, Alpine 2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
It is way too hard to pick a best country in the world. Too many factors come into play when doing so. Bias, personal taste, ethnicity, the list goes on. The US has parts that make it the best country in the world. You can say that about a lot of countries though imo.
It is way too hard to pick a best country in the world. Too many factors come into play when doing so. Bias, personal taste, ethnicity, the list goes on. The US has parts that make it the best country in the world. You can say that about a lot of countries though imo.
The start of that interview with Stephen Colbert (didn't watch the whole video) is the problem I have with americans speaking about the US. You can clearly see how american patriotisic indoctrination have removed people in the US from a factual reality - even liberal and for all accounts "intelligent" people like Colbert.
It's like all the times singing the national anthem, and all the flag waving and bullshit have caused a Pavlovs dogs situation with this stupid knee-jerk response about how "unique the US" is. You can slaughter the viatnemese and remove yourself from tax-funded healthcare and other things because... the US is still the greatest. "We have made mistakes as a country, but whatever - WE ARE SUCH A UNIQUE GOD GIVEN NATION".
Even if it's someone as bright as Stephen Colbert - and I've also been surprised by american "journalists" falling into that dictatorship-group-think - still fall in line and is stuck with the "The US is a unique exeperiment, with its unique foundation of everyone being uniquely equal with something called freedom of speech which no other nation has".
I've even seen it posted in this thread from people taking it for granted the US having some magic freedoms that makes it the greatest country ever. What is this magic freedom of speech or what is this foundation that the US has that e.g. Sweden lacks? This "magic" and uniqueness that make you take all things that OBJECTIVELY is worse and be like "but we're still the best"
To see what a sick state the US is in - just look at the video that prompted this thread and how it caused a stir and publicity for the pilot of that show. Someone saying "The US isn't the greatest" shakes the core to such a degree that it even becomes viral? That is something out of Russia or some banana-republic. Not a healthy democracy.
We've all seen the masterpiece The Rock from 1996 -- Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious. And the US is a great example of that.
I understand many from the US think this post is garbage, because like one of Pavlovs dogs you immdiiality go into the "...but we are the greatest country, with our freedom of speech and all these freedoms people in the 1800s thought out for us that is so unique to other countries. Now hand me my AR". You don't know better.
You are a country founded on mass slaughtering of the native population and colonialism, I understand you can't hang your head forever in shame - but roll with the reality instead of this nationalsitic/patriotistic/fatalistic bullshit that's been beaten into you from your first baseball game.
America is in no way the greatest country in the world - for it's population or for the rest of the globe surrounding it.
Well said, both. Good video, too!
"Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!" -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
Do you guys end the season earlier than the nfl because of the weather?
The season starts much earlier. I really do not know if the weather is the reason why. But in Manitoba, Sask and Alberta the weather can be pretty cold as early as October. I believe parts of Alberta received upwards 40CM of snow in early October.
Comments
That still has to be one of the stupidest things ever uttered in the history of mankind. I mean ever. What an imbecile.
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
-EV 8/14/93
-EV 8/14/93
-EV 8/14/93
It's like all the times singing the national anthem, and all the flag waving and bullshit have caused a Pavlovs dogs situation with this stupid knee-jerk response about how "unique the US" is. You can slaughter the viatnemese and remove yourself from tax-funded healthcare and other things because... the US is still the greatest. "We have made mistakes as a country, but whatever - WE ARE SUCH A UNIQUE GOD GIVEN NATION".
Even if it's someone as bright as Stephen Colbert - and I've also been surprised by american "journalists" falling into that dictatorship-group-think - still fall in line and is stuck with the "The US is a unique exeperiment, with its unique foundation of everyone being uniquely equal with something called freedom of speech which no other nation has".
I've even seen it posted in this thread from people taking it for granted the US having some magic freedoms that makes it the greatest country ever. What is this magic freedom of speech or what is this foundation that the US has that e.g. Sweden lacks? This "magic" and uniqueness that make you take all things that OBJECTIVELY is worse and be like "but we're still the best"
To see what a sick state the US is in - just look at the video that prompted this thread and how it caused a stir and publicity for the pilot of that show. Someone saying "The US isn't the greatest" shakes the core to such a degree that it even becomes viral? That is something out of Russia or some banana-republic. Not a healthy democracy.
We've all seen the masterpiece The Rock from 1996 -- Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious. And the US is a great example of that.
I understand many from the US think this post is garbage, because like one of Pavlovs dogs you immdiiality go into the "...but we are the greatest country, with our freedom of speech and all these freedoms people in the 1800s thought out for us that is so unique to other countries. Now hand me my AR". You don't know better.
You are a country founded on mass slaughtering of the native population and colonialism, I understand you can't hang your head forever in shame - but roll with the reality instead of this nationalsitic/patriotistic/fatalistic bullshit that's been beaten into you from your first baseball game.
America is in no way the greatest country in the world - for it's population or for the rest of the globe surrounding it.
And I approve this message.
-EV 8/14/93
I went to the Grey Cup in 1991 in Winnipeg. HOLY SHITBALLS was it cold. it was -16 C (that's 3 degrees F), add in the wind, and jesus mother it was cold.
-EV 8/14/93
Much of this summarizes where I am at with it. If I MUST pick a greatest country in the world (GCITW), maybe I'd say the US. But there is no MUST there. Nobody needs to pick a GCITW. Not only is there no value to it, but I believe, at least in the US (i.e., the only country I am familiar enough with) it does a disservice.
The Constitution is flawed, but generally brilliant. We founded jazz. We have the best rock-and-roll. We have outstanding arts, culture, and pro sports. Great cities, great small towns, great rural areas with unbelievable geologic features. Generally solid higher education. Our freedoms are derivative of the right ideals and without a doubt, there are countries that do not enjoy the same freedoms. We established ourselves to be free of tyranny (though I truly believe that is being put to the test).
So, in this "America Bashing" thread, I am generally curious to see whether I am truly "America Bashing" below...
We tend to think we're the only ones with freedom. Our desire to proclaim ourselves the GCITW makes us ultra-sensitive to criticism, blind to our flaws, and complacent in our "greatness." We don't want to hear about past wrongdoings or even current ones. After all, why be better when you're already the "best?" We don't want to discuss what it must be like to be black in America, where you can now have the cops called on you for just about anything because, hey, they could have it so much worse somewhere else (not everywhere else, but close enough). Sure, we have too much gun violence, but we're still the greatest, so what are you going to do.
We get more upset over people kneeling for our national song, than for cops shooting blacks or for students doing a nazi salute. The social pressure to show how patriotic you are boarders on the disturbing, at times. And in my opinion it smacks of insecurity. We are the GCITW and we have to keep saying it and keep shutting down others that challenge it, lest we be forced to consider the alternative.
GCITW? There probably isn't one. But thinking it does not serve us, or the world, well.
Did I bash America? In my opinion I pointed to flaws. And if we're unwilling to do that, we're unwilling to be better.
2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
Well said, both. Good video, too!
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"