Is America the greatest country in the world?

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  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,554
    edited October 2018
    my2hands said:
    brianlux said:
    Nope it's not the best country it was at one time maybe , now it's def thee ugliest country in the word that's the only word i can come up to describe it !!
    It has definitely, DEFINITELY, seen better days!
    When was that?
    Pretty much every day previous to August 3, 1492.

    Edit:

    But seriously, in my lifetime experience there have been what I would consider better times in America.  1973, for example.  By 1973, protestors to the war in Vietnam from all walks of life in America, and particularly those who organized many of the protest, played a huge role in putting an end to that war.  When is the last time something like that happened?

    I would say that, despite his imperfections, the Carter years were better that things are today.  Hell, for that matter, the Obama years were better.

    This is not to say that I believe any of these were "great" times.  There have been few "great" times since the advent of agriculture some 23,000 years ago.  I think that's what the whole Garden of Eden story is about.  The fall of mankind when we ceased to be hunter gatherers.

    But anyway, hey, have a great day!
    Post edited by brianlux on
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,554
    Or as Shirley MacLaine's character, Harriett Lauler, in the excellent movie The Last Word said, "Have a productive day.  Do something useful."

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • mickeyratmickeyrat up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 35,284
    on paper maybe. as a concept, sure.

    in practice? get the fuck out of here.
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  • CM189191CM189191 Minneapolis via Chicago Posts: 6,785
    Ran across this quote, thought it was relevant

    The cheapest sort of pride is national pride; for if a man is proud of his own nation, it argues that he has no qualities of his own of which he can be proud; otherwise he would not have recourse to those which he shares with so many millions of his fellowmen. The man who is endowed with important personal qualities will be only too ready to see clearly in what respects his own nation falls short, since their failings will be constantly before his eyes. But every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud adopts, as a last resource, pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and glad to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority.
    -Arthur Schopenhauer
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  • mickeyratmickeyrat up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 35,284
    CM189191 said:
    Ran across this quote, thought it was relevant

    The cheapest sort of pride is national pride; for if a man is proud of his own nation, it argues that he has no qualities of his own of which he can be proud; otherwise he would not have recourse to those which he shares with so many millions of his fellowmen. The man who is endowed with important personal qualities will be only too ready to see clearly in what respects his own nation falls short, since their failings will be constantly before his eyes. But every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud adopts, as a last resource, pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and glad to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority.
    -Arthur Schopenhauer
    rings true to these eyes......
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  • rgambsrgambs Posts: 13,576
    We aren't even the greatest country in America!
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • rgambsrgambs Posts: 13,576
    We aren't even the greatest country in America!
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • mickeyratmickeyrat up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 35,284
    rgambs said:
    We aren't even the greatest country in America!

    rgambs said:
    We aren't even the greatest country in America!
    you can say that again!!!!
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    Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
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    another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,554
    CM189191 said:
    Ran across this quote, thought it was relevant

    The cheapest sort of pride is national pride; for if a man is proud of his own nation, it argues that he has no qualities of his own of which he can be proud; otherwise he would not have recourse to those which he shares with so many millions of his fellowmen. The man who is endowed with important personal qualities will be only too ready to see clearly in what respects his own nation falls short, since their failings will be constantly before his eyes. But every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud adopts, as a last resource, pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and glad to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority.
    -Arthur Schopenhauer
    Excellent.

    Another good on, of course (and on adapted by Bob Dylan in his song "Sweetheart Like You"):

    "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel"
    -Samuel Johnson



    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • No country is the greatest. It's the people that  make a country good or not
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  • kce8kce8 Posts: 1,636
    Americans have always been so extremely patriotic, I think they were often over the top. 
    That doesn't make them bad people though, but often leads to this behaviour what Kavanaugh showed lately, like feeling entitled and display such an incredible arrogance.

    Usually I do not like judging such things because I'm a foreigner here, I don't mean to offend anyone. 
    For my understanding, loving your country is good, but still stay objective.
    I definitely live in a great country, but I would never say it's the greatest country. Even though I think that Germany as a whole is one of the best ways to live in the world, I still would not be overbearing. I just think it's healthier to live that way, and you can apply that to many other issues. Look at the trumpets arrogance ... and what the rest of the world sees in him.

    So I still think America is a wonderful country and there are living great people and less great people like in every other country too. But what's going on in America is terrifying and absolutely alarming when it comes to democracy.
    We have that problem in European countries too, I think it's just scary what's going on lately. 

    I just hope people get up even more now and do the right things for the right reasons! 
    I'm trying to stay positive...
  • 23scidoo23scidoo Thessaloniki,Greece Posts: 18,378
    Athens 2006. Dusseldorf 2007. Berlin 2009. Venice 2010. Amsterdam 1 2012. Amsterdam 1+2 2014. Buenos Aires 2015.
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  • kce8 said:
    Americans have always been so extremely patriotic, I think they were often over the top. 
    Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious. 
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • I'm English and I dislike my country.  For many reasons. Our shameful past is horrific and I certainly  don't  want to be associated  with those atrocities . 
    The scenic landscape of some of u.k is beautiful but in general not a great place to live. I went to Ireland recently  . I like it there . 
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    this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,554
    Are there any truly any great countries?
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • mickeyratmickeyrat up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 35,284
    brianlux said:
    Are there any truly any great countries?
    Atlantis?

    Ok, it was a city but still.....
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    Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
    you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
    memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
    another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
  • my2handsmy2hands Posts: 17,117
    brianlux said:
    Are there any truly any great countries?
    No
  • Meltdown99Meltdown99 None Of Your Business... Posts: 10,739
    Every country in the world likely has a checkered past.  There no greatest countries.  There are great countries, and even though I am a critic of US foreign policy, I certainly consider America one of the better countries to live...

    I would not choose to live anywhere other than Canada.  


    Give Peas A Chance…
  • I poke fun at America all the time, but truth be told and as far as countries go... it's solid.

    It's enduring a very challenging era at the moment and it's tough to keep things in perspective.

    The emotional outpouring regarding modern events is based in 'the power of negative thinking'. People see an ideal America and focus on the attributes that keep it from achieving its ideal state.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • josevolutionjosevolution Posts: 28,250
    1- Kidnapping children is enough for me to say hell no ! 
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • cincybearcatcincybearcat Posts: 16,072
    I don’t think it is something that is easy to define. Way too many factors and lots of good and bad.

    I live in the USA and I am thankful for it. Not to say I wouldn’t love to live in some other places as well. But it’s definietly one of the countries on my list of “would like to live there”
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  • PJPOWERPJPOWER In Yo Face Posts: 6,499
    I’m going to go out on a limb and say that America definitely has the best variety of foods (especially BBQ) in the world ;)
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,456
    edited October 2018
    The USA has the best variety of consumer goods in general, by far. Of course, not very many of them are made in the USA, but still....
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,119
    Now that squirrel people are being persecuted for their beliefs, I may consider moving to Canada (once they stop putting mayo on everything)
  • SmellymanSmellyman Asia Posts: 4,516
    PJ_Soul said:
    The USA has the best variety of consumer goods in general, by far. Of course, not very many of them are made in the USA, but still....
    The best at over-consuming said goods too
  • 39% of US adults and 19% of adolescents are obese. Bodes well for the future. Thanks Team Trump Treason.
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  • my2handsmy2hands Posts: 17,117
    I was fat before Trump was in office lol
  • SmellymanSmellyman Asia Posts: 4,516
    39% of US adults and 19% of adolescents are obese. Bodes well for the future. Thanks Team Trump Treason.
    Wow.  That exactly explains his approval rating.
  • Meltdown99Meltdown99 None Of Your Business... Posts: 10,739
    Americans were obese long before trump came along.  Someone got a speeding ticket...must be trumps fault.  Some on the American left are as pathetic as Canadian NDP supporters, pathetic...
    Give Peas A Chance…
  • Americans were obese long before trump came along.  Someone got a speeding ticket...must be trumps fault.  Some on the American left are as pathetic as Canadian NDP supporters, pathetic...
    It wasn’t always 39% and 19% but keep projecting your disappointment on the, “I love the uneducated.”
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