Is America the greatest country in the world?

Meltdown99

cincybearcat said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

weak

Oh ok Mr. Bieber......and Ms NIckelback

You forgot Celin Dion...can't stand that lady...

PJPOWER

cincybearcat said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

OnWis97 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

mcgruff10 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Meltdown99 said:

Plenty of Canadians and politicians in Canada walk saying Canada is number 1...

every nation does it to a degree. but honestly in the US it's simply not on the same level as anywhere else. 

How does one make that assertion?  What is it based on?  Is this just a typical generalization around the world that America thinks it is the best in everything?  
America has pluses and minuses just like every other country in the world.  

just growing up over the years and observing the differences in culture between the US and everyone else, both in entertainment and in real life. ask anyone who has traveled anywhere else. there's no other nation that just erupts into chants of their country's name spontaneously, even when it makes zero sense. 

As an American, I cannot prove it, but I feel it as well.  We seem a bit more devoted to talking about how we're #1 than others.  Then again, maybe people sit around over beers in Norway and talk about how they're the greatest country in the world.  I'm pretty much only privy to what's going on in the USA. USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

Well I know people in Sweden like to post how awesome they are on the internet.

Honestly I don’t get either side of this. Posting over and over about how awesome the USA is or posting over and over what’s wrong with the USA.

I thought this thread was about if the USA is the GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD or not... or am I in the wrong thread?

Ummm yeah.  And to do so wouldn't you need to compare to the world? Is Sweden in the world? 

Sweden is in "the world". Yes. It's a country located in the north of Europe, neighbouring Norway, Denmark and Finland. And the monkey wrench was invented there.

Yeah, there it is! I thought it was!  Kinda looks like it could use some Cialis.

In the US, there are many different cultures.  Each state has it’s own set of rules and opportunities.  Lots of land to explore if you are tired of the scenery.  It would be better to compare Sweden to a single state than a country full of diversity.  Sweden is an incomparable bubble.

HughFreakingDillon

I thought you were making a personal dig at SC's musical taste. Now I know what you meant. 

brianlux

I saw a bumper sticker today that said, "Thank you veterans for making America number one."

I don't get that.  Is that why we have service men and women?  To make America number one?  And what does that mean, "number one"?  And number one what?  And do we really think that being "number one" and having much of the rest of the world be massively over-crowed and polluted and dangerously politically unsettled is not going to affect us eventually (and maybe sooner than later)?

I just don't get this number one nonsense. 

HughFreakingDillon

PJPOWER said:

cincybearcat said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

OnWis97 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

mcgruff10 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Meltdown99 said:

Plenty of Canadians and politicians in Canada walk saying Canada is number 1...

every nation does it to a degree. but honestly in the US it's simply not on the same level as anywhere else. 

How does one make that assertion?  What is it based on?  Is this just a typical generalization around the world that America thinks it is the best in everything?  
America has pluses and minuses just like every other country in the world.  

just growing up over the years and observing the differences in culture between the US and everyone else, both in entertainment and in real life. ask anyone who has traveled anywhere else. there's no other nation that just erupts into chants of their country's name spontaneously, even when it makes zero sense. 

As an American, I cannot prove it, but I feel it as well.  We seem a bit more devoted to talking about how we're #1 than others.  Then again, maybe people sit around over beers in Norway and talk about how they're the greatest country in the world.  I'm pretty much only privy to what's going on in the USA. USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

Well I know people in Sweden like to post how awesome they are on the internet.

Honestly I don’t get either side of this. Posting over and over about how awesome the USA is or posting over and over what’s wrong with the USA.

I thought this thread was about if the USA is the GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD or not... or am I in the wrong thread?

Ummm yeah.  And to do so wouldn't you need to compare to the world? Is Sweden in the world? 

Sweden is in "the world". Yes. It's a country located in the north of Europe, neighbouring Norway, Denmark and Finland. And the monkey wrench was invented there.

Yeah, there it is! I thought it was!  Kinda looks like it could use some Cialis.

In the US, there are many different cultures.  Each state has it’s own set of rules and opportunities.  Lots of land to explore if you are tired of the scenery.  It would be better to compare Sweden to a single state than a country full of diversity.  

like the phallicly inferior yet equally flaccid Florida?

rgambs

HughFreakingDillon said:

PJPOWER said:

cincybearcat said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

OnWis97 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

mcgruff10 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Meltdown99 said:

Plenty of Canadians and politicians in Canada walk saying Canada is number 1...

every nation does it to a degree. but honestly in the US it's simply not on the same level as anywhere else. 

How does one make that assertion?  What is it based on?  Is this just a typical generalization around the world that America thinks it is the best in everything?  
America has pluses and minuses just like every other country in the world.  

just growing up over the years and observing the differences in culture between the US and everyone else, both in entertainment and in real life. ask anyone who has traveled anywhere else. there's no other nation that just erupts into chants of their country's name spontaneously, even when it makes zero sense. 

As an American, I cannot prove it, but I feel it as well.  We seem a bit more devoted to talking about how we're #1 than others.  Then again, maybe people sit around over beers in Norway and talk about how they're the greatest country in the world.  I'm pretty much only privy to what's going on in the USA. USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

Well I know people in Sweden like to post how awesome they are on the internet.

Honestly I don’t get either side of this. Posting over and over about how awesome the USA is or posting over and over what’s wrong with the USA.

I thought this thread was about if the USA is the GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD or not... or am I in the wrong thread?

Ummm yeah.  And to do so wouldn't you need to compare to the world? Is Sweden in the world? 

Sweden is in "the world". Yes. It's a country located in the north of Europe, neighbouring Norway, Denmark and Finland. And the monkey wrench was invented there.

Yeah, there it is! I thought it was!  Kinda looks like it could use some Cialis.

In the US, there are many different cultures.  Each state has it’s own set of rules and opportunities.  Lots of land to explore if you are tired of the scenery.  It would be better to compare Sweden to a single state than a country full of diversity.  

like the phallicly inferior yet equally flaccid Florida?

Twice as many people in Florida as Sweden.

HughFreakingDillon

rgambs said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

PJPOWER said:

cincybearcat said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

OnWis97 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

mcgruff10 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Meltdown99 said:

Plenty of Canadians and politicians in Canada walk saying Canada is number 1...

every nation does it to a degree. but honestly in the US it's simply not on the same level as anywhere else. 

How does one make that assertion?  What is it based on?  Is this just a typical generalization around the world that America thinks it is the best in everything?  
America has pluses and minuses just like every other country in the world.  

just growing up over the years and observing the differences in culture between the US and everyone else, both in entertainment and in real life. ask anyone who has traveled anywhere else. there's no other nation that just erupts into chants of their country's name spontaneously, even when it makes zero sense. 

As an American, I cannot prove it, but I feel it as well.  We seem a bit more devoted to talking about how we're #1 than others.  Then again, maybe people sit around over beers in Norway and talk about how they're the greatest country in the world.  I'm pretty much only privy to what's going on in the USA. USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

Well I know people in Sweden like to post how awesome they are on the internet.

Honestly I don’t get either side of this. Posting over and over about how awesome the USA is or posting over and over what’s wrong with the USA.

I thought this thread was about if the USA is the GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD or not... or am I in the wrong thread?

Ummm yeah.  And to do so wouldn't you need to compare to the world? Is Sweden in the world? 

Sweden is in "the world". Yes. It's a country located in the north of Europe, neighbouring Norway, Denmark and Finland. And the monkey wrench was invented there.

Yeah, there it is! I thought it was!  Kinda looks like it could use some Cialis.

In the US, there are many different cultures.  Each state has it’s own set of rules and opportunities.  Lots of land to explore if you are tired of the scenery.  It would be better to compare Sweden to a single state than a country full of diversity.  

like the phallicly inferior yet equally flaccid Florida?

Twice as many people in Florida as Sweden.

it was a retorte to cincy's joke about sweden needing some cialis. 

mcgruff10

I was just reading about on Sweden's role in World War 2 and found the following: Was Sweden really "neutral" during World War 2?  

Sweden's role in the Second World War had its darker side, it allowed the Germans to transit troops, supplies and communications through the country.

Sweden also profited from the Holocaust. It is known that Wallenberg's relatives made money converting Nazi gold into Swedish crowns and that Sweden provided iron ore and ball bearings to the Nazis. Swedish documents reveal that some Swedes actually sided with the Nazis and volunteered to fight for Hitler. Some Swedes were members of the Waffen SS and served in police batallions.

A committee was established by the Swedish government in 1997 to investigate the transfer of Nazi gold to Sweden during the war. It is reported that Sweden received 38 tons of gold from Nazi Germany (worth today US $430 million). Many Swedish companies, such as Ericsson, AGA and Hasselblad Cameras, as well as the country's paper and wood industries traded with Nazi Germany. Swedish jewelers bought stolen diamonds, which were smuggled into Sweden by civil servants working at the German legation in Stockholm.

An exhibition on Sweden and the Holocaust, opening in Lund, not far from where Chavka Folman-Raban enjoyed her first weeks of freedom, aims to shed light on this darker side of Sweden’s relationship to Nazism. The exhibition, accompanied by seminars and publication of new research, shows how Swedish industry benefited from the war and how Swedish scientific institutions were leaders in the fields of race biology and eugenic research. 

The exhibition also shows how Nazi ideals found Swedish sympathizers and how Sweden limited freedom of speech, and introduced immigration laws which turned away asylum seekers from Germany, many of whom were later murdered in concentration camps.

PJ_Soul

I don't think any Swede can honestly deny that there aren't plenty of Swedish racists and xenophobes. That is clear just in the anti-immigrant sentiment that is very strong there, just like it is in the USA, France, Canada, Germany, Australia, Hungary, and pretty much every single other so-called "white" country on the face of the planet.

Spiritual_Chaos

PJPOWER said:

cincybearcat said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

OnWis97 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

mcgruff10 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Meltdown99 said:

Plenty of Canadians and politicians in Canada walk saying Canada is number 1...

every nation does it to a degree. but honestly in the US it's simply not on the same level as anywhere else. 

How does one make that assertion?  What is it based on?  Is this just a typical generalization around the world that America thinks it is the best in everything?  
America has pluses and minuses just like every other country in the world.  

just growing up over the years and observing the differences in culture between the US and everyone else, both in entertainment and in real life. ask anyone who has traveled anywhere else. there's no other nation that just erupts into chants of their country's name spontaneously, even when it makes zero sense. 

As an American, I cannot prove it, but I feel it as well.  We seem a bit more devoted to talking about how we're #1 than others.  Then again, maybe people sit around over beers in Norway and talk about how they're the greatest country in the world.  I'm pretty much only privy to what's going on in the USA. USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

Well I know people in Sweden like to post how awesome they are on the internet.

Honestly I don’t get either side of this. Posting over and over about how awesome the USA is or posting over and over what’s wrong with the USA.

I thought this thread was about if the USA is the GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD or not... or am I in the wrong thread?

Ummm yeah.  And to do so wouldn't you need to compare to the world? Is Sweden in the world? 

Sweden is in "the world". Yes. It's a country located in the north of Europe, neighbouring Norway, Denmark and Finland. And the monkey wrench was invented there.

Yeah, there it is! I thought it was!  Kinda looks like it could use some Cialis.

In the US, there are many different cultures.  Each state has it’s own set of rules and opportunities.  Lots of land to explore if you are tired of the scenery.  It would be better to compare Sweden to a single state than a country full of diversity.  Sweden is an incomparable bubble.

A worn-out and pretty stupid argument to try tio put US into some unique untouchable position. You're putting your country in a bubble.

That is like saying "You can't compare Canada and Sweden because Sweden is a monarchy". Or whatever moot reason.

Spiritual_Chaos

PJ_Soul said:

I don't think any Swede can honestly deny that there aren't plenty of Swedish racists and xenophobes. That is clear just in the anti-immigrant sentiment that is very strong there, just like it is in the USA, France, Canada, Germany, Australia, Hungary, and pretty much every single other so-called "white" country on the face of the planet.

No swedish person is. And I think people are kind of thickheaded (not emaning you) if they think that "putting forth criticism of the US" equal "thinking that Sweden is perfect and without flaws"

But that thickheadedness actually show the US mentality of being unable to take criticism of the "ONE LAND UNDER GOD!", feeling personally attacked and thinking that someone criticising the SACRED USA! means that they must think that their country is sacred instead.

Spiritual_Chaos

brianlux said:

I saw a bumper sticker today that said, "Thank you veterans for making America number one."

I don't get that.  Is that why we have service men and women?  To make America number one?  And what does that mean, "number one"?  And number one what?  And do we really think that being "number one" and having much of the rest of the world be massively over-crowed and polluted and dangerously politically unsettled is not going to affect us eventually (and maybe sooner than later)?

I just don't get this number one nonsense. 

@mcgruff10 says this mentality doesn't exist and that european countries are crazy nationalistic compared to the US because he went to europe during the world cup when people were rooting for their national team.

Spiritual_Chaos

mcgruff10 said:

I was just reading about on Sweden's role in World War 2 and found the following: Was Sweden really "neutral" during World War 2?  

Sweden's role in the Second World War had its darker side, it allowed the Germans to transit troops, supplies and communications through the country.

Sweden also profited from the Holocaust. It is known that Wallenberg's relatives made money converting Nazi gold into Swedish crowns and that Sweden provided iron ore and ball bearings to the Nazis. Swedish documents reveal that some Swedes actually sided with the Nazis and volunteered to fight for Hitler. Some Swedes were members of the Waffen SS and served in police batallions.

A committee was established by the Swedish government in 1997 to investigate the transfer of Nazi gold to Sweden during the war. It is reported that Sweden received 38 tons of gold from Nazi Germany (worth today US $430 million). Many Swedish companies, such as Ericsson, AGA and Hasselblad Cameras, as well as the country's paper and wood industries traded with Nazi Germany. Swedish jewelers bought stolen diamonds, which were smuggled into Sweden by civil servants working at the German legation in Stockholm.

An exhibition on Sweden and the Holocaust, opening in Lund, not far from where Chavka Folman-Raban enjoyed her first weeks of freedom, aims to shed light on this darker side of Sweden’s relationship to Nazism. The exhibition, accompanied by seminars and publication of new research, shows how Swedish industry benefited from the war and how Swedish scientific institutions were leaders in the fields of race biology and eugenic research. 

The exhibition also shows how Nazi ideals found Swedish sympathizers and how Sweden limited freedom of speech, and introduced immigration laws which turned away asylum seekers from Germany, many of whom were later murdered in concentration camps.

And what is the point you are trying to make here?

PJ_Soul

Spiritual_Chaos said:

PJ_Soul said:

I don't think any Swede can honestly deny that there aren't plenty of Swedish racists and xenophobes. That is clear just in the anti-immigrant sentiment that is very strong there, just like it is in the USA, France, Canada, Germany, Australia, Hungary, and pretty much every single other so-called "white" country on the face of the planet.

No swedish person is. And I think people are kind of thickheaded (not emaning you) if they think that "putting forth criticism of the US" equal "thinking that Sweden is perfect and without flaws"

But that thickheadedness actually how the US mentality of being unable to take criticism of the "ONE LAND UNDER GOD!", feeling personally attacked and thinking that someone criticising the SACRED USA! means that they must think that their country is sacred instead.

I agree - I never thought you were doing that. Yes, that does seem to be an assumption by some, and it is not a correct one.

And yes, Americans are super nationalistic in a way that is completely unique to America, and that is 100% by design. I have to assume that those who don't see that are simply too used to living it to really see it. It's a part of who they are I think. It is in the American blood, so to speak, born and bred. It's a really deep-seated cultural feature. I think the rest of world sees this cultural aspect as THE defining trait of Americans.

Annafalk

mcgruff10 said:

I was just reading about on Sweden's role in World War 2 and found the following: Was Sweden really "neutral" during World War 2?  

Sweden's role in the Second World War had its darker side, it allowed the Germans to transit troops, supplies and communications through the country.

Sweden also profited from the Holocaust. It is known that Wallenberg's relatives made money converting Nazi gold into Swedish crowns and that Sweden provided iron ore and ball bearings to the Nazis. Swedish documents reveal that some Swedes actually sided with the Nazis and volunteered to fight for Hitler. Some Swedes were members of the Waffen SS and served in police batallions.

A committee was established by the Swedish government in 1997 to investigate the transfer of Nazi gold to Sweden during the war. It is reported that Sweden received 38 tons of gold from Nazi Germany (worth today US $430 million). Many Swedish companies, such as Ericsson, AGA and Hasselblad Cameras, as well as the country's paper and wood industries traded with Nazi Germany. Swedish jewelers bought stolen diamonds, which were smuggled into Sweden by civil servants working at the German legation in Stockholm.

An exhibition on Sweden and the Holocaust, opening in Lund, not far from where Chavka Folman-Raban enjoyed her first weeks of freedom, aims to shed light on this darker side of Sweden’s relationship to Nazism. The exhibition, accompanied by seminars and publication of new research, shows how Swedish industry benefited from the war and how Swedish scientific institutions were leaders in the fields of race biology and eugenic research. 

The exhibition also shows how Nazi ideals found Swedish sympathizers and how Sweden limited freedom of speech, and introduced immigration laws which turned away asylum seekers from Germany, many of whom were later murdered in concentration camps.

The leaders at that time did all they could to keep the country out of the war. 
Sweden also exported bearings and anti-aircraft guns to the British.
There were ten times as many volunteers Swedes fighting as soldiers with the allied as there were with the nazists. 
Sweden helped save many Jews especially from the neighboring countries. Raoul Wallenberg saved many Jews in Hungary with the Swedish passports etc
One very brave Swede Raoul Nordling saved Paris from being totally bombed during WW2. 
You only describe all the bad things.

Spiritual_Chaos

Meltdown99 said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Meltdown99 said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Meltdown99 said:

cincybearcat said:

OnWis97 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

mcgruff10 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Meltdown99 said:

Plenty of Canadians and politicians in Canada walk saying Canada is number 1...

every nation does it to a degree. but honestly in the US it's simply not on the same level as anywhere else. 

How does one make that assertion?  What is it based on?  Is this just a typical generalization around the world that America thinks it is the best in everything?  
America has pluses and minuses just like every other country in the world.  

just growing up over the years and observing the differences in culture between the US and everyone else, both in entertainment and in real life. ask anyone who has traveled anywhere else. there's no other nation that just erupts into chants of their country's name spontaneously, even when it makes zero sense. 

As an American, I cannot prove it, but I feel it as well.  We seem a bit more devoted to talking about how we're #1 than others.  Then again, maybe people sit around over beers in Norway and talk about how they're the greatest country in the world.  I'm pretty much only privy to what's going on in the USA. USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

Well I know people in Sweden like to post how awesome they are on the internet.

Honestly I don’t get either side of this. Posting over and over about how awesome the USA is or posting over and over what’s wrong with the USA.

The thing is, I don't think he is looking at what is right in America, 

Name a few things.

Music...plenty of great music
Hollywood...never short of great movies and TV shows.
Cannabis...US states started legalizing it, which I'm sure made it easier for our government to legalize it
Climate...there is pretty much any climate you could ask for in the US...so depending what your climate of choice is, I am sure you can find.
30 minutes from my door is downtown Detroit, I can attend all 4 major sports, farther down the road UM has world class college sports, pretty much all bands hit up Detroit when touring.
National Parks...
Route 66
The Pacific Coast HWY
Lifestyle...you can live pretty much live any lifestyle you want
Affordability

just off the top of my head.

Name some things that are important for peoples actual health, rights or lives.

Most of the stuff you listed can be answered with "...most countries have (something similar to) that".

So you do not like the answers, so now you change the question.

What are you asking me to comment on should be commented on by Americans?  

I am just listing what I like.

I could never provide an appropriate answer to their health or rights...because I have never had to deal with those issues.

I never had a bad experience in the US...I have been going to events for 35 years in Detroit, I'm still alive...and many of those years Detroit was a rough town.

I am assuming the US Constitution protects Americans rights.  

It was not about not "liking the answers", but looking for a different discourse. 

I mean, if you ask "what is right about Sweden" I can answer:

- We have great nature, great forests and rivers
- We have great music
- We have great national parks
- Our archipelago is magic
- We have a cool king!
- We made Minecraft!
- I really like the colors blue and yellow - and our flag contains those!


But at the same time I can also add:

- We let women and men to by law stay home after giving birth
- Our prime minister do not deny climate change, which is really dangerous

etc.

cincybearcat

HughFreakingDillon said:

PJPOWER said:

cincybearcat said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

OnWis97 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

mcgruff10 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Meltdown99 said:

Plenty of Canadians and politicians in Canada walk saying Canada is number 1...

every nation does it to a degree. but honestly in the US it's simply not on the same level as anywhere else. 

How does one make that assertion?  What is it based on?  Is this just a typical generalization around the world that America thinks it is the best in everything?  
America has pluses and minuses just like every other country in the world.  

just growing up over the years and observing the differences in culture between the US and everyone else, both in entertainment and in real life. ask anyone who has traveled anywhere else. there's no other nation that just erupts into chants of their country's name spontaneously, even when it makes zero sense. 

As an American, I cannot prove it, but I feel it as well.  We seem a bit more devoted to talking about how we're #1 than others.  Then again, maybe people sit around over beers in Norway and talk about how they're the greatest country in the world.  I'm pretty much only privy to what's going on in the USA. USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

Well I know people in Sweden like to post how awesome they are on the internet.

Honestly I don’t get either side of this. Posting over and over about how awesome the USA is or posting over and over what’s wrong with the USA.

I thought this thread was about if the USA is the GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD or not... or am I in the wrong thread?

Ummm yeah.  And to do so wouldn't you need to compare to the world? Is Sweden in the world? 

Sweden is in "the world". Yes. It's a country located in the north of Europe, neighbouring Norway, Denmark and Finland. And the monkey wrench was invented there.

Yeah, there it is! I thought it was!  Kinda looks like it could use some Cialis.

In the US, there are many different cultures.  Each state has it’s own set of rules and opportunities.  Lots of land to explore if you are tired of the scenery.  It would be better to compare Sweden to a single state than a country full of diversity.  

like the phallicly inferior yet equally flaccid Florida?

That is where all the old people go...hence...

Spiritual_Chaos

mcgruff10 said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Meltdown99 said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Meltdown99 said:

cincybearcat said:

OnWis97 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

mcgruff10 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Meltdown99 said:

Plenty of Canadians and politicians in Canada walk saying Canada is number 1...

every nation does it to a degree. but honestly in the US it's simply not on the same level as anywhere else. 

How does one make that assertion?  What is it based on?  Is this just a typical generalization around the world that America thinks it is the best in everything?  
America has pluses and minuses just like every other country in the world.  

just growing up over the years and observing the differences in culture between the US and everyone else, both in entertainment and in real life. ask anyone who has traveled anywhere else. there's no other nation that just erupts into chants of their country's name spontaneously, even when it makes zero sense. 

As an American, I cannot prove it, but I feel it as well.  We seem a bit more devoted to talking about how we're #1 than others.  Then again, maybe people sit around over beers in Norway and talk about how they're the greatest country in the world.  I'm pretty much only privy to what's going on in the USA. USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

Well I know people in Sweden like to post how awesome they are on the internet.

Honestly I don’t get either side of this. Posting over and over about how awesome the USA is or posting over and over what’s wrong with the USA.

The thing is, I don't think he is looking at what is right in America, 

Name a few things.

Music...plenty of great music
Hollywood...never short of great movies and TV shows.
Cannabis...US states started legalizing it, which I'm sure made it easier for our government to legalize it
Climate...there is pretty much any climate you could ask for in the US...so depending what your climate of choice is, I am sure you can find.
30 minutes from my door is downtown Detroit, I can attend all 4 major sports, farther down the road UM has world class college sports, pretty much all bands hit up Detroit when touring.
National Parks...
Route 66
The Pacific Coast HWY
Lifestyle...you can live pretty much live any lifestyle you want
Affordability

just off the top of my head.

Name some things that are important for peoples actual health, rights or lives.

Pearl Jam.
National parks are great.
State Parks.
County Parks.
National Scenic Rivers.
Our coastline up and down the Atlantic and Pacific.
Hawaii.  There is no place like Hawaii.
Constitution.  Bill of Rights.
We have some of the best doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners in the world.
We have some of the best hospitals in the world.
Our higher education is definitely the best.
Our military protects us and many around the world.
Music.
Pearl Jam
Craft beer.
California wines.
The Mississippi is one bad ass river.
Alaska.
Baseball.
Football.
Pearl Jam.
The Grand Canyon.  Wow.
Martin and Fender guitars.
Fishing and hunting.

Sweden also has Pearl Jam. Their music is not stopped at the border. The same with Fender guitars. Etc.

Now what about our highest office not denying climate change - can the US import that?

Spiritual_Chaos

PJ_Soul said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

PJ_Soul said:

I don't think any Swede can honestly deny that there aren't plenty of Swedish racists and xenophobes. That is clear just in the anti-immigrant sentiment that is very strong there, just like it is in the USA, France, Canada, Germany, Australia, Hungary, and pretty much every single other so-called "white" country on the face of the planet.

No swedish person is. And I think people are kind of thickheaded (not emaning you) if they think that "putting forth criticism of the US" equal "thinking that Sweden is perfect and without flaws"

But that thickheadedness actually how the US mentality of being unable to take criticism of the "ONE LAND UNDER GOD!", feeling personally attacked and thinking that someone criticising the SACRED USA! means that they must think that their country is sacred instead.

I agree - I never thought you were doing that. Yes, that does seem to be an assumption by some, and it is not a correct one.

And yes, Americans are super nationalistic in a way that is completely unique to America, and that is 100% by design. I have to assume that those who don't see that are simply too used to living it to really see it. It's a part of who they are I think. It is in the American blood, so to speak, born and bred. It's a really deep-seated cultural feature. I think the rest of world sees this cultural aspect as THE defining trait of Americans.

BUT

THE

BRITISH

ROOT

FOR

THEIR

TEAM

DURING

THE

WORLD CUP!

mcgruff10

Annafalk said:

mcgruff10 said:

I was just reading about on Sweden's role in World War 2 and found the following: Was Sweden really "neutral" during World War 2?  

Sweden's role in the Second World War had its darker side, it allowed the Germans to transit troops, supplies and communications through the country.

Sweden also profited from the Holocaust. It is known that Wallenberg's relatives made money converting Nazi gold into Swedish crowns and that Sweden provided iron ore and ball bearings to the Nazis. Swedish documents reveal that some Swedes actually sided with the Nazis and volunteered to fight for Hitler. Some Swedes were members of the Waffen SS and served in police batallions.

A committee was established by the Swedish government in 1997 to investigate the transfer of Nazi gold to Sweden during the war. It is reported that Sweden received 38 tons of gold from Nazi Germany (worth today US $430 million). Many Swedish companies, such as Ericsson, AGA and Hasselblad Cameras, as well as the country's paper and wood industries traded with Nazi Germany. Swedish jewelers bought stolen diamonds, which were smuggled into Sweden by civil servants working at the German legation in Stockholm.

An exhibition on Sweden and the Holocaust, opening in Lund, not far from where Chavka Folman-Raban enjoyed her first weeks of freedom, aims to shed light on this darker side of Sweden’s relationship to Nazism. The exhibition, accompanied by seminars and publication of new research, shows how Swedish industry benefited from the war and how Swedish scientific institutions were leaders in the fields of race biology and eugenic research. 

The exhibition also shows how Nazi ideals found Swedish sympathizers and how Sweden limited freedom of speech, and introduced immigration laws which turned away asylum seekers from Germany, many of whom were later murdered in concentration camps.

The leaders at that time did all they could to keep the country out of the war. 
Sweden also exported bearings and anti-aircraft guns to the British.
There were ten times as many volunteers Swedes fighting as soldiers with the allied as there were with the nazists. 
Sweden helped save many Jews especially from the neighboring countries. Raoul Wallenberg saved many Jews in Hungary with the Swedish passports etc
You only describe all the bad things.

Isn’t that What happens in this thread when describing the United States?