Are Americans kept in the dark

[SteveLaura 0]

I have no beef with Aussies. On the whole they're down to earth and as friendly as they come. And I'm not poster child for the UK either. But most people do have an affinity to their homeland. It is possible to miss the UK - even *gasp* when you're in Aus - bad food, rotten weather and all!

[Heracles 417]

Hmmm no wonder, there is a couple of members that have argued with Aficionado, including myself, but he really goes at it with British members and viceversa.

Well lets compare the three nations (UK/ Australia/ US) as see which one is better depending on the field

Healthcare: Australia

Old Buildings: UK

Higher living Standards: Australia

Weather: Australia

Landscape: Australia

People: Good / bad across the board.

Lower Crime: Australia

Police rights: Australia / UK

Each to their own culture: US

Bad guys with rights: US

System of government: UK / AUS

Financial Inequality: US

Ghettos: US

Gangs: US

Organized crime: US

Freedom of Speech: US

Public Transport: Australia

Cost of Living: US

Lower Taxes: Australia

Generous Welfare: Australia

Opportunity for the poor: Australia

Building Wealth: US

Lower unemployment: Australia

Quality of Roads: Australia

Modernized: Australia

Growth: Australia

Diversity: Australia

Culture: UK

Retirement Accounts: Australia

Respect Abroad: Australia

Food Quality / Freshness: Australia

Poverty: US

Maintained Roads: Australia

Room to Expand: Australia

Better care for elderly: Australia

Aesthetically modern cities: Australia

Canada on the other hand is quite similar to Aus and equal on many of those points

Edited November 13, 2008 by Aficionado

[HAL 9000 96]

Well, Americans are too busy working their ####### off. The average income for most Americans is about 22,000 dollars according to the IRS. They are poorer than their European counterparts. Correct me if I'm wrong.

And yet Europeans are taxed a heck of a lot more than Americans. Odd isn't it how so many write off European economics so quickly?

[HAL 9000 96]

I get 23 days. In America, b1tchez!

I get to post on VJ pretty much whenever I want to. Beat that homeboy!

[Heracles 417]

Plus:

Access to international news: UK / AUS

Aware of the rest of the world: UK / Australia

Feeling of superiority: US

Bankrupt: US

Cost of college: Australia

Minimum wage: Australia

Blue Collar wage and rights: Australia

Tough stance on illegal aliens: UK / AUS

Airports: UK / AUS

Highest paid executives: US

Greatest disparity in pay between executives and the average worker: US

I hope nobody takes this as simply crapping on the country. This is a case of time to wake up and smell the coffee. Time to erase the bullcrap of we are the best and everyone else envies us. The reality does not reflect that.

Edited November 13, 2008 by Aficionado

[HAL 9000 96]

Pass the carnal.

There ya go,

want some lemon and valentina?

Sprinkle some chile seco for me.

Oh and a side of chocolate please.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Pass the carnal.

There ya go,

want some lemon and valentina?

Sprinkle some chile seco for me.

Oh and a side of chocolate please.

Pedroh got some from his madre when she came to visit.

Tavo, got any Cazares there????

[HAL 9000 96]

1-800-4PE-DROH

Oyeme Pedroh... hook HAL 9000 up with some chocolate.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

i notice booyah left out this one important fact:

more poisonous creepy crawling critters than any other two nations combined: australia

of the top 10 most poisonous snakes, australia holds position 1, 2, 4, 5, and 10.

link

red back spiders, funnel spiders. oh joy! and them darn jackjumpers and cane toads.

[Peikko 1,575]

BY, your list is entirely subjective - but quite funny.

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

Pass the carnal.

There ya go,

want some lemon and valentina?

Sprinkle some chile seco for me.

Oh and a side of chocolate please.

Pedroh got some from his madre when she came to visit.

Tavo, got any Cazares there????

Chocolate Abuelita?

Cazares no, but the madre brought good ol' Zacatecas cheese, tortillas of yellow corn, gorditas and some cacahuates japoneses yum yum!

Valentina, I can find it in Walmart here in EP

[Laura+Tom 2]

I'd love to go to Australia, but I wouldn't be able to do the flight.

Edited November 13, 2008 by Laura+Tom

[HAL 9000 96]

Were box jellies on the list? Saltwater crocs? Killer Kangaroos?

[Teacher Mark 53]

I was just wondering if those of you that come here from all over, what do you think about Americans as far as how we are informed? Do you think most Americans are clueless to the truth of our own politics, and the world politics? Do you think we are not as aware here of the world outside our own? Do you think that in other countries people are more aware of politics, issues in other places?

To me as an American who has many friends from different countries I see things I never knew before and have become aware of many things in our own politics and policies and so on that I never even considered. I was wondering in other countries do you feel people are more informed ? Are we the only ones with our head in the sand?

What would you say is an example of this? I do see your point though. Hardly any Americans travel abroad. Around 20% of Americans had passports in 2003. In comparison Canadians, Britts and Aussies travel abroad a lot..

How many news channels here show what is going on in the rest of the world. Consequently Americans have very little knowledge of the rest of the world. People seem to be born and bread to believe that this country is the best in the world, without any evidence of this. Now I am not saying people should not have pride in their country but it starts to work against you when you believe, by default, you are number one. Much in the same way it worked against GM and Ford. It starts to work against you when people from abroad come and see how dilapidated the infrastructure is here when compared to their own countries.

Why would you bother improving when you have been made to believe you are number one and are apparently envied by the world. And that envy is the reason terrorists are attacking. Which is rubbish.

It's born and bred. I won't even bother responding to the rest.

[mawilson 2,133]

Well, Americans are too busy working their ####### off. The average income for most Americans is about 22,000 dollars according to the IRS. They are poorer than their European counterparts. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You're wrong.