A Reality Check.

[SMOKE 1,426]

How could you ever say that it was, is, and will always be the best country?

Was it the best country for African slaves? Even after slavery, there was a long segregation between blacks and whites. There was a famous story of a black man who was a POW during the Korean War, who decided to live in China after the war because he was told that all races were treated equally there... he ended up marrying a Chinese woman, something which would have been impossible for him to do in the U.S.

Is it the best country for those who want to marry someone of the same sex? They can't. If they had been Canadian, Dutch, or even Spanish, they would be able to marry the person they love.

Is it the best country in the view of people whose innocent children were killed by the drones sent to Pakistan?

Saying that it will always be the best country is also ridiculous. Nobody can know what the future will look like.

I understand that you love your country, and that's a nice thing. Please don't let your love for your country blur your vision, though. It is the best country in the world, for only some people, and other people have, throughout history, been treated like ####### in the U.S.

anything else?

[decocker 7,198]

anything else?

yeah, rabid nationalism is gross.

[duraaraa 203]

anything else?

What exactly is America the best at?

Life expectancy? No... Japan

Economic freedom? No... Hong Kong

GDP Per Capita? No... Qatar

What's it the best at, exactly?

It's not even the best at brainwashing people to think it's the best (I would give that honor to North Korea.)

Edited April 23, 2013 by duraaraa

[SMOKE 1,426]

yeah, rabid nationalism is gross.

stUpidity sucks.

What exactly is America the best at?

as a whole it is the best country in the world. do you have a list of 'better' countries?

[Darnell 8,479]

What exactly is America the best at?

that's a rhetorical question, right?

You've seen the yearly rankings reports, yes?

[Darnell 8,479]

divided by the eleven years between films or should i multiply?

hahahha. math ? no la. no math today. I'm all mathed out from yesterday.

Regardless, the films only echo what transpired previously, even in a fictional form.

IMO, moral decay started in earnest, around 1966.

Each generation of Americans suffers through a bit more, since then.

[duraaraa 203]

as a whole it is the best country in the world. do you have a list of 'better' countries?

Yes.

http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/best-countries-to-live-in-2013/question-3597425/

[Penny Lane 8,159]

as a whole it is the best country in the world. do you have a list of 'better' countries?

Best country? Based on what?

[SMOKE 1,426]

Yes.

http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/best-countries-to-live-in-2013/question-3597425/

sodahead.

why do you stay?

[decocker 7,198]

hahahha. math ? no la. no math today. I'm all mathed out from yesterday.

Regardless, the films only echo what transpired previously, even in a fictional form.

IMO, moral decay started in earnest, around 1966.

Each generation of Americans suffers through a bit more, since then.

don't be such a negative nancy. this isn't moral decay, it's cultural evolution.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

sodahead.

why do you stay?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/28/worlds-best-countries_n_2205270.html

I don't understand the "why do you stay?" question. Does someone have to go around thinking America is #1 in order to live here?

[SMOKE 1,426]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/28/worlds-best-countries_n_2205270.html

I don't understand the "why do you stay?" question. Does someone have to go around thinking America is #1 in order to live here?

if i thought the US was second to any other. i'd be trying to get there.

[duraaraa 203]

sodahead.

why do you stay?

Until last August, I didn't stay. I lived in Japan and Mongolia for a considerable time, and life was better for me in Japan than in the U.S. Mongolia is a developing country, and I will admit that life is not nearly as easy there. However, Mongolians enjoy a lot more freedom (which can sometimes be a bad thing, too) than Americans do in their everyday lives.

I want to marry my fiancee and stay in my hometown because:

1. I am familiar with where I live.

2. American English is the most useful language for my stepkids to learn for any kind of international business.

3. The weather is nice in Los Angeles.

4. I already have a car, a driver's license, a credit history.

5. My parents, brother, sister, etc. all live here.

6. I have a good job.

7. Although I don't necessarily think that they are the best in the world, American universities are recognized worldwide, and give the best chances for my stepkids' success in the future.

Might I suggest you spend some time abroad? Then you can see for yourself.

Edited April 23, 2013 by duraaraa

[Penny Lane 8,159]

if i thought the US was second to any other. i'd be trying to get there.

Good for you.

There is nothing wrong with loving your country. There is something wrong with suggesting anyone with any complaints about it should leave, though. There's also something wrong with blind patriotism that means you shut out or ignore anything that goes against your #1 mentality.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I don't understand the "why do you stay?" question. Does someone have to go around thinking America is #1 in order to live here?

According to the crowd that is confined to single-dimensional thought, yes.