NationStates Jolt Archive

I felt like making a post about all the good America does. We have the biggest and best economy with by far the biggest GDP of any country. We the strongest military and we spend 400 billion dollars a year on it(I think it should be more) and have over 3,000 nukes(should be more). We also have alot of freedom and a great quality of life. Our entertainment is the best in world and alot of people want to be like us. God bless America!

Why would you need more nukes? Aren't there enough already to destroy this planet several times?

Why would you need more nukes? Aren't there enough already to destroy this planet several times?Myth. there's enough to probably kill mankind several times over (not just counting the US stockpile but projected armaments from all over the world,) but not to destroy the world.

I like America. we got our problems but would rather live here than anywhere else.

America is great. Just like every other nation on earth.

And just like every other nation on earth, we're run by idiots.

Do you consider having a Government which is allowed to spy on you without authorisation freedom? Do you consider having a Government which is allowed to transfer people to a country where torture is allowed without authorisation or hold people prisoner in secret prisons without authorisation freedom?

And how long do you think the US will be able retain the strongest economy before China takes over?

I thought our stockpile was closer to the tens of thousands?

Regardless, I love America. The policies, and typically the administration alongside the citizens who support it embarrass me. Especially when I'm lumped with them on forums as such.

the US has its plus points but i would not count high military spending or a large number of nuclear warheads in them.
nor would i count the pervasive attitude of 'economy > all' (including the environment), but then all modern economies are guilty of this, sadly.

I felt like making a post about all the good America does. We have the biggest and best economy with by far the biggest GDP of any country. We the strongest military and we spend 400 billion dollars a year on it(I think it should be more) and have over 3,000 nukes(should be more) We also have alot of freedom and a great quality of life. Our entertainment is the best in world and alot of people want to be like us. God bless America!

Amusing. America isn't bad, i've visited there, but I wouldn't really want to live there. Out of all the countries i'd like to live after Britain, it would probably be around 10th.

Amusing. America isn't bad, i've visited there, but I wouldn't really want to live there. Out of all the countries i'd like to live after Britain, it would probably be around 10th.

Which are the other nine?

I'm uncomfortable with any country whose citizens boast openly of their extensive WMDs, and even mention them as somehow being a good thing..

I'm uncomfortable with any country whose citizens boast openly of their extensive WMDs, and even mention them as somehow being a good thing..
then you'd feel at home in America. mostly all of her Citizens don't boast of our WMD's. Infact, most of em don't even think about it. we have other things to concern ourselves with.

*tries not to vomit*

Such ignorance in that OP... hurts... hurts...

Now, two questions for you.

1) Why do you think the US would need more nukes than are necessary to kill 6.5 billion people several times over?

2) What other countries have you visited? In other words, on what knowledge, experience and criteria do you base your assertions?

Incidentally, since you mention the economy, the US is the country most heavily in debt in the entire world. Your economy collapsed a long time ago, and is being artificially propped up by your allies.

I'd be uncomfortable with any country whose citizens' opening statement of praise is "We have more money than yousins!" Bit of an indicator as to how things are run there, I'd reckon.

Fortunately, I know that there're plenty of nice Americans. Doesn't make living there or its ideology any more appealing, but as long as we look at America as a group of people, that fact makes it seem that important bit more tolerable as an entity.

Such ignorance in that OP... hurts... hurts...


Yeah, weird isn't it? I guess he/she is just a puppet.

Do you consider having a Government which is allowed to spy on you without authorisation freedom? Do you consider having a Government which is allowed to transfer people to a country where torture is allowed without authorisation or hold people prisoner in secret prisons without authorisation freedom?

And how long do you think the US will be able retain the strongest economy before China takes over?

Why do you hate America. The government has the right to observe communication between citizens and those overseas. The torture issue and the secret prisons should never have been made public. Theres somethings the public doesnt need to know(believe me). You may not understand how the world works, sometimes bad people need to be hurt or killed for the safety of others.

China will not take over, when they let their dollar hit the market, it will colapse, along with the economy. The US will be #1 for a long time, dont worry.

China will not take over, when they let their dollar hit the market, it will colapse, along with the economy. The US will be #1 for a long time, dont worry.

isn't that something that we might just want to worry about???

Don't get me wrong, America's a nice place to visit (to visit that is!) but there are a lot of countries i'd rather live in. I may not agree with several of America's policies, but i know a lot of american's myself, and some of those have even stronger views about American policies than me!

I do not hate America, the only thing I hate is ignorance. And thinking that giving any Government such powers and assuming they'll only use it against "bad people" is freedom, is ignorance. Glorifying a country and its Government whilst closing your eyes for all things that go wrong and all abuses, is ignorance

I'm not saying the communications of suspicious individuals can't be monitored, but in the US the Government can do so without a court order, even though the law even allows for a secret court to authorise it! And do you think secret courts contribute to freedom? :rolleyes:

America is alright. I'd like to see us humbled by... India? Yeah that would be cool, then we can get better quality curry.

I hate america (the government) but I love quite a lot of its people.

your economy is a hell of a lot smaller then it was (and at what cost do you maintain it) and its slipping compared to other groups.

Nukes are a bad thing

idealy no one would have them.

also whats the point of having more nucular weapons then you need to depopulate the world, are you worried the radiation might make some people zombies and you have to nuke them again or something?

nothing mankind can do (yet, we've only been around a 100,000 to a million years we have many really dumb things to do yet) can either destroy the world or wipe out all life.

The world survived having a body the size of mars hit it (thus causing the moon according to theory) and radiation doesn't kill all life (think of those bacteria they found growing quite happily in nucular reactors) and anyway it would not kill any of the bacteria that live in the crust (and there are some very strange bacteria that do I belive they metabolise iron.....)

admitadly it would kill all the humans so the rest is rather moot but still.

basicly your government is evil (and I don't use that term lightly)
your press is very right wing (on the whole (compared to britain for example (actually now I come to think about it.......)))
your opposition is either republican lite or unable to compete due to how your system works.
your law system is barbaric in the extreme
your social welfare system is pathetic
your economy screws the world over.
you jump up and down about democracy while your president vote rigs and your government supports dictators


yeah way to go america...... (note the sarcasm)

There are only two things about America I hate. It's policies and the Christian Right.

The rest is pretty alright, whatever may be included in "the rest".

I do not hate America, the only thing I hate is ignorance. And thinking that giving any Government such powers and assuming they'll only use it against "bad people" is freedom, is ignorance.
You might just be ignorant about how the world works, no offense. Theres alot that goes that you dont know about, its better that way. that spy thing should never been made public, we keep handing the terrorists our playbook, and we are gonna get burned. Also those bad people do not have the right to freedom as they are(in most cases) not US citizens.

America is alright. I'd like to see us humbled by... India? Yeah that would be cool, then we can get better quality curry.

actually if you go on sea power (for example) india and brazil are americas main rivals (they all operate significant carrier fleets).

and india does have a very large army and quite a large air force.

they also have gone throughout the cold war being neutral so they've cherry picked the best western and soviet technology and where it didn't meet their needs they developed their own.

so if india and the usa had a land border my money would be on india.....

Ah, so only US citizens are allowed to have freedom? Thank you for admitting that, it clarifies a lot about your ideals. You think the US has the right to dominate all other peoples in the world, you think the US has the right to violate the rights of all other peoples in the world.

You might just be ignorant about how the world works, no offense. Theres alot that goes that you dont know about, its better that way. that spy thing should never been made public, we keep handing the terrorists our playbook, and we are gonna get burned. Also those bad people do not have the right to freedom as they are(in most cases) not US citizens.

We've never handed the terrorists our playbook. Any terrorist who assumes that we're actually as virtuous as we say we are is already dead or in Gitmo.

I love the United States of America inspite of the inordinate number of ignorant, gullible, misinformed, immature, intellectually dishonest, mentally deficient, superstitious, inatentive, swindling, intolerant, hypocritical, unpatriotic, unapreciative, cowardly, corrupt and generally worthless citizens. Fortunatelly, the founding fathers gave us (even though most of you don't deserve it) The Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Now these documents by themselves, although pretty effective in perpetuating our (mostly) happy democracy, do not guarantee its survival. Apparently, however, they do have such an inspirational value to a small portion of our society, that they (this small elite group) fight tooth and nail to preserve it. These are ridiculously sentimental people, who actually tear up we they start reading "We the people..." while 80% of the population would not only not get emotional, but would not even recognize the quote. By now, 40% of you think I'm talking about Liberals and 40% of you think I'm talking about Conservatives, 15% of you know what I mean and are trying to figure out how to spin all of this into some Defense of one Party or the Other and 5% of you actually know what I mean AND are the ones responsible for the great (not by any stretch of the imagination perfect) democracy we live in.

Doesn't Russia have close to 11.000 nuclear devices?


I wouldn't want to live in the US either. It's poorly organised, filled with armed narrow-minded right wing fanatics (that great void between the coasts) and severely lacks in freedoms and opportunities in comparison with several other western countries! Sensible people seem to comprise only a minority of the population in that country.

The political system is a shambles too. No, terrifying is a more fitting description. Plus the fact that having done military service is seen as a major advantage (when we all know the US military, in comparison to other militaries, is inferior in all areas except the amount of resources it has).

"American", a mutilated version of English, is gradually becoming the de facto international language mainly due to Hollywood. Hollywood has indeed contributed to humanity with a few quite good films, but they are a minority. Let's not forget the Brits are still masters of comedy.

We'll continue to laugh and shake our heads at the US, but at the same time dreading the consequences of their irresponsible treatment of this tormented planet.

I'd rather prefer living in New Zeeland, Switzerland, Iceland, Éire, or Britain. Canada recently went off this list, but still ranks higher than their southern little sibling.

Now these documents by themselves, although pretty effective in perpetuating our (mostly) happy democracy, do not guarantee its survival.
Indeed, the Constitution was in fact not even intended to be very democratic. It's just that the only alternative was crowning Washington. A large part of the "Founding Fathers" also opposed the Bill of Rights IIRC.

I felt like making a post about all the good America does. We have the biggest and best economy with by far the biggest GDP of any country. We the strongest military and we spend 400 billion dollars a year on it(I think it should be more) and have over 3,000 nukes(should be more). We also have alot of freedom and a great quality of life. Our entertainment is the best in world and alot of people want to be like us. God bless America!

You do have a very large GDP, but GDP isn't everything. Having studied economics, it is also rather easy for an economy to appear rather large, while not actually having any money. I am unaware if this is the case with the US. However, initial point remains: Large GDP, yes, but GDP isn't everything.

Militaries are a bad thing, they cause wars. Spending tax money on military instead of on your youth, your people and your elderly is silly.

Nukes are even worse than militaries. Militaries can at least sometimes be justified. Nukes however, should not exist at all for the damage they cause to everyone on this planet just by constructing them.

Your freedom is going downhill as we speak. In all my visits to the US, i've always felt i've had less freedom there than anywhere in Europe. I've not been a tourist, i've actually lived with americans and followed their daily lives.

The quality of life for many americans is good, yes. I won't argue about this one.

I bet you've never seen anything except american (or some other type of english) entertainment. Until you have, it's unlikely that you can state this truthfully and with knowledge about the subject.

Alot of people want to be like you. Alot of people want to Not be like you. That equals itself out quite nicely.

God is dead - Nietzche (Nietzche is dead - god). (this is a little joke, do not take this line seriously).


soooo... on all the points You brought up, America isn't really that awfully great. Based on many other things though, America is an okay country.

Ah, so only US citizens are allowed to have freedom? Thank you for admitting that, it clarifies a lot about your ideals. You think the US has the right to dominate all other peoples in the world, you think the US has the right to violate the rights of all other peoples in the world.
US citizens are granted the rights given only to US citizens, theres nothing wrong with this, so dont spin otherwise please. Terrorists and foreigners dont have the rights of a US citizen so you cant violate rights that never exsisted in the first place can you? I dont have ideals, Im a realist. You are an idealist in that you feel everyone can just get along in peace, doesnt work like that, sorry.

Sure, I love how you put your greedy paws on everything that does not belong to you. Here! Have some more oil! Oh, you want our government too? Well, be my guest! After all, you're everyones favorite little fascistnation, aren't you? Yes you are... You're so CUTE when you influence other countries to join your holy crusade in slaying all evil... That would be everyone but yourselves...

God bless America, and all its greasy fatasses, who suck up more national resources than anyone else...

You are an idealist in that you feel everyone can just get along in peace, doesnt work like that, sorry.
Why the fuck not?

What's wrong with wanting peace? ...seriously?

Surely making efforts to increase the peace is better than deliberately decreasing it.

I'd rather prefer living in New Zeeland, Switzerland, Iceland, Éire, or Britain. Canada recently went off this list, but still ranks higher than their southern little sibling.

Iceland definately.

I don't like the american Goverment. Everyone has highlighted most of the reasons apart from The Right to Bear Arms. This law is stupid. Perhaps vaugely relivant a couple 100 years ago, it is complete idocy now. So I can go to the nearby shop and buy a shotgun? Then rob the shop with the shotgun? Or go outside and shoot everyone? One word my friends; LICENSES!
:sniper: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5:

US citizens are granted the rights given only to US citizens, theres nothing wrong with this, so dont spin otherwise please. Terrorists and foreigners dont have the rights of a US citizen so you cant violate rights that never exsisted in the first place can you? I dont have ideals, Im a realist. You are an idealist in that you feel everyone can just get along in peace, doesnt work like that, sorry.

Actually, when you're in France, you will be assumed equal to a French citizen.

From what I can read, you're saying that when a French citizen is in the US, they won't be assumed equal to an American citizen?

I don't believe this is true, I don't believe it should be true.

America is fucked economically. The dollar only stays at all powerful because china devotes a large amount of effort to making it so. However even without this, they owe so much (mostly to europe), that they cannot afford it. And your president is costing you more money every day. The original ideal of: "...all men are created equal, and from this equal creation derive rights inherit..." is oviously dead from the post of 'the UN ambassidorship': "Also those bad people do not have the right to freedom as they are(in most cases) not US citizens."

America, as it was once a free country, and a superpower, is dead or dying.

Well I've never been to the US but I'm very happy where I'am in Australia, great place here, couldn't imagine livig anywhere better.

There should be an international rescue mission to rescue the poor living in poverty in the US and take them to Europe.
They would have better lives, and the fat cats will be without their submissive working class stuck within corporate "welfare".
Cos they're one of the only reasons your economy is so invincible.

The UN abassadorship, I'm still waiting for you to reply to my post. In the meantime, here are a few things to think about.

There are various aspects of your country I dislike. I don't "hate" anyhing. Hatred is instinctive and irrational, and I prefer to use reason. I dislike the shocking shambles that pass for a welfare system in the US. I dislike the fact that so many Americans are arrogant - not just because they're arrogant, but because that arrogance is founded on ignorance. Gross, wilful ignorance. I dislike the fact that millions of Americans know nothing of the world around them, and are quite content to be ignorant. That they are too lazy or afraid to think for themselves, and instead parrot the words they are told to believe in by the propaganda or their media and government. That they like everything to be simple and simplistic, black and white, so they can cling to the illusion of basic "truths" without having to actually think about anything or grapple with the complexities of the real world.

Sometimes, it amuses me. Most of the time, it just makes me feel sad.

And no, I would not consider the US the best place to live in. Not when

* Americans have a lower life expectancy than people in most other Western countries; the average life expectancy in the US is almost exactly that of Cubans, give or take a week or two

* Americans have fewer freedoms than most other Western countries. In the rankings of freedom of the press, the US consistently ranks lower than EU countries. And your democracy, with only two parties, both of them right-wing, is a parody of a democracy by European standards

* The US has not ratified the Kyoto Accords, which even Russia has ratified

* The US is the only Western country still barbaric enough to retain the death penalty - combined, to top it all, with an inefficient justice system, which is proven to have already put innocent men on death row

* The US has a record of voting against civil rights in the United Nations, siding with the likes of Iran and Saudi Arabia against other Western nations

* The US is virtually the only country in the world to execute juvenile offenders

* The US is plagued with a level of gun violence and murder many times higher per capita than any other country

* The US is the only country in the world (not counting Somalia, which has no government) not to have signed the International Convention of the Rights of Children.

I felt like making a post about all the good America does. We have the biggest and best economy with by far the biggest GDP of any country. We the strongest military and we spend 400 billion dollars a year on it(I think it should be more) and have over 3,000 nukes(should be more). We also have alot of freedom and a great quality of life. Our entertainment is the best in world and alot of people want to be like us. God bless America!

Sorry? Did you mention Nukes? I'll accept that until now they have probably saved more people than they have killed, but that could change in an instant.
Read Brother in the Land, and it should open your eyes.

And as for Entertainment, the only good american comody I've seen is The Simpsons, Futurama and (The Best) Malcom in the Middle. The rest I've seen are just rubbish. Your Sitcoms arn't exactly the best ever.

I heard one that a Guy set up a anti-military stand next to a Recrutment stand. He quickly got arested. So much for free speech...

You do have a very large GDP, but GDP isn't everything. Having studied economics, it is also rather easy for an economy to appear rather large, while not actually having any money. I am unaware if this is the case with the US. However, initial point remains: Large GDP, yes, but GDP isn't everything.

Militaries are a bad thing, they cause wars. Spending tax money on military instead of on your youth, your people and your elderly is silly.

Nukes are even worse than militaries. Militaries can at least sometimes be justified. Nukes however, should not exist at all for the damage they cause to everyone on this planet just by constructing them.

Your freedom is going downhill as we speak. In all my visits to the US, i've always felt i've had less freedom there than anywhere in Europe. I've not been a tourist, i've actually lived with americans and followed their daily lives.

The quality of life for many americans is good, yes. I won't argue about this one.

I bet you've never seen anything except american (or some other type of english) entertainment. Until you have, it's unlikely that you can state this truthfully and with knowledge about the subject.

Alot of people want to be like you. Alot of people want to Not be like you. That equals itself out quite nicely.

God is dead - Nietzche (Nietzche is dead - god). (this is a little joke, do not take this line seriously).


soooo... on all the points You brought up, America isn't really that awfully great. Based on many other things though, America is an okay country.

GDP isnt everything but it is important and the largest in the world which aint bad.

Militarys protect the nation and national soveriegnty and nukes deter violence, these are vital things to ensure US hedgamony.

We have much more freedom than most

I have seen several foreign films and forms of entertian, so please.

Im an atheist, GOd bless is just an expression

I felt like making a post about all the good America does. We have the biggest and best economy with by far the biggest GDP of any country. We the strongest military and we spend 400 billion dollars a year on it(I think it should be more) and have over 3,000 nukes(should be more). We also have alot of freedom and a great quality of life. Our entertainment is the best in world and alot of people want to be like us. God bless America!

Why do I get the feeling that the semi-literacy of the name "Abassadorship" is significant here? My USAmerican wife would be embarrassed by an unthinking idiot like this one.

I'm living in the Netherlands, and i am dutch, and i'm pretty satisfied i mean, every country as at least a few problems. I mean i used to live in Saudi Arabia, no body would probably believe it unless they lived there themselves, but i felt pretty safe there and i liked it there. Most of you i'm guessing won't believe this, and their culture isn't so bad, yeah of course their things that i don't agree with, but there was for example relatively hardly any crime their due to culture and their laws.

GDP isnt everything but it is important and the largest in the world which aint bad.

Militarys protect the nation and national soveriegnty and nukes deter violence, these are vital things to ensure US hedgamony.

We have much more freedom than most

I have seen several foreign films and forms of entertian, so please.

Im an atheist, GOd bless is just an expression


Speaking of semi-literacy...

I've only seen a small part of the US, but what I saw was a great place. The people were far more polite than back in the UK, for a start. I may not like the politics of Bush, but that's not how I judge a country. Do I want America, or the World, to judge me based on Blair?

Why do you hate America. The government has the right to observe communication between citizens and those overseas. The torture issue and the secret prisons should never have been made public. Theres somethings the public doesnt need to know(believe me). You may not understand how the world works, sometimes bad people need to be hurt or killed for the safety of others.

Define 'bad people'. Good or bad is just an opinion relative to the person who makes it. So who makes the choice and defines who is good or bad? In ypour opinion, it's foreigners who oppose the USA who are the bad people. In the Arab world, American imperialists are the bad people. Whould you be prepared to be tortured since in their eyes you (and probably me!) may be a bad person?

If we do need to "hurt or kill" people, the the world really doesn't work - and needs a fundemental change. In my opinion, end western imperialism, which I'm ashamed my country participates in, although I don't recognise the UK as fully democratic.

Still, I love America, right?

GDP isnt everything but it is important and the largest in the world which aint bad.

Militarys protect the nation and national soveriegnty and nukes deter violence, these are vital things to ensure US hedgamony.

We have much more freedom than most

I have seen several foreign films and forms of entertian, so please.

Im an atheist, GOd bless is just an expression
You do know that 'hegemony' relates to aggressive imperialism don't you? Imperialism is political or military hegemony over a sovereign state. So on one hand your saying the US 'needs' a big military to protect it's own sovereigty, but on the other hand your saying that it is 'vital' for the US's hegemony, for for lack of a better term imperial influence. I don't know if I fully agree or not but your ignorance is astonding.

@UNambassador:
Either this is really good sarcasm... or are you really that retarded to mean it? :eek:

basicly your government is evil (and I don't use that term lightly)
your press is very right wing (on the whole (compared to britain for example (actually now I come to think about it.......)))
your opposition is either republican lite or unable to compete due to how your system works.
your law system is barbaric in the extreme
your social welfare system is pathetic
your economy screws the world over.
you jump up and down about democracy while your president vote rigs and your government supports dictators

yeah way to go america...... (note the sarcasm)
Those are at least some of the most stringent points...
you still left out:
- the US is invading other countries to seize their resources using ridiculous made up reasons
- the US ha a huge record deficit which is getting bigger every day
- the US is chock full of braindead puritans who scream bloody murder at the slightest "indecency"

So the US is certainly one of the very last places where I would want to live... but there are still some sane nice people left (which are not blind morons Mr. UNambassador here).

*tries not to vomit*

Such ignorance in that OP... hurts... hurts...

Now, two questions for you.

1) Why do you think the US would need more nukes than are necessary to kill 6.5 billion people several times over?

2) What other countries have you visited? In other words, on what knowledge, experience and criteria do you base your assertions?

Incidentally, since you mention the economy, the US is the country most heavily in debt in the entire world. Your economy collapsed a long time ago, and is being artificially propped up by your allies.
1) As a greater deterent and varity in strength and deployments methods to fit every sceranio.

2) Ive been to every country in North America, my major in college is International studies, so all I do is study all aspects of other nations. Im going to aust. this summer and will be doing a 2 year term with the peace corps when I graduate.

I disagree with your economy claim we have a very strong economy and will only get stronger.

Iceland definately.

I don't like the american Goverment. Everyone has highlighted most of the reasons apart from The Right to Bear Arms. This law is stupid. Perhaps vaugely relivant a couple 100 years ago, it is complete idocy now. So I can go to the nearby shop and buy a shotgun? Then rob the shop with the shotgun? Or go outside and shoot everyone? One word my friends; LICENSES!
:sniper: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5:

Go ahead and try to hold up a gun store. If you leave in anything but a bodybag, I'd be very surprised.

Of course, we Americans allow this because we don't go around shooting everyone just because we have guns around. Europeans, on the other hand, seem to feel the innate need to go and launch a genocidal campaign whenever firearms are nearby.

Go ahead and try to hold up a gun store. If you leave in anything but a bodybag, I'd be very surprised.

Of course, we Americans allow this because we don't go around shooting everyone just because we have guns around. Europeans, on the other hand, seem to feel the innate need to go and launch a genocidal campaign whenever firearms are nearby.

...excuse me???

GDP isnt everything but it is important and the largest in the world which aint bad.

Militarys protect the nation and national soveriegnty and nukes deter violence, these are vital things to ensure US hedgamony.

We have much more freedom than most

I have seen several foreign films and forms of entertian, so please.

Im an atheist, GOd bless is just an expression

Yeah, so we agree on GDP.

I still disagree with the military part. They only protect a nation when they're not off invading somewhere else. They also hardly protect a nation, because the only reason you need a military is because someone else has one (now, this is where idealism Does kick in. If both the US and every other country could disband their militaries, then we wouldn't need a military in the first place). So yeah, sure, a military protects a nation. But every nation should be giving up their militaries slowly, not enhancing them.

As for nukes, I just plain disagree with you. Nukes only deter violence when used in a bullying fashion, and they still indirectly kill people through radiation (building a nuke causes additional radiation, hoarding a large number of nukes also causes some radioactive leakage).

You have much more freedom than most. However, for claiming to be the most free, I think a lot of european countries (not all, mind you) are actually beating you on that claim (without claiming it).

Good for you. Your statement that american entertainment is the best still sucks. There are many equals, therefore it cannot be the best. Also, entertainment is very subjective, so the statement is very subjective, so it's not a logical argument in trying to convince people that america is great. In fact, it's probably a stupid argument, as you're getting rid of all the non-americans that might agree with you, by indirectly insulting them.

My last line was a joke.

1) As a greater deterent and varity in strength and deployments methods to fit every sceranio.

2) Ive been to every country in North America, my major in college is International studies, so all I do is study all aspects of other nations. Im going to aust. this summer and will be doing a 2 year term with the peace corps when I graduate.

I disagree with your economy claim we have a very strong economy and will only get stronger.
Are you kidding, I did economics classes in college last year. I mean I thought Australia had a big trade deficit until I saw the US's.

Go ahead and try to hold up a gun store. If you leave in anything but a bodybag, I'd be very surprised.

Of course, we Americans allow this because we don't go around shooting everyone just because we have guns around. Europeans, on the other hand, seem to feel the innate need to go and launch a genocidal campaign whenever firearms are nearby.

And how did you come to that conclusion...?

i'm not sure whether we should discount him/her/it/them based purely on spelling.

I can't spell worth a dam but thats because I have a disability that affects my ability to remember combinantions of letters and/or numbers.

I doesn't mean i'm stupid (actually far from it (god that sounded smug but truthfully all the tests i've done (proper tests by ed psychs) i've got 99.9% at least)) but it does affect my ability to spell.

also it could not be his/hers/its/their first language as I believe there is a large spanish and french (dialect) first language population, and as I live in a country where we have more then one language I can see why this can be problematic.

of course I could be completly wrong and they could be an ignorent illeducated dumbass......

One thing I really hate is about the D-day landings and occupation of western Berlin...

When you play a game with D-day in, do you get Sword, Gold or Juno? No, you get Omaha, or for a deference, Pointe du Hoc. Alos, I have seen americans saying that they won the war, and all of europe fought badly. Ahem, we fought of the Italiens, and stopped the Germans from invading! It was your good old friends the Russians that fought most of the war.

...excuse me???

Excused.

You do know that 'hegemony' relates to aggressive imperialism don't you? Imperialism is political or military hegemony over a sovereign state. So on one hand your saying the US 'needs' a big military to protect it's own sovereigty, but on the other hand your saying that it is 'vital' for the US's hegemony, for for lack of a better term imperial influence. I don't know if I fully agree or not but your ignorance is astonding.
It means dominance over other countries. We are the only super power in world and sorry, that means we get to do what we want, I dont want to give that up

Excused.
no seriuosly, what were you talking about???

And how did you come to that conclusion...?

The same way Europeans come to the conclusion that the Second Amendment is a dumb idea.

Go ahead and try to hold up a gun store. If you leave in anything but a bodybag, I'd be very surprised.

Of course, we Americans allow this because we don't go around shooting everyone just because we have guns around. Europeans, on the other hand, seem to feel the innate need to go and launch a genocidal campaign whenever firearms are nearby.

um shall I say it or does some one else want to?

we haven't had a war in mainland britain since the early 1800s (and that was mainly when a french army landed in wales got drunk and then were arrested by the local militia).

The last major war in europe was WWII

since then we've had kosavo and I think thats it really except for various risings in soviet territorys.

It means dominance over other countries. We are the only super power in world and sorry, that means we get to do what we want, I dont want to give that up

That's a reason to dislike or hate america, not a reason to think it's great. Unless of course, you're trying to inspire people into loving the US through fear.

2) Ive been to every country in North America
AHAHAHAHAAA That's a good one, every country in North America.... what's that... USA, Canada aaaaaand..... oh....?

no seriuosly, what were you talking about???

Haven't you noticed how the Europeans with out guns have become so peaceful of late, while those with them (ie: Serbs) engage in genocide?

Europeans, on the other hand, seem to feel the innate need to go and launch a genocidal campaign whenever firearms are nearby.
Europeans aren't all the same like you are.

I felt like making a post about all the good America does. We have the biggest and best economy with by far the biggest GDP of any country. We the strongest military and we spend 400 billion dollars a year on it(I think it should be more) and have over 3,000 nukes(should be more). We also have alot of freedom and a great quality of life. Our entertainment is the best in world and alot of people want to be like us. God bless America!

Come to the UK and preach how we want to be like America, and how British entertainment, and therefore culture, is inferior. Then try and prevent your teeth from being knocked out!

The same way Europeans come to the conclusion that the Second Amendment is a dumb idea.

So you looked at statistics and found that europeans like to shoot each other a lot?

Unfortunately... murder rates are higher in the US generally. Apparently, gun murder rates are significantly higher.

Europeans aren't all the same like you are.

Explain, if you would.

One thing I really hate is about the D-day landings and occupation of western Berlin...

When you play a game with D-day in, do you get Sword, Gold or Juno? No, you get Omaha, or for a deference, Pointe du Hoc. Alos, I have seen americans saying that they won the war, and all of europe fought badly. Ahem, we fought of the Italiens, and stopped the Germans from invading! It was your good old friends the Russians that fought most of the war.

FINALLY! Someone who says something right for a change! As I've stated earlier, the Americans during WW2 didn't do SQUAT. They cleaned up the leftovers from the British, nothing more. And who was it that in the end forced a grenade down Franz's throat? Not the Americans, they weren't even there... But the Soviets. The US soldiers didn't really have such a hard time as all your movies and games wants to tell us. It was the British, Soviet and all the countless freedom fighters who stopped the German warmachine... NOT the Americans with your inferior tanks and weapons!

Go ahead and try to hold up a gun store. If you leave in anything but a bodybag, I'd be very surprised.

Of course, we Americans allow this because we don't go around shooting everyone just because we have guns around. Europeans, on the other hand, seem to feel the innate need to go and launch a genocidal campaign whenever firearms are nearby.

Still no comment on the relivantcy of the right. And that is a bloody sterotype. You didn't exactly sit in the middle of roads when your indepence thing was devised.

PS: I don't hate general unpatiotic americans. Its the 'We are the best 'cos we say so :P' ones I can't stand.

Haven't you noticed how the Europeans with out guns have become so peaceful of late, while those with them (ie: Serbs) engage in genocide?

ok, so your saying, the netherlands doesn't have guns, germany doesn't have guns, italy doesn't have guns, should i go on with the list??? I mean, not every citizen has a gun of those countries, but that's cause they don't see the use of having one, or else i think we would all have one

Are you kidding, I did economics classes in college last year. I mean I thought Australia had a big trade deficit until I saw the US's.
Deficit dont mean anything, we are allowed to run deficits because everyone knows its a good place to do business.

So you looked at statistics and found that europeans like to shoot each other a lot?

Unfortunately... murder rates are higher in the US generally. Apparently, gun murder rates are significantly higher.

That's just because you don't count the Holocaust. You don't count the genocides in the Balkans. Put simply, you don't include war crimes at all. Take all of Europe, including the not-so-pretty parts, and then give me a new murder rate and compare to that of the US.

1) As a greater deterent and varity in strength and deployments methods to fit every sceranio.

Heh. That doesn't answer my question. You've already got enough nukes to kill all 6.5 billion human beings several times over. What possible justification could there be for more?


2) Ive been to every country in North America


That's not saying all that much. Unless you extend 'North America' south beyond Mexico, that just means you've been to two countries beside your own. Which, I admit, is better than nothing, but still...


, my major in college is International studies, so all I do is study all aspects of other nations.


If that's true, then I'll admit I'm surprised. Seriously, though, your writing shows a poor grasp of your own native language. How do you get through studies? Or are standards that low?

I'm a teacher, and a postgraduate student in British & Commonwealth cultural studies, and it's beyond me how someone studying other nations could still hold your narrow-minded, uninformed views. It's contradictory.


I disagree with your economy claim we have a very strong economy and will only get stronger.

LOL. You can't deny fact. See, that's one of your main problems. A fact bothers you, so you deny it in the hopes it'll just go away.

The US has a massive deficit, and is the most heavily in debt of all countries in the world. I repeat that your economy has collapsed, and is being artificially propped up by your allies.

Explain, if you would.

Very Different cultures, different languages, very different histories.

US history is similar, with state variations.

US culture is similar, with state variations again.

English is pretty much the only spoken language. Languages make a huge difference in how the world is perceived.

It means dominance over other countries. We are the only super power in world and sorry, that means we get to do what we want, I dont want to give that up

actually resonably soon there will be at least one other super power possibly more.

China is surging up in the power vacuum after the cold war

Europe is also surging up (though we're more an economic super power then a old fashioned one)

something seems to be happerning in japan at the moment (they seem to have gone just a bit militeristic at the moment)

south america is doing something that seems interesting

india seems to be building up to become a significant part of the equation.

basicly america is slipping from dominance, you still have outright military superiority but economically your not that far ahead.

Still no comment on the relivantcy of the right. And that is a bloody sterotype. You didn't exactly sit in the middle of roads when your indepence thing was devised.

PS: I don't hate general unpatiotic americans. Its the 'We are the best 'cos we say so :P' ones I can't stand.

You call your stereotypes facts, why can't I call mine the same?

That's just because you don't count the Holocaust. You don't count the genocides in the Balkans. Put simply, you don't include war crimes at all. Take all of Europe, including the not-so-pretty parts, and then give me a new murder rate and compare to that of the US.

Then we should be comparing US war crimes and European war crimes rather than US gun murder rates and European gun murder rates.

Holocaust wasn't done with guns btw.

Very Different cultures, different languages, very different histories.

US history is similar, with state variations.

US culture is similar, with state variations again.

English is pretty much the only spoken language. Languages make a huge difference in how the world is perceived.

So, then, would you acknowledge that the possession of firearms might be a keystone to American culture? Something that makes it unique and is not, in and of itself, an evil?

Deficit dont mean anything, we are allowed to run deficits because everyone knows its a good place to do business.
If you dont have a trade problem then why does the US massively protect and tarriff any foreign products that remotely threaten their domestic produce, so much for free market policies.

Very Different cultures, different languages, very different histories.

US history is similar, with state variations.

US culture is similar, with state variations again.

English is pretty much the only spoken language. Languages make a huge difference in how the world is perceived.


Hello? Mr. Ignorant? What about french, russian or spanish...? You DO know that spanish is the most common language in the world, right?

Then we should be comparing US war crimes and European war crimes rather than US gun murder rates and European gun murder rates.

What US war crimes?

Holocaust wasn't done with guns btw.

That's because Himmler had a weak stomache and decided that they had to come up with a way of killing people that didn't involve getting parts of brain on his greatcoat.

I voted America is ok I am from England UK

You call your stereotypes facts, why can't I call mine the same?

Did I use the American Stetotype?

That's just because you don't count the Holocaust. You don't count the genocides in the Balkans. Put simply, you don't include war crimes at all. Take all of Europe, including the not-so-pretty parts, and then give me a new murder rate and compare to that of the US.

those are wars or war crimes which comes under a diferent section as they can't be called murder (they can be called mass murder or genocide) also they don't happen every year so un less you do the century as a whole then its different.

countries with large numbers of guns do have higher rates of gun crime. Switzerland has high rates of gun crime per person as there are guns around (due to how their military works) so when people are very angry rather then punch someone they are able to shoot them instead. however gun crime per gun is low but thats due to the huge numbers of guns, so gun crime is high overall.

\



If that's true, then I'll admit I'm surprised. Seriously, though, your writing shows a poor grasp of your own native language. How do you get through studies? Or are standards that low?

I'm a teacher, and a postgraduate student in British & Commonwealth cultural studies, and it's beyond me how someone studying other nations could still hold your narrow-minded, uninformed views. It's contradictory.



\
Give me a break please, Im typing fast, with no spell check and I havent slept in more than a day. Standards arent low, please dont bash American edu. My views are not narrow-minded. I respect all the countries of the world, I just like mine the best, nothing wrong with that.

Then we should be comparing US war crimes and European war crimes rather than US gun murder rates and European gun murder rates.

Holocaust wasn't done with guns btw.

You cannot compare the history of a nation to the history of a part of a continent. We should be comparing European war crimes with American such. Let's begin in 1492 and move on with the slaughter of natives, shall we?

The vikings supposedly were the first Europeans to visit America. And without waging war on the new found continent. I think that says it all. Scandinavia rules! :)

That's just because you don't count the Holocaust. You don't count the genocides in the Balkans. Put simply, you don't include war crimes at all. Take all of Europe, including the not-so-pretty parts, and then give me a new murder rate and compare to that of the US.
Your war crimes include Hiroshima, so I would zip it.

Hello? Mr. Ignorant? What about french, russian or spanish...? You DO know that spanish is the most common language in the world, right?

Ja, det ved jeg godt.

But I was talking about the US. Even though use of spanish is increasing, english is pretty much the official language in the US. English and spanish put together still only make two languages, compared to the twelve languages the EU had before enlarging. Languages make differences in how the world is perceived, therefore: more languages, more differences.

So, then, would you acknowledge that the possession of firearms might be a keystone to American culture? Something that makes it unique and is not, in and of itself, an evil?

Yes.

However, while it is not evil in itself, it might not exactly be a good idea. It might have been, but it seems obsolete and dangerous.



(as a note that I didn't mention before: I voted America is ok)

Hello? Mr. Ignorant? What about french, russian or spanish...? You DO know that spanish is the most common language in the world, right?

its also I think the second language of america and heading towards being the language with the most speakers in the usa

Which are the other nine?

Oh, that was a random number, but off the top of my head i'd certainly prefer to live in either:

Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Belgium or Holland before America. There are also ones which i'd probably prefer to live in over America, but am not too sure - e.g Malta, Spain, Portugal, France.

We are different countries, you are one.
Which means if you did genocide, it would be your own fault (or your ancsestors, whatever)
But the genocides by Nazi Germany and Serbia were commanded by induvidual countries (and above all, psychotic induviduals like the white flag raping ignorant people among you)

So are you saying that the FBI, BAFT, and US Marshals are more effective at policing America than NATO is at policing Europe? Doesn't surprise me.

Yes, there are psychotic people in the US. Yes, they do have guns. The difference being that when they start trying to kill people, all hell breaks loose from the local cops (and 'conerned' citizens) to the Feds. It might even be argued that the ownership of firearms by non-psychotics, non-government workers, helps keep the psychotic gun owners at bay (I can think of a few in Idaho that have killed white supremicists...).

Your war crimes include Hiroshima, so I would zip it.

And your nation, if you s/n is accurate, was complicit and fully supported it.

Oh, and it spearheaded night-time bombing. Which, because factories don't have many lights, meant that cities got bombed.

The vikings supposedly were the first Europeans to visit America. And without waging war on the new found continent. I think that says it all. Scandinavia rules! :)

Oh they probably did ;) but then we cut off all the heads of those that opposed us, took their women and brought them back.

Only this time, it didn't work. The native americans are clearly not like the Irish or the British :D

So are you saying that the FBI, BAFT, and US Marshals are more effective at policing America than NATO is at policing Europe? Doesn't surprise me.

Yes, there are psychotic people in the US. Yes, they do have guns. The difference being that when they start trying to kill people, all hell breaks loose from the local cops (and 'conerned' citizens) to the Feds. It might even be argued that the ownership of firearms by non-psychotics, non-government workers, helps keep the psychotic gun owners at bay (I can think of a few in Idaho that have killed white supremicists...).
NATO doesn't really police Europe at all. We each in our induvidual nations have our ways of enforcing our induvidual laws.

And your nation, if you s/n is accurate, was complicit and fully supported it.

Who comited it.

but I live in wales.

I see my self as welsh (despite having english parents and not being able to speak welsh) and then I see myself as european.

I don't see myself as british.....

thats because culturally I have quite a lot in common with people all accross europe often more then I do with people in another part of britain.

so what if they speak another language I can learn theirs or they can learn mine or we can both learn a third language. if you learn English, French and German you will probably be able to talk to most people in europe (almost all if you know itallian and spanish as well)

Yes.

However, while it is not evil in itself, it might not exactly be a good idea. It might have been, but it seems obsolete and dangerous.

So might a monarchy.

And your nation, if you s/n is accurate, was complicit and fully supported it.

Oh, and it spearheaded night-time bombing. Which, because factories don't have many lights, meant that cities got bombed.
May I add that in the recent war on Iraq, you deliberately carelessly killed over 500,000 Iraqi civillians in YOUR bbombing campaign, which the British army was not involved in.
And yea yea whatever our government supported it, but the anti war protest in London was the biggest out of all the other cities in the world.

Who comited it.

We did. But I suppose you'd prefer that five million Japanese die of starvation as the result of Allied landings in Japan? Or maybe it would be helpful to remind you that the Purple Hearts being awarded to soldiers to this day were those produced and stockpiled in anticipation of the casualties caused by the Japanese fighting to defend their home islands?

Oh so all this US imperialism has become bad now?
Thank fuck for that.

American imperialism sucks, I won't lie about that. But Europe isn't in a position to complain, seeing as they invented the thing.

NATO doesn't really police Europe at all. We each in our induvidual nations have our ways of enforcing our induvidual laws.

There is a international police force called interpol however it is made up of people from the individual countries police forces.

also unlike america Europe is not a federation.

america has all these little countries that are held together by a federal government, on lots of things the little countries can decide their own laws but big things like murder are federal crimes, this is so that if someone commits a crime that is a federal crime they can be pursued over state borders.

Europe on the otherhand is a series of indipendent states that through the EU attempt to act as a single and cohesive whole economically. only now are we seeing the beginings of any greater movement of power from the member states to the EU (as with the recently defeated constitution)

We did. But I suppose you'd prefer that five million Japanese die of starvation as the result of Allied landings in Japan? Or maybe it would be helpful to remind you that the Purple Hearts being awarded to soldiers to this day were those produced and stockpiled in anticipation of the casualties caused by the Japanese fighting to defend their home islands?

I've never doubted that using the A bomb saved more lives than it killed, but don't you think it was a little irresponsible to drop it on a city? Surely dropping it on a purely military target then saying "Surrender or we start dropping them on civilians" would have had the same effect without the vaporisation of thousands of innocent people?

We did. But I suppose you'd prefer that five million Japanese die of starvation as the result of Allied landings in Japan? Or maybe it would be helpful to remind you that the Purple Hearts being awarded to soldiers to this day were those produced and stockpiled in anticipation of the casualties caused by the Japanese fighting to defend their home islands?

Ha. The main arguement. But think about it, this bomb proved how destuctive these things can be, and straight after the war, you lot decided to monoplise them. Bratian and Russia had to make their own. I wonder why you wanted those weapons...

We did. But I suppose you'd prefer that five million Japanese die of starvation as the result of Allied landings in Japan? Or maybe it would be helpful to remind you that the Purple Hearts being awarded to soldiers to this day were those produced and stockpiled in anticipation of the casualties caused by the Japanese fighting to defend their home islands?

um japan had offered to surrender already by this point.

the detonation of the nucular weapons was mainly to awe the russians into not starting anything.

the only upside is that it prevented russia and america using them on each other.....

I've never doubted that using the A bomb saved more lives than it killed, but don't you think it was a little irresponsible to drop it on a city? Surely dropping it on a purely military target then saying "Surrender or we start dropping them on civilians" would have had the same effect without the vaporisation of thousands of innocent people?

Quite a good idea. I'll remember that.

um japan had offered to surrender already by this point.

the detonation of the nucular weapons was mainly to awe the russians into not starting anything.

the only upside is that it prevented russia and america using them on each other.....

My thoughts exactly.

Ha. The main arguement. But think about it, this bomb proved how destuctive these things can be, and straight after the war, you lot decided to monoplise them. Bratian and Russia had to make their own. I wonder why you wanted those weapons...

Britain shouldn't have had to make our own. British scientists did most of the research involved in making the A bomb, but we gave America the information to help build it faster since they had more resources. The plan was to share the work once it had being completed - but keeping promises to damn dirty foreigners is unamerican, is it not? ;)

I've never doubted that using the A bomb saved more lives than it killed, but don't you think it was a little irresponsible to drop it on a city? Surely dropping it on a purely military target then saying "Surrender or we start dropping them on civilians" would have had the same effect without the vaporisation of thousands of innocent people?

You don't use atmoic weapons against military targets. And Japan's cities were, sadly, military targets. They were thoroughly fortified and many of Japan's war production factories were located in the middle of cities. In fact, the bomb dropped over Hiroshima came down right on top of one of those industrial sectors. (The bomb that fell on Nagasaki fell, ironically, right on top of the largest Cathedral in the non-Western world at that time.)

Britain shouldn't have had to make our own. British scientists did most of the research involved in making the A bomb, but we gave America the information to help build it faster since they had more resources. The plan was to share the work once it had being completed - but keeping promises to damn dirty foreigners is unamerican, is it not? ;)

Exactly

um japan had offered to surrender already by this point.

the detonation of the nucular weapons was mainly to awe the russians into not starting anything.

the only upside is that it prevented russia and america using them on each other.....

Japan offered to surrender with terms. The Allies' stance was that of an unconiditional surrender. And even then, after destroying parts of two of their cities, they finally surrendered. With one condition. And the vote was tied, with Hirohito being the one who pushed it over. All things considered, the Japanese were lucky that we didn't bomb a third city, or launch the planned land invasion.

You don't use atmoic weapons against military targets. And Japan's cities were, sadly, military targets. They were thoroughly fortified and many of Japan's war production factories were located in the middle of cities. In fact, the bomb dropped over Hiroshima came down right on top of one of those industrial sectors. (The bomb that fell on Nagasaki fell, ironically, right on top of the largest Cathedral in the non-Western world at that time.)

I had figured that most likely, since Japan is a small country, it would be difficult to do a vast amount of damage to the country's war effort without killing a lot of civilians. However, I still think dropping it on a city was pretty vile. All the Americans had to do was demonstrate the power they now had - even if the target was small and relatively unimportant, the mushroom cloud and destruction of the surrounding area would surely be enough to convince them to surrender?

Ha. The main arguement. But think about it, this bomb proved how destuctive these things can be, and straight after the war, you lot decided to monoplise them. Bratian and Russia had to make their own. I wonder why you wanted those weapons...

The US also built a nuclear cannon and tested nuclear weapons on our own soldiers. At the time we, and, indeed, all the world, thought the way to win a war was by using nukes "tactically". That is, using them to soften up a target before sending in the infantry. The US in particular thought that nukes were such war-winners that we cut back completely on the Navy, the Army, and on building fighters for the Air Force in favor of long-range bombers. You can't blame us for being as stupid as the rest of the world.

I had figured that most likely, since Japan is a small country, it would be difficult to do a vast amount of damage to the country's war effort without killing a lot of civilians. However, I still think dropping it on a city was pretty vile. All the Americans had to do was demonstrate the power they now had - even if the target was small and relatively unimportant, the mushroom cloud and destruction of the surrounding area would surely be enough to convince them to surrender?

The Japanese, like us, and every other power, built their military bases adjacent to their cities. Such a thing would be impossible. Especially with nukes.

The US also built a nuclear cannon and tested nuclear weapons on our own soldiers. At the time we, and, indeed, all the world, thought the way to win a war was by using nukes "tactically". That is, using them to soften up a target before sending in the infantry. The US in particular thought that nukes were such war-winners that we cut back completely on the Navy, the Army, and on building fighters for the Air Force in favor of long-range bombers. You can't blame us for being as stupid as the rest of the world.


I'll agree with that.

So might a monarchy.

Sure. However, they're a tourist attraction and take off a lot of pressure from the prime minister. For proof of this, see how much attention Bush has. Imagine if he could do his job while someone else took all the flak.

Also, they're not dangerous in most European countries, as any attempt to usurp power would result in them losing their position pretty quickly.

Iceland definately.

I don't like the american Goverment. Everyone has highlighted most of the reasons apart from The Right to Bear Arms. This law is stupid. Perhaps vaugely relivant a couple 100 years ago, it is complete idocy now. So I can go to the nearby shop and buy a shotgun? Then rob the shop with the shotgun? Or go outside and shoot everyone? One word my friends; LICENSES!
:sniper: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5:

Actually, and back to my original point, if this were true, you'd think that people would be dying left and right in Switzerland. After all, you don't even have to walk to a gun store to pick a fully automatic rifle up. You'd have one the government gave you, along with enough ammunition to wage a small war.

Sure. However, they're a tourist attraction and take off a lot of pressure from the prime minister. For proof of this, see how much attention Bush has. Imagine if he could do his job while someone else took all the flak.

Also, they're not dangerous in most European countries, as any attempt to usurp power would result in them losing their position pretty quickly.
Well for Australia the monarchy is a pretty good check and balance, along with the Senate 'states house' we have a pretty secure political process, not like the US Supreme Dictator, oh i mean President.

Sure. However, they're a tourist attraction and take off a lot of pressure from the prime minister. For proof of this, see how much attention Bush has. Imagine if he could do his job while someone else took all the flak.

Also, they're not dangerous in most European countries, as any attempt to usurp power would result in them losing their position pretty quickly.

The same thing happens here with guns. Try to use them to usurp and you find yourself in a bodybag, very fast. The difference is that, except for re-enactors on Civil War battlefields, guns aren't a tourist attraction!

Well for Australia the monarchy is a pretty good check and balance, along with the Senate 'states house' we have a pretty secure political process, not like the US Supreme Dictator, oh i mean President.

The President is aided by the fact that his party controls Congress. And by the fact that more power has been steadily invested into the Presidency since it was formed. The Presidency of today has godlike powers compared to what's writen in the Constitution and how the first half-dozen Presidents ruled.

I love how every opinion based question grows into a debate and/or flamewar on NS.
I like America. But I don't like its policies.

The same thing happens here with guns. Try to use them to usurp and you find yourself in a bodybag, very fast. The difference is that, except for re-enactors on Civil War battlefields, guns aren't a tourist attraction!

Isn't part of the point of the gun ownership to usurp in case the government starts taking away your freedoms?

I wouldn't imagine re-enactors use real guns (there'd be few of them around if they did).

I do believe you need to perfect your putting gun-abusers into bodybag techniques. At least if you do, we won't be able to complain.

The President is aided by the fact that his party controls Congress. And by the fact that more power has been steadily invested into the Presidency since it was formed. The Presidency of today has godlike powers compared to what's writen in the Constitution and how the first half-dozen Presidents ruled.

Which is exactly what we don't want. Hence, monarchy sits on the absolute power, without any power, so that no president/prime minister can declare themselves the monarch (mind you, I agree that this sounds obsolete, but that was the argument for keeping several monarchies in Europe).

The Japanese, like us, and every other power, built their military bases adjacent to their cities. Such a thing would be impossible. Especially with nukes.

Like I say, the importance of the target doesn't matter. If I was in the position of the Americans in 1945, I would use a nuke, but I would work out a place which was fairly isolated and would not cause many deaths to civilians, but provide plenty of witnesses. Say 20 miles away from a city, or maybe out off the coast a bit (Did they have *any* naval targets left at that point?). Sure, people would still suffer from fallout and radiation, but people wouldn't know that at the time - and the point about them having a weapon with a power no one had ever seen before would be made.

The President is aided by the fact that his party controls Congress. And by the fact that more power has been steadily invested into the Presidency since it was formed. The Presidency of today has godlike powers compared to what's writen in the Constitution and how the first half-dozen Presidents ruled.
exactly, unlike australia, america now has a man with far too much personal power, it's not good. and it doesn't help that he is elected seperately to the rest of the government

Isn't part of the point of the gun ownership to usurp in case the government starts taking away your freedoms?

I was speaking in the case of lone gunmen, not popular movements.

I wouldn't imagine re-enactors use real guns (there'd be few of them around if they did).

Re-enactors use real guns that (usually) have been plugged and are only loaded with blanks.

I do believe you need to perfect your putting gun-abusers into bodybag techniques. At least if you do, we won't be able to complain.

That would depend, wouldn't it? I mean, perhaps we have perfected it, and some people have made it into a bigger thing than it really is.

Like I say, the importance of the target doesn't matter. If I was in the position of the Americans in 1945, I would use a nuke, but I would work out a place which was fairly isolated and would not cause many deaths to civilians, but provide plenty of witnesses. Say 20 miles away from a city, or maybe out off the coast a bit (Did they have *any* naval targets left at that point?). Sure, people would still suffer from fallout and radiation, but people wouldn't know that at the time - and the point about them having a weapon with a power no one had ever seen before would be made.

Just keep in mind hindsight is 20/20 (before bias).

The President is aided by the fact that his party controls Congress. And by the fact that more power has been steadily invested into the Presidency since it was formed. The Presidency of today has godlike powers compared to what's writen in the Constitution and how the first half-dozen Presidents ruled.
See the US didn't have to go through all that civil war to be democratic, they could just have been a little patient and got federation like Australia, Canada etc.. That's what the US needs, a sovereign, sadly it would probably be more democratic as a constitutional crown than a republic.

See the US didn't have to go through all that civil war to be democratic, they could just have been a little patient and got federation like Australia, Canada etc.. That's what the US needs, a sovereign, sadly it would probably be more democratic as a constitutional crown than a republic.

What? And let you guys do all the complaining about immigrants? I think not. The Founding Fathers were terrorists and I'm damned proud of it!

(That, and we kept Napoleon out of America :p)

Just keep in mind hindsight is 20/20 (before bias).

Of course, but i'm just saying I think both sides of the debate are wrong. It wasn't wrong to use nukes in principle, but the way they were used wasn't the most humanitarian.

Eh. It's not an issue I really get too upset about, especially because I think it's a little annoying how the Japanese don't teach their kids about the atrocities they committed, only "Well, big bad USA dropped a nuke on us!".

I don't think the US have being any better or worse than most other countries when they got their turn as a superpower. Every country that has had power has done things to be ashamed of. It's just a bit pathetic that some Americans are so nationalist that they defend anything the US has ever done and are convinced their nation is all-perfect all-goodly and has never once made mistakes.

Of course, but i'm just saying I think both sides of the debate are wrong. It wasn't wrong to use nukes in principle, but the way they were used wasn't the most humanitarian.

War is rarely humanitarian. Doesn't make it right, it's just the nature of the beast.

Eh. It's not an issue I really get too upset about, especially because I think it's a little annoying how the Japanese don't teach their kids about the atrocities they committed, only "Well, big bad USA dropped a nuke on us!".

Which is brutally ironic, given that we're their best friend.

I don't think the US have being any better or worse than most other countries when they got their turn as a superpower. Every country that has had power has done things to be ashamed of. It's just a bit pathetic that some Americans are so nationalist that they defend anything the US has ever done and are convinced their nation is all-perfect all-goodly and has never once made mistakes.

A lot of Europeans acted the same way when they had the limelight, too.

I was speaking in the case of lone gunmen, not popular movements.

Re-enactors use real guns that (usually) have been plugged and are only loaded with blanks.

That would depend, wouldn't it? I mean, perhaps we have perfected it, and some people have made it into a bigger thing than it really is.


What? And let you guys do all the complaining about immigrants? I think not. The Founding Fathers were terrorists and I'm damned proud of it!

(That, and we kept Napoleon out of America )


Okay.

How could I forget blanks?

Hmm... maybe the lone gunmen are perfecting their abilities too?

And that last post made me laugh.

What? And let you guys do all the complaining about immigrants? I think not. The Founding Fathers were terrorists and I'm damned proud of it!

(That, and we kept Napoleon out of America :p)
Not to be offensive, but I can't believe the US President doesn't have to stand in front of Congress debate legislation, explain actions etc.. like our prime minister has to do in Parliament, it like looses the whole democratic accountability issue.

Hmm... maybe the lone gunmen are perfecting their abilities too?

Except violent crime in the US is going down. I think that means the good hicks are winning out over the evil hicks....

And that last post made me laugh.

I aim to please. :D (Which is why I don't shoot evil-do'ers in the groin.)

Not to be offensive, but I can't believe the US President doesn't have to stand in front of Congress debate legislation, explain actions etc.. like our prime minister has to do in Parliament, it like looses the whole democratic accountability issue.

State of the Union

Right, so what can we do to improve the country? It is young, they have yet to commit all the mistakes older countries in the east have learnt from. Granted, Australia, Canada and Kiwiland are also young, but are also part of the Commonwealth. I think that's helped them (although 'Stralya hasn't been perfect... I'm thinking the white australia policy and the usual oppression of the aborigines).

My suggestions:

A completely new, fully revised constitution.

Free healthcare and education (for everyone).

Take away the rights of the individual states to pass their own laws.

Cut military spending.

Tighter control of companies.

...

I like America.
But I don't belabour under the misapprehension that it is the best place on the world.

Except violent crime in the US is going down. I think that means the good hicks are winning out over the evil hicks....


No, it means that we need more video games (http://www.gamerevolution.com/oldsite/articles/violence/violence.htm).

Utterly abhor the entire nation, omitting New York, and possibly San Francisco, however the remainder of the nation personifies a myriad of facets of life I utterly loathe, and, upon a more human, personal note, having travelled copast to coast, the sheer extent of the USA is a fact I find a tad unsettling, as is the relative lack of erudition.

For myself, the lack of learning or landmass by themselves aren't reason enough to loathe the place, well maybe the former.However, when combined they're insufferable.

For myself, the lack of learning or landmass by themselves aren't reason enough to loathe the place, well maybe the former. When combined there insufferable though.

It rather is for me, I live in a village seven miles from a major town, and sixty miles from London, the inhabitants of which are generally well eductated and rational.

Myth. there's enough to probably kill mankind several times over (not just counting the US stockpile but projected armaments from all over the world,) but not to destroy the world.

I like America. we got our problems but would rather live here than anywhere else.

Correction, a couple nuclear devices detonated at the San andreas fault will cause a chain reaction in the mantle that would literally crack the world in half. I am now under the assumption that mankind cannot live on a planet cracked in half, therefore I will assume mankind will be obliterated by a couple nuclear devices.

It rather is for me, I live in a village seven miles from a major town, and sixty miles from London, the inhabitants of which are generally well eductated and rational.

*shrug* Most of the places I've traveled to in the mid, mid-western states have had atleast the rational factor.

Britain owns america.
Thats all I say.
We may have smaller economy/army, but why would I want a bigger one?

God bless America!
I don't believe in God...

Britain owns america.
Thats all I say.
We may have smaller economy/army, but why would I want a bigger one?

Frankly, we would not. Though I may deride, loathe and lambast contemporary Britain, I do so love England

*hums Jerusalem*

Britain owns america.
Thats all I say.

:upyours: Love your country, have pride in it - no one would or should blame you, but dont put down mine in the process. There are Americans and Europeans as well as many others on this board, keep it to yourself.

We may have smaller economy/army, but why would I want a bigger one?
You might not, we might.

God is dead - Nietzche (Nietzche is dead - god). (this is a little joke, do not take this line seriously).

Love that quote.

We may have smaller economy/army, but why would I want a bigger one?
Because, with something bigger, you get with all the really hotttt countries, like Japan and China. You know how we like Asians. :fluffle:

You might not, we might.

Uh... WHY?

Why do you hate America. The government has the right to observe communication between citizens and those overseas. The torture issue and the secret prisons should never have been made public. Theres somethings the public doesnt need to know(believe me). You may not understand how the world works, sometimes bad people need to be hurt or killed for the safety of others.


Omg, so patronising I nearly fell off my swivel chair.
Believe you??? Why should we believe you? Do you have some special privileged information? How exactly is it that the world works that requires people to be tortured and killed by a country that calls itself civilised? What special working of the world requires that the activities of governments be hidden from those who elected them? :rolleyes:

i grew up in america, and therefore i'm connected to it in many ways while still disagreeing with the government. when it comes down to it, we really have no power to influence what the gov. does, unless there's another civil war. the country's huge, the government's far, far away. i don't feel my voice is heard, on a national level.

on the other hand i've traveled all over the world and have lived in another country for a matter of years. after that experience i was very glad to be back in the usa despite its problems. i'm biased, as we all are, toward the country i grew up in. i'm part of it and it's part of me. however, we must admit it's got major flaws, and may implode because of them.

yeah, americans are stupid and think they're the best. they also manage to offend other country's citizens when traveling or doing just about anything.

we're not all like that. and it's highly embarassing sometimes. but i do maintain that i love this country, and i'm very grateful that our forefathers, who were all europeans, colonized this here land.

we're all connected. our country is built on the shoulders of great men and women from Around the world.

Frankly, we would not. Though I may deride, loathe and lambast contemporary Britain, I do so love England

*hums Jerusalem*

Jerusalem certainly would be the most powerful city in the world, without a doubt.

Uh... WHY?


For the United Kingdom:
*Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon

*Area:
total: 244,820 sq km
_______________________
*United States:
total: 9,631,418 sq km
*Area - comparative:

about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; almost two and a half times the size of the European Union

Thats a 9,386,598 sq. km.* difference in the amount of land we need to defend - hence larger army. Furthermore, we have roughly *235,292,677 people on the U.K, such a population needs a larger economy to support it.

What special working of the world requires that the activities of governments be hidden from those who elected them?
We dont elect them, the electoral college does.


* Statistics from CIA Factbook

Vegetarianistica']i grew up in america, and therefore i'm connected to it in many ways while still disagreeing with the government. when it comes down to it, we really have no power to influence what the gov. does, unless there's another civil war. the country's huge, the government's far, far away. i don't feel my voice is heard, on a national level.

and you're completely right. Our federal government doesn't give a shit about what we say, unless we're supporting them.

"Polls? You know, if a President tries to govern based upon polls, you're kind of like a dog chasing your tail. I don't think you can make good, sound decisions based upon polls."-- Dubya answers the question whether public opinion factors into his decision making process, Prime Time Press Conference, White House, Apr. 28, 2005

Even if he did care, there are so many people trying to speak out that a single voice would just be absorbed in the din.

*Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon
___________________
*Area:
total: 244,820 sq km


For the United Kingdom.

-----------
*United States:
total: 9,631,418 sq km
*

Thats a 9,386,598 sq. km.* difference in the amount of land we need to defend - hence larger army. Furthermore, we have roughly *235,292,677 people on the U.K, such a population needs a larger economy to support it.

* Statistics from CIA Factbook

Defend from whom? Canada? Mexico?:p

Once upon a time, JFK visited Utah and stated:

So this is what a State looks like that won't be getting a penny of federal assistance...

Omg, so patronising I nearly fell off my swivel chair.
Believe you??? Why should we believe you? Do you have some special privileged information? How exactly is it that the world works that requires people to be tortured and killed by a country that calls itself civilised? What special working of the world requires that the activities of governments be hidden from those who elected them? :rolleyes:

I totally agree with that, and who knows what else the U.S government is hiding that we don't know about (yet)???

Defend from whom? Canada? Mexico?:p
Well if we had Pat Buchanan's way, we'd build a moat along the Mexican boarder and have the national guard protect every inch of it. And besides, you never know when Canada may attack us with their rowboat and curling brushes :p

Defend from whom? Canada? Mexico?:p

With our militarys cut of the budget? We should be defended from anything and anyone.

Can I vomit now?

Love your country, have pride in it - no one would or should blame you, but dont put down mine in the process. There are Americans and Europeans as well as many others on this board, keep it to yourself.
Over reacted dontcha think?

I felt like making a post about all the good America does.
So why don't you? Seems to me you tried to make a post as to why America is better then every other country, not about the good things America does.

We have the biggest and best economy with by far the biggest GDP of any country.

Well, while it is true that corporations experience good times, the trade deficit isn't looking too good: "The U.S. trade deficit for the first 11 months of 2005 totaled $661.8 billion, surpassing the previous annual record of $617.6 billion set in 2004. Economists say when December figures are included, the final deficit for 2005 will top $710 billion. Buffett said he expects it to top $700 billion this year." Link (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/18/AR2006011800890.html)

And as for the GDP per capita: United States is at #4, following Norway, Equatorial Guinea and Luxembourg according to the CIA world factbook. (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html)

We the strongest military and we spend 400 billion dollars a year on it(I think it should be more) and have over 3,000 nukes(should be more).
So you supposedly love America because it has a strong military, and you indiscriminately want it to be larger... Why do you love a country because of the size of it's military? Are you likely to have an affair with China or North Korea? You know, it's not the size that matters... :p

We also have alot of freedom and a great quality of life. Finally a good reason. Unfortunently, not everybody in America will say that they have a great quality of life... But yes! Freedom is a good thing!


Our entertainment is the best in world and alot of people want to be like us.
Very subjective. And I worry that another reason why you love America is because other people wants to be like americans. A lot of people want to be French, too. What if fewer people wants to be like you? Will you stop loving america and maybe cheat on it with France or Canada?

God bless America! Said Tiny Tim, "God bless us, everyone."

You don't seem to love America, by the way. You seem to love the benefits of living in a powerful country, but not the country itself. When it gets older, and its armies start getting smaller, if it's economy goes down, what then? It seems that as long as it is pretty and can do things for you, you will be there. As long as you're not told of the bad things that might be going on, you're satisfied.

You don't seem to love America, you seem to just want to sleep with it.

You don't seem to love America, you seem to just want to sleep with it.
Sounds good to me.

Well, while it is true that corporations experience good times, the trade deficit isn't looking too good: "The U.S. trade deficit for the first 11 months of 2005 totaled $661.8 billion, surpassing the previous annual record of $617.6 billion set in 2004. Economists say when December figures are included, the final deficit for 2005 will top $710 billion. Buffett said he expects it to top $700 billion this year." Link (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/18/AR2006011800890.html)

That's one of the best signs of economic strength we have. American consumers are spending and businesses are investing so much that our imports are growing to meet the demand. The only reason why we have a trade deficit is because we want so many products from abroad to continue our economic growth. At the same time, however, exports are also growing rapidly which means our companies are doing well selling abroad while the profits come back to the US. Trade deficits are only bad if the deficit is growing due to slowing exports rather than growing imports.

Remember, we had a trade surplus during the Great Depression.

And as for the GDP per capita: United States is at #4, following Norway, Equatorial Guinea and Luxembourg according to the CIA world factbook. (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html)

Yes, but we have a population 53 times that of all of those nations combined. Relative to other nations even half of our size, we're $10,000-20,000 above them in per capita GDP.

(facts about size and population of USA)

Praises sung of the US economy on this thread have consisted not of whether the US has an economy/military suitable for its needs, but that it has an extremely powerful one. You are straw-manning if you suggest that people might wonder why the US requires a larger GNP than the UK.

At the OT: I appreciate the pro-U.S. sentiment, but its misguided. Having nuclear warheads isn't something to be proud of. While some people may want
As long as you're not told of the bad things that might be going on, you're satisfied.
This is what I'd be trying to get away from, if I ever did move; I can't stand it.

Over reacted dontcha think?

Nope. It's a raw nerve. It seems like when 9/11 happened, we had the stupid racist kids who would bully the middle-eastern out of ignorance. Then on General theres a constant stream of backhanded comments aimed at us, the comments aren't specific and include those of us who agree with most of what you guys gripe about.
*Edited*

@Frozopia's second comment: I did praise it, but the whole point of the post was to compare the distinct differences the U.K. and U.S need in terms of military strength and economy, the land areas and populations are relavent. More people, larger economy. More people, more defence needs. That's why when people say " I dont want a larger economy/military " its a "meh" thing to me, its not like I can adjust a scale, and it goes up or down.:rolleyes:

-Xiph-

That's one of the best signs of economic strength we have. American consumers are spending and businesses are investing so much that our imports are growing to meet the demand. The only reason why we have a trade deficit is because we want so many products from abroad to continue our economic growth. At the same time, however, exports are also growing rapidly which means our companies are doing well selling abroad while the profits come back to the US. Trade deficits are only bad if the deficit is growing due to slowing exports rather than growing imports.

Remember, we had a trade surplus during the Great Depression.

Hey, I'm not the one to say there's a problem, as I simply don't know enough about economics. That's why I linked to Buffet.


Yes, but we have a population 53 times that of all of those nations combined. Relative to other nations even half of our size, we're $10,000-20,000 above them in per capita GDP.

So? Per capita the US is not "by far the biggest GDP of any country" as the OP claimed.

If he didn't mean per capita, than I'm mistaken - and it does seem to be a "size is all that matters"-theme here. :fluffle:

Hey, I'm not the one to say there's a problem, as I simply don't know enough about economics. That's why I linked to Buffet.

Well, Buffet does know what he's talking about, and he is correct that a too-large trade deficit will prove to be an economic threat. However, the market will take care of itself and so the trade deficit isn't going to end up a disaster unless some kind of economic shock occurs.


So? Per capita the US is not "by far the biggest GDP of any country" as the OP claimed. If he didn't mean per capita, than I'm mistaken - and it does seem to be a "size is all that matters"-theme here. :fluffle:

If they meant "highest per capita GDP of nations of comparable size" then they are correct. Technically, however, the US isn't the highest of all.

So? Per capita the US is not "by far the biggest GDP of any country" as the OP claimed.


Doubt it.

There is a international police force called interpol however it is made up of people from the individual countries police forces.

also unlike america Europe is not a federation.

america has all these little countries that are held together by a federal government, on lots of things the little countries can decide their own laws but big things like murder are federal crimes, this is so that if someone commits a crime that is a federal crime they can be pursued over state borders.

Europe on the otherhand is a series of indipendent states that through the EU attempt to act as a single and cohesive whole economically. only now are we seeing the beginings of any greater movement of power from the member states to the EU (as with the recently defeated constitution)

Actually, murder is only a Federal crime under a few certain circumstances. And anyway, if you commit a major crime you'll be pursued by officers in the state you ran to, and then extradited to the state where you committed the crime.

My suggestions:

A completely new, fully revised constitution.

Free healthcare and education (for everyone).

Take away the rights of the individual states to pass their own laws.

Cut military spending.

Tighter control of companies.

While I agree with points 2, 4, and 5 to a degree, I'm completely against 1 and 3. In fact I want more power devolved back to the states, and then I want my state to enact free education and healthcare. The US is far too enormous and diverse to be micromanaged from Washington the way it would have to be were the states no longer a factor.


Anyway, as to the OP, I have to believe this guy is a troll. Believing that someone actually thinks the way he's posted would completely destroy what little faith I have left in humanity.

those are wars or war crimes which comes under a diferent section as they can't be called murder (they can be called mass murder or genocide) also they don't happen every year so un less you do the century as a whole then its different.

countries with large numbers of guns do have higher rates of gun crime. Switzerland has high rates of gun crime per person as there are guns around (due to how their military works) so when people are very angry rather then punch someone they are able to shoot them instead. however gun crime per gun is low but thats due to the huge numbers of guns, so gun crime is high overall.
Not true - just type in "gun crime switzerlan" (without quotes) into Google and check out the first few links. Tiny tiny tiny amoutns of gun crime. For example, in 1993, Geneva reported NO armed robberies.
Spanish is not the world's largest language - unsurprisingly that's Mandarin. Nor is it the most widely spoken - that's English (in 115 countries, by 150m secondary speakers) It's about third or fourth (French, Russian, and Arabic are also more widely spoken, I think).
I remember hearing somewhere that a land invasion of Japan would actually have been significantly less deadly than Hiroshima and Nagasaki were - as in fewer American and Japanese soldiers would have been killed than civilians were killed - and the story of the tremendous deaths was bandied around to justify the dropping of the bomb as a warning to ole Iosef Stepanovich. But I haven't a clue where I read that, so I can't give a link or anything.
Jenrak, I don't believe that whole "nuke the San Andreas fault and kill the world" thing. As an earthquake is stress-relieving, all you're gonna do is set it off early and release the energy stored in it - meaning a less destructive earthquake. If you use enough nukes, now, it might blow a big enough hole to let loads of magma out of the mantle. As for using 70 or 80 50-mT nukes to equal the sun, fair enough, that might work - scientists believed when they detonated the first nukes (or possibly thermonukes) that there was a slight chance that all the air around the world might fusion and we'd all die, so I'd say creating a sun on earth for about a hundred-millionth of a second might do so... Let's not experiment, shall we?
Vetalia, you have a point, the deficit isn't inherently bad, unless there's a shock - which will come if/when China starts pulling out of dollars. The value of the dollar will fall, meaning your trade deficit will go up even more. Of course, you'll be able to export more too, but the things you rely on China for are gonna be more expensive. Plus, a fall in the dollar will kill confidence, and probably bring about a run on it - think what happens in "Debt of Honour". Not entirely sure why this is a bad thing, but apparently it is - economics and markets isn't my strong point.

Because, with something bigger, you get with all the really hotttt countries, like Japan and China. You know how we like Asians. :fluffle:
lol So true. Bigger is better and America is a sexy bitch, someone said earlier I want to sleep with it. Why not its hot, and I want to sleep in it to because its safe here thanks to our nukes, power, and the war on terror.

I love America!
So do I. Which is why I feel the responisibilty to stick up for what I belive, and let be known when we screw-up. Not to blindly follow.

lol So true. Bigger is better and America is a sexy bitch, someone said earlier I want to sleep with it. Why not its hot, and I want to sleep in it to because its safe here thanks to our nukes, power, and the war on terror.

A war upon Terror? Since when has the unjustified occupation of a nation incapavle of combating US miltary power upon the pretext of a "war upon terror", then bemoaning the natives opposition to your occupation, constituted anything superior to a fallacy?

Have you ever considered that Bush's "pin the tail on the Arabic donkey" approach to the prosecution of American foreign policy, essentially, invasion policy may be fueling, engendering and facilitating terrorism? One would assume not.

A war upon Terror? Since when has the unjustified occupation of a nation incapavle of combating US miltary power upon the pretext of a "war upon terror", then bemoaning the natives opposition to your occupation, constituted anything superior to a fallacy?

Have you ever considered that Bush's "pin the tail on the Arabic donkey" approach to the prosecution of American foreign policy, essentially, invasion policy may be fueling, engendering and facilitating terrorism? One would assume not.
Its not an occupation, we are staying the course, we will back down, we will run! We are not fueling terror, we fighting there so we dont fight here, we are destroying them and we will prevail. We were not in Iraq on 9/11 I remind you.

If you don't like america, there's something wrong with you. Sure America should be socialist, and sure bush should get railroaded on the I-95, but we in america have so much good things!

Mcdonalds, Green Berets, baseball, wal-marts, hazelnut coffee, M1A2s, doggy bags, F-117s, BOOKS, HEALTHCARE, ballot boxes, texas accents, Native Americans, that big stone down in plymouth, cheeseburgers, Parris Island, the list goes on and on. I LOVE AMERICA!

Its not an occupation, we are staying the course, we will back down, we will run! We are not fueling terror, we fighting there so we dont fight here, we are destroying them and we will prevail. We were not in Iraq on 9/11 I remind you.
Expalin to me how it's not an occupation, please. After all, there are American troops there, and they are performing (some of) the functions of the military, police, and the like, that seems very much like an occupation to me.

Expalin to me how it's not an occupation, please.

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Expalin to me how it's not an occupation, please. After all, there are American troops there, and they are performing (some of) the functions of the military, police, and the like, that seems very much like an occupation to me.
We are keeping the place secure til the Iraqis can get there crap together. Once they have their security and political structure up and runnin, we will leave. It would be an occupation if they could take care of everything but we were still there anyway. If we were to leave now the country would fall apart into civil war, many more would die, and another Saddam would just come to power.

We are keeping the place secure til the Iraqis can get there crap together. Once they have their security and political structure up and runnin, we will leave. It would be an occupation if they could take care of everything but we were still there anyway. If we were to leave now the country would fall apart into civil war, many more would die, and another Saddam would just come to power.

That's what the Germans said about France, Belgium, Poland....

That's what the Germans said about France, Belgium, Poland....
God, Nazi references are so over used, this is nothing like nazi germany and you know it(hopefully) so please.

I'm reserving my judgement.

I like the idea of America as it was started, but since WWII at the latest, things have steadily gone downhill. So at the moment, I'd say that I still like the ideas America was once based on, but right now I am disgusted by the thing it has become, and the people who refuse to see it.

Whatever our complaints regarding America, we can't deny their achievements... we all benefit from their production... Ford Motors, anyone?

Americans are nice people, but their government sucks

Americans are nice people, but their government sucked.

Sucked or sucks?

Whatever our complaints regarding America, we can't deny their achievements... we all benefit from their production... Ford Motors, anyone?

Ford?? Try Mitsubishi, Honda, [insert japanese car company that isn't cutting enormous numbers of jobs because they produce oversized, overpriced vehicles and lobby the government to continue banning the Kyoto Accord].

On the actual topic, America has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. And some of the most powerful morons (but only some).

Incidentally, since you mention the economy, the US is the country most heavily in debt in the entire world. Your economy collapsed a long time ago, and is being artificially propped up by your allies.
Not jsut by allies, but by asian countries which don't call in the trillions of dollars the US owes them! And by the billions of dollars printed every year!:D Yes sir there's a bubble under the value of the American dollar. When it pops you guys (and most of the world) will be screwed. And not screwed in the way that people in dirt poor countries are screwed. I mean realy screwed? Why? Because the US economy is based on consumption and not production. Anyways, thats why Canada needs to nationaliza its economy. So we don't go down with you;)

I personally am sick of the overly-piousness of Americans.

"We live in a free country!"

My brother, who worked in a kids camp called camp america was also sickened by this, when he tried forcing them to swim. Ok so these kids dont represent America, but it gets worse when you read books by american authors etc

And of course

"God bless America!"

or from me

"Gods these people make me sick"

How this fits in this thread I don't know.

Whatever our complaints regarding America, we can't deny their achievements... we all benefit from their production... Ford Motors, anyone?
Oh ya ford right. Ford typifies the american economy. Looks real good, is loosing money, and is getting people in other countries to make its products.

So do I. Which is why I feel the responisibilty to stick up for what I belive, and let be known when we screw-up. Not to blindly follow.

Yay! Is that love I see, that twinkle in your eye? And not just the lust of someone who wants a one-night-stand? Here, have a cherry! :D A berry, mind you...

I personally am sick of the overly-piousness of Americans.

Yes. There are still some of us Americans who:

1. Won't harass you until you convert to our One True Way (tm).

2. Still believe that seperation of church and state is a good thing.

Personally, I hate the two-valued mentality that seems to going around where either you either blissfully, orgasmically love America and it never does anything wrong, or you're some kind of terrorist-loving commie that sodomizes puppies or something.

Like any nation, we still should be a work in progress. When we start honestly thinking that we're perfect, the end is nigh.

i wish this thread would just go away.

I felt like making a post about all the good America does. We have the biggest and best economy with by far the biggest GDP of any country. We the strongest military and we spend 400 billion dollars a year on it(I think it should be more) and have over 3,000 nukes(should be more). We also have alot of freedom and a great quality of life. Our entertainment is the best in world and alot of people want to be like us. God bless America!

And the worldview of our citizens is the most simplistic, and provincial! And we still consume more natural resources than any other society on the planet! And our people are rarely able to speak more than a single language, just like our president! And fully half of the people in this country believe the earth was created in six days!

We can only hope God blesses America!

American is great, what did we make? we invented airplanes, then the first helicopter, light bulb, electricity(i think right?), the phone, the assembly line, cars, motors, more efficient ways for many things... America is truly great. Also just as a fact for some of the very first threads on here, 1, just 1 of our Nuclear Attack Submarines can destroy America, we have something like 30-40 some, that's alot, our army alone(America) can destroy the world 20 times over.. that's just america....

American is great, what did we make? we invented airplanes, then the first helicopter, light bulb, electricity(i think right?), the phone, the assembly line, cars, motors, more efficient ways for many things... America is truly great. Also just as a fact for some of the very first threads on here, 1, just 1 of our Nuclear Attack Submarines can destroy America, we have something like 30-40 some, that's alot, our army alone(America) can destroy the world 20 times over.. that's just america....

You're just after a quickie... :p

And the worldview of our citizens is the most simplistic, and provincial! And we still consume more natural resources than any other society on the planet! And our people are rarely able to speak more than a single language, just like our president! And fully half of the people in this country believe the earth was created in six days!

We can only hope God blesses America!

Well, I would say that Bush is barely able to speak one language....

American is great, what did we make? we invented airplanes, then the first helicopter, light bulb, electricity(i think right?), the phone, the assembly line, cars, motors, more efficient ways for many things... America is truly great. Also just as a fact for some of the very first threads on here, 1, just 1 of our Nuclear Attack Submarines can destroy America, we have something like 30-40 some, that's alot, our army alone(America) can destroy the world 20 times over.. that's just america....

No, the Russians made the first helicopters. At least the first helicopters that could fly for longer than half a second.

I felt like making a post about all the good America does. We have the biggest and best economy with by far the biggest GDP of any country. We the strongest military and we spend 400 billion dollars a year on it(I think it should be more) and have over 3,000 nukes(should be more). We also have alot of freedom and a great quality of life. Our entertainment is the best in world and alot of people want to be like us. God bless America!

You should enlist within the American Army and get deported to Iraq.

Sucked or sucks?
sucks

my bad :headbang:

Whatever our complaints regarding America, we can't deny their achievements... we all benefit from their production... Ford Motors, anyone?

Replace that with Honda and you're correct. Otherwise, rest assured that your "American" made SUV was at partially, if not mostly manufactured in China.

Ahh, nothing like betting your entire company on one product whose very nature will ultimately lead to its failiure...this is why we shouldn't bail out companies, because they become even worse afterwards.

You know, what if we had been named the United States of Vesspucciland instead of America? Would we have done as well?

I may not support most U.S. policies, but if you get down to brass tacks, I can't say that I hate Americans, or even their government. It doesn't seem at all fair to think that just because someone is American they are -this- or -that-. I know I wouldn't like it if someone told me that just because I'm Canadian I have to be something.

And the worldview of our citizens is the most simplistic, and provincial! And we still consume more natural resources than any other society on the planet! And our people are rarely able to speak more than a single language, just like our president! And fully half of the people in this country believe the earth was created in six days!

We can only hope God blesses America!

America is larger than all of Europe. Each European country has its own culture and worldview. Does that make them bad? I don't think so.

We consume more resources because we have one of the highest standards of living on Earth. I, for one, don't think that's a bad thing.

Whether or not our people speak more than a single language means nothing. The fact that most folks on the planet who are bilingual speak English as their non-native language is telling. Bush speaks Spanish, by the way.

3.5 billion people believe that the earth was created in six days - namely all of the Christians, Jews and Muslims who share those creation beliefs. So that's more than half the people on the planet.

Good to know that xenophobia isn't restricted to the US.

B

America is larger than all of Europe. Each European country has its own culture and worldview. Does that make them bad? I don't think so.

We consume more resources because we have one of the highest standards of living on Earth. I, for one, don't think that's a bad thing.

Whether or not our people speak more than a single language means nothing. The fact that most folks on the planet who are bilingual speak English as their non-native language is telling. Bush speaks Spanish, by the way.

3.5 billion people believe that the earth was created in six days - namely all of the Christians, Jews and Muslims who share those creation beliefs. So that's more than half the people on the planet.

Good to know that xenophobia isn't restricted to the US.

B

Well put. And as I side note, I speak spanish and dont believe in creation.

America is larger than all of Europe. Each European country has its own culture and worldview. Does that make them bad? I don't think so.

We consume more resources because we have one of the highest standards of living on Earth. I, for one, don't think that's a bad thing.

Whether or not our people speak more than a single language means nothing. The fact that most folks on the planet who are bilingual speak English as their non-native language is telling. Bush speaks Spanish, by the way.

3.5 billion people believe that the earth was created in six days - namely all of the Christians, Jews and Muslims who share those creation beliefs. So that's more than half the people on the planet.

Good to know that xenophobia isn't restricted to the US.

B

You're right; Bush does speak Spanish. My error.

The US isn't larger than Europe; the European Union has 456,953,258 people (July 2005 estimate, CIA Factbook). The United States has 295,734,134 (July 2005 estimate, CIA Factbook). According to EU statistics, the EU is likely to hit the half-billion mark in 2007.

But... our standard of living doesn't entitle us to consume more of the earth's resources than other countries. The US consumes far more resources on a per capita basis than several other countries which have higher standards of living. By most estimates the United States, with about 5 percent of the earth's population, consumes about 25 to 30 percent of the earth's resources. Consider that much of the world's population survive on $2 a day. Does our higher standard of living, or the fact that we're American, entitle us to use more of the world's resources, which quite frequently come from those same very poor countries?

The fact that people are capable of speaking more than one language means a great deal. People who speak only one language are usually unable to understand the perspectives of people in other cultures and societies, and frequently find themselves incapable of dealing with differences with others, thus leading to even more conflict. The incredible demand by United States intelligence agencies for speakers of Arabic and Mandarin attests to that. Consider also that most people in most countries of the world do speak more than one language. English is certainly a world force, but not everywhere. In much of the world, other languages serve the same purpose: Russian Mandarin, French, Arabic, Spanish, and Swahili, to offer just a few examples. But languages come and go. It wasn't that long ago that French was the language of international diplomacy. Spanish held that role before that, and Latin even before that.

Three and half billion people in the world call themselves Muslims, Christians, and Jews. That does not mean they believe the world was created in six days.

If you wish to look specifically at the story of creation in the Book of Genesis, you're no doubt aware there are two creation stories. In one, Adam was created first, and Eve was created to alleviate his loneliness. In the second, Adam and Eve were created at the same time.

For Muslims, the story of creation is nothing like the story, or stories, conveyed in Genesis.

"Creator of the heavens and the earth from nothingness, He has only to say when He wills a thing: 'Be,' and it is." (Al-Baqarah 2:117)

There is no detailed account of creation in the Quran. Muslims most assuredly believe God is the creator; you won't find a story similar the creation story in Genisis in the Quran, however.

And, as for Christians, do you care to poll the Christians on this board for their incredible diversity of belief concerning creation?

Very few, if any, of the Jews I know believe the earth was created in six days.

You're right again, too, when you say that xenophobia isn't peculiar to the US. North Korea, apartheid-era South Africa, Marxist-era Yemen, fundamentalist Muslims, Hitlerian Germany, Argentina under the military dictatorship, Serbia under Slobodan Milosovic, and - unfortunately - many others, have all shared the same proclivity toward xenophobia.

The US has ample company.

We are keeping the place secure til the Iraqis can get there crap together. Once they have their security and political structure up and runnin, we will leave. It would be an occupation if they could take care of everything but we were still there anyway. If we were to leave now the country would fall apart into civil war, many more would die, and another Saddam would just come to power.
That's an occupation - if you have your troops in another country propping up the structure, it's occupation. After World War II, places were occupied to ensure they got back to normal, weren't they? Now, I'm not saying that an occupation is necessarily a bad thing, or that the American military isn't the only thing holding Iraq together. I'm also not saying occupation is a good thing either - I don't believe this occupation is good, just that at the moment it's better than the alternative, which is a large scale civil war and probable interstate war too.
Vegetarianistica, what's you point with the lots of lines?

Its not an occupation, we are staying the course, we will back down, we will run! We are not fueling terror, we fighting there so we dont fight here, we are destroying them and we will prevail. We were not in Iraq on 9/11 I remind you.

Evidently not, however for precisely how great a period ahs the USA been the pre-eminent, if not sole, advocate and ally of Israel, the essential crux of the Semitic grievances?

Not fueling terror? Hardly valediction I daresay. Terrorism has escalated and intensified since the "invasion" of Iraq, ergo one can justifiably contend that the US incited occupation has engendered greater terrorism.

Finally, pertaining to your refute of the term occupation, I quote from the Collin's English Dictionary : "Occupation: ..... 3). the act of occupying or he state of occupation 4). the control of a country by a foreign miltary power."
Entirely disengenuous from the benevolent hegemony of the USA in Iraq no?:rolleyes:

You're right again, too, when you say that xenophobia isn't peculiar to the US. North Korea, apartheid-era South Africa, Marxist-era Yemen, fundamentalist Muslims, Hitlerian Germany, Argentina under the military dictatorship, Serbia under Slobodan Milosovic, and - unfortunately - many others, have all shared the same proclivity toward xenophobia.

The US has ample company.

Don't forget France, Spain, Canada, Germany, Russia, the UK, China, Japan, Australia, South Korea...xenophobia exists everywhere, and to try and single out the US is nothing more than an inaccurate attempt to deny both the historical and present day existence of xenophobia in the world's major democratic (or oligarchic, in the case of China) nations.

Id hate to live in America, its full of Americans:sniper: England till I die.

Id hate to live in America, its full of Americans:sniper: England till I die.
Only the middle part. There's friendlies both north and south of that... that nonstop Yankee-Doodle-Thon that just won't quit.

America is a huge, beautiful country. I would want to live there if it weren't for how popular society has made it so undesirable. I've done 23 in the States, and I'll always return to visit. But to live there? It's not worth the hassle, and the world is so large that, 6 years into exploring it, I've barely gotten through coastal Asia. After the regime collapses and society embarks on dramatic renaissance, I'll consider living there, but I could say the same thing about China, for that matter.

You know, what if we had been named the United States of Vesspucciland instead of America? Would we have done as well?
Or what if we had been Cabotia instead?

I may not support most U.S. policies, but if you get down to brass tacks, I can't say that I hate Americans, or even their government. It doesn't seem at all fair to think that just because someone is American they are -this- or -that-. I know I wouldn't like it if someone told me that just because I'm Canadian I have to be something.

Finally someone who understands, being an american i know what it's like to be criticized, and judged. I have had times where, on a game i come across a room with no Americans... Sadly.. when they find out i was american, they booted me, after saying a few choice words.... that hurt deeply.. just because i am american doesnt mean i discriminate everybody, or i believe in everything the U.S. does, or anything.. The point of the matter is, sadly, many people think if you are This or that, you are also whatever the majority think you are, or whatever your government is doing at that time...

I may not support most U.S. policies, but if you get down to brass tacks, I can't say that I hate Americans, or even their government. It doesn't seem at all fair to think that just because someone is American they are -this- or -that-. I know I wouldn't like it if someone told me that just because I'm Canadian I have to be something.
Congratulations, you've broken my opinion of Canadians on the internet!

I have so many opinions on this subject, but none of them are very well concieved. So I'll just stay quiet until I get some time to mold them into something more coherent.

When people say "I hate America" what do they really mean? They can't mean i hate America in whole, otherwise they would be discriminating against hundreds of thousands of people who are "not" running the government, and who may not agree with what their country is doing at the moment. They can't mean they hate America as the land for the land has no brain which to act with. You can however hate america for what it stands for, Freedom.. but why would you want too? You can hate America for it's government, but governments come and go, just like in any country, some stay longer than others but eventually a new government comes, and things change. So what do they mean when they "Hate America"? Hate is a strong word, if you hate something, you will hate it for all eternity. Otherwise you dont truly hate something. so if they truly hate america, then they are only discriminating against something we did. They wont forgive us? why?

Well it's nice to see the vast majority still like America in one aspect or another...

You're right; Bush does speak Spanish. My error.

The US isn't larger than Europe; the European Union has 456,953,258 people (July 2005 estimate, CIA Factbook). The United States has 295,734,134 (July 2005 estimate, CIA Factbook). According to EU statistics, the EU is likely to hit the half-billion mark in 2007.p

I meant land mass.

But... our standard of living doesn't entitle us to consume more of the earth's resources than other countries. The US consumes far more resources on a per capita basis than several other countries which have higher standards of living. By most estimates the United States, with about 5 percent of the earth's population, consumes about 25 to 30 percent of the earth's resources. Consider that much of the world's population survive on $2 a day. Does our higher standard of living, or the fact that we're American, entitle us to use more of the world's resources, which quite frequently come from those same very poor countries?

No, our ability to extract or purchase those resources is what entitles us to them.

The fact that people are capable of speaking more than one language means a great deal. People who speak only one language are usually unable to understand the perspectives of people in other cultures and societies, and frequently find themselves incapable of dealing with differences with others, thus leading to even more conflict.

That may be the case outside the United States, but America has been a mish-mash of different cultures and ethnic groups since its founding. Most of those foreign cultures have retained their cultural and ethnic background and mores while adopting English.

The incredible demand by United States intelligence agencies for speakers of Arabic and Mandarin attests to that. Consider also that most people in most countries of the world do speak more than one language. English is certainly a world force, but not everywhere. In much of the world, other languages serve the same purpose: Russian Mandarin, French, Arabic, Spanish, and Swahili, to offer just a few examples. But languages come and go. It wasn't that long ago that French was the language of international diplomacy. Spanish held that role before that, and Latin even before that.

Since the founding of the country, English has been one of, if not the, predominant languages in the world. Until the 20th century, that was because of the British Empire. Now it's because of us. Most Americans that travel abroad don't need extensive education in the languages of the countries they're visiting because English is prevalent enough for them to get by with a phrase book.

Three and half billion people in the world call themselves Muslims, Christians, and Jews. That does not mean they believe the world was created in six days.

If you wish to look specifically at the story of creation in the Book of Genesis, you're no doubt aware there are two creation stories. In one, Adam was created first, and Eve was created to alleviate his loneliness. In the second, Adam and Eve were created at the same time.

For Muslims, the story of creation is nothing like the story, or stories, conveyed in Genesis.

"Creator of the heavens and the earth from nothingness, He has only to say when He wills a thing: 'Be,' and it is." (Al-Baqarah 2:117)

There is no detailed account of creation in the Quran. Muslims most assuredly believe God is the creator; you won't find a story similar the creation story in Genisis in the Quran, however.

And, as for Christians, do you care to poll the Christians on this board for their incredible diversity of belief concerning creation?

Very few, if any, of the Jews I know believe the earth was created in six days.

The point being that more than half of the world believe that the earth was created by a higher power. Using religious beliefs as a barometer of intelligence is ridiculous.

You're right again, too, when you say that xenophobia isn't peculiar to the US. North Korea, apartheid-era South Africa, Marxist-era Yemen, fundamentalist Muslims, Hitlerian Germany, Argentina under the military dictatorship, Serbia under Slobodan Milosovic, and - unfortunately - many others, have all shared the same proclivity toward xenophobia.

The US has ample company.

You're forgetting modern day France (look at the recent uprising in Paris), the Osi/Wessie and anti-immigrant battles in Germany, Russia's racism against the tartars and other non-Russians in the Soviet Union, Spain's repression of the Basques...

Besides, where do you think America got its xenophobia from? Europe. You all invented it.

Don't forget France, Spain, Canada, Germany, Russia, the UK, China, Japan, Australia, South Korea...xenophobia exists everywhere, and to try and single out the US is nothing more than an inaccurate attempt to deny both the historical and present day existence of xenophobia in the world's major democratic (or oligarchic, in the case of China) nations.
I think the dudes point was that xenophobia is more prominent in the US than in other developed countries.I agree with this. And speaking of oligarchies, the US is definatly one. Granted it might be better described as a plutocracy but its all good.

I think the dudes point was that xenophobia is more prominent in the US than in other developed countries.I agree with this. And speaking of oligarchies, the US is definatly one. Granted it might be better described as a plutocracy but its all good.

Xenophobia is more prevalent in Japan than any western nation. Don't even get me started on some of the wacky laws.

I think the dudes point was that xenophobia is more prominent in the US than in other developed countries.I agree with this. And speaking of oligarchies, the US is definatly one. Granted it might be better described as a plutocracy but its all good.

There are no openly "Americans Only" restaurants in the United States, unlike Japan where such places are perfectly acceptable; after all, Japan is the most xenophobic nation on Earth. France is also far more xenophobic than the US, as are parts of Germany.

FINALLY! Someone who says something right for a change! As I've stated earlier, the Americans during WW2 didn't do SQUAT. They cleaned up the leftovers from the British, nothing more. And who was it that in the end forced a grenade down Franz's throat? Not the Americans, they weren't even there... But the Soviets. The US soldiers didn't really have such a hard time as all your movies and games wants to tell us. It was the British, Soviet and all the countless freedom fighters who stopped the German warmachine... NOT the Americans with your inferior tanks and weapons!

I someone has already gotten to this idiot I missed it.

You know how angry this made me. If it wasn't for the American participation in WW2 almost all of Europe would've have been Stalin’s puppets. Yes you were involved in the war first but it only makes since that was in your backyard. And for inferior tanks and weapons I have to agree with you to some extent. I don't call the nuclear bomb an inferior weapon. Plus for what we lacked in technological superiority we made up for with overwhelming numbers. You could argue that’s what gave the allies a major advantage on the Western front. Also the British used a lot of American made weapons during the war. The Pacific theater would've have been lost without America. The Soviets did not have a navy that could engage the Japanese.

There are no openly "Americans Only" restaurants in the United States, unlike Japan where such places are perfectly acceptable

when i was tromping around India i found that there were many closed doors. here in the US nobody cares.. it's all good.

There are no openly "Americans Only" restaurants in the United States, unlike Japan where such places are perfectly acceptable; after all, Japan is the most xenophobic nation on Earth. France is also far more xenophobic than the US, as are parts of Germany.
I bow to your expertise.

You know how angry this made me. If it wasn't for the American participation in WW2 almost all of Europe would've have been Stalin’s puppets. Yes you were involved in the war first but it only makes since that was in your backyard. And for inferior tanks and weapons I have to agree with you to some extent. I don't call the nuclear bomb an inferior weapon. Plus for what we lacked in technological superiority we made up for with overwhelming numbers. You could argue that’s what gave the allies a major advantage on the Western front. Also the British used a lot of American made weapons during the war. The Pacific theater would've have been lost without America. The Soviets did not have a navy that could engage the Japanese.

304,000+ US soliders were killed and 670,000 were wounded...if that's not a meaningful contribution, I don't know what is. Not to mention that Britain didn't have the ability to actually invade Europe; they could hold their ground but not actually invade...with the result being Soviet domination of the entire continent.

I felt like making a post about all the good America does.

*thinks*............................................................................................ .................................................................................................... .................................................................................................... ..
I can't think of anything. Can somebody help me out?
Oh yeah. And I voted I hate America. The only real choice up there. Naturally.

*thinks*............................................................................................ .................................................................................................... .................................................................................................... ..
I can't think of anything. Can somebody help me out?
Oh yeah. And I voted I hate America. The only real choice up there. Naturally.

We're not Russia?

I someone has already gotten to this idiot I missed it.

You know how angry this made me. If it wasn't for the American participation in WW2 almost all of Europe would've have been Stalin’s puppets.
Half of the continent ended up as Soviet puppets anyway. And the other half became US puppets. Not realy an improvement.

I someone has already gotten to this idiot I missed it.

You know how angry this made me. If it wasn't for the American participation in WW2 almost all of Europe would've have been Stalin’s puppets.
Half of the continent ended up as Soviet puppets anyway. And the other half became US puppets. Not realy an improvement.

We're not Russia?
And you think thats a plus?

And you think thats a plus?

Not really...but it's not a bad thing either.

Not really...but it's not a bad thing either.
Not a good thing either. Your still Americans.

Don't like Bush. Don't like all the nukes. Don't like all the military spending, huge deficit, etc. But some of the people are nice some of the time in some of the states. Just like they are all over some of the rest of the world.

But, I agree with whathisname. Eventually, someone is going to walkin to the states, blowup something nasty, kill thousands and injure more..... because we are so good at p---ing off the rest of the world.


I would like to apologize, right now, to All of you, if we in America have every ticked you off.

I can still remember the young Japanese man that spat at my feet when I was visiting there.
Well, we nuked them. If he wants to spit at America after we incinerated an entire city, I don't have a problem with it.

I would have even apologized but I was a little bit in shock.

i HATE HATE HATE america because:
"Dude we are free! Hold up the constitution? whats that? Black people voting? HAHAHAHAHAH"...
"Dude, we believe in isolationism. Lets invade hawaii."
PLUS the fact they elected G. W. Bush twice which is like... No.... ur stupid....

i HATE HATE HATE america because:
"Dude we are free! Hold up the constitution? whats that? Black people voting? HAHAHAHAHAH"...
"Dude, we believe in isolationism. Lets invade hawaii."
PLUS the fact they elected G. W. Bush twice which is like... No.... ur stupid....

I would say "Pot calling the Kettle black" but that's just way too overused...

i HATE HATE HATE america because:
"Dude we are free! Hold up the constitution? whats that? Black people voting? HAHAHAHAHAH"...
"Dude, we believe in isolationism. Lets invade hawaii."
PLUS the fact they elected G. W. Bush twice which is like... No.... ur stupid....
he got elected twice because he is a great President. I dont see what the problem is.

I, for one, love America, and I'm an angry conservative who wants bush out of power more than anything, and my choice in leadership is divided between McCain and Clarke.

Why do I love America? Because if I didn't, I'd have to think something else was better. Sure, its easy to get in a hissy-fit over civil rights issues, but take a look at Europe between the years of 1200-1950. It was pretty much a shithole that assassinated itself as often as possible, and the royal family tree for the entire continent was a square

China? Japan? Nanking, 3000 years of constant civil wars.

You're lucky to have a leader who can stay alive and in power for more than a week in most of the rest of the world, unless genocide is a political cornerstone of theirs.

Face it, there isn't a single damn place on earth that isn't pockmarked by earthshaking atrocities or collosal incompetence in some form. Australia Lost a prime minister. Lost, as in, I cannot find the prime minister.

Every place on earth is in a perpetual state of near-collapse, and yet it's held up quite nicely for thousands of years now. Obla-di Obla-da

Damn, this thread just doesn't want to die.

*whacks the thread*

Die thread, Die!

Also note how comments are slowly degrading and becoming more and more stupid, silly, illogical, irrational, unbased, baised and pointless.

Now to see who will take offence at that first.

Damn, this thread just doesn't want to die.

*whacks the thread*

Die thread, Die!

Also note how comments are slowly degrading and becoming more and more stupid, silly, illogical, irrational, unbased, baised and pointless.

Now to see who will take offence at that first.

I think these comments are part of a healthy discussion about the status of America. I would hope that in a small way it may change people's view of America for the better.

Why do I love America? Because if I didn't, I'd have to think something else was better. Sure, its easy to get in a hissy-fit over civil rights issues, but take a look at Europe between the years of 1200-1950. It was pretty much a shithole that assassinated itself as often as possible, and the royal family tree for the entire continent was a square


Point one: Swearing is merely indicative of a lack of vocabulary. Dont swear

Point two: Europe, unlike America, was developing and evolving as a political entity for several 1000 years. America has been around for what, 225 years? Of course there are periods in European history that are bad. Why? Because there is MORE OF IT. It has been developing and growing over a long period

Point three: Europe is not one country. Do not treet it as such. If America was not as we know it now, but was aproximately fifty odd diffrent independent nations, chances are it would also be riddled with war in its earlier history.

We consume more resources because we have one of the highest standards of living on Earth. I, for one, don't think that's a bad thing.


You consume disproportinately. You represent less than 10% of the worlds population but consume far far more resources. That is not fair to the rest of the world. America should begin to enforce more responsable enviromental policies.

You consume disproportinately. You represent less than 10% of the worlds population but consume far far more resources. That is not fair to the rest of the world. America should begin to enforce more responsable enviromental policies.

That would result in us having lower standard of living e.i. higher energy costs and unemployment. No thanks, we are a consumer nation and we will continue to be.

airplane, then the first helicopter, light bulb, electricity(i think right?), the phone, the assembly line, cars, motors, more efficient ways for many things... America is truly great. Also just as a fact for some of the very first threads on here, 1, just 1 of our Nuclear Attack Submarines can destroy America, we have something like 30-40 some, that's alot, our army alone(America) can destroy the world 20 times over.. that's just america....

The light bulb - Joseph William Swan - British
The telephone - Alexander Graham Bell - British
The electric motor - Michael Faraday - British
The helicopter - Igor Sikorsky - Russian
Electricty - William Gilbert - British

So no, your not as great as you think. Not to mention that Britain invented/discovered the following as well

Supersonic flight
The Rifle
Cat's eyes
The fax machine
The internet
Gas masks
The hydrofoil
The internal combustion engine
Depth charges
The periscope
Penicilin
Radar
Television
The umbrellea
The metal lathe

That would result in us having lower standard of living e.i. higher energy costs and unemployment. No thanks, we are a consumer nation and we will continue to be.

Not good enough. You have to change your ways else we will all suffer in the end.

I felt like making a post about all the good America does. We have the biggest and best economy with by far the biggest GDP of any country. We the strongest military and we spend 400 billion dollars a year on it(I think it should be more) and have over 3,000 nukes(should be more). We also have alot of freedom and a great quality of life. Our entertainment is the best in world and alot of people want to be like us. God bless America!
and we invade more countries tha anyone else!
and we let the poor starve in the street!
and we have the highest homicide and infant mortality rates in the "civilized world"
i think america is mostly good i like being here
but there is so much wrong
i cant puff out my chest like that

too much needs to be fixed

Not good enough. You have to change your ways else we will all suffer in the end.

americans are so greedy

I think these comments are part of a healthy discussion about the status of America. I would hope that in a small way it may change people's view of America for the better.

Right...

And claiming that you have a stronger military, more nukes, are more selfish, more consumerist and generally more self-centered is going to help that How?

If you want to talk about the good things, you should be talking about actual good things. You should be referring to how you have vast areas of nature that are actually protected, like the beautiful Adirondacks. They're beautiful, they're cool and they're something people will like you for.

That was just one example, not being american, I have a tough time coming up with more. I suggest you polish your PR skills, as they're severely lacking.

No, I am not scared of some terrorist nor your army. I don't need either.

No, I am not impressed by your nukes, they're expensive, a waste and environmentally bad to all of us.

No, I am not impressed by your consumerism. I consume less, I have a higher standard of living than many americans who consume more than I do.

No, I am not impressed by your economy. It's not by far the biggest and there's a huge gap compared to many other countries.

No, I am not particularly impressed by most of your entertainment. There's loads of bad things and while the good things are great, they're not better than a lot of other entertainment i've seen out there.

No, I am not particularly impressed by your freedom. I am as well, it's great, but it's not better. In fact, i'd go as far as to say that it's wonderful.

Yes, I am impressed that you still have large and beautiful nature reserves. With the image that people have of the US, this was something I honestly did not expect.

And finally, I am impressed that at least one of your women is really smart and beautiful and whatnot.

As this all equals out in the end, that's my reason for saying America is okay.

But you really shouldn't go around claiming it's better or the best.

(oops, I wanted this thread to die, I failed)

That would result in us having lower standard of living e.i. higher energy costs and unemployment. No thanks, we are a consumer nation and we will continue to be.
Of course, the three or so billion people who live on a couple of dollars a day don't figure into the equation, do they?

America is alright in my book. Its probably just another country with a bad government. Sure Bushy is an idiot and a warmonger, but dear Johnny Howard is willing to follow him into battle. So some Americans are stupid, I could go to my highschool and find people just as stupid. How could anybody not like a country that invented Futurama, Lightsabers, and...uh...Freedom?

There's no excuse for chocolate-coated peanut butter, though.

I must say, I have gotten a substantial amount of enjoyment out of the proceeding pages.

Please continue.

Gas masks
Television

Allthough there is not realy a single inventor of gas masks the first where used by Alexander von Humboldt when he was working in the coal mines in Prussia. As for TV. Paul Gottlieb Nipkow patentet the first electromechanical Tv in 1885. Neither of them where British. As for the rest I don't have time to look it up. But wasn't the WWW/internet pioneered in Switzerland?

I love Britain!

This has probably been gone over but...
Nuclear weapons are a GOOD! thing?
Your econermys going to be overtaken by china
Your entertainment industry isn't the best in the world (In omedy adn Drama your worse than the British and your films are awful)
You've invaded innocent countrys
No free healthcare
right wing goverment
Huge income inequality
Large amount of people below the poverty line
Bush
Fox
Fattest country in the world (Or so i balive)

And thats just off the top of my head.)