The USA is still the greatest country in the world.

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Walker
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Re: The USA is still the greatest country in the world.

Post by Walker »

PeteJ wrote: Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:31 pm The idea that the USA is the greatest country is hard to compute. All we can say with confidence is that its residents are inclined to think it is. Quite why is unclear. I suspect it's the constant propaganda. Oddly, this view is less common outside the US.
Then why are all those folks illegally crossing the US-Mexico border, and sending their children off with non-family adults for a journey of a thousand miles which involves illegally crossing into a foreign country, an act for which they could be shot elsewhere in the world, a journey whose first step is mothers giving daughters birth control pills and condoms and a hearty farewell, good luck and hope you make it?

Answer: because border jumpers want to get into the United States, not out of the United States. We can objectively say they want to get to the best rather than something worse.

Besides, the best is enemy of the good, which is a plausible motive for all the good folks who happen to be USofAphobes being secretly jealous of the New World promised land, the land of milk and honey. As Al Bundy says, "where the beer flows like wine." :D

Al Bundy's beer philosophy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spIrhYfwi5c
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henry quirk
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Pete

Post by henry quirk »

You wrote: The idea that the USA is the greatest country is hard to compute. All we can say with confidence is that its residents are inclined to think it is. Quite why is unclear. I suspect it's the constant propaganda. Oddly, this view is less common outside the US.

America is Americans. Americans are America. Americans are cool & sexy & friggin' great, so America is cool & sexy & friggin' great.

As for other folks in other places thinkin' Americans aren't cool & sexy & friggin' great: jealousy is an awful thing, ain't it?
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attofishpi
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Re: The USA is still the greatest country in the world.

Post by attofishpi »

America is great at fucking up humanity with their brash stupidity , attempting to copy the imperial nature of Great Britain but proving to be a foolish brat of an offspring that only thinks to cash in on providing 'arms' to the world without a care for anyone ....because...they ain't amerrrycaaaan.
PeteJ
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Re: The USA is still the greatest country in the world.

Post by PeteJ »

Walker wrote: Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:29 pm Then why are all those folks illegally crossing the US-Mexico border, and sending their children off with non-family adults for a journey of a thousand miles which involves illegally crossing into a foreign country, an act for which they could be shot elsewhere in the world, a journey whose first step is mothers giving daughters birth control pills and condoms and a hearty farewell, good luck and hope you make it?

Answer: because border jumpers want to get into the United States, not out of the United States. We can objectively say they want to get to the best rather than something worse.

Besides, the best is enemy of the good, which is a plausible motive for all the good folks who happen to be USofAphobes being secretly jealous of the New World promised land, the land of milk and honey. As Al Bundy says, "where the beer flows like wine." :D

Al Bundy's beer philosophy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spIrhYfwi5c
I don't want to get into USA bashing, but a thread with this title is bound to attract amused comments.

The idea that we're all secretly jealous of the USA is absurd. No doubt many people would prefer to live there than where they are, but this is often because the USA has ruined their own country. This is particularly likely in South America. That they would prefer to live in the US does not make the US the greatest country in the world.

The people of the USA are no doubt all wonderful, but in respect of its cultural, social and political influence there are some who would extend the Mexican wall across the Atlantic.

Most people are proud of their country but I struggle to understand how Americans come to think theirs is so uniquely special and priveledged. It's a view that causes nothing but trouble and it looks naive and arrogant from elsewhere. Of course, the Brits may often be equally naive and arrogant, and as for the French...
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henry quirk
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Post by henry quirk »

"America is great at fucking up humanity with their brash stupidity , attempting to copy the imperial nature of Great Britain but proving to be a foolish brat of an offspring that only thinks to cash in on providing 'arms' to the world without a care for anyone ....because...they ain't amerrrycaaaan."

Yep, we ARE overblown, short-sighted, way too stuck on ourselves, opportunistic. and completely lacking in sophistication and subtly.

We're also not goin' anywhere.

#

"I struggle to understand how Americans come to think theirs is so uniquely special and priveledged"

It's (our) Manifest Destiny to unite this globe under Old Glory. Once we Americanize Earth we can switch over to the Gadsden and move on to Americanizing SPACE.

Resistance is futile.
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A_Seagull
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USA or China?

Post by A_Seagull »

Would you rather live in USA or China?

Tough choice I reckon.

Pro China: Less likely to get shot by some gun toting lunatic or verbally assaulted by some bible bashing red neck, not such a target for nuclear attack, free tea at cafes, Chinese food.
Con China: They don't speak English, totalitarian government control and bureaucratic corruption.

Pro USA: Nice state parks.
Con USA: Hamburgers and Disneyland.

Maybe China by a whisker...
jayjacobus
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Re:

Post by jayjacobus »

henry quirk wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 3:42 pm "America is great at fucking up humanity with their brash stupidity , attempting to copy the imperial nature of Great Britain but proving to be a foolish brat of an offspring that only thinks to cash in on providing 'arms' to the world without a care for anyone ....because...they ain't amerrrycaaaan."

Yep, we ARE overblown, short-sighted, way too stuck on ourselves, opportunistic. and completely lacking in sophistication and subtly.

We're also not goin' anywhere.

#

"I struggle to understand how Americans come to think theirs is so uniquely special and priveledged"

It's (our) Manifest Destiny to unite this globe under Old Glory. Once we Americanize Earth we can switch over to the Gadsden and move on to Americanizing SPACE.

Resistance is futile.
Here are some helpful, actionable tips you can try the next time you need to calm down.

Breathe. ...
Admit that you're anxious or angry. ...
Challenge your thoughts. ...
Release the anxiety or anger. ...
Visualize yourself calm. ...
Think it through. ...
Listen to music. ...
Change your focus.
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A_Seagull
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Re: USA or China?

Post by A_Seagull »

A_Seagull wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 10:05 pm Would you rather live in USA or China?

Tough choice I reckon.

Pro China: Less likely to get shot by some gun toting lunatic or verbally assaulted by some bible bashing red neck, not such a target for nuclear attack, free tea at cafes, Chinese food.
Con China: They don't speak English, totalitarian government control and bureaucratic corruption.

Pro USA: Nice state parks.
Con USA: Hamburgers and Disneyland. Handguns and bible bashers.

Maybe China by a whisker...
jayjacobus
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Re: USA or China?

Post by jayjacobus »

A_Seagull wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 10:07 pm
A_Seagull wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 10:05 pm Would you rather live in USA or China?

Tough choice I reckon.

Pro China: Less likely to get shot by some gun toting lunatic or verbally assaulted by some bible bashing red neck, not such a target for nuclear attack, free tea at cafes, Chinese food.
Con China: They don't speak English, totalitarian government control and bureaucratic corruption.

Pro USA: Nice state parks.
Con USA: Hamburgers and Disneyland. Handguns and bible bashers.

Maybe China by a whisker...
They've paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

It's gone. Say good bye and move on.
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henry quirk
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"Here are some helpful, actionable tips you can try the next time you need to calm down."

Post by henry quirk »

You forgot one...

Pretend you have connections to the powers that be (intimidate enemies! impress friends!)...
jayjacobus
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Re: "Here are some helpful, actionable tips you can try the next time you need to calm down."

Post by jayjacobus »

henry quirk wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 11:55 pm You forgot one...

Pretend you have connections to the powers that be (intimidate enemies! impress friends!)...
Last edited by jayjacobus on Tue Jul 02, 2019 6:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Age
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Re: The USA is still the greatest country in the world.

Post by Age »

If the usa is still the greatest country in the world, then the slogan "Make america great again" seems redundant.

Unless, of course, that slogan refers to the whole of the american continent and not just a part of it.
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henry quirk
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"the slogan "Make america great again" seems redundant"

Post by henry quirk »

Yeah, it's a conundrum.

:confused:
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A_Seagull
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Re: The USA is still the greatest country in the world.

Post by A_Seagull »

Age wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2019 2:20 am If the usa is still the greatest country in the world, then the slogan "Make america great again" seems redundant.

Unless, of course, that slogan refers to the whole of the american continent and not just a part of it.
Ignoring the question of whether the USA was ever great; how would it be possible to make America great?
Age
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Re: The USA is still the greatest country in the world.

Post by Age »

A_Seagull wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2019 5:01 am
Age wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2019 2:20 am If the usa is still the greatest country in the world, then the slogan "Make america great again" seems redundant.

Unless, of course, that slogan refers to the whole of the american continent and not just a part of it.
Ignoring the question of whether the USA was ever great; how would it be possible to make America great?
That would all depend on what the writer of that slogan actually meant when they chose the 'great' word. Only they could answer that question accurately.

To me, as that slogan stands it makes NO sense at all.

It is just another example of how human beings can be so simply and easily swayed to think a particular way, without ever realizing how nor why they think the way they do.
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