So Is The USA The Greatest Country In THe World? If Not, Why Not?

[Shaitra]

Interesting and thought-provoking video. I feel we are one of the greatest countries but not the greatest country in the world. Somewhere we have lost our way.

 

[rightwinger]

No country in history has had the power of the US and used it less

PosRep

/thread

Yeah... I let this go earlier, but now that you've highlighted it... RW brings up a valid point...

Most of the rest of the world could not be trusted with the power we have...

Many of the nations of Europe and the Middle East and Asia would have been doing the "Unser Vaterland Uber Alles" happy-dance by now, having conquered much or all of the world - Imperial Era II and/or Colonial Era Redux..

We're a little more laid-back than that... by no means perfect, but better than many...

Look at the USA after WWII. 1945-1950
We were the only superpower left standing, we had the bomb, we occupied Germany and Japan. How many nations in history would have reacted like the US did?

We instituted the Marshall Plan and actually rebuilt our former enemies
We demanded no repayment of war debt or retribution
We turned over territory we fought and died to capture to its original owners
We left the Middle East and all its oil reserves

Since WWII, the US has helped stabilize the world at great expense. We have defended Democracy and bolstered the global economy

 

[Billy000]

I do like that clip, but god i that that show. Pretentious garbage.

It really is true. While militarily and economically we are superior, our public education and economic systems are jokes.

 

[noose4]

What makes the U.S. the greatest nation in the world is it is where we live and we can strive to make better the things we have that are not up to par. (that is if certain obstructionists that want us to return to the gilded age of a few very wealthy people and everybody else just struggling to get by get out of the way)

 

[Billo_Really]

The statements in the video are absolutely right!

We used to be a great country, we're not anymore. We're not even the country we started out to be. What he said in the video is true, "The first step in solving a problem, is recognizing the problem exists." And there are many people in this country who can't (or won't) even do that.

Take the war on terror, for example. People ask the question, "Why do they hate us?" Many people think it's an Islamic threat, that muslims raise their children to hate us. They don't think it's because we've been bombing the shit out of ME country's for years. Because that would be too close to home. That would mean we are doing something wrong. That would indicate we are guilty of aggression, the same thing Germany was accused of in WWII and that is just to painful to deal with.

But until we are able to deal with issues like that head on, we will never be a great nation again. Because one of the things that made us great in the past, was the fact that we did deal with issues like that, as Kennedy said, "Not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

Here's a short list of the reason's we're not great:

• no outrage over torture, renditions and indefinate detention
• no outrage over the policization of our justice dept
• no outrage being in a state of war for over 10 years
• no outrage over having more people incarcerated than any country on earth
• no outrage over having our representation in government stripped from us by special interest groups

And probably the biggest reason we're not a great country anymore, is because we are no longer a well-informed republic. But what did make us a great country, is the fact that when we are, all the other problems we have will be solved as a result of that. It will be a by-product of being well-informed.

But for that to happen, as certain segment of the population has to end their war on education.

 

[JWBooth]

Nope


Designated Hitter Rule


It is the only thing standing in the way

 

[DaGoose]

America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, she will no longer be great.

Alexis de Tocqueville

We ceased being good. Liberal influence made us putrid and corrupt.

So if we were to....say.....continue to demonize the poor rather than attack poverty (as is alluded to in the video) that is what makes us good?

.

 

[Freewill]

This video, assuming that the statistics are true, got me to thinking about whether or not we REALLY believe that the USA is the greatest country in the world and if not what we need to do to achieve that status.

WATCH THE 3 MINUTE VIDEO and see what I'm referring to. It's quite a clip.

The Most Honest Three Minutes In Television History - YouTube

So we need to take heed of another comedian. WTF is wrong with him, he didn't name the country he was moving to. Sweden, good luck with that. France? If he is gay he had better not.

World Giving Index: US Ranked Most Charitable Country On Earth (SLIDESHOW)

THAT statistic the f... left off and for good reason. Just because the idiot tries and sound all high an mighty he is just another hate America first asshole.

In the end he failed to mention a greater country, why because he can't and that wasn't his objective. F... him

 

[S.J.]

You appear to be the one who is anti-American.

Yeah, and how is that?

Attacking someone as anti-American because their political beliefs are different than yours.

What was said was anti-American, but you probably don't understand that.

 

[High_Gravity]

America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, she will no longer be great.

Alexis de Tocqueville

We ceased being good. Liberal influence made us putrid and corrupt.

Didn't we cease being good when we openly embraced torture?

Torture? the stuff we do over here is considered childs play in most of the world. Prisoners in China or Iran would welcome water boarding compared to the gruesome stuff they endure.

 

[longknife]

The U.S. is great simply because garbage speech like this is freely allowed.

 

[MisterBeale]

Of course we're number one. Look how many things we're number one in. We leave them all behind in the dust! This is why we need to have the biggest defense budget, because every nation on Earth wants to put an end to our utopian way of life. It's why we invade more nations on Earth than any other nation.

 

[Kondor3]

The U.S. is great simply because garbage speech like this is freely allowed.

To each his own. I saw it as another form of love-of-country and a call to patriotism, but perhaps I missed something, that would render it as 'garbage speech'.

 

[Billo_Really]

What was said was anti-American, but you probably don't understand that.

What was anti-American about it?

 

[Kondor3]

The first 1/2 to 2/3 of the video may SEEM anti-American...

The last 1/3 to 1/2 of the video makes up for that, and clarifies the speakers motives and intentions, and manifests a deep love our our country, and ties it all together very nicely...

I thought it was very well done...

But that's just one feller's opinion...

 

[Gracie]

It is still a great country. It just is having some burps due to those running it. Once someone strong is behind the wheel again...the USA will be better than it has been lately.

 

[Borillar]

If we aren't the greatest country on Earth, tell me who is? Despite our faults, we are still a pretty open, generous society. I've been to many countries and haven't seen any that I would prefer to live in over the USA. Not to say that we don't have problems or that things couldn't be better.

 

[healthmyths]

I don't know about it being the greatEST 3-1/2 minutes in television history, but I'll buy 'one of the greater and more memorable' spans of 3-1/2 minutes.

They say that 'art reflects life', and this scripted performance for the opening episode of a television series seems to assume such a role - reflecting life - and has gone viral.

Don't look at it so much as a Liberal Rant (although it certainly is that, from a certain vantage point).

Think of it as Quality Control, on the national-societal-cultural level; or, more precisely, a call for objectivity, honest reflection, coming to grips with various realities, and a call to action.

We have been milking our WWII Victory Mindset for 70 years now - we are the greatest - something that our parents and grandparents won for us, not we - and that is wearing thin.

We have not done too badly for ourselves in the decades since that Victory, mind you, in a great many respects.

But we have grown arrogant - falsely arrogant - to an extent that should worry all of us, and cause us to set that aside, and to work much harder as a nation, to change some things that have gone wrong or that require a lot of maintenance and repair and tweaking before we are anywhere close to being 'back on top', in subject area A or B or C.

I love my country - I've worn its uniform, overseas, albeit outside of any combat zone - and - after my God and my family and a vague sense of higher duty to mankind at large - my country has every ounce of my affection and loyalty - and I would fight - and die - to keep it free from outside domination and to maintain the freedoms that we extend to each other by law.

But that does not mean that I'm obliged to walk through life with a set of Red-White-and-Blue blinkers on, either; ignoring Reality for what I think it is or wish it might be or hope it is or delude myself that it is.

As much as I despise Liberal and Conservative whining about sooooooo many things in our national life and even here on this little message board community...

As much as I think that both Liberals and Conservatives blow things out of proportion oftentimes regarding scenarios in which things are nowhere near as bad as they portray them...

This little 3-1/2 minute -long video-based Liberal Rant was a Winner, a Keeper, and pretty much dead on target.

As an Arrogance-Eliminator and Thought-Provoker and Wake-Up Call and as a Call to Action, with more regard and tender loving concern for the country than is immediately discernible at first glance, while you're watching it, until you sit back, reflect upon what was said, and ponder true motives behind such a outburst.

It strikes me that a person articulating such a theme in real life, or one for whom such a theme resonates properly and is well-received, is demonstrating a very considerable Love of Country...

But that's just me...

( and, that's probably the most Liberal-sympathetic thing that I've said in a very long time - should I be scared? - I'm not going over to the Dark Side... just kidding... )

You like most others obviously don't get the irony of the "news anchor" as the ranter.

Specifically that as the facts have shown 85% of ABC,CBS & NBC news execs,anchors,reporters gave to democrats/Obama in 2008.
So with "anchors" like Pullman portrayed ranting about how many things are wrong with the USA he and the majority of low information people SEEM TO FORGET ONE major point!
Anchors,news people like this ranter deal DAILY in the exceptions! That is they ONLY report the rare. The occasional. The Exception. But the problem they make it sound like it happens
all the time! Now yes we all KNOW it couldn't happen all the time but why are these news people constantly promoting angst! Anger!
Case in point this comment by Obama.."air raiding villages, killing civilians"! Now this anchor would find that newsworthy right? My goodness evil American soldiers killing civilians.
Or Kerry calling our troops "terrorists" in Iraq... again isn't that disgusting???

The major problem with news people and people like Obama,Kerry, et.al. is they forget .. THE PEOPLE THAT HATE the USA use these statements as the RULE because after all
the news people said so!

So I have to look at this "anchor's" rant as so totally inappropriate with the TRUTH... But it is how the media presents the exceptional violent events for example as happening... every day...

 

[Kondor3]

"...You like most others obviously don't get the irony of the 'news anchor' as the ranter..."

You are absolutely correct.

I have never watched the show.

I probably never will watch the show.

I did not know that Jeff Daniels plays(ed) a news anchor on the show.

I was focused upon the message being delivered.

Setting aside all other considerations, and addressing the contents of the message.

The rest is mere background noise and static and can be filtered-out for our purposes here.

 

[NoNukes]

PosRep

/thread

Yeah... I let this go earlier, but now that you've highlighted it... RW brings up a valid point...

Most of the rest of the world could not be trusted with the power we have...

Many of the nations of Europe and the Middle East and Asia would have been doing the "Unser Vaterland Uber Alles" happy-dance by now, having conquered much or all of the world - Imperial Era II and/or Colonial Era Redux..

We're a little more laid-back than that... by no means perfect, but better than many...

Look at the USA after WWII. 1945-1950
We were the only superpower left standing, we had the bomb, we occupied Germany and Japan. How many nations in history would have reacted like the US did?

We instituted the Marshall Plan and actually rebuilt our former enemies
We demanded no repayment of war debt or retribution
We turned over territory we fought and died to capture to its original owners
We left the Middle East and all its oil reserves

Since WWII, the US has helped stabilize the world at great expense. We have defended Democracy and bolstered the global economy

I agree with all of this, but there have been some major fuck ups that have tarnished America and it's reputation.