America The Greatest Country?

Found this interesting.

[Video]
Why and Why not "The Greatest".

From what I understand the clip is from the HBO TV show Newsroom. I honestly rarely watch TV at all any more. We have not even bothered to purchase cable TV in years. Sort of reminds me of that old movie. "The Network" (1976) From the clip.

You guys just need another civil war!

It's a great TV show. May be a little hard to watch if you're not a bit liberal, though lol.

Lol,like america has any freedom

It would end up being less civil war and more french revolution considering it is highly fiscal. 1% vs 99% and all.

ok? like you would know lol...

Oh, you know how to speak potato? I couldn't read that.

Realistically, this exists in most every country. People are raised being told that their country is the best. Good old nationalism. Yet it's easy for people outside of America (or those willing to reflect inside) to see why America isn't the best (the best being subjective of course). Conversely, it is easy for someone living outside France, Germany, Australia, Brazil, or [insert name of any country] to see why that country isn't the best (also including those willing to reflect within the country).

That being said though, I like the video. Even if America were "the best" and there were a way to measure it, I think it's still important to be able to reflect not only on the strengths, but the things that need to be improved as well.

America has done alot of good things and bad things yet if we continue to drink our own Kool-Aid that "we're the best" then yes, we'll only get worse. When you start to take everything the state does as right under the banner of "patriotism", its only a matter of time before those freedoms are completely rescinded - as we've seen since 9/11.

If you have to tell yourself repeatedly you're awesome, odds are you aren't. Chest thumping 'Murica *** yeah is mocked on the internet for a reason of course.

We didn't fight wars for "moral reasons" either and to make it seem like Iraq/Afghanistan were just flukes is to ignore her fair share of injustices over our short history as a nation.

It's to be expected isn't it? Just like you have people in different states in the US claiming that their state is better... it's pride... It's human nature to want to belong to the best or at least think we do... then you have those that don't care and the others that hate it lol...

America is mocked for the same reason every other country on this earth is mocked lol...

America is still in the spot light because we are a major global power with a great deal of influence in the world... our currency and language are used as a base... anyone in the spot light is going to be under more scrutiny... Some of it is justly deserved and some of it isn't...

as far as who the best is? I don't really think anyone has got it right just yet... we could probably all learn a thing or two from each other...

YOUR language? Pfft! 'Muricans!

You have probably less freedoms than us over here.

But the MAIN thing I'm getting at,is man doesnt have freedom.

As soon as laws are necessary for men, they are no longer fit for freedom.

-Pythagoras

Pretty sure only america speaks "american" (bad english!)

We all speak english :D

Gonna leave this topic though,I dont wanna end up giving a 2000 word rant

The english still occupy half your island!

About 15-20%,but thats a different story! /gone

My point is they do it because of America... just like if Japan was in the same position as we were the default language would be japanese... or like it may very well be in the near future with China...

kkey word there is probably in that you have no real idea lol.. then you make a statement on how no man has real freedom lol...

Ya, I realized that, but I can't pass up such an opportunity to mock Americans, can I?

I'd be disappointed if you did

Aren't Canadians still considered "subjects" in a way? And by that I mean subjects of The Crown? :P

America's dirty laundry is always flying in the wind so its easy to be critical of her. You know, when we're directly threatening countries on TV while the "enlightened" nations silently agree behind closed doors. lol

Then again, those enlightened nordic countries have their fair bit of issues but no one cares because they're under the divine protection of Lord Odin and the Valkyries.

I like Loki!

/devious grin

I think "great" is a subjective word. What makes a country great to someone else might make it awful to me, if the other person and I don't share the same values or beliefs.

For me, I'd believe a country was great if its citizens had civil freedom, religious freedom (to believe any religion they wanted or no religion at all with no punishment, either from the government or from society), well all freedoms really, not just civil and religious. I'd think a country was great if its government was small and only intervened in day-to-day life when absolutely necessary. If its laws were made strictly for the good of the people. If it prevented wars instead of participating in them. If people of all creeds and colors and backgrounds were held as equal in it. If a primary concern of the citizens and government was education for the children of that country.

This is really far off from what other people consider "great." I've had discussions with lots of folks who think that a strong army makes a great country, or that if a country is rich then it is great, that sort of thing. They have valid points too, don't get me wrong, but their values of "great" and my values of "great" are just different.

No country could fulfill every aspect of what I consider great, it's just not realistic. I understand that. A country can't always help it if it goes to war, for example. If you get invaded, what are you supposed to do, sit on your thumbs? Or stand up for yourself? (As an example.) But I'm a bit disappointed in America. Not America's fault, really. As a child I was taught (mostly by family) that America was the greatest country, the richest country, the freest country (side rant spoiler)

Anyways, I was taught from my extremely patriotic family that America was basically the closest thing to utopia and all the other countries were less-than, for various reasons. That America was the back-to-back world war champions, so we could dominate anyone in a war situation. (Even our national anthem is glamorizing war, for goodness sake!) That America was the only place where a poor person could pull themselves up by their bootstraps and become rich, even to the point that poor people choose to be so because there are just endless opportunities here. That other countries aren't even free.

So when I grew up a bit and realized that a lot of this wasn't true, it was disillusioning, disheartening, and a bit disappointing. If I had grown up with a realistic view of America instead of a fairy-tale view of America, I would probably like America much more today, because I would not have been so disappointed.

Anyways. Apparently the USA is ranked 7th in an index for human freedom (http://www.fraserinstitute.org/research-news/news/display.aspx?id=19171) and 10th in economic freedom (http://www.heritage.org/index/ranking) which for my my values, places America overall at 7th "greatest" if we disregard wars.

If we do not disregard wars and look at peaceful countries, America is not doing so good. (http://www.buzzfeed.com/keenan/the-most-peaceful-countries-in-the-world) but just how good it's not doing varies from source to source. Wiki has America listed at number 29, which is a great deal higher than this buzzfeed source.

Anyways! No, America is not the greatest. But it's also not the worst, and we may as well make the best of it and try to improve it for future generations.

what I think is cool about america is, if we don't like what you named your country, we just call it w/e we want.

Nippon?

***! sounds funny, you're japan.

Deutschland?

*** that! sounds wierd, you're germany.

I guess you could say that of all the commonwealth countries. Canada has it's problems too, we've got lots of debt as well. Let's not change the subject though! Down with 'murica!

you *** scoffed at me when I said Liela for president 2012, now who's laughing!?!? >:

Liela for president 2016!!!

The Romans beat the US to naming Deutschland a long time ago.

I must be the only person that likes the US national anthem.

Oooooo that's Romano, eh?

balls. that always made me giggle.

education just gave me a sad.

edit*

mf'er it looks like the chinese are the ones in question on the japanese side.

double sads ; ;