America is the best country in the world.

[tjcaustin]

Difference between America, England, and France.

A Frenchman believes France to be the greatest country in the world.
An Englishman knows England is the greatest country in the world.
An American gets confused by the concept of "world".

LOL!

What do you call someone who speaks three languages?  tri-lingual
What do you call someone who speaks two languages?  bi-lingual
What do you call someone who speaks one language?  American, lol.

Of course, all this is changing with all the damn illegals here that are getting amnesty.  Sure is a slap in the face to my father who immigrated here legally and helped make the country better.  I was born here and love the country, but it's starting to have some problems that mirror what I've seen in the third-world.  I'm afraid I'll have to immigrate in my lifetime if things don't stop going downhill.

You know where the door is, chicken little.

[tufty]

An Englishman knows England is the greatest country in the world

, but lives in France.

Quite.  Except that this "Englishman" has absolutely no belief in "nation" of any kind.

SamirD got the joke wrong, though.

What do you call someone who speaks three or more languages? - Polyglot
What do you call someone who speaks 2 languages? - Bilingual
What do you call someone who speaks one language? - English.
What do you call someone who can't even get *that* right? - American.

[Malphas]

I like how ms' troll thread has descended into snooty yet nonchalent jokes based on American stereotypes instead.

[iri]

An Englishman knows England is the greatest country in the world

, but lives in France.

Quite.  Except that this "Englishman" has absolutely no belief in "nation" of any kind.

even the swiss?

[Malphas]

I like Switzerland a lot. It's the antithesis of the USA - easily one of the finest countries in the world, high standard of living, almost zero carbon footprint, foreign policy with emphasis on neutrality, etc. Yet you never hear the Swiss droning on about how great their country is like you hear (some) Americans doing.

[baldgye]

An Englishman knows England is the greatest country in the world

, but lives in France.

Quite.  Except that this "Englishman" has absolutely no belief in "nation" of any kind.

Yeah I can back that

[keymaster]

dat #muricalogic

[Michael]

Whenever I see any post related to the USA, the ignorance here is astounding. You guys act as if the USA is a hive mind, that everyone here believes the same things. Or thinks the same way.
Did you know that the USA is made up of people from all over the world? Astonishing - I know, right? Why does the US make itself such an easy target for hypocrites and their 'our country is better than yours' rants?
Not sure, but it's still born of pure ignorance.

[tufty]

Why does the US make itself such an easy target

That comes, largely, from people posting threads with titles like "America is the best country in the world".

As for "our country is better than your country", it's largely some "your country isn't necessarily as wonderful as you make out", and quite a lot of fun-poking based on what appears to be an institutionalised inferiority complex.

Grow a ****in' skin.

[Michael]

Why does the US make itself such an easy target

That comes, largely, from people posting threads with titles like "America is the best country in the world".

As for "our country is better than your country", it's largely some "your country isn't necessarily as wonderful as you make out", and quite a lot of fun-poking based on what appears to be an institutionalised inferiority complex.

Grow a ****in' skin.

Yea and judging the country by that one persons post makes you ignorant. Thanks for proving my point.

[iri]

I like Switzerland a lot. It's the antithesis of the USA - easily one of the finest countries in the world, high standard of living, almost zero carbon footprint, foreign policy with emphasis on neutrality, etc. Yet you never hear the Swiss droning on about how great their country is like you hear (some) Americans doing.

funnily, it's almost exactly what usa was supposed to be. democracy, neutrality, and small professional army + well-trained militia.

[Bullveyr]

I like Switzerland a lot. It's the antithesis of the USA - easily one of the finest countries in the world, high standard of living, almost zero carbon footprint, foreign policy with emphasis on neutrality, etc. Yet you never hear the Swiss droning on about how great their country is like you hear (some) Americans doing.

That's mainly because nobody understands what they are saying.

[tufty]

Yea and judging the country by that one persons post makes you ignorant. Thanks for proving my point.

Try reading and thinking rather than going off on a kneejerk reaction, ya thick ****.

There's an enormous amount to love about the ideals behind the US.  There's a great deal to dislike about the current state of "implementation" of those ideals.  The US barely scrapes through as "civilised" on a huge number of measures, and that's only internal implementation.

For the external view, you need to consider that being a superpower doesn't make you loved, it makes you feared; being a belligerent superpower doesn't just make you feared, it makes you feared and hated.

The US is largely and probably rightfully seen as the latter of these two.  That's a good part of the reason people start sniping when they see "yay yay USA" threads.

Oh, and yeah.  Because you're all, without a single exception,  fat, hamburger-guzzling, rifle-toting, bible waving, racist rednecks.  Of course.

[Michael]

Yea and judging the country by that one persons post makes you ignorant. Thanks for proving my point.

Try reading and thinking rather than going off on a kneejerk reaction, ya thick ****.

There's an enormous amount to love about the ideals behind the US.  There's a great deal to dislike about the current state of "implementation" of those ideals.  The US barely scrapes through as "civilised" on a huge number of measures, and that's only internal implementation.

For the external view, you need to consider that being a superpower doesn't make you loved, it makes you feared; being a belligerent superpower doesn't just make you feared, it makes you feared and hated.

The US is largely and probably rightfully seen as the latter of these two.  That's a good part of the reason people start sniping when they see "yay yay USA" threads.

Oh, and yeah.  Because you're all, without a single exception,  fat, hamburger-guzzling, rifle-toting, bible waving, racist rednecks.  Of course.

There's no knee-jerk reaction to the point I made. I guess I could resort to petty name-calling, but that would surely bring me to the incompetence level that you seem to be dwelling at.


Go back, read what I responded to, then respond again after you have fully comprehended the post in its entirety.


Again - you are basically calling out the entire country for the words of a few individuals. You are speaking to me as if I am the country. I have very different viewpoints than those you seem
to be assigning the entire country. Seems you are a bit thick, yourself. This points to the ignorance I was speaking of. On one hand you seem to grasp some of the ideals, as well as shortcomings
but placing all blame on the entire country. Seeking out posts like these, then bashing the entire country for it, is in itself, ignorant.



What country do you reside in? I am certain I can reveal several of the same faults. Most countries have many of the same issues. Do you think 'Americans' themselves are boasting about the
power our country, and many other countries hold to devastate the planet? I highly doubt it. That would be a seriously deranged individual (not saying they don't exist, they do). It's going to
take a long time to move out of the need to make war to survive, into the 'lets take care of our own first' mentality.

[Malphas]

Please don't be as naive as to act as though the USA's inferiority/self-glorification complex is just a few individuals. It's an institutionalised part of American culture whether you like it or not. That doesn't mean every single person in the USA signs on to it, obviously, and no-one's suggested that; in fact, you're taking the lighthearted USA-ridicule more seriously than anyone else here. And I'm not just some snooty European basing my worldviews on cliches; I've spent a great deal of time in the USA and the whole "USA! USA! Greatest country in the world! Freedom, 'Murica!" is definitely a social meme there, above and way beyond normal everyday patriotism you see in other countries.

I mean, we've had several of these threads this year about the USA. I don't recall ever see one about Belgium, or Ireland, or Poland. You can't just pull the "that's a few individuals" rhetoric - society/culture is made out of individuals, and when a lot of individuals all exhibit the same tendencies then it reflects on that culture.

[Michael]

Please don't be as naive as to act as though the USA's inferiority/self-glorification complex is just a few individuals. It's an institutionalised part of American culture whether you like it or not. That doesn't mean every single person in the USA signs on to it, obviously, and no-one's suggested that; in fact, you're taking the lighthearted USA-ridicule more seriously than anyone else here. And I'm not just some snooty European basing my worldviews on cliches; I've spent a great deal of time in the USA and the whole "USA! USA! Greatest country in the world! Freedom, 'Murica!" is definitely a social meme there, above and way beyond normal everyday patriotism you see in other countries.

I am certainly not arguing the facts you have presented, which for the most part are true. I am simply pointing out the fact that specific individuals make it their point to bash the US in almost every thread having anything to do with it.


There's certainly a lot of unnecessary pride in this country. And I think George Carlin states it the best when he speaks on nationalism in general. The majority of the people screaming 'USA! USA!' are the less educated, pro-military and
generally from the less progressive-minded states.


I joke around about 'Murica, because I think it's pretty silly myself. To me it IS a joke. To many, it's their way of life. Not to say you shouldn't have something to be proud of, but when it's based on ignorance, it's just silly.


And to be clear, I am not being sensitive to people being against or for America, I am mostly irritated that the same rhetoric over and over appears by the same individuals all over this site.

[synerr]

The US is the land of paradoxes.  Fights socialised healthcare yet spends more per capita on healthcare than other industrialised nations whilst having more mediocre outcomes.  Puts telescopes in orbit that can see back in time to just a few hundred odd millions of years form the Big Bang yet half the population think the world is less than 10k years old.  Claims to be a democracy yet most politicians fly a theocratic banner.

Would love to know who created this image, but this is how a lot of us middle aged Europeans feel about the US:

[iri]

Would love to know who created this image

I am pretty sure it was an American.

[vasouv]

... yet half the population think the world is less than 10k years old...

This has already baffled me, how is it possible with nowadays' education for people NOT to know stuff? Or to think that America is 2013 years old? Seriously, I've seen pics from twitter with posts from people wishing America happy 2013 birthday! WHAT.THA.F*CK.

[synerr]

... yet half the population think the world is less than 10k years old...

This has already baffled me, how is it possible with nowadays' education for people NOT to know stuff? Or to think that America is 2013 years old? Seriously, I've seen pics from twitter with posts from people wishing America happy 2013 birthday! WHAT.THA.F*CK.

I've worked most of my life in "dodgy" counties.  My theory is that that certain societies develop a strong insular culture, believe they have something better than everywhere else, develop a sense of entitlement and seek fundamentalist religious justification and references to tradition, conservative values, identity, etc.  My alarm bells go off when I hear the phrase "god given right" or "divine duty".  I nearly thew up hearing my North American inlaws saying that living in an Eco disaster mansion in the burbs driving a gas guzzling SUV for a km just to pick up less milk than gas used for the trip was their god given right on this earth.  Wish there was a global oxygen tax.

[Findecanor]

Show Image

Luxembourg !!

[microsoft windows]

Back on topic! Tell us why you love America.

[Frenir]

This topic makes me cringe, the extreme need for Americans to tell everyone else about how great America is gives the opposite effect.

[Lurch]

I love America because FREEDOM FRIES!!!

[paicrai]

i love america because it's literally a worldwide ctos #jokes
someone needs  to hack the data center in utah though goddamnit

[Frenir]

i love america because it's literally a worldwide ctos #jokes
someone needs  to hack the data center in utah though goddamnit

God damnit, this isn't watch dogs!

or is it.....

[Malphas]

the USA PEOPLE... are no more enthusiastic about USA than anyone else is about their respective country.

Having spent considerable time in the USA and UK, as well as other countries around the world, I can say this is entirely false. The USA actually is considerably more patroitic/jingoistic than other developed countries. Generally the crappier a country is, the more misplaced pride the citizens have in its superiority. So on one end of the scale you have places like North Korea, then the likes of Russia, then the USA, the on the other end of the scale you have places like Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, etc. which actually are the best countries in the world, but are incredibly low-key about it.

Also, I suppose this video is obligatory in this kind of thread, if it hasn't already been posted.

[hashbaz]

Always relevant

[Frenir]

the USA PEOPLE... are no more enthusiastic about USA than anyone else is about their respective country.

Having spent considerable time in the USA and UK, as well as other countries around the world, I can say this is entirely false. The USA actually is considerably more patroitic/jingoistic than other developed countries. Generally the crappier a country is, the more misplaced pride the citizens have in its superiority. So on one end of the scale you have places like North Korea, then the likes of Russia, then the USA, the on the other end of the scale you have places like Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, etc. which actually are the best countries in the world, but are incredibly low-key about it.

Also, I suppose this video is obligatory in this kind of thread, if it hasn't already been posted.

Very powerful video, proves my point well.

[iri]

then the likes of Russia

*iri casts bear cavalry on malphas

[VesperSAINT]

I just presumed because you were posting in a thread titled "America is the best country in the world." that you were commenting about America... but you know what the say about presuming.

Sorry 

that's assuming

You know what they say when you assume~ You make an ASS out of U and ME

[berserkfan]

Well, that’s a honest video.

But as I always tell people, if the US was willing to prioritize education more than its military, it would be a gigantic leap towards being better than other countries.

But that’s not the case.

Malphas mentioned North Korea. I find that very ironical. North Korea has a national motto, Songun (military first). It’s pretty much the same for the US as well – military first. I’m surprised at how much technological progress made by the US is actually funded by the military with the original intention of finding military applications, including of course the internet over which we are now communicating.

[Krogenar]

Define "best".

I can confirm that Americans really love their country more than most other nationalities. I sell flags of all nations for a living, and so I meet foreigners looking to buy an American flag, or their own flag, very often. I'm often asked, "Why do Americans have such a hard-on for their flag?" I answer, "Well, we love our country." The European in question often says, "Well, I love my country, but I don't put my flag on bikes, shirts, coffee cups, etc."

For Europeans, national pride is kind of gauche -- like picking your nose in public -- which is fine, to each their own. I still love America, and all the hate we receive from others is just more proof that America is a special place. It's only natural. Everyone hates the good guy, right? The guy who ends up as the Homecoming King, and bangs the Homecoming Queen? It's only natural to hate that guy, especially when he picks you up and dusts you off after chasing away some bullies. Is it any wonder some people hate America so effortlessly?

Also, we beat Ghana in soccer. Eat it, Ghana.

[berserkfan]

all the hate we receive from others is just more proof that America is a special place. It's only natural. Everyone hates the good guy, right? The guy who ends up as the Homecoming King, and bangs the Homecoming Queen? It's only natural to hate that guy, especially when he picks you up and dusts you off after chasing away some bullies. Is it any wonder some people hate America so effortlessly?

This is really an awesome piece of writing.

I might've believed it when JFK was around or when Truman faced down MacArthur for wanting to use nukes.

In the 21st century, America is THE bully, and the bully is the one with a whole mob of cronies bashing other folks down and dusting them down. I'd like to name more names but I think most citizens of America's second in command would prefer me to call it Tony Blair's war rather than associate their country with it.

And whatever sympathy I once had for Poland for being invaded and bashed from east and west, has been significantly diminished in the past 10 years.

[iri]

Well, that’s a honest video.

But as I always tell people, if the US was willing to prioritize education more than its military, it would be a gigantic leap towards being better than other countries.

But that’s not the case.

Malphas mentioned North Korea. I find that very ironical. North Korea has a national motto, Songun (military first). It’s pretty much the same for the US as well – military first.

that's because AMERICA IS THE MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
what is the world's strongest air force? united states air force.
what is the world's second strongest air force? united states navy!

[MTManiac]

Well, that’s a honest video.

But as I always tell people, if the US was willing to prioritize education more than its military, it would be a gigantic leap towards being better than other countries.

But that’s not the case.

Malphas mentioned North Korea. I find that very ironical. North Korea has a national motto, Songun (military first). It’s pretty much the same for the US as well – military first.

that's because AMERICA IS THE MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
what is the world's strongest air force? united states navy.
what is the world's second strongest air force? united states air force!

fixed that for ya

[iri]

then the likes of Russia, then the USA

jingoism here is waaaaaaaaay behind the usa. but that's the reason why AMERICA won the cold war. best brainwashing => best motivation! CHECKMATE COMMIES

[berserkfan]

then the likes of Russia, then the USA

jingoism here is waaaaaaaaay behind the usa. but that's the reason why AMERICA won the cold war. best brainwashing => best motivation! CHECKMATE COMMIES

HA

I always tell people, Hollywood is the best propaganda in the world. I occasionally speculate that Hollywood produces such violent movies, serials, documentaries, etc. as part of a vast right wing conspiracy to inure Americans to violence and glorify violence so that they like a militaristic society.

[Krogenar]

I always tell people, Hollywood is the best propaganda in the world. I occasionally speculate that Hollywood produces such violent movies, serials, documentaries, etc. as part of a vast right wing conspiracy to inure Americans to violence and glorify violence so that they like a militaristic society.

Right, because Hollywood is overwhelmingly populated by right wingers.

As for America being 'World Bully' -- hey, any criticism to be leveled at Russia for it's wholesale confiscation of Georgia and Ukraine? No? Nothing to say? How about Syria, killing it's own citizens with chemical weapons? No? Nothing to say? What about North Korea, where citizens that are considered disloyal are sent to concentration camps worthy of the Nazi Regime? What about the beatings, honor killings and general misogyny found all over the Muslim world? No, no, no -- I'm deluded -- America is the bully, the one causing all the world's problems.

There are so many countries that make far better candidates for your hatred, berserkerfan.

[Malphas]

I still love America, and all the hate we receive from others is just more proof that America is a special place. It's only natural. Everyone hates the good guy, right? The guy who ends up as the Homecoming King, and bangs the Homecoming Queen? It's only natural to hate that guy, especially when he picks you up and dusts you off after chasing away some bullies. Is it any wonder some people hate America so effortlessly?

Eh, not really. The USA definitely has a historical significance, but now it's more like a regular, albeit large nation, slowly declining in influence and importance. It's the same position that used to be held by the British Empire pre-WW2, and although the UK might still hold a modicum of cultural cachet, it's for the most part just a regular country that no-one cares about.

I wouldn't really call the USA the "good guy" either. Fighting the Nazis was good and all, but there was a 50/50 chance of getting that right, and by that token you have to call Russia the good guy as well. Again, the USA basically succeeded the British Empire as the global bully, meddling in other countries affairs for political or economic gain with complete disregard for international law or the welfare of human beings - including its own citizens.

I mean, supposing we put aside all the stuff that could potentially be written off as part of the times, like the genocide and degradation of the native American population, slavery, witchhunts and executions, racial segregation, etc. then the USA has still has a pretty scummy record, for a long time now. You've got the incessant meddling of the Roosevelt Corollary into Latin America to protect or advance US economic interests, the Banana Wars, the funding, training and support for multiple terrorist/rebel groups throughout the Cold War (the Contras and the Mujahideen being the most notable examples), and the never-ending Middle East meddling in general, which tends to backfire every single time (the aforementioned indirect funding/training of al-Qaeda and the support for Saddam Hussein's coup of Iraq don't seem like such great ideas in hindsight). I could go on, but it would take forever.

That's why people look on the USA with mild disdain (no-one actually "hates" the US, besides fanatical jihadists); it's not because you're special. There's nothing really special about the USA anymore. Europe has more history and culture, Scandinavia and Asia have faster Internet, places like Singapore and Hong Kong make Manhattan look like Detroit, basically everywhere has better public transport and rail systems including the developing world, the EU economy is larger than the US's and most Europeans have a better standard of living than the typical American, the USA has more crime than the majority of the developed world, more homelessness, and more convicts, you have worse health, more obesity and lower life expectancy than the rest of the developed world, etc., etc.

[Malphas]

I always tell people, Hollywood is the best propaganda in the world. I occasionally speculate that Hollywood produces such violent movies, serials, documentaries, etc. as part of a vast right wing conspiracy to inure Americans to violence and glorify violence so that they like a militaristic society.

Right, because Hollywood is overwhelmingly populated by right wingers.

Actors tend towards the left, producers and executives do not. The 80's were full of Reagan-esque action movies about Americans saving the day in foreign countries, or renegade cops who shoot first and ask questions later. Honestly, Hollywood is just a reflection of the lowest common denominator of American culture in general though, rather than some right/left-wing conspiracy.

As for America being 'World Bully' -- hey, any criticism to be leveled at Russia for it's wholesale confiscation of Georgia and Ukraine? No? Nothing to say? How about Syria, killing it's own citizens with chemical weapons? No? Nothing to say? What about North Korea, where citizens that are considered disloyal are sent to concentration camps worthy of the Nazi Regime? What about the beatings, honor killings and general misogyny found all over the Muslim world? No, no, no -- I'm deluded -- America is the bully, the one causing all the world's problems.

There are so many countries that make far better candidates for your hatred, berserkerfan.

There are definitely nations doing worse things than the USA, the thing is though we already know Russia, Syria, etc. are bad, no-one is going around trying to pretend those are great countries or "the good guys", in the way people like you do about the USA. Not only that, but these countries' activities are all regional or domestic, the USA - like the British Empire before it - has consistently gotten itself involved in everyone else's business on a global level, so of course it's going to be viewed more negatively than a country trying to annex its neighbour, or with poor human rights with regard to its own citizens as long as it stays out of everyone else's way.

[Krogenar]

I still love America, and all the hate we receive from others is just more proof that America is a special place. It's only natural. Everyone hates the good guy, right? The guy who ends up as the Homecoming King, and bangs the Homecoming Queen? It's only natural to hate that guy, especially when he picks you up and dusts you off after chasing away some bullies. Is it any wonder some people hate America so effortlessly?

Eh, not really. The USA definitely has a historical significance, but now it's more like a regular, albeit large nation, slowly declining in influence and importance. It's the same position that used to be held by the British Empire pre-WW2, and although the UK might still hold a modicum of cultural cachet, it's for the most part just a regular country that no-one cares about.

So which nation is ascendant right now, Malphas? China? You think they'll be more ethical compared to America?

I wouldn't really call the USA the "good guy" either. Fighting the Nazis was good and all,

Fighting Nazis is so last century, right?

but there was a 50/50 chance of getting that right,

Meaning what, exactly? So the battle between democracy and authoritarianism is a coin toss?

and by that token you have to call Russia the good guy as well.

The Russians were on the right side of the conflict, sure -- but would you call Stalin a good guy? How about Chairman Mao?

Again, the USA basically succeeded the British Empire as the global bully, meddling in other countries affairs for political or economic gain with complete disregard for international law or the welfare of human beings - including its own citizens.

Did "International Law" even exist at the time of the British Empire? And to say that the Brits had "no regard" for their subjects is absurd. Even accepting that their empire was morally wrong, they passed Western values to these nations that have served them well. It's very easy to judge the past from our own distant, future shore. Make no mistake -- there will be more empires on this planet, and when they arrive, their rule will make American and British rule look quaint by comparison.

I mean, supposing we put aside all the stuff that could potentially be written off as part of the times, like the genocide and degradation of the native American population, slavery, witchhunts and executions, racial segregation, etc. then the USA has still has a pretty scummy record, for a long time now. You've got the incessant meddling of the Roosevelt Corollary into Latin America to protect or advance US economic interests, the Banana Wars, the funding, training and support for multiple terrorist/rebel groups throughout the Cold War (the Contras and the Mujahideen being the most notable examples), and the never-ending Middle East meddling in general, which tends to backfire every single time (the aforementioned indirect funding/training of al-Qaeda and the support for Saddam Hussein's coup of Iraq don't seem like such great ideas in hindsight). I could go on, but it would take forever.

Even were we to accept all of your anti-American Marxiness bull**** at face value, those actions fade to insignificance when compared to the moral depredations of Marxist regimes. I, too, could go on forever -- so I'll quote two examples. One, Stalin's purge put the Nazi concentration camps to shame. Stalin killed and immiserated many millions more. Historian Roy Aleksandrovich Medvedev estimates that Stalin's actions resulted in the deaths of approximately 20 million people.

In February 1989, two years before the fall of the Soviet Union, a research paper by Georgian historian Roy Aleksandrovich Medvedev published in the weekly tabloid Argumenti i Fakti estimated that the death toll directly attributable to Stalin’s rule amounted to some 20 million lives (on top of the estimated 20 million Soviet troops and civilians who perished in the Second World War), for a total tally of 40 million.

China's Chairman Mao's 'Great Leap Forward' resulted in anywhere from 18 to 32 million deaths:

The Great Leap ended in catastrophe, resulting in tens of millions of deaths.[3] Estimates of the death toll range from 18 million[4] to 45 million,[5] with estimates by demographic specialists ranging from 18 million to 32.5 million.[4] Historian Frank Dikötter asserts that "coercion, terror, and systematic violence were the very foundation of the Great Leap Forward" and it "motivated one of the most deadly mass killings of human history".[6]

So between those two nations alone -- conservative estimate -- 40 million dead.

That's a mountain of dead bodies that can be laid directly at the feet of collectivist regimes. And yet, there goes Europe and the rest of the world marching in that direction. Good luck.

That's why people look on the USA with mild disdain (no-one actually "hates" the US, besides fanatical jihadists); it's not because you're special. There's nothing really special about the USA anymore. Europe has more history and culture, Scandinavia and Asia have faster Internet, places like Singapore and Hong Kong make Manhattan look like Detroit, basically everywhere has better public transport and rail systems including the developing world, the EU economy is larger than the US's and most Europeans have a better standard of living than the typical American, the USA has more crime than the majority of the developed world, more homelessness, and more convicts, you have worse health, more obesity and lower life expectancy than the rest of the developed world, etc., etc.

Got any statistics to back any of that up?

[berserkfan]

Got any statistics to back any of that up?

I don't need statistics although I know them fairly well, and it won't hurt you to educate yourself by doing a google search. Hell, go to CIA's website, they do lots of stats on countries and you can compare. Right wing guy like you should love the CIA which is busy spreading freedom everywhere all the time.

BTW I have this view of America as a gigantic, racially tense, filthy, vandalized ghetto filled with nasty people who would harass you, call you names and throw things at you all the time and try to steal your stuff or grab your stuff and run off with it. It's not hating on America; it's a real America that exists if you went to college in a major urban part of America. I never saw Marlboro Country you know. Took a long Grayhound trip literally buying tickets at random (yeah, I really wanted to see America back then) and all we saw were trailer parks and ****ty, falling-apart places. None of the cute sweet small town American girls you see in movies - more like drunks and dubious guys on the buses and exhausted looking minority women. But lemme guess, you didn't go to college, you live in a small town, and you own a buncha guns because deep down inside you know America's internal tensions and contradictions will all blow up if there was some major disaster that led to breakdown of social order.

[iri]

WHOLESALE CONFISCATION OF GEORGIA AND UKRAINE

i'm glad we got ourselves this little Johns Creek.

[berserkfan]

WHOLESALE CONFISCATION OF GEORGIA AND UKRAINE

i'm glad we got ourselves this little Johns Creek.

You guys should also confiscate the -Stans.

Central Asia has gotten a lot more dangerous thanks to the power vacuum. Regrettably the religious crazies are starting to emerge. Never thought I'd say this back in the 1980s when USSR was THE evil empire and we were all cheering Reagan on, but the Soviets did manage to keep order and (surprisingly) manage to give the Kyrgyz, Turkmens and Uzbeks a tolerable standard of living and social order. Now these guys have gone to hell.

[iri]

WHOLESALE CONFISCATION OF GEORGIA AND UKRAINE

i'm glad we got ourselves this little Johns Creek.

You guys should also confiscate the -Stans.

breaking news: they are uninhabitable. all their citizens are in russia now.

[berserkfan]

WHOLESALE CONFISCATION OF GEORGIA AND UKRAINE

i'm glad we got ourselves this little Johns Creek.

You guys should also confiscate the -Stans.

breaking news: they are uninhabitable. all their citizens are in russia now.

What about the folks living in mountain caves, cleaning their AK47s and getting ready to declare holy war? It's pretty habitable for them.

[Krogenar]

Got any statistics to back any of that up?

I don't need statistics although I know them fairly well,

Well that made me laugh. It's very obvious that you know a great deal, beserkerfan, that isn't so.

and it won't hurt you to educate yourself by doing a google search. Hell, go to CIA's website, they do lots of stats on countries and you can compare. Right wing guy like you should love the CIA which is busy spreading freedom everywhere all the time.

I should do your research for you? How about giving readers something beyond anecdotal trash talking?

BTW I have this view of America as a gigantic, racially tense, filthy, vandalized ghetto filled with nasty people who would harass you, call you names and throw things at you all the time and try to steal your stuff or grab your stuff and run off with it. It's not hating on America;

Sure, you imagine America as a giant set from 'Escape from New York' -- but you're not a hater!

it's a real America that exists if you went to college in a major urban part of America. I never saw Marlboro Country you know. Took a long Grayhound trip literally buying tickets at random (yeah, I really wanted to see America back then) and all we saw were trailer parks and ****ty, falling-apart places. None of the cute sweet small town American girls you see in movies - more like drunks and dubious guys on the buses and exhausted looking minority women.

LOL, you're really coming across as fair-minded! I went to Paris my senior year in high school, and my bus tour guide smelled like hot, onion-y garbage. But even so I didn't assume that the entire country was populated by sweat-stained girly men whose delicate fingers could barely support their skinny cigarettes. No, I realized that bus lines (and the people who frequent them) are probably not the best indicators of a nation's social makeup.

But lemme guess, you didn't go to college, you live in a small town, and you own a buncha guns because deep down inside you know America's internal tensions and contradictions will all blow up if there was some major disaster that led to breakdown of social order.

Your guesses are as bad as your knowledge of history. I have a college degree, I live in a suburb, and I run my own business in New York City, the de facto Center of the Known Universe. I'm not saying other cities don't have things to recommend them, but NYC is where everything ends up if it's worth a damn.

Also, I don't own a gun.

[IvanIvanovich]

[berserkfan]

One lesson I learned from my experiences in grad school: never argue with someone who’s ignorant, and never do their homework for them.

These are easily googled statistics. From official US government sources. I don’t touch Chinese government sources with a fifty foot network cable. Considering how much money the US government spends spying on other countries, I think they probably have the best statistics. If you believe these stats are so much to your liking, why not read them yourself and pleasure yourself while you're at it? If the stats turn out not to be your liking, you can always call your local con-man and complain how your tax dollars are being spent.

And let me throw out a couple of guesses at where you got your college degree: Liberty U. Or Washington & Lee.

Statistically there are too many possibilities so a hole in one is almost impossible; I can only make the ‘most likely’ guess based on what you’re talking about.

As for lack of gun ownership, if you work in NYC, it isn’t that surprising. It’s got some (relatively) strict laws and it would be difficult for you to use the gun effectively if you’re not allowed to carry it loaded. But that you can have the opinions you have, and not be the owner of a cabin upstate stocked with shotguns, spam and Sons of the American Revolution stuff, well that did disappoint me.