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Is America the greatest country in the world?

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  • Schmidt
    2015-05-12 10:13:11 AM
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    A young women in the audience asked the question, "Why is America the greatest country in the world?" of a panel of so called experts. The reply by one panel member is noteworthy. Note it has explicit language and shocked the audience.

    https://www.facebook.com/wahkantakoda/videos/10202913417307550/?fref=nf
  • jaredsxtn
    2015-05-12 10:27:33 AM
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    Man I miss that show. I'm so bummed that HBO decided to end it after only three seasons.

    Everyone who thinks 'America is the best' should be able to explain why, exactly, we are. As he said in the clip--we are number one in only three things: number of prisoners, people who believe in god, and military spending. I'm not entirely sure how that makes us the best country in the world when we are behind some third world countries when it comes to education and countless other topics.
  • Dutch
    2015-05-12 12:10:36 PM
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    jaredsxtn Wrote: Man I miss that show. I'm so bummed that HBO decided to end it after only three seasons.

    Everyone who thinks 'America is the best' should be able to explain why, exactly, we are. As he said in the clip--we are number one in only three things: number of prisoners, people who believe in god, and military spending. I'm not entirely sure how that makes us the best country in the world when we are behind some third world countries when it comes to education and countless other topics.
    When I just started on this site, I mentioned the same look at the US; a couple of members said why don't you leave if you don't like it here. Finally there are some people popping up who don't look at this country through colored glasses as 90% do. Since I lived overseas then you look at this country sitting with your mind on the outside looking towards the US; then you realize , like the guy said, how screwed up things are because of pure indoctrination ask Bill Maher.
    Indeed we think we can do everything with money ( even the Bin Laden killing did cost according to the news $25 million) , bribery, indoctrination, Pentagon and church power etc. I do not consider this a "free" country; it totally depends on who you are; is a homeless person free? Dropping bombs on people who you never met is that also an expression of "freedom"? Electing "puppets with billions, is that freedom? I wonder what this country is all about.
  • lonely bird
    2015-05-12 12:11:51 PM
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    The term is undefined. What does greatest country in the world even mean? Greatest military? Hell, even that can be debated when thechnologically advanced weaponry gets bogged down by guerrilla tactics and ied's.

    That term to me is inherently dangerous. I would rather focus on making the country the best it can be.
  • TJ
    2015-05-12 12:54:10 PM
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    I think our country is great. Are we misguided, misrepresented, over charged and not taking proper care of our planet ? Hell YES.
    But the horse is out of the barn and war mongers will continue to profit nicely. I would say the US is probably number 5 - 10.
    The overwhelming beauty of America is this..... Anybody can be removed. Whether it's: convicted, not re-elected, impeached..... there are
    ways to right a wrong. I hate the gridlock in DC but that same balance keeps us safe.
    Where's better ? That would be worthy of it's own thread. My choices might include Scandinavia, New Zealand, Australia, and probably a couple
    Caribbean nations.
  • johnnycee
    2015-05-12 03:50:18 PM
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    The best and honest speech ever uttered by a non-politician, and I also miss that show, Jeff Daniels was really good as the burnt out anchorman and he had superb cast of co-stars.to go along with the excellent writing.
  • L.A. Citizen
    2015-05-12 04:27:53 PM
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    For me....yes....but I've never lived anywhere else.
  • pr
    2015-05-12 06:38:09 PM
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    No way Josė
  • Dutch
    2015-05-14 09:08:32 AM
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    I think this fits as well in this topic; Train derailed; 7 death and plenty hurt etc. The train went a 106 mph is a shallow curve; but 55mph was the recommended speed. Again this picture shows how we are running way behind the rest of the world. We rather spent money on $400 million a piece military aircraft then on infrastructure. I would not doubt that the rails on the crash location are from 1946 somewhere if not older. In Europe/Japan high speed trains can go easily 150 mph without problems because the whole system is built for these speeds including the rails. The mono rails are even better. This shows again that this country spends money on the wrong things, which means we are number "x" on the list related to that, not number "1"
  • Schmidt
    2015-05-14 09:38:27 AM
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    Dutch - I agree with you. I marvel at the technological advancements in rail travel in Europe, Japan and China. Even India, the joke of many Americans as we smugly share videos of their people on crowded trains, have invested more in rail and fast trains than America.

    In America, President Obama, as a part of his stimulus package in 2009 put a chunk of money into developing high speed rail travel. Governor Walker vetoed those plans in Wisconsin. Your Florida governor did likewise. And of course, Chris Christie, in New Jersey put the brakes on a tunnel project. I think California was the only state that wasn't opposed to the idea, but I haven't heard what's happening there. I suppose there were obstacles to overcome there as well.
  • jaredsxtn
    2015-05-14 10:22:08 AM
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    Schmidt Wrote: I think California was the only state that wasn't opposed to the idea, but I haven't heard what's happening there. I suppose there were obstacles to overcome there as well.
    The California high speed rail is currently under construction. It's taken a long time to get it going, and it's not supposed to be done for another fifteen years. I'm not sure why it is going to take so long though.

    California High-Speed Rail
  • Schmidt
    2015-05-14 12:55:49 PM
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    Thanks Jared. I think we all agree that high speed rail is just a part of a much bigger problem regarding infrastructure. Republicans are so obstructionist in their phobia about cutting taxes and spending and "big government tyranny" that they have lost all sight of what made America "great" during a few small windows in our distant history. And those windows have been kept tightly shut by the "No Compromise" Tea Party Republicans that mimic Reagan's often repeated slogan, "government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem".

    I live in the highly Christian conservative city of Colorado Springs whose candidates run for office on the mandate of cutting taxes...always cutting taxes. We've cut city government taxes and services, and now after the winter people are bitching about all the potholes. However, the city doesn't have enough money to fix all the potholes because we vote down all measures to increase taxes. Given a choice in this city of lowering taxes and living with more potholes, they will always vote for more potholes. They won't call it "potholes" though...they vote for the promise of more prudent spending, and to an extent I might agree as I look where my city taxes are spent. But then they cut bus services to poorer neighborhoods to cut spending...or stop watering our city parks and trees, which then die and have to be replanted.
  • Dutch
    2015-05-14 12:56:49 PM
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    jaredsxtn Wrote:
    Schmidt Wrote: I think California was the only state that wasn't opposed to the idea, but I haven't heard what's happening there. I suppose there were obstacles to overcome there as well.
    The California high speed rail is currently under construction. It's taken a long time to get it going, and it's not supposed to be done for another fifteen years. I'm not sure why it is going to take so long though.

    California High-Speed Rail
    Thanks Schmidt and Jared; I guess the point is that the US always does things piecemeal; they buy/built new train units but totally neglect to built a new rail system'
    Here in FL on the west coast the rails in my town are still from the Edison/Ford times who had vacation plantation homes here; cargo trains still dare to run on it. I bet on the east coast of the US and trans US a lot of the original rails laid are still in daily use. The same applies to our bridges etc.( I'm glad that for aircraft there is a life limit set) .High speed train rails have a special profile and lip which prevents "lift off; the route network in France had to be totally rebuilt to handle the 200 mph plus speed. But likely such will not happen here; everything goes to fight wars and the Pentagon; they are the real US "god's.
  • Dutch
    2015-05-14 01:07:45 PM
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    Schmidt Wrote: Thanks Jared. I think we all agree that high speed rail is just a part of a much bigger problem regarding infrastructure. Republicans are so obstructionist in their phobia about cutting taxes and spending and "big government tyranny" that they have lost all sight of what made America "great" during a few small windows in our distant history. And those windows have been kept tightly shut by the "No Compromise" Tea Party Republicans that mimic Reagan's often repeated slogan, "government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem".

    I live in the highly Christian conservative city of Colorado Springs whose candidates run for office on the mandate of cutting taxes...always cutting taxes. We've cut city government taxes and services, and now after the winter people are bitching about all the potholes. However, the city doesn't have enough money to fix all the potholes because we vote down all measures to increase taxes. Given a choice in this city of lowering taxes and living with more potholes, they will always vote for more potholes. They won't call it "potholes" though...they vote for the promise of more prudent spending, and to an extent I might agree as I look where my city taxes are spent. But then they cut bus services to poorer neighborhoods to cut spending...or stop watering our city parks and trees, which then die and have to be replanted.
    Like the Brits say: Penny wise; pound fool. The other crazy thing here is that the Army Corps of Engineers runs a lot of things here; so only the wrong things are done by them, because they just follow up orders and don't have a clue about real infrastructure. Like here in FL with water management. If you drive a tank who cares about potholes!! In Europe all the design and follow up is done by civil engineers; An Army corps should deal only with their own Army mess.
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