What do you think of this article stating that america should not be called the greatest country on earth?

Question

http://tiamhdha.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/10-reasons-america-is-not-the-greatest-country-on-earth

Don't bother answering unless you think your answer through. I will report any post that is detrimental to this argument. I want real thoughts of individuals who actually care about the issue, and not joy of being a jerk or the 2 point benefit of answering. And to those of you thinking about posting "I didn't read the article, but it's wrong" kind of answers, grow up a little, huh?

Answer 1

KMA little n**i. Just talk in the mirror if you want someone to agree with you. Oh , I think the article is just dandy.

Answer 2

The truth is in the eye of the beholder. If you believe your country is the greatest, then in your reality it is.

Answer 3

USA is a good country if you are a hard worker,respect the law,and healhthy.If that's the case,USA is the best country in the world

Answer 4

It's not an "article."  It's a blog.  Any moron with a computer can write a blog.  Articles are written by professionals with creditability and skills.

Answer 5

i think the problem is that americans are so patriotic that some people feel they need to be totally anti american. If an american said they are the greatest car makers in the world you can bet a thousand people will write an article explaining why they aren't, instead of being proud of their own country.

Answer 6

What makes America great is the ideas it was built on. Unfortunately, we aren't living up to the those ideals lately. The article you link to illustrates some of the symptoms of the greed and laziness that drags us down. America isn't the problem AMERICANS are the problem.

Answer 7

Ok, 1st off you gotta lighten up on the reporting threats.  Anyway I read the whole article.  I agree with everything in the article, but there might have been a couple of mistakes about the military funding.  The point of it is right on though.  I just moved back to the USA after living for 16 months aboard.  I often felt proud to be an American especially as I was smarter than what many expected of me.  I was more often ashamed of my government when talking with non-US citizens.  I was embarrassed many times by the points mentioned in the article.  Despite my disgust with my government almost every other country I have been to is worse in one way or another, and much of the world wants to be American.  Yet another reason I hate that the US looks so xenophobic about immigrants.

Answer 8

What I want to know is why American feel the need to keep telling people " We are number 1 "  

Answer 9

I agree. I can't say it anymore succinctly than he did....I fully agree. I love my country, but we have many, many problems.

Answer 10

So who's this guy who presented this article ?Google couldn't find him

Leads me to believe its either Gore or some other nut who has an agenda.

Why does 6% of the worlds population use 30 % of its resources--because we deserve it

Figures are way off for milatatry spending and the majority of the money goes into the pockets of us.

It's called redistribution of wealth. It works well because you can't give 538 pols that much money and have it spent efficianly. It's like going to the moon--only one way,

As for the carbon/polution issue  lets determine what bad means first then compare our per capita effect against the rest of the world.

Lets stop all activty that feed,clothes and defends others and take that as a credit and see what happens.

that article was/is a rant  

Answer 11

I agreed with much of what that blog has outlined- until I moved abroad. I left the U.S. 3 years ago a liberal democrat, and will be voting for McCain in November. I have a better understanding and appreciation for what the U.S. has to offer, and I realize that other countries also have problems.

Comments to the issues raised in the blog you posted (based on my experience living abroad):

1. The U.S. military is used not only for our protection, but for the protection of many allies around the world. They don't build up their military because they know we will stand up for them if need be.

2. Environmental issues are a worldwide concern. New Zealand is promoted as being pristine and "clean and green." Yet, some areas pump their raw sewage and farm waste DIRECTLY into the ocean. This is a specific example, but it illustrates the fact that all countries should be concerned.

3 & 7. Comparing education levels among various countries isn't easy. For example, I have taught at Universities in both the U.S. and New Zealand. In the U.S., an A is typically 90% (and passing is around 65%). In N.Z., an A is typically around 75-80% (and passing 40-50%). And contrary to my expectations, in general my U.S. students far surpass my Kiwi students in basic knowledge (as well as motivation to be successful).

4. Why is incarceration always such a bad thing? N.Z. doesn't like to put people away, and since I've been here several people have been let out of prison and mental institutions only to kill again. I feel much safer in the U.S. than I do in NZ, because people in NZ aren't held responsible for their bad actions. They know they aren't likely to actually do any real time.

5. Well....my now living abroad should let you know that I've overcome this one.

6. Since I currently live in NZ, I think I can especially shed some light on this one. The quality of healthcare in NZ canNOT compare to what you get in the U.S. I could go on and on and on about this one...listing many specific examples of the NZ health system, but I won't (unless someone requests it). I'll put it this way, if I became seriously ill, I would be on the first plane back to the U.S. (and that's without health insurance). Better to be in debt than to be dead.

8. As I mentioned before, the U.S. also gives non-monetary aid (such as defense). So this argument is weak (especially since the blogger admitted that we give more to charity).

9. No American should apologize for being successful. Going down that road will lead to a "good enough" mentality where no one has the drive to be the best they can be.

10. This one is a bit silly. Every government has their problems. I have seen many crazy things go on here with the NZ government. But I have yet to see a system that works BETTER than the U.S. system.

Answer 12

So you want "real thoughts of individuals," as long as YOU deem them not to be "detrimental to this argument."  

My answer:  GO USA!!!  JOHN MCCAIN 2008!!!!

I look forward to the denouncement notice and point deduction, if you choose to effect them in response to this post.

Answer 13

i agree with it for the most part, in some ways we are the best in the world but we could be much much better, everything cited in that BLOG was factual and are major problems here, the only thing keeping us from our former glory is ourselves. we have the potential to fix every problem and we should.