America sucks!
It's horrible here.

Please stay away.

Don't even visit.
Really, I'm not kidding.
Trust me.

I think the US is the greatest country. I don't think it's perfect by any means, but I think we are better off than any other overall.

..And I'm not even originally from America. I'm very grateful to be here.

(December 10, 2015 at 2:20 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: England is obviously the best country in the world. We banned slavery decades before the US our government is not so mired in every way. Our health service is free at point of use. Brits invented computers, Television and the internet while the US's best claim is that they invented the light bulb...a number of years after a scot did it.

The internet bit the  US department of defenses created what would the internet technically. I say technically because ARPA Net.

Alanland is the best country ever.

Grand Unified Alan, Alan Corcoran said so just the other other day in an address to the Fractional House. Chief Warbler, Alan Alda IV, led a 15 minute standing ovation.

(December 10, 2015 at 2:40 pm)dyresand Wrote:

(December 10, 2015 at 2:20 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: England is obviously the best country in the world. We banned slavery decades before the US our government is not so mired in every way. Our health service is free at point of use. Brits invented computers, Television and the internet while the US's best claim is that they invented the light bulb...a number of years after a scot did it.

The internet bit the  US department of defenses created what would the internet technically. I say technically because ARPA Net.

But the protocols that made it work efficiently were brit Tim Berners Lee's.

(December 10, 2015 at 2:32 pm)Whateverist the White Wrote:

(December 10, 2015 at 2:20 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: England is obviously the best country in the world.

Yeah but you drink your beer warm so that pretty much rules you out.

We do have flavoursome beers that should be served slightly chilled or at room temperature, but we also now carry the beers that require the freezing of your taste buds to make them tolerable, such as the weak offerings that originate in the colonies.

No, America is little better, and in too many ways worse than the rest of South America (south of the Maple Leafers of Canada, that is).

Somebody should warn all the immigrants and refugees on this truth, in fairness to them!

(December 10, 2015 at 2:40 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: I think the US is the greatest country. I don't think it's perfect by any means, but I think we are better off than any other overall.

..And I'm not even originally from America. I'm very grateful to be here.

But do we need a greatest country?  Are there some people whose welfare we needn't care about?  


There are certainly things I like about living here but at least part of that is familiarity.  These kinds of comparisons are odious at best.  One area I sure wish we'd aim to be less exceptional in is being the world's sheriff.  Instead of throwing our weight around I'd like to see us attempt to be a good world citizen, working for consensus and abiding by the will of at least those whose values we substantially share.

(December 10, 2015 at 2:20 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Greatest at what?

Prison population. That's where America outshines everybody else.

Other than that, America is just a country, with goods and bads. Someone saying, it's the greatest, is either a propagandist or hasn't seen any other part of the world. Someone saying, it's the worst, hasn't been to America.

Sadly, far too many people prefer slogans to dealing with harsh realities.