America is THE BEST country in the world. Why?

We hear that over and over again, not just uttered but boasted for all to accept.

Please discuss.

maybe because others may suck more?

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Please explain. Thanks.

"Patriotism is the most foolish of passions and the passion of fools." - Arthur Schopenhauer

:headbang:

Well not really, but you might get lucky. Oh yeah and quality of lifestyle plays a huge role in it. Mass Consumerism really pushed it over the edge. Now people flock here to shop at the cheapest WalMart and go to McThemePark over and over.

Who wouldn't want to come to a place where you can feed a family on 4 dollars a day?

If I could afford to go, I'd go to Australia, New Zealand or the Scandinavian countries. The average person is far better off in any of those places than here.

The problem is that this country is run entirely by the Golden Rule - Those with the gold make all the rules. A lot more social democracy would have to exist in this country for that statement to be marginally less false.

The ones I've looked into anyway. Bummer huh?

You can work here (cheaply), because they can't offshore arable land -and cheap labor is required to maximize profit.

Rent is half what it was in California for a bigger and much nicer place, health care is excellent and dirt cheap, my kids can play freely in the neighborhood without fear of gunfire, and without stumbling over homeless people. (Yeah, even though we lived in a "good" neighborhood in SF, there would sometimes be homeless sleeping in front of our garage door. If I had had an electric opener, I might have backed out over them!)

I can't think of a single category in which the US is "best" anymore. Maybe 30, 40 or 50 years ago, but today? Hell no. I would not want to raise my kids in the states. Moving back here was the best choice we ever made.

Yes they are smaller - a typical home would be about 1000~1200 sq feet. But homes in San Francisco were not generally roomy either and they started at $500K for a 800 sq ft fixer-upper.

Tokyo and Osaka are not the be-all end-all of Japan.





Here are some listings in my area of town, which is very popular and fast-growing.



Low end:

580,000 Yen ($47,000)

462 sq. ft.

http://www.athome.co.jp/Haht_atweb/hsrun.exe/atweb2/athomeweb/StateId/RxfCcGNtEAH2M70gtN4y47w3Z0MxmZ4jFp/HAHTpage/HS_Sl_Detail?BUKKEN_NO=3224644901&gid=ki&category=sl&srcby=&ken=&kaikbn=al&hd_bk_jisya_tasya=1&KAI_NO=00080002515










Middle Range:

1,580,000 yen ($129,000)

Built in 1990

1017 Sq. Ft. 2 story, 3 br

http://www.athome.co.jp/Haht_atweb/hsrun.exe/atweb2/athomeweb/StateId/RxfCcGNtEAH2M70gtN4y47w3Z0MxmZ4jFp/HAHTpage/HS_Sl_Detail?BUKKEN_NO=9505007601&gid=ki&category=sl&srcby=&ken=&kaikbn=al&hd_bk_jisya_tasya=1&KAI_NO=00080002515









Somewhat upper-end (but not ritzy - nice view, though)

2,980,000 yen ($244,000)

3 Story 1728 Sq Ft. 3-5 bedrooms, depending on how you use the smaller rooms. Built 2001

http://www.athome.co.jp/Haht_atweb/hsrun.exe/atweb2/athomeweb/StateId/RxfDeGNtEaB2M7UWtN4T5yVoZIiAsZUTIp/HAHTpage/HS_Sl_Detail?BUKKEN_NO=3245779501&gid=ki&category=sl&srcby=&ken=&kaikbn=al&hd_bk_jisya_tasya=1&KAI_NO=00080002515










Please don't tell me about real estate here. There are some areas of the US where you can get homes cheaper, but Definitely not California, or anywhere in the northeast, or coastal Florida, or probably even Austin. Housing prices in the states are insane, and in many cities, it's impossible to find a studio for under $1000! Here there are TONS AND TONS of little places in the $200-$400 range. (They are even available in Tokyo for less than $500/month) Working people here can work, and still afford food, and maybe even a movie once in a while. America is a shithole unless you are rich anymore.

Which is a good sign that it is the richest country in the world, with the most opportunity.

But it doesn't mean that people who just happened to be born here are inherently better than those born elsewhere.

And it won't be the greatest country in the world if the PNAC gets more power.

I can tell you that most people here in Japan would not want to live there.

Same goes for much of Europe.

Americans are deluded into thinking that all other countries are desperately poor or tyrannies, or both.

But the fact is that there are many countries with more freedom and better living standards (and WAY less crime) than the US. It's amazing how prosperous countries can be when they don't blow half of their federal budgets on the military.

platitudes about "freedom" without realizing what the term truly means.

Gawd, Amurka, baseball and hot dogs....

we've got Hollywood. I think that makes it pretty self-evident.

American exceptionalism has always been a lie. And certainly over the last 6 years it us certainly less true than it ever was.

How can it be true if 45 million are without health insurance, if most people get 2 weeks paid vacation at most (that is, if they even get any at all), no sick leave for most people- they have to go to work sick, "at will" status where they can fire you for any damn reason they feel like, your employers demand 80 hours a week and if you do not comply, you are out of there, etc., etc.

How many million kids are living in poverty? How many people are living in the street?

Free speech? What free speech- because of the "patriot act" the FBI can snoop without a warrant on what you read.

Sure, this is the best fucking country in the world. Not even close. There are many European countries that are in far better shape than we are and they don't elect idiots as their leaders. Well some come pretty close, like in France, but I'll take their idiot over ours any day.

And MY TOWN is the BEST TOWN in all of California!

And I am the BEST HUMAN BEING in My Whole Fucking Town!! Woo-hoo! :woohoo:

Oh, yeah, and don't forget: Earth is the BEST PLANET in the SOLAR SYTEM! :woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:


And our SOLAR SYSTEM KICKS ASS OVER THE REST OF THE GALAXY!

Some people are more open to other cultures than others. Especially if you've grown up in a very insular culture, you may be "more comfortable around your own kind".

I'm from El Paso, and I have a relative by marriage who grew up in the rural midwest, and she does nothing but complain about "The Mexicans" and how they are ruining everything.

Well, I grew up in El Paso, and have been surrounded by tons of Mexicans all my life and they never bothered me a bit. I don't miss the states, but I miss El Paso, Mexican food and warm, friendly Mexican culture and people. We had 9 years of compulsory Spanish from 1st grade to high school, so I guess that has something to do with why I picked up Japanese quickly and was able to adapt to living here.

But my relative? Always mooning about moving to some "whiter" area. Never mind that El Paso has one of the lowest violent crime rates and lowest costs for housing of any city its size....

Like I said, some people can't get beyond their own tribal identification, they mistake that comfort of being "with their own kind" as being a better life.

lol

I have enough optimism to believe that the long dark nightmare that is Bush will be over soon and will be rectified by our next president.

i'm pretty sure that's what makes us the greatest country ever. either that or hydrogenated transfats. my sunday school teacher told me so one time.

..Better then alot yes, but by far not "the best". Europe and Scandinavia kick our ass on a lot of levels.

http://bostonreview.net/BR30.3/zinn.html



:evilfrown:

I think the Scandinavian countries have beat us out in the social safety net. Also, our social safety net has been pretty much shredded.

AND, we have the most uninsured (not covered) for health care.

PLUS, we have the highest handgun murder rate.

See? We're #1.