what do you think of america now?

[haiducii]

Ha,ha,ha...

America is the best country on earth because it gives us Milegend Cyrus.

 

[trencherman]

Somebody above mentioned America giving a lot of good things to the world, Jazz being just one of them. On the negative side, America gave us Hollywood, rap and endless war.

 

[Dendood]

More important than weighing the balance of good and wrongs of present day America is the truth of America being as great, as positive an experiment in Democracy the world has seen. Our Constitution is a remarkably brilliant doent. It really is. Written in a barely industrial era, in a world filled with political strife. It is elastic. Adaptive. A powerful tool for avoiding social upheaval and harm.

Equally important are the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, which have not yet been achieved -in any era of our History. It stands not as something we have done, but as the template for us to aspire.

At its core, the fundamental failure of the Far Right is a simple minded rationale that "Government is the problem." How can one effectively run and lead a thing in which one does not have any belief or faith? Government is 'not the problem' when it conforms to ideals of the greater good described in our founding doents.

It is challenged again and again. But if we set selfishness aside and work toward the well being of all, America will remain a strong nation. Which wont be easy. Man is deadly selfish.

 

[Dendood]

Deadly.

 

[huggy]

Mmmmm......Brad Pitt

 

[c750dt]

The United States is incredible and admirable as a country. On top of the infrastructure, average standard of life and powerful military, this country literally funds the lifestyle of so many citizens in other countries. The government, however, is broken and the shutdown is grounds for the firing of all of congress. On top of that the constant meddling in affairs of other nations needs to stop. Every decade, some third world country becomes even crappier as an army backed by the USA fights an army backed by Russia in a proxy-war with no purpose other than to flex proverbial muscle.

If the population took a little more initiative in learning our political system, it's possible we could stop putting so many sociopaths and assholes in power and from there, this could very well move on to become the best nation to ever stand.

 

[Dendood]

Fascinating drama playing out as we step closer to a national default. It would be interesting to hear CUT93550's opinion on all this.

Clearly we could not disagree more on the politics at hand. But it would be nice to understand (?) the reasoning going on with the other side.

Either way, a serious crucible is upon us that has nothing to do with Government or the Democratic Party. There is an ideological split going on in the Republican Party. And the split will come to a head either way this thing goes. If the Republican leadership allows a bipartisan resolution to pass in the House, the Tea Party and the Heritage Foundation will declare war. IF the Tea Party and the Heritage Foundation get their way and the country falls into default, the Republican leadership and its members will pay dearly for it in the next election cycle. Which will lead business oriented Republicans to declare war on the Tea Party. -Either way, war is coming.

The only question is will the economy be collateral damage.

Any thoughts?

-Cut???

 

[xelp]

thanks all for playing!!!
your all wrong
rethink

 

[Dendood]

Well thank you for that input. It was insightful. Informative. Well researched.

-I don't know how you do it.

After all that hard work, writing, revising. I think you should maybe go lay down for awhile and rest. Your fingers must be numb from all that typing.

When you get your strength back, let me know where I can pick up a copy of this so extensive, exhaustive critique.

I might even want you to sign it for me. I promise to wear shades. Your genius can be blinding to us mortals.

 

[Tjerk12]

I've always been a doubter. What is right, what is wrong? I am a Dutchman, but am I proud to be a Dutchman? Well The Netherlands is a nice country to live in. We are rather tolerant. We accept each other in our individuality. And we are rich, a pleasant side effect. But does it make us as a nation better than other countries? I have my doubts about that. Our lives are a direct consequence of our history. Certain conditions have ensured that things are as they are. Good things and bad things, but overall there is no reason to feel superior to other people, or countries. I am happy to live in The Netherlands, but proud? No, it is certainly not my merit. I just was born here.
The United States of America have their history. Good things and bad things. I heard Obama say in a speech that Americans are special. I like Obama, but that qualification I find unpleasant and dangerous. Nothing is absolutely true.

Absolutely makes sense only if it is placed in relation.

 

[tonka]

Every American president has to say that. It's just boilerplate rhetoric.

I think that strain in America politics has led us to many bad decisions. Because we are special, we can solve every problem around the world. A little humility and introspection would give us some much needed doubt.
Obama has done better on than this than some others. Bush had no doubts, and no clue.

 

[james1981]

Tjerk12, I agree with you. I'm from Canada and I like a lot of things about the country and, of course, there are things that frustrate me. Whenever I hear someone say that country "x" is the best place on earth, I think that's a pretty silly thing to say when you stop and think about it. All places have their charms, but I get uncomfortable when we start talking about something being the best.

One of the reasons why this is such a common thing in America is that it is part of their mythos. It goes back to the Puritans and their characterization of America as a "city upon a hill." This partially gave rise to the notion of American exceptionalism - that the country is somehow different than all other nations. With this being part of the national storyline, it is easier to understand why so many politicians refer to America as the best nation on earth.

--------------------------

In terms of the American democratic system, I would argue that there is way too much money involved. Yes, it allows for really splashy campaigns, but the amount of money spent is sickening. Obviously, some of this money comes with strings attached.

Another growing problem is the gerrymandering issue. This is where politicians are able to redraw districts to make it easier for their party's candidates to get in. Both Democrats and Republicans are guilty of this, but Republicans seem to be particularly good at this. Gerrymandering has led to a number of Tea Party candidates getting elected into very safe districts, allowing them to spout their crazy.

It is all certainly very interesting to watch. The factions of the Republican Party are particularly interesting. While there have always been different factions within the Republican Party (and the Democratic Party, too), there seems to be an impending confrontation between the Tea Party and the non-Tea Party Republicans.

I'm not sure how the American political system will handle this, but in Canada such a divide would likely have spawned a new party. Indeed, this happened with the Reform Party, which rose out of dissatisfaction with the Progressive Conservatives. When the Progressive Conservatives were obliterated in an election, the Reform Party (now re-branded as the Canadian Alliance) merged with them, effectively taking over the party and dropping "Progressive" from the name. However, America doesn't seem to have the same tradition of destroying and creating political parties so I'm curious to see how this plays out.

Keep in mind, the whole debt ceiling debate has only been pushed a few months down the road!

 

[js324]

America is still #1 in my opinion, there is just less of a gap between how far ahead we are of other countries, which is actually more impart due to other countries catching up on developing rather than bad choices, for instance even if Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Financial crisis never happened, and we spent all that money on improving infrastructure and boosting the economy, China and all the other up and coming players would still have also been developing their economies, militaries, and urbanizing their populations

 

[jakes2]

After 40 years of assaults by government hating religious conservative morons the U.S. is a sad shadow of it's former self. It's roads and bridges crumble as the rich complain and demand further tax cuts. It spies on and makes war upon the entire world, whenever and wherever it wishes. It has gone from the worlds greatest source of good to it's greatest source of evil in two generations. Recently the ignorant conservatives nearly sank the U.S. and the global economy. They will soon have another chance to do the same routine. They surely will split the U.S. or plunge it into civil war if they aren't chased from the halls of power. We are watching the fall of the new Rome.

 

[garth33]

After 40 years of assaults by government hating religious conservative morons the U.S. is a sad shadow of it's former self. It's roads and bridges crumble as the rich complain and demand further tax cuts. It spies on and makes war upon the entire world, whenever and wherever it wishes. It has gone from the worlds greatest source of good to it's greatest source of evil in two generations. Recently the ignorant conservatives nearly sank the U.S. and the global economy. They will soon have another chance to do the same routine. They surely will split the U.S. or plunge it into civil war if they aren't chased from the halls of power. We are watching the fall of the new Rome.

Nice post jakes2! You hit it on the head. There's no sense of compromise anywhere. The funny thing is the so called "obama-care" government takeover of health care is the exact plan proposed by the rich-loving republicans when President Clinton first tried this 20 years ago. An exchange where private companies compete for business by offering the best plan but because low income people get government grants to help them pay it's "SOCIALIZED HEALTH CARE!:devil::devil::devil::devil:"

Didn't help that their website crashed when MILLIONS OF PEOPLE looking for health care information crashed the site minutes after it opened...can't we all just live together? (sigh):?

peace buddies,
g33

 

[haiducii]

Thanks for nothing, Obama!

 

[gb2000ie]

As an outsider looking in, I have to say my impressions of America are not at all good.

It's a country where the lunatics run the asylum!

American gun politics is bat-shit crazy.

The fact that a plan that mandates that everyone pay private companies for health insurance is called "communist" and the idiots who say it are not laughed out of town for being so mind-numbingly ignorant of what communism is is just depressing. Not to mention the fact that there is such thing as uninsured people in a 1st world country should be a source of infinite shame.

It should be an out-right embarrassment that each and every single candidate for President from one of the major parties denies the reality of elementary biology, and is PROUD of their ignorance.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

America is a great idea badly implemented. American exceptionalism only exists in so far as America's hubris being staggeringly exceptional.

As a young nation, I think America might be going through it's troubled teenage times. I hope it grows up soon, for everyone's sake. Kids with nukes is a bad idea!

B.

 

[weydowner]

It is the culmination of the clash between vast sums of money and political thought (which is boring to everybody apart from the fanatics). This and the perverted idea of American Exceptionalism which didn't even exist when the phrase was invented. It may be really dandy if you possess the majority of the weapons in the world but that is not enough to endear you to the other countries of our planet, especially if you dare to actually use them against doreign populations.

 

[js324]

America may be seem like it is in decline but it'll be quite some time till anyone else takes over the #1 slot.

The USA still has the largest economy in the World and is salvages some of it's bad reputation by being the number 1 donor of foreign aid in the world.

The USA also still has the largest/best equipped military in the world with bases and/or military installations on every continent except Antarctica.


The EU can't replace America as a power b/c the EU isn't really a true Union. People in Europe are still more loyal to their individual nations than the EU (e.g. German, French, English, etc first, and European second). Europeans in general have an anti military vibe and part of being the world power is projecting that power through your military presence. The member nations would also never do anything like have an EU President or council that makes foreign policy/ military decisions for a possible EU army. Also the France and the UK wouldn't give up their seats on the UN security council in favor of an EU seat.

China will not take over anytime soon either. As of now they are too focused on fixing interior/domestic problems and also don't really care about things like projecting their military power (no Chinese military bases on every continent) or actually having to act like a world power and sharing some responsibility in helping solve the worlds humanitarian issues.

Also the USA has cultural ties to keep it in the #1 position for quite some time. Namely the English language has become the universal language of the world for both politics and business, and because so many people know it and have already learned it, it's use is still growing and it's not going to ever be replaced by mandarin, which is extremely difficult to learn and completely useless outside of China

 

[Dendood]

Reality is more complex than that. Every waking moment, someone is being born into the world in joy, someone far too young dies in horror. For every rich success, billions live in squalor, desperate for the simple staples of food, shelter and clothing. For every Einstein there are 5k nitwits out crying about their right to bear arms and defending Christmas.
Reality is a complex, dynamic mix of truths, lies, half truths and no idea of what is true.

On the cynical side, it would be easy to imagine Planet Earth as a petri dish. Take a dish, put some gelatin in it and add a few bacteria. In this miniature 'Eden' the bacteria will grow and thrive until it overruns the dish and consumes everything in the dish. And then they consume each other. It is easy to imagine earth as one huge -but very finite- 'dish'. And we are the plague that will populate it, consume it, populate it more -until there is nothing left to consume. And if you think that is not possible, ask the endangered species that vanish year in, year out, how humanity has impacted this closed set dish.

In light of that, nations are nothing more than the organized vehicle of that ultimate end. That's the glass half full version.

On the opposite, the trajectory of humanity has been that man has made great strides in providing for the greater good. Leaders once owned the land and people they ruled. Women had no voice. Only in brief instances were Gays and Lesbians allowed any sense of dignity. Slavery was rampant and common place. One could own and abuse people, weaker countries, workers. But nations have evolved to much that is better. If the trajectory holds, nations in our future will be better nations than in our past.

The truth is we live in these contradictions and the stakes are enormous. And if we are to survive and thrive, rather than be like that dish.... We need to get smart. Thing in larger, concrete, complex ways. There is no simple to hang on to.

The USA is "number one" as a military power because we irrationally spend like 400x what any other nation spends. For multiple reasons they aren't that stupid. And thanks to us being stupid, it frees a great many of them form going there. It is the military industrial complex run amok. And it is run amok on borrowed money. And it dangerous when combined with simple minded leaders "licensed to kill" and a populace convinced of their moral superiority -and uninformed view of the world. China won't need anyone other than themselves to speak Mandarin when they can say, "I own you." in their native tongue and English.

There is no #1 slot to take over or be taken over. The planet is not a giant basketball caught in the sun's gravitational pull. We are all one species on a living, dynamic planet where at any given moment great joys and great sorrows play out in an profoundly complex web. All lives intertwined. Begging for humanity to get smart.