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America, the greatest nation on Earth?

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5224306.stm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061113093726.htm

[The 20 happiest nations in the World are:

1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Austria
4. Iceland
5. The Bahamas
6. Finland
7. Sweden
8. Bhutan
9. Brunei
10. Canada
11. Ireland
12. Luxembourg
13. Costa Rica
14. Malta
15. The Netherlands
16. Antigua and Barbuda
17. Malaysia
18. New Zealand
19. Norway
20. The Seychelles
Other notable results include:

23. USA
35. Germany
41. UK
62. France
82. China
90. Japan
125. India
167. Russia
The three least happy countries were:

176. Democratic Republic of the Congo
177. Zimbabwe
178. Burundi
Click to expand...

I was going to say are most americans happy with the state of their country, but i guess you are.

Although I think the brits/french are just general miserable people.

At least we can all agree Zimbabwe isnt the greatest nation on earth.
 
Kowak said:
America is a country that has culture that is vastly underappreciated.
Click to expand...

I like what Gene Simmons said about American culture; It doesn't have good taste but it tastes good.

B!TCH said:
Oh, so you don't think we're the best? Well you should try and stop us with your army. Oh! Wait a minute! Your army sucks. I guess you need to shut the fuck up then.
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Here's something I think you would do well to chew over. In all of human history there have been numerous Great Powers; mighty empires, nations holding power over many other nations, with their mighty armies, glittering cities, and monuments fit to stand until end of time.

Of all these mighty empires there is but one standing today and that one is certainly not the longest running in history, the richest in history, or the most far-flung in history.

The only remaining Great Power is of course the U.S.A.

ALL superpowers fall. All mighty nations are laid low. No line of emperors has proven eternal. History has yet to make an exception. The only pertinant question that remains is; shall America go down hard and the people of the future visit her ruins, like Rome, or does America have the humility needed to make the necessary adjustments to facilitate a mature nation's diminished place in the world, like England or France?

Our generation may not have to deal directly with this question but eventually Americans will.
 
Azih said:
Are you butthurt when they don't?
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I don't really think Canada is the greatest place ever though :/

(But it still seems kind of great, with all the snow as the exception).
 
Chichikov said:
You're missing the context of the "city on the hill".
It's a Christian reference, and it's suppose to be an idealistic and impossible goal - to strive to make the country as morally pure and as an example to all nations.
Much like people the often misunderstood "chosen people" or "light of nations" in Judaism, it's suppose to be burden, a higher standard, not an assertion of inherent superiority.


Mind you, I'm hardly a fan of Reagan, puritanism or such language in the political discourse, but you're reading it wrong.
Click to expand...

The problem with this city on the hill business as I see it is the honest self assessment that there could be potentially be many cities on the hill and the the critical and continual evaluation that would go into being a city on the hill that often these people don't like to explore.
 
Depends how you define greatest. Are we the greatest power on the earth, with the most influence? Of course. But are we the greatest country evar/ahead of the curve on everything? Of course not.
 
PhoenixDark said:
Depends how you define greatest. Are we the greatest power on the earth, with the most influence? Of course. But are we the greatest country evar/ahead of the curve on everything? Of course not.
Click to expand...

define power, if you mean influence on other nations. Your grip is slipping ad china also hols considerable power in places the us dosent. Russia aso holds power over others.
 
Azih said:
Honestly this is the single greatest point of cultural disconnect between Americans and the rest of the world. You guys seem to have this idea that your destiny as the shining-city-on-the-hill-beacon-of-hope-and-light-and-freedom is so manifest that it must be obvious to the rest of the world.

Mang, even the countries that generally have a positive view of America (Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, UK etc.) don't come even close to that level of adulation. Not. Even. Close.

I'm reminded of a Jon Stewart Interview. He had Reza Aslan on and they were talking about Iraq I think, Jon made the point that the democratic government of Iraq seemed to not like America very much and Reza went something like "Duh, did you think they'd love America" and Jon went "We really kinda thought they would".

Man, the French are convinced they're the best thing to happen in history as well, but they never had the delusion that everybody else in the world agreed with them.

Thinking you're the best country in the planet is natural. Hell Canada thinks it's the best country on the planet. But expecting everybody else to agree is the oddest thing about the American psyche for me.
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I don't think so, and I can only think of one person I know that does think that (a Ron Paul supporter)
 
Kowak said:
define power, if you mean influence on other nations. Your grip is slipping ad china also hols considerable power in places the us dosent. Russia aso holds power over others.
Click to expand...

its ok, OBAMA is coming and all will be well :D
 
Kung Fu Jedi said:
The numbef of AMERICANS who thin we'ere a shining city on the hills pretty negligible as well. What's your point?
Click to expand...

Hell I used to think the shining beacon of light and etc. was a Republican talking point, until I saw Barack Obama using similar language in one of his speeches and I was like "Whoah."

Plus there's the Jon Stewart reaction that just putting a democracy in Iraq would make it America friendly.

Hell I think that was the general idea behind the Bay of Pigs as well.
 
Kowak said:
define power, if you mean influence on other nations. Your grip is slipping ad china also hols considerable power in places the us dosent. Russia aso holds power over others.
Click to expand...
Russia and China really only wield power over nations within their own relatively small spheres of influence though, and for Russia, that power is most definitely decreasing as their immediate neighbours become increasingly democratic. The US has a great degree of influence on nations all over the world.
 
Yes and no. We exceed in many things but trail in many others.

But this is a stupid question . . . it is like asking "Which of your children do you love the most?"
 
Azih said:
Hell I used to think the shining beacon of light and etc. was a Republican talking point, until I saw Barack Obama using similar language in one of his speeches and I was like "Whoah."

Plus there's the Jon Stewart reaction that just putting a democracy in Iraq would make it America friendly.

Hell I think that was the general idea behind the Bay of Pigs as well.
Click to expand...

It really does cut through ideological lines in America sadly. Even so called liberals who profess admiration for certain aspects of other countries or cultures in a progressive sense, like to play to the crowd with this stuff. I think it is as much sociological as political if not more so.
 
i don't think it's really possible to have a country with a huge economy be really happy. none of the top 10 countries as far as gdp goes are in the top 10 for happiness...well per capita gdp is a different story, but i mean it more or less says that money is the root of all evil.
 
I think Americans still believe that the US is the greatest country on the world, just that the US shouldn't be pulling some Manifest Destiny, "impose our values on everyone else" sort of thing. That's what the article was really about. And after Iraq, how many people would you really expect to think we should be doing something like that?
 
Kabouter said:
Russia and China really only wield power over nations within their own relatively small spheres of influence though, and for Russia, that power is most definitely decreasing as their immediate neighbours become increasingly democratic. The US has a great degree of influence on nations all over the world.
Click to expand...

Russia has plenty of power over its neighbours and the rst of Europe, none of us want them shutting off our gas supply. I dont think the US has any power over Europe, except the UK with old Blair. China is also developing its economic links into south america, to the extend the US were not to happy about the relationships with brasil.
 
Azih said:
Well fine. But do you think other people see Canada as a shining beacon of light and freedom?
Click to expand...
Other? Well, I'm Chinese by origin, Canadian by birth and American by residence. Does that count for anything?
 
In terms of military power and political influence, yes. It's also one of the best places to be if you're rich. Otherwise, no. The domestic legislation afforded to the middle-class of America just isn't my cup of tea. I really couldn't imagine living there in the immediate future.
 
Dyno said:
I like what Gene Simmons said about American culture; It doesn't have good taste but it tastes good.



Here's something I think you would do well to chew over. In all of human history there have been numerous Great Powers; mighty empires, nations holding power over many other nations, with their mighty armies, glittering cities, and monuments fit to stand until end of time.

Of all these mighty empires there is but one standing today and that one is certainly not the longest running in history, the richest in history, or the most far-flung in history.

The only remaining Great Power is of course the U.S.A.

ALL superpowers fall. All mighty nations are laid low. No line of emperors has proven eternal. History has yet to make an exception. The only pertinant question that remains is; shall America go down hard and the people of the future visit her ruins, like Rome, or does America have the humility needed to make the necessary adjustments to facilitate a mature nation's diminished place in the world, like England or France?

Our generation may not have to deal directly with this question but eventually Americans will.
Click to expand...

I wonder what it is you actually classify as "humility". Adopting socialism? Playing allies to rogue nations or giving up national soverignty for unstable and flawed internationalism? Is that what you mean by "humility"?

As for the B!ITCH's comment that is actually a neat rip on one of Dave Chapelle's jokes. He had a skit where he said what if Bush was a Black man (Dave played as Bush) and he called it Black Bush. There was a section where he was talking to the U.N. in regards to the disagreement of going to war with Afghanistan and Iraq and he said:

"Oh, so you don't like it? What are you going to do? Go ahead sanction me! Sanction me with your army..OHHHHH~ You don't have an army do you so how bout shuttin' the fuck up!"

I lol'd.
 
Kowak said:
Russia has plenty of power over its neighbours and the rst of Europe, none of us want them shutting off our gas supply. I dont think the US has any power over Europe, except the UK with old Blair. China is also developing its economic links into south america, to the extend the US were not to happy about the relationships with brasil.
Click to expand...

Considering how important China is for some import/export and production, I'd say they've got influence on the economics of both europeans and americans.
 
Aurvant said:
I wonder what it is you actually classify as "humility". Adopting socialism? Playing allies to rogue nations or giving up national soverignty for unstable and flawed internationalism? Is that what you mean by "humility"?

As for the B!ITCH's comment that is actually a neat rip on one of Dave Chapelle's jokes. He had a skit where he said what if Bush was a Black man (Dave played as Bush) and he called it Black Bush. There was a section where he was talking to the U.N. in regards to the disagreement of going to war with Afghanistan and Iraq and he said:

"Oh, so you don't like it? What are you going to do? Go ahead sanction me! Sanction me with your army..OHHHHH~ You don't have an army do you so how bout shuttin' the fuck up!"

I lol'd.
Click to expand...

http://www.killsometime.com/video/video.asp?ID=215

:lol
 
Kowak said:
Russia has plenty of power over its neighbours and the rst of Europe, none of us want them shutting off our gas supply. I dont think the US has any power over Europe, except the UK with old Blair. China is also developing its economic links into south america, to the extend the US were not to happy about the relationships with brasil.
Click to expand...

Russia does have a lot of power over it's neighbours, but where at one point Moscow controlled nearly all the governments of ex-USSR countries, this is by no means the case right now. Case in point is the Ukraine which is decidedly moving towards the West. And they're not alone, most ex-USSR countries want to move closer to the West, or more specifically the EU, and move away from the influence of Moscow.

And while China is enlarging it's sphere of influence, it's really not that big now. It has a good deal of influence in the region, and a little in Africa and South-America. But it's really nothing compared to the influence the US has in both those regions.
 
Kabouter said:
Russia does have a lot of power over it's neighbours, but where at one point Moscow controlled nearly all the governments of ex-USSR countries, this is by no means the case right now. Case in point is the Ukraine which is decidedly moving towards the West. And they're not alone, most ex-USSR countries want to move closer to the West, or more specifically the EU, and move away from the influence of Moscow.

And while China is enlarging it's sphere of influence, it's really not that big now. It has a good deal of influence in the region, and a little in Africa and South-America. But it's really nothing compared to the influence the US has in both those regions.
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Granted the point about the govts, but they still can get their way and do very often. Criticism of russia in europe is kept very hush hush because of the power it exerts. it may not be able to outright say do this but it can get its way.

I wonder what it is you actually classify as "humility". Adopting socialism? Playing allies to rogue nations or giving up national soverignty for unstable and flawed internationalism? Is that what you mean by "humility"?
Click to expand...

What???????????????/

Socialism has nothing to do with de-colonisation. There was no way that that the UK goverment could continue to support it after the two world wars. It just happenend that it occured during a socilaist goverment, one that is regarded as the best British goverment in the 20th century.
 
Azih said:
Honestly this is the single greatest point of cultural disconnect between Americans and the rest of the world. You guys seem to have this idea that your destiny as the shining-city-on-the-hill-beacon-of-hope-and-light-and-freedom is so manifest that it must be obvious to the rest of the world.

Mang, even the countries that generally have a positive view of America (Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, UK etc.) don't come even close to that level of adulation. Not. Even. Close.

I'm reminded of a Jon Stewart Interview. He had Reza Aslan on and they were talking about Iraq I think, Jon made the point that the democratic government of Iraq seemed to not like America very much and Reza went something like "Duh, did you think they'd love America" and Jon went "We really kinda thought they would".

Man, the French are convinced they're the best thing to happen in history as well, but they never had the delusion that everybody else in the world agreed with them.

Thinking you're the best country in the planet is natural. Hell Canada thinks it's the best country on the planet. But expecting everybody else to agree is the oddest thing about the American psyche for me.
Click to expand...


did you... did you not read the article?
 
Tim the Wiz said:
In terms of military power and political influence, yes. It's also one of the best places to be if you're rich. Otherwise, no. The domestic legislation afforded to the middle-class of America just isn't my cup of tea. I really couldn't imagine living there in the immediate future.
Click to expand...
Then where is the best place for poor people?
 
Hitokage said:
And more tornadoes.
Click to expand...

Actually the UK, for its land area, has more tornadoes than any other country in the world.

But we have scones and jam to make up for it.
 
USD said:
I think Americans still believe that the US is the greatest country on the world, just that the US shouldn't be pulling some Manifest Destiny, "impose our values on everyone else" sort of thing. That's what the article was really about. And after Iraq, how many people would you really expect to think we should be doing something like that?
Click to expand...
Has learning from the past ever stopped the mighty USA to start another bloodfest/war? 5 years and Iraq will be forgotten so that the next republican president can still the bloodlust of redneck soldiers in some 3rd world country yet again and make some serious money from robbing/liberating them.
 
Kowak said:
Scandanavia
Click to expand...

But isn't the poverty rate there super low?
So which country has a shit load of poor people, who are happy?

I dont know, but I think bums in america have it pretty good compared to the rest of the world.

anyhow words from the late Sam kinison on the homeless

You give 'em the test. You sit 'em down and you go "Eh, you got any job skills, any career training? Any type of talent for anything that'll help you get a job?"

"No"

"Do you have any loved ones, do you have any friends, someone who'll love you enough to take you in, help you get back on your feet, help you fight back?"

"No"

"Is there anything left inside of you as a man that wants to get on his two feet and do something to change his world?"

"No"

*** BOOM *** I swear to God, the guy behind him is going to go,

"Woah, woah, woah, My God, you're shooting the homeless!....Ok, I'm homeless, I don't have a job. I may have set my career goals a little too high. All right, all right. I was holding out for an executive position. That doesn't look like it's going to happen. Give me a couple of hours, I'll get a paper route, I'll get something. I'll get a job where I take the carts back to the grocery store, don't shoot me!"

The homeless will disapear, that'll be one less problem for America.
 
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