America: Great or Evil?

Non-Phish General
#1

Seriously what do you think? This being the political season there is so much talk of change and ‘crisis’ and how negative America is. Does America have any good qualities? Is this country just full of brutes that unthinkingly wield power to hurt others? Is America too rich? Should it be cut down, made to distribute its wealth?

I think people like Rev. Wright like to focus on the negative, only the negative. But America also helps people in this world. Is there to lend money and resources to others in trouble. Lets just look at this current tragedy in Myanmar where 20,000+ people have been killed by a cyclone. Is Iran calling them offering support? Syria? North Korea? Some people will have you believe the US is just like them, another terrorist state. I don’t think so.

America is not perfect. But apparently somebody is… so to those that see so much wrong with America what other nation in the world is a shining example of how the US should be? And why?

#2

It’s like the old cliche says…the individual person here is GREAT. Most people are just trying to get by like us and are very kind and will help each other out. There’s no terrorist groups, there’s no car bombs, there’s no wars here, there’s no extremist religious fighting…it’s really a VERY nice place and, believe it or not, if you ignore the incompetence of government, it really DOES go away.

However, as a GROUP most people here really aren’t very smart. They believe that we’re legitimately the best country on the planet and remind people of it constantly, we’ve still got some bad cases of racism especially in the South (though it still pales in comparison to other countries) and people here are generally more stupid when it comes to understanding the world (mostly because we’re so isolated that we don’t NEED to understand the world around us to get by). Not to mention that our government is as corrupt as the worst ones out there.

Overall, i think things are nice here. Government is easy to ignore if it goes away and the normal everyday people you meet at the store or through life generally gives me a positive feel. Just ignore the bad things about the country and they won’t bother you. Remember, the media focuses on the negative because the positive doesn’t get ratings. ALWAYS remember that…

Stevo

#3

With regards to the American government being a good force in the world, I think it’s 50/50 personally… edging slightly closer to bad in it’s more recent history. I have not voted in the poll though because I wouldn’t really definitely say bad.

The American people obviously don’t fall into that category though in my opinion…even if government is supposed to be ‘of the people by the people’.

#4

There’s lots of good: Kicking ass in WWII, Civil rights, the Grateful Dead, etc…but the bad lately has been outweighing the good by quite a bit. The American Government’s international policy is what is wrong with the States in most other countries eyes. We could care a less if you don’t want to adopt a universal medicare policy, or if you want everything in your Country to be owned by the Chinese in the next 20 years…that’s not going to effect most other countries as much as it’s going to effect your own…but your policy of invading countries taht you think might be looking at you the wrong way, is what most other countries have against the states. I know, Iraq is probably the exception and not the rule, but it is at the forefront of what most people think of American International Policy, including myself.

I don’t really care though, so long as I don’t have to go off and fight, you guys have fun.

#5

USA is #1 and God loves us best!

i think this attitude which many seem to have, combined with the cowboy politics of the last eight years is what has really tarnished our reputation in the world. it’s a WORLD community now, and i think we’re (slowly) learning that we have to be a member of it, not just it’s boss and disciplinarian. i think this is a great nation, a great experiment that goes forward…but it’s not somehow immune to corruption and evil deeds. we need better leaders who truly understand the whole world community thing, and who will work to restore the love and respect we once had by others.

i guess you need a third option, like “good with much room for improvement” or something along those lines.

#6

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Swcjg4WmoXk

merica…
America…
America, FUCK YEAH!
Coming again, to save the mother fucking day yeah,
America, FUCK YEAH!
Freedom is the only way yeah,
Terrorist your game is through cause now you have to answer too,
America, FUCK YEAH!
So lick my butt, and suck on my balls,
America, FUCK YEAH!
What you going to do when we come for you now,
it

#7

i’m not voting because i think this question doesn’t cover what everybody thinks.

I think America is wonderful and i love exploring it and being in it and everything the idea of America is supposed to stand for.

that being said, i think the American GOVERNMENT is definitely more evil than good so therefore i answer both…and neither.

#8

By not voting that automatically makes you un-American, which means you’re a terrorist, which means you hate America, which means you think it is evil.

#9

Yeah this is too broad a question. I agree with Jawbone.

#10

lol. can’t really argue with that logic!

#11

The American people are GREAT, American ideals are GREAT. The problem is America has been hijacked by elite global bankers such as the ones who own and run the Federal Reserve system, for thoise that do not know our currency is printed not by the government but by a privately owned bank, nothing federal about it.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/analysis_newsom_011303_democracy.html

#12

Don’t know. Have never lived in any other country long enough to make a fair evaluation. Basing an opinion on anything else but actual experience is pointless.

#13

I don’t think so fone. I actually think its pretty easy. By that logic we can’t say cocaine addiction is destructive unless we’ve destroyed our life by being a coke addict. Nonsense. No offense but that kind of thinking is sort of a cop out. Jeez you must like to go to the school of hard knocks. Thru critical thinking and analysis we can come to logical conclusions without having to experience everything.

Lets look at Myanmar. Terrible devastation. The gov’t won’t let anyone into help and won’t even help their own people. And we cried foul here when the US gov’t wasn’t there fast enough in New Orleans… when they did what they could, was there as fast as the could. Thats another can of worms but the point is the US is not Myanmar.

How about education? Did everyone here have an opportunity to be educated? Counter to what Stevo said up there Americans are not stupid. They are highly educated compared to the rest of the world. We all have a chance to be schooled. Not so in many parts of the world.

And I don’t see anyone jumping to name another country who is the shining example of what the US should be.

And lets not forget that while the Iraq war is not popular (lets face it NO war is popular) ousting Saddam Hussein was not just going into a happy-go-lucky country and roughing it up. Saddam was terribly evil and killed countless of his own citizens. How about our gov’t killing you and your family? Telling you where you can and can’t work. Telling you what you can and can’t read. Telling you what you can and can’t wear. Telling you where you can and can’t live.

No instead people cry about our gov’t not giving us enough free hand outs. The gov’t has not fixed enough of our problems.

You know, we have clean water, electricity, food right off the shelves, public education for all etc. We have it so good we don’t even appreciate it. Instead we cry about how people were enslaved over 100 years ago, we cry about fluctuation’s in our energy and food costs, we cry about our gov’t working to secure our freedom from radical terrorists. All the while enjoying our luxurious, easy lives.

Thnkfst has a point about the Federal Reserve. Its the Fed Res to blame for these tough financial times not the Bush Administration… but Bush is the easy target. I’ve read an article or two about this but I find economics difficult to understand and can’t quite sort it all out. I’m working at it. Here’s the article if interested:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120951671713654689.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

All I can say is right now I have a very easy life. I have a house, a wife, money in the bank, a car to drive, education and I’m furthering my education to become a RN, food in my fridge and pantries. Heat in the winter. Its luxury. In more places than not in this world I could have none of it. We are very lucky, very fortunate. If you can’t see this in your own life then take another look. Look to see where you can improve your life and be thankful you live in such a free country.

I hope I’m not sounding like a lecture. Its not my intent. Its just my thoughts and feelings. I’m not pointing the finger at anyone.

#14

LOL. You talk like this is a BAD thing. You seriously want the government in charge of the money too??? The government fucks up anything that they are charge with…they couldn’t run a comic book store, let alone handle the money. The Federal Reserve is the reason that this economy has done so well in the last fifty years. Next you’ll be telling me that we need to go back to the gold standard…

By the way…I love the second paragraph of that link you gave us…

“Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.”- Often attributed to Thomas Jefferson"

That article is so full of shit that they put some quote and then erroneously connect it to Thomas Jefferson and then even TELL us that there’s no proof that he actually said it. I swear, these anti-establishment websites and 9/11 Truthers lie, twist quotes, present total lies as fact, and bullshit just as much as the government that they’re against does.

“That article is a total joke” - often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi

(By the way, thnkfrst…don’t bother arguing because I won’t respond. I said my peace and that’s it…I don’t want us highjacking this thread)

Stevo

#15

Cactus to this thread

“too many letters”

#16

^ I agree, enough talk. This is what we’re talking about.

#17

Goldphish i agree with your reply above. we are very, very lucky here, and we do tend to take it for granted. if we really took the time to appreciate what we have here on a daily basis, we might just explode from too much appreciation. i notice how blocked off from true gratitude i am right now, and that gives me a great reason to look more closely at that. credit really must be give where it is due.

that being said, also check out goldenroad’s post directly above mine. and think about it. the foreign polocies of the last eight years have been absolutely if not evil, then wrongheaded. yeah saddam’s gone and that really is a good thing, but the end does not equal the means. a lot of american people feel this way. it’s why there is SO much anger at our govt. this was absolutely the worst possible way to go about making the world “safer and more free”. and there’s no accountability to be had.

americans are angry at america. that’s not treason, that’s self reflection. i don’t know what the final solution is to all this by any means, but it ain’t more of the same.

#18

I can’t describe the feeling when

I’m in my bed asleep and then
I wake up with a vision blurred
And all my efforts are detered
To reconstruct this image lost

There’re certain things my mind must do
and even though they’re very few
The image glistens like a gem

Repairing is not one of them
So I’m awake though in my mind
The image thats so unrefined
is calling to me from the deep
and tempting me to fall asleep

;D

#19

i like how the best post in this thread was made my a canuck.

#20

Canada didn’t even have their first fast-food murder until 1992.

So, yeah.