America Is Not The Greatest Country Anymore - "The Newsroom" (Jeff Daniels)

I had already figured much of this out already.
I was under the firm belief that America lead the world in almost every catagory, when I left to live in Europe.
I arrogantly expected to see terrible medical care, sad living conditions, dirty struggling people.....
What I found instead was much better then my homeland. I am so thankful I had two of my three children over here, where the medical care was better, and they all had their education here (though it is so much better then the ed I got, I could no longer understand their homework after the age of 11).
I am glad they are able to be in college now, without any student loans hanging over their head .
I'm glad they had no hang ups about coming to me and saying "Mom, I think my boyfriend/girlfriend and I are planning to have sex for the first time soon. Can you come with me to pick out some contraception?" (which they never would have done if they had grown up with the neuroticism and sexual obsession of the Americans).

After many years here I ended up looking up most of those statistics, and was amazed at how much illusion I used to be filled with by the propaganda of my country!

I'd say the Greatest Country on Earth is either Israel or Australia.

High living standard plus they make others pay to protect them. They play the world for suckers and are livin large right now and will continue to do so.

reply to post by nwtrucker


I hate to say it but I think Germany is probably the best country in the world right now. It is a free and open democracy, low unemployment, ecologically minded, high quality products, low mortality rate, good public healthcare and excellent worker benefits.
If you want a model on how to run a country it has to be said the Germans are very good at it just a pity about their Nazi background or Germany would be classed as the best country in the world.

The problem with America is that it has a high republican base which thinks socialism is a burden for the free and this type of mindset just ferments the us vs them mentality.
Certain socialist programs like universal healthcare actually improves the nation as a whole because able bodied people who by some misfortune can not seek treatment is then unable to work and may end up in a life of poverty.
Whereas elsewhere in the world they would be able to get treatment and get back to being a productive member of society. That is why even though you may have some of the best healthcare treatment in the world it is largely unobtainable by the vast majority and why you are so low in the world ranking for healthcare.

And the whole they hate us because we are the freest country in the world has been bullcrap for a long time, how can any country with the largest prison populace per capita say they are truly free. The countries of europe are a lot freer than America, they have less police brutality, longer life expectancy are free to move to any country in Europe to look for work, actively protest without fear & they don't have the TSA. The list could go on..

reply to post by Bluesma


Do you mind me asking which country you ended up staying in and raising your kids just to give context?

Originally posted by nwtrucker
Uh,OK. if the US of A isn't the greatest country in the world, who takes the slot? What country is the greatest in the world?

As far down Mr. Crappers bowl we've gone, there's no where I want to move to. Canada? Nope. too freaking cold and that country will fall apart within weeks of the US. Nowhere in Europe, that's for sure.

Australia? Maybe, but too many snakes and they're about to be overrun by Asians. New zealand? Bah.

Scratch Africa, the Mid-East? Yah right. Hmm. The south pole? Nope, no steaks... England? Nope praying on Sunday beats five times a day...

Iceland? Hmm. There's a possiblity. Costa Rica/Central America? Nope too many retired spooks. Siberia? Nope Canada without the beer. Some small, isolated Island that hasn't been nuked, immigrated to? Already bought up by the dudes who messed it all up..

Iceland is too small. It would be overpopulated in a year.

Nope. I'm hunkering down. Survivalist mode. Plenty of food, away from the cities and who knows, maybe it will get better some day.

What a load of nonsense. Australia will not be "greatest country in the world" because we have too many snakes? Because Canada is too cold? Because Siberia has bad beer? Because people in England pray too much?

My god man, that is probably the worst reasoning I have seen in my entire lifetime about anything, ever. Congratulations, you deserve a trophy.

reply to post by Ben81


F&S for the OP!!!

I too, watched the premier episode of "The Newsroom" and I thought that Jeff Daniels gave the perfect response to the question presented to him. He told the plain and simple truth, America is not number 1 in the world and we haven't been for quite some time.

"America is No. 1" is nothing more than another one of those ignorant bumper sticker slogans that has become one of the mainstays of the delusional republican party. They seem to think that all one has to do to be No. 1, is to just keep saying it. What a bunch of ignorant buffoons they are proving to be.

With respect to "The Newsroom," I think it may well prove to be one of HBO's best series yet. I can't wait for episode two.

Heck Iam British and I love england because of the sense of humour and the lovely quaintness you can find 2 mins from your doorstep, but of course Iam going to say the UK is the best cos I live and come from there.

If I had to pick another country for the title it would have to be the Netherlands (Lived there for a year) because it is so flat and they have a great transport system and because of the other plant thing .

When I 1st moved to the Netherlands I was very confused because everywhere I went some dutch person would come over and buy me a drink (I thought they wanted some bum fun) but as I lived there longer I discovered the Dutch love us Brits because of what our Grandads did in ww2.
I once was talking to a girl in a bar and she rang her daughter and when the daughter turned up she said "I wouldnt be alive if you tommys didn't help us" then they insisted they got me blind drunk and I had a great time

You Dutch dudes and dudettes are so cool
Was America the greatest country at any point? only to the Americans it was.

Originally posted by mclarenmp4
reply to post by Bluesma

 

Do you mind me asking which country you ended up staying in and raising your kids just to give context?

France.

GOOD, if people start thinking we aren't the greatest, MAYBE, they will stop coming here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I am first generation on my fathers side.

ATTENTION..............................................................ATTENTION

STAY AWAY FROM THE LOUSY AMERICA.................PLEASE,


DO NOT COME NEAR HER BORDERS,

She is subject to tornadoes, wild fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, freezing rain and blizzards, floods, sweltering heat, lousy Americans, crooked politicians, crumby healthcare, infestation, we are fat and stupid,and apparently sexually obsessed, please leave if you are already here.

SAVE yourselves.

Go away.
Did I mention bed bugs?

reply to post by Stormdancer777


Didn't work for us Aussies mate - no matter how much we talk about all the poisonous creatures we have here.....capping it off with the delightful Dropbear.......they still come anyways.

America will be Great again IF they will restore Glass-Steagal ACT and return to Bretton Woods Agreement which is Fixed exchange rate system

Originally posted by Kryties
reply to post by Stormdancer777

 

Didn't work for us Aussies mate - no matter how much we talk about all the poisonous creatures we have here.....capping it off with the delightful Dropbear.......they still come anyways.

LOL, aint it amazing?

Interesting how so many miss the point.

Its not about 'where would we go instead' and then a debate about the merits of other nations.

The point is to recognise that the country you live in is not the same as the one you think you do. The media of a nation is the nations mirror, and its distorted.

The america the world sees is not the america that americans see. Thats the point. Thats the point of the entire show.

reply to post by boymonkey74


Yeah I would put Holland as my 2nd top country in the world after Germany but it's my number 1 for a country I would like to emigrate to. Dutch people are very cool people

reply to post by justwokeup

The point is to recognise that the country you live in is not the same as the one you think you do.

But I never really felt that way, it is not something I go around thinking or saying.

And most Americans I know are well aware of our short comings.
Plus
I see the patriotic displays in other countries as well.

Originally posted by mclarenmp4
reply to post by boymonkey74

 

Yeah I would put Holland as my 2nd top country in the world after Germany but it's my number 1 for a country I would like to emigrate to. Dutch people are very cool people

Netherland,Switzerland,Sweden,Finland are the top living countries of today
where its good to live, work and were the elites dont have any influence

and holland
germany .. with Merkel .. i dont know

Originally posted by mclarenmp4
reply to post by boymonkey74

 

Yeah I would put Holland as my 2nd top country in the world after Germany but it's my number 1 for a country I would like to emigrate to. Dutch people are very cool people

Where do you live now, May I ask?

The problem is, Everywhere you go, there you are.

Originally posted by Ben81

Netherland,Switzerland,Sweden,Finland are the top living countries of today
where its good to live, work and were the elites dont have any influence

edit on 7/1/2012 by Ben81 because: (no reason given)

I'm going to whisper this to you only because the average Turnip Brain American is currently going through a brain-washing program.

Because those are Socialist Countries.

Originally posted by Tw0Sides

[color=gold]Because those are Socialist Countries.

Fixed for you.

Originally posted by cranspace
I dissagree with that