When was America actually "Great"?

I see lots of posts on here that are always saying "America needs to return to the once great country she was", "America was great before the globalists took over".

My question is, when was it great?

Was it great when the new settlers of this country were slaughtering the Native Americans left and right and pushing them out of their lands?

Was it great when Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal act?

en.wikipedia.org...

Was it great during the Civil war?

Was it great when the Maine "mysteriously" blew up in Havana harbor to create war with Spain?

Was it great when the US military took over Hawaii?

Was it great when the federal reserve and IRS came to power in 1913?

Was it great when the US sent the Lusitania into known hostile waters to get themselves into WW1?

Was it great when the "Great" depression rolled around?

Was it great when Roosevelt provoked the Japenese into attacking pearl harbor and didn't put the base on Alert?

Was it great during the Vietnam war? Korean War? Afghanistan? Iraq? Libya?

I'm an American, and I'm just trying to figure out when America was great. I realize we are brainwashed from birth to believe its the greatest country that ever existed, but really?

I know people will tell me to move if I don't like it, but I was born here and I do like it here. I also can spot propaganda when I see it.

Maybe after 1776 it was great for a while in a patriotic sense, but somewhere along the line.........

So tell me when do you think America was "Great" and at what point in time did America become "Not so great".

Nothing is ever fully "great".

And mostly the great people, moments, and experiences happen in the midst of when things are at their worst making a great -moment- in time.

Just before it was 'Discovered'.

Around 1492 is what the history books would have us believe.

Although I never understood how something is discovered when it was always there and a lot of people living here already knew of it.

reply to post by mayabong


its only great for some people,the upper 1%,for most its in very short bursts,some none at all,but ur right,ive thought about that too,the trouble is,we always grow up seeing it great on tv,living it is a different story

Originally posted by jude11
Just before it was 'Discovered'.

Around 1492 is what the history books would have us believe.

Although I never understood how something is discovered when it was always there and a lot of people living here already knew of it.

edit on 25-4-2011 by jude11 because: (no reason given)

Thats a "great" answer. thanks

It might not be "Great" but that doesn't stop people from flocking here by the thousands to live. Ask any immigrant how they feel about America. Maybe not Great but surely better.

I can't speak for the atrocities of our forefathers.

Originally posted by TheLieWeLive
It might not be "Great" but that doesn't stop people from flocking here by the thousands to live. Ask any immigrant how they feel about America. Maybe not Great but surely better.

I can't speak for the atrocities of our forefathers.

Good point. I have a couple immigrant friends (legally... or maybe not hmm?) they love the hell out of America.

You said yourself...1776.

The very idea and ideals which were put forth in the Constitution.

The best shot man had tried so far at a fair AND civilized means of governance.

Were they very successful at the implementation? Well, honestly no. Not even from the beginning.

Does that mean the idea and ideals are wrong? NO not by a long shot.

Its so old and outdated to hate America. As compared to whom? China? how many did mao kill?

America is, if nothing else, a Great try.

reply to post by mayabong


In the sixties. War was over, there were moon shots & flower people.

reply to post by mayabong


Normandy and a few other instances.www.liveleak.com... en.wikipedia.org...
John Stosell of FOX News discusses the greatness of America here video.foxbusiness.com...
Reagan discusses it here

well Britains still Great it's part of our name and everything

Originally posted by chr0naut In the sixties. War was over, there were moon shots & flower people.

War was over? Where do you think America was fighting in the 60s? Did a little backward country called Viet Nam totally slip your mind?

For me it is such an abstract thing to say: "I hate America, or the US".
There are millions of Americans, how can I say I hate them all?

George W. Bush was a low point for me in American culture.
Before that I didn't really care.
Perhaps as a gay person, it was the only place we had on which to model our aspirations.

When I was younger, they said America was better than communism and the USSR.
Now they say the Islamists are a bigger danger.
I agree with that, both times.
I do not want to live under Stalinists or Islamists.

So for me the US is not a destination, it is a process and simmering melting-pot of peoples and free opinion.

It's probably a trademark or idea, but it is not limited to Americans in a global village.
It is the very idea of freedom embodied.
So it is good to observe the US, because whatever happens there is likely to happen here.

Most refer to the period after WWII, when America was a large producer of goods, vs. services, before we outsourced everything. I prefer to also include a little bit earlier.

American goods were known for quality, and innovation, etc. All the major advances, electricity, radio, television, the automobile, the airplane, etc. were utilized and advanced in America. We led, the rest of the world followed. That's when we were great.

That said, I think we're still great (and pretty much one of the only superpowers on the planet), but we've somewhat lost our way, and need to get back on track. I'm not of the doom and gloom mindset though. We've always persevered, and we will continue to do so.

reply to post by fritz


I was referring to the second world war being over.

The anti-war sentiment that came to its prime in the sixties (and was one of the cultural changes still remembered from then) was due to largely to Vietnam.

After WW2 and specifically during the 50's & 60's, America still had the Korean, Vietnamese, Cuban (Bay of Pigs) and numbers of other conflicts it was participating in, not to mention the cold war, have you forgotten these?

In these other conflicts, America and its citizens were not directly under threat as they were during WW2 so the public mood was lighter.

America was great during all of those events. Maybe when looked at from an unrealistically idealistic perspective, the U.S. was never great, but through those same glasses, nothing ever is.

When you look at the U.S. from a realistic perspective, and compare it to what other countries around the world were doing at the time, then you see how great of a country the U.S. is. I hear it from immigrants all the time, how great the U.S. is as a country. When you go to other countries, and see how other people live, then you understand. Of course, you have to get off of the tourist tracks.

reply to post by chr0naut


No my friend, I had not forgotten those shameful events, especially the Cold War. During the Cold War, an Englishwoman showed the US President how grow some dangly bits.

But to say that America is or was great is of course utter rubbish! There is only one great country in the entire world and the clue is in its name - Great Britain. We are a legend in our own tea break.