Re: Survey for US people: America is the best?

by fodeja 27 Replies latest jw friends

  • Carmel
    Carmel

    Having lived in the US, Alaska (yep Alaskans don't consider themselves American for many reasons0 Israel and having traveled to many others including Russia and China, Turkey, etc. there certainly are many material and organizational things about America that are ahead of the other countries. Having said that, there are things about each of those countries that are refreshing and different. Better? well that has to be in context. Certainly the lavalava's that the Samoans wear are delightful and practical, even business men wear them with a suit jacket on top. Not too practical in Alaska though. I love the differences and agree with those that see the beauty in all the various countries and their different cultural ways.

    the universal citizen.

    carmel

  • expatbrit
    expatbrit

    1) Do you think the USA is the best country in the world, and can you tell us why (not) in one short sentence?

    No. For the simple reason that it is impossible to measure all of the variables required to make such a judgement. It's like saying "the apple is the best fruit in the world". America has many good aspects, and some bad aspects, like other countries.

    2) What are your criteria for comparing countries?

    See answer to 1)

    3) Do you think you are well-informed about the rest of the world?

    No. The rest of the world is far too big and complex for any person to be well-informed about it. I consider myself well-informed on certain areas of the world, and I think I've reached the point of knowing how much I don't know.

    4) Are you making an active effort to inform yourself about the rest of the world, or do you listen to and watch what's presented to you?

    I try to become informed as much as my average circumstances allow.

    5) What is your primary source of information about other countries?

    When reading about events in other countries, I try to find English translations of their own newspapers and periodicals. For general knowledge, I usually rely on established and respected journals.

    6) Do you think your primary source of information gives you a fairly accurate, unbiased, and complete picture of other countries? Why?

    Within reasonability, yes. It combines what the people of those countries are saying with the views of outsiders. The hardest thing is to try and filter out my own biases.

    7) First-hand experience: have you ever been to any other countries/continents of the world, and for how long? Can you share some experiences with us?

    I've been to countries on five continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and South America. I've lived in two countries, Britain (24 years) and Canada (9 years). I've seen enormous wealth and soul-shattering poverty in all those places, often mixed close together. I've seen that people who are viewed as "enemies" or "evil" by the West have the same loves, laughter, sadness, hopes, dreams and fears as we do. I've watched the sun set over the pyramids, read the handwriting of Isaac Newton, flown past a waterfall falling out of the clouds, bobbed my head at the Weeping Wall, frozen in fear near the summit of an Alpine peak, met Mickey Mouse, lit paper on fresh lava, and laughed in delight at a school of wild dolphins leaping around me, and yet I've barely scratched the surface of the world. There is too much to see to limit yourself to one country. So much to miss if you do.

    Expatbrit

  • Xena
    Xena
    the universal citizen

    I like that idea! Maybe someday Camel everyone will view themselves in this way.....

    Looking thru rose colored glasses this evening

  • bboyneko
    bboyneko

    We may be living in one of the most corrupt countries in the world (americans like me) Start opening your eyes and read between the lines.

    Numerous eyewitnesses reported seeing two planes at the pentagon attack on 9-11. Also many reported seeing a small white plane follow the plane that crashed in PA. I remember hearing about 2 planes on both crashes during the initial hours of the attack, and then the story changed to only one plane. What the hell's going on here?

    Video footage of the plane crashing into the pentagon has not been released even though numerous cameras managed to capture the attack. Why?

    Russia has been accused of bombing it's own citizens to stage terrorists attacks so they could invade chechnya. Why the interest in Chechnya? Oil. Lots of Oil. Would the US do something similair to justify a campaign of terror in the middle east?

    Conflicts like the Vietnam war illustrate the United States use of it's own blood for simple political goals. Watch the upcoming mel gibson movie, 'We were soldiers' for a good portrayel of how the vietnam 'war' wasted american lives.

    The GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, announced it will sue to obtain information about meetings between Vice President Dick Cheney, chairman of President Bush's energy policy task force, and officials of Enron Corp. and other companies. Bush and Cheney have refused to hand over the information. Why? Are they above the law? What are they hiding? It's not like Bush had anything to do with enron, even though it's based in texas? naaaaaaah.

    Cheney, who has acknowledged meeting with executives of Enron, the now bankrupt energy trading company, six times last year, has said he won't release the information sought by the GAO because such disclosures would damage his and the president's ability to seek candid, confidential advice.
    Bush is looting our social security to fund his oil campaign. "The president is requiring the use of Social Security to pay for the normal operations of government," said Robert D. Reischauer, president of the nonpartisan Urban Institute and a Washington budget veteran. "That's the most significant, and largely unrecognized, change he's making." "

    hey look, were you aware they are trying to pass a bill that requires US men to serve in the military? Return of the draft?
    .. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.r.03598:

    "We see the same pattern repeated, from Batista to Pinochet to the Shah of Iran. The United States government backs and supports dictators and tyrants who oppress their own people to feed the wallets of American corporations. The US Government did it in Afghanistan, just did it again, and is doing it now in Pakistan and the Philippines. And when the people who live under these US sponsored dictators decide they don't like Americans, the US media tries to claim that their hatred is because we are free, rather than report the truth, which is that the US government is a principle agent in the enslavement of those who hate us."

    In 1994, in a letter to congressional leaders, former Rep. William Dannemeyer listed 24 people with some connection to Clinton who had died "under other than natural circumstances" and called for hearings on the matter.

    More recently, Former White House intern Mary Caitrin Mahoney, 25, manager of a Georgetown Starbucks, was killed along with two co-workers (Emory Allen Evans, 25 and Aaron David Goodrich, 18) on 6 July 1997 during a robbery of the shop. Nothing wat taken from the register.

    On 26 September 1993, Luther (Jerry) Parks was hit with ten bullets from a 9-mm semiautomatic handgun as he left a Mexican restaurant at the edge of Little Rock. His murder remains unsolved.

    Jerry Parks was gunned down at a deserted interection. He was a former security team member for Governor Clinton. He was in charge of a security company that guarded Clinton's campaign headquarters in 1992. Parks' son, Gary, asserts in Circle of Power and The Clinton Chronicles (both video products of Linda Thompson's American Justice Federation) that his father collected a secret file of Clinton's indiscretions, and that his father was using the file to try to blackmail the Clinton campaign. (He also claims that Vince Foster knew of the file's existence.) Despite these allegations, the younger Parks has failed to produce the mysterious file, and Clyde Steelman, the homicide sergeant with the Little Rock police force, dismissed Gary Parks' theories of his father's death as "unsubstantiated, nothing to grasp."

    List of former Clinton Bodyguards now dead:

    Maj. Gen. William Robertson
    Col. William Densberger
    Col. Robert Kelly
    Spec. Gary Rhodes
    Steve Willis
    Robert Williams
    Conway LeBleu
    Todd McKeehan
    Sgt. Brian Haney
    Sgt. Tim Sabel
    Maj.William Barkley
    Capt. Scott Reynolds.

    I don't have any confidence in the U.S. leadership, and the United States is more and more alienating itself from the rest of world thru insane feoreign relations policies and tactless comments (axis of evil? Evildoers?) It begs for help from world nations yet refuses to allow any say in cases such as the Cuba prisoners. The US says if you dont support them you support terrorists. That's bullshit.

    Personally, I am out of this country as soon as I can. Let's not even get started on the religious fanatic atmosphere that has bred some of the world's greatest cults, from mormomns, jehovahs witnesses, scientology, boston movement church of christ, heavens gate and more.

    -Dan, the conspiracy buff

  • fodeja
    fodeja

    julien,

    What I don't understand is why the rest of the world seems to get so offended at American arrogance. ...
    The whole thing reminds me of unpopular kids in High School who resented, disliked, or assumed the worst about popular kids just because they were popular or rich.
    as we're all in the same boat (or classroom) together for the rest of our lives, we might as well try to understand what our neighbours think, and why. When one kid in class always makes a point of telling everyone he's the best, richest or anything-est kid in class, it'll get on your nerves at some point. You might react defensively, you might want to slap him to shut up, you might become curious and try to understand why he's doing that. Maybe he isn't arrogant, maybe you're just misunderstanding him.

    Get my point?

    drahcir yarrum: your opinion is certainly interesting, but it makes me want to ask those questions again: what do you really know about those "socialist" countries?

    f.

  • ozziepost
    ozziepost

    WHAAAATT!!!!!! AUSSIES ARE KIWIS ??? !!!!!

    Guess it just goes to show how ignorant youse yanks are, eh?

    S'pose Amazing wasn't kidding, was he? Nah, couldn't be, we all know the yanks haven't got a sense of humour!

    Cheers,
    Ozzie

    "If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."

    - Ron Hutchcraft Surviving the Storms of Stress

  • fodeja
    fodeja
    WHAAAATT!!!!!! AUSSIES ARE KIWIS ??? !!!!!

    Nyahahaha! That's what happens when you call me a Yank, Ozzie! Or was that a Yak?

    f.

  • gilwarrior
    gilwarrior

    Well I have to say this. I was born in Mexico, but I have lived in the US most of life. I have to say, however that not a day goes by where I don't thank God that my parents moved here!

    I have gone to Mexico on several occasions and have seen the poverty that some members of my family members go through. How little they get payed compared to us.

    Do I think that the US is the best country in the world? Hell ya!

    "I have so much love to give, but no one to give it to."

    William H. Macy - "Magnolia"

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