Viewing America From Outside the Glass (651 hits)
Category: PoliticsRating: 0.29 on 15 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Tiny Draqus Fights the One Eyed Monster (View user info) at 2005-02-10 19:50:10 EST
Sparked by this comment:
Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2005-02-10 15:46:10 (#)
Ranking: -1
Islam is a violent religion still grounded in the 14th century. Is there any surprise it's banging heads with the most advanced nation [USA] on the planet?
from: http://www.ubersite.com/m/59249
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I am not an American. Let me get that clear from the start. I always find it fascinating that comments such as the one above (ignoring the absoloute shite about Islam) are persistently made by American citizens. As I am well aware that this is a board with many American users, i want to pose the question: what makes America so great?
And I don't want endless reams of crap about incidental stuff. I'm just curious as to why Americans always peddle this, when it is obvious that their international friends are few and far between. America has very few supporters in the Middle East (obviously), a grand total of basically one in Europe (Britain), and basically none in Africa. Asia and Australisia foster no strong allies, either.
With a tide of international intolerence running against America, what inspires the death and glory patriotism? Do most Americans generally subscribe to the view expressed by domenad (ie. that America is the most advanced nation on the planet)?
Let me make it clear that I'm not coming down on any particular side if this argument; I just want to inspire debate (although I happen to disagree with domenad's comment), since I'm only seeing things from the outside.
User Reviews
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-02-11 19:13:26 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-02-11 09:16:03 (#)
Ranking: -2
Tiny Dickus
What makes america so great?
To Quoted Richard Jeni " 20 million illegal aliens can't be wrong"
So you don't have to ask americans why america is so great ask the people leaving your country or any other country to come to america. Ask them why it is so great.
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2005-02-11 09:30:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I live in the US - I was born and raised here.
I used to think this country was great - and I believe it still could be. But right now, we're not.
The US has so much power and influence and weight, but our government abuses that power and perpetually rapes other countries.
The American people (or half of them, at least) are NOT the American government. Please remember this.
Submitted by Hadooken (user info) at 2005-02-11 09:30:28 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
because i can get food at 2am and go shopping.
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-02-11 09:16:03 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Tiny Dickus
What makes america so great?
To Quoted Richard Jeni " 20 million illegal aliens can't be wrong"
So you don't have to ask americans why america is so great ask the people leaving your country or any other country to come to america. Ask them why it is so great.
Submitted by TheSpook (user info) at 2005-02-11 09:02:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
If we were the most advanced nation on the planet, we wouldn't have elected the biggest moron in it to represent us.
Submitted by williamson (user info) at 2005-02-11 00:24:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by ellsmall (user info) at 2005-02-10 20:38:37 (#)
Ranking: 0
Well, if you really want to know what makes the USA so great it's our genetically inbred love of freedom (the personal liberty kind) and risk-taking. Frankly most of us can't figure out why the rest of you (foreigners) are so risk-adverse and security-obsessed. Ever hear of "nothing ventured nothing gained"?
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Us foreigners are security-obsessed? You fucking invaded a foreign country because you were scared the guy in charge had bombs. Yanks kill eachother left and right with a murder rate of over 10,000 anually, because you are all so damn scared of eachother. We are not risk-adverse; we are stupid-adverse.
Submitted by williamson (user info) at 2005-02-11 00:20:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Advanced in what way? If you're talking about technology or military or economic power than the yanks have a claim to say they are the most advanced.
But is that truly advanced? People should want to live in a "more advanced" nation, right? But I'll tell you, I'd never give up my beautiful Australia for America. There aren't too many that do (except those who want a slice of that US economy).
I personally see Australian society as more advanced than America's. But that's just my opinion.
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2005-02-10 23:50:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
wow. I dont know who this beefstick person is but I think they nailed it!
Submitted by beefstick86 (user info) at 2005-02-10 22:54:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
You have to understand that not every American supports what the country is doing on an international level.
You also have to understand that not every American thinks the same as every other American. As we are the "Melting Pot," we have people from many, many cultures and political backgrounds.
It seems to me that people of other nationality view what the country does as a whole to be the consensus of the entire nation. This is far from the truth.
It would be the same as saying that all men from Japan have small penises, and all women have small breasts.
Or the same as saying that all Europeans never learned how to bathe on a regular basis.
Or saying that all people from the Middle East wear towels on their heads and hate the Americans.
As some of these hold true, they only hold true to an extent. It is all relative, and depends a great deal on what the opinionator has been exposed to.
Also:
"... there are no universal norms or moral absolutes when it comes to cultures: cultures are neither better nor worse, only different. This does not mean that in looking at other cultures we agree with or approve of certain behaviors, or that we discard our own cultural or moral values. It merely means that other cultures should be approached with attitudes of tolerance, respect, and understanding." - John A. Perry, in "Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Social Science"
Submitted by ellsmall (user info) at 2005-02-10 20:38:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Well, if you really want to know what makes the USA so great it's our genetically inbred love of freedom (the personal liberty kind) and risk-taking. Frankly most of us can't figure out why the rest of you (foreigners) are so risk-adverse and security-obsessed. Ever hear of "nothing ventured nothing gained"?
Submitted by switters (user info) at 2005-02-10 20:36:29 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Let me start by saying that I'm an american, who was in new york city on 9/11. I saw the fighter jets flying over the city, it was scary as fuck.
Islam is a very misunderstood religion. The key invocation to any preyer in the islamic tradition is "bi'smillah al-rahman al-rahîm". This literally means "In the name of god, the merciful, the compassionate." This is not a religion based on war. Some crazy extremest fucks take it to crazy levels, but so do catholics and christians and everyone else. (Like bombing an abortion clinic, that makes sense).
America isn't that great. Overall, we're a very undereducated, unintelligent country. Then again, Bush came VERY close to losing the election. over 49% of the people in this country voted for him. At least 49% of us aren't willing to submit to mind control and propoganda.
Submitted by DogWings (user info) at 2005-02-10 20:22:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
The easy answer is that life is good here. For the most part, we have it really good. We can do pretty much whatever we want to do, and with a little honest work it's not that hard to get ahead.
But I don't think it's us (U.S. Citizens) that you should ask. Maybe you should ask all the people from other places that want nothing more than a chance to BE an American.
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2005-02-10 20:21:21 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
"Asia and Australisia foster no strong allies, either."
I love this. Our Aussie PM tries to make it look like he is such a pillar of international support for the US, when really noone else in the world knows or cares about it. From what our politicians and newspapers were saying about the war in Iraq, it was like Blair, Bush and Howard going in. But even when Blair and Bush were doing most of their addresses it was always Poland and Spain etc. that they mentioned. It cracks me up.
Johnny Howard loves to say nothing more than "I was just on the phone to Mr Bush." What an arselicker.
Submitted by Rawrg (user info) at 2005-02-10 20:00:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Meh. All religious zealots need to find some land mass, congregate and then wall themselves in. That would be nice...
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2005-02-10 19:53:07 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Australia is a very strong supporter. As are Japan, Poland, Italy etc. to progressively lesser extents.