that's American ...
- Thread starter skerbitz
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While America is no doubt a great country, whether it's the greatest of all or not is something to be left to the judgments of history. What I like about America, amongst other things, are the following:
(1) Most Americans are honest, decent people: you can't find many places in the world where you can just leave your school bags unattended before you enter a bookstore.
(2) It has a high level of volunteerism and it devotes a decent portion of its GDP to charity.
(3) It has the courage to face up past wrongs, such as slavery and incarceration of the Japanese Americans. I don't want to bash Japan, but it's no secret that Japan is doing everything to cover up its WWII crimes by rewriting its textbooks. And it is not upfront about its war atrocities--biological experiments done on live humans in China and Southeast Asia, sex slaves for the pleasures of the Japanese soldiers, etc.
What is wrong with America:
(1) It keeps riding its moral highhorse unabashedly. There is nothing (much) to learn from the rest of the world; the rest of the world has much to learn from us. But is that true? Think about the disintegration of the family here: 50% divorce rate, the highest in the world, and it's got the highest murder rate amongst all the industrialized nations. Shouldn't that cause us to think deeper?
(2) Freedom is the heart and soul of this country, but perhaps we are giving it too much license. There aren't many countries in the world that would let school kids go on a shooting rampage-- the likes of Columbine. (Let's not use Rwanda as a counterexample. Let's talk about developed and even nearly industrialized nations.) Moreover, freedom is not equal for all. If you are black and you want to buy a house, the real estate agent isn't likely to want to show you what's available in a white neighborhood. Whites just don't want blacks to move into their neighborhood because they are afraid they will push down the resale value of their homes. These are the hard realities.
Didn't the Sunday School you went to taught you something like this: "If you have a log in your eye, don't try to remove the speck in your brother's eye?" For all its greatness, America needs to learn from others just as much as others have to learn from her. Bombing other countries may only give us a break for now; eventually, it only creates more problems, much harder to deal with down the road.
(1) Most Americans are honest, decent people: you can't find many places in the world where you can just leave your school bags unattended before you enter a bookstore.
(2) It has a high level of volunteerism and it devotes a decent portion of its GDP to charity.
(3) It has the courage to face up past wrongs, such as slavery and incarceration of the Japanese Americans. I don't want to bash Japan, but it's no secret that Japan is doing everything to cover up its WWII crimes by rewriting its textbooks. And it is not upfront about its war atrocities--biological experiments done on live humans in China and Southeast Asia, sex slaves for the pleasures of the Japanese soldiers, etc.
What is wrong with America:
(1) It keeps riding its moral highhorse unabashedly. There is nothing (much) to learn from the rest of the world; the rest of the world has much to learn from us. But is that true? Think about the disintegration of the family here: 50% divorce rate, the highest in the world, and it's got the highest murder rate amongst all the industrialized nations. Shouldn't that cause us to think deeper?
(2) Freedom is the heart and soul of this country, but perhaps we are giving it too much license. There aren't many countries in the world that would let school kids go on a shooting rampage-- the likes of Columbine. (Let's not use Rwanda as a counterexample. Let's talk about developed and even nearly industrialized nations.) Moreover, freedom is not equal for all. If you are black and you want to buy a house, the real estate agent isn't likely to want to show you what's available in a white neighborhood. Whites just don't want blacks to move into their neighborhood because they are afraid they will push down the resale value of their homes. These are the hard realities.
Didn't the Sunday School you went to taught you something like this: "If you have a log in your eye, don't try to remove the speck in your brother's eye?" For all its greatness, America needs to learn from others just as much as others have to learn from her. Bombing other countries may only give us a break for now; eventually, it only creates more problems, much harder to deal with down the road.
Originally posted by MrDinky
Being #1 means we can't win no matter what. If we're passive, we're looked at as being selfish and ignoring the rest of the world. If we're aggressive, then we're abusing our power and meddling in affairs that shouldn't concern us.
That's 100% right. I'd like to add, as a European considering Europe, they have never been able to solve their own problems in recent history. So who gives a f&%$ what they have to say??
I forgot, as a Eastern European I know the Western Europe plays the hardball with Eastern Europe. But when America doesn't exactly consult Westerners they bitch and complain.
"never"? The institution of the EURO has been a remarkable achievement. What more can you expect from a region with so many languages, diverse cultures and traditions, and long histories? You only need to speak English here, and don't forget the US has only about 200 years of history with a much lighter historical baggage.
"Never" is usually very easy to refute. I only need to give one counterexample, and your argument falls apart.
Remember the American delegation walked out on the conference on racism held in South Africa rather that apologize for slavery.
That is not the reason for US withdrawl.
"The US and Israel walked out of the conference earlier in the week in protest against Arab attempts to adopt a resolution equating Zionism - the political movement supporting the existence of a Jewish state - with racism."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1530976.stm
"never"? The institution of the EURO has been a remarkable achievement.
That's a news for me. Euro is a political thing. Down the road there might be more problems than benefits.
What more can you expect from a region with so many languages,......
So here, you actually agree with me.
"Never" is usually very easy to refute. I only need to give one counterexample, and your argument falls apart.
Really? Here you make me laugh, considering you could only come up with Euro "counterexample" and partially actually agreeing with me.On subject of single or multiple currency read Hayek.
That's a news for me. Euro is a political thing. Down the road there might be more problems than benefits.
What more can you expect from a region with so many languages,......
So here, you actually agree with me.
"Never" is usually very easy to refute. I only need to give one counterexample, and your argument falls apart.
Really? Here you make me laugh, considering you could only come up with Euro "counterexample" and partially actually agreeing with me.On subject of single or multiple currency read Hayek.
Cesko,
Give me a break. America's intellectual and cultural heritage owes so much to Europe. Think about Einstein. How about the U.S.'s Constitution, which owed so much to John Locke? I don't deny that America has its own intellectual and cultural contribution, but don't lose sight of the fact that you are also drawing on European traditions. The intellectual history courses you take in college begin with Plato, Aristotle, Kant.... Who are these folks? You think you can start with a blank slate?
stock.
Give me a break. America's intellectual and cultural heritage owes so much to Europe. Think about Einstein. How about the U.S.'s Constitution, which owed so much to John Locke? I don't deny that America has its own intellectual and cultural contribution, but don't lose sight of the fact that you are also drawing on European traditions. The intellectual history courses you take in college begin with Plato, Aristotle, Kant.... Who are these folks? You think you can start with a blank slate?
stock.
