7 graphs that prove America is overrated

by Simon 152 Replies latest social current

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  humbled

  talesin,

  You hit it right on the head--"..gross interference in other countries business.." . Look at what it has been doing at Ft. Benning, Georgia at its School of the Americas(renamed Western Hemisphere for Security cooperation-or WHINSEC)

  The graduates of this program of study have committed crimes that are DOCUMENTED. Google it please. It is a horror show.

  Years ago I wouldn't have believed it, but if you think about it, the U.S. has been putting more and more iron in its fist and been dealing from the bottom of the deck.

  I am an American. But if you are born in a family or religion that espouses certain virtues but doesn't back it up with action--you are in for disillusion.

  It is painful to know that there was--and still are--military/CIA covert operations that violate all the principles that ordinary flag-waving U.S. citizens think we stand for.Sometimes its more than dirty work. Its criminal.

  Gotta face it.
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  Think About It

  And, Think About It, please don't call me crazy again. I know you love your country RIGHT OR WRONG, but *this* Canadian loves the American PEOPLE, and is very sad to see what is happening south of the border.

  Tal......if I implied anything negative towards you in the past, please understand it would not have been personal, and I do humbly apologize. As for my patiotism, please understand that I was in a religious cult that suppressed love for one's country, so now that I'm out of the cult I am very patriotic for the U.S.A regardless of which party is currently in power.

  I don't agree with things that the U.S.A. has done that is wrong, but I do think it was wrong of Simon to make a thread based on hand picked criteria that would do nothing, but further his anti-American personal views (which most here already know) or just encourage people here to jump on his bandwagon. No Ameican on this board would even think about starting a thread "7 graphs that prove Canada is overrated" to promote Canada bashing.
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  zed is dead

  I agree with Simon, and I live here. He just provided the facts.

  zed
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  LisaRose

  I just have to add one final thing to those posters who claim everyone is beating down the doors to come to America. Um…no. Many, many people have absolutely no interest in living in the US. I think that’s a fallacy that has been perpetuated to support the myth that America is the best place in the world to live.

  Of course not every person in the world wants to come to Amerca. I did not mean that literally, I could have stated it better, but my point was, plenty of people still want to come to the US. Yes we don't have long, paid maternity leaves, but that is one factor among a hundred others. Enough people water to come here that immigration reform is badly needed. I just find it surprising that on a forum with a lot of members from the US, a thread would be started bashing the US. I would never dream of starting a thread that pointed out all the bad things about Canada or GB, that would just be incredibly rude. Yes we have our problems, but if you don't live here, you don't know what you are talking about.
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  Simon

  When people say "American's are the luckiest people on earth" I tend to hear echos of JWs saying "JWs are the happiest people on earth".

  Why does any country have to be 'best'?

  Don't all have problems and issues that we can push to change?

  I agree with any statement that points out issues with the UK or Canada ... why would I try to defend them if there are things wrong?
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  LisaRose

  No country has to be best, I don't don't recall anyone saying America is the best. Of course everyone is proud of the country they are from, so picking a "best country" is silly, it's not a contest. The political threads are full of people pointing out problems in the US, so I don't understand the need for a specific "America is not the best" thread. But whatever, it's not something I'll lose any sleep over, I'll accept that maybe I am misinterpreting this and bow out.
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  return of parakeet

  LisaRose: " The political threads are full of people pointing out problems in the US, so I don't understand the need for a specific "America is not the best" thread. "

  That's why these threads irritate me. It's the fashion these days for foreigners to criticize the U.S., and if Americans take exception to it, they're accused of having a knee-jerk defensive response that "America's the best," "No problems here," etc.

  Then we get painted with the same brush about Americans rolling over and letting the government run roughshod over us, as though we're not aware of our problems and are trying to correct them.

  The very title of this thread was designed to be offensive to Americans.

  I don't understand the need some people have to post these threads either, but they keep on coming anyway.
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  return of parakeet

  villagegirl: " Holy Cow Simon - Please don't let the world know how "not nice" we Canadians really are I lived 25 years in California, but I was born in Ottawa Ontario and returned to Canada in 1989. The first thing I noticed was all the bashing of Americans. Why ? It doesn't make any sense Simon. Because Americans BUY 85% of what Canada produces. "

  Thanks for the breath of fresh air, villagegirl. I'm glad there are at least a few Canadians that think the U.S. is not completely evil. And believe me, Brits and Canadians don't limit their bashing while living in their own countries. I can't tell you how many that come here will tell you to your face how much they despise the U.S. even when they're guests here.

  In my experience, Brits are the worst, Canadians a close second, and Germans coming in third. I've worked with many of these people at the University of Connecticut and at Penn State -- all, without exception, were smug, critical and seemingly unaware of the irony that they were taking advantage of this country's opportunities without a shred of gratitude for the freedom that made that possible.

  That proud tradition continues here on a regular basis. As I said earlier, it's the fashion for foreigners to throw stones from their glass houses. And Americans are expected to "roll over" and take it.
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  PaintedToeNail

  This may have been covered already, I haven't read all the comments...I keep trying to figure out why an employer should be responsible to pay for maternity leave, the employer wasn't the one having sex, and doesn't benefit in anyway from the baby. I can understand unpaid maternity leave, but as an employer to pay for the consequences unprotected sex seems silly and expensive to me.
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  new22day

  PaintedToeNail - not sure about the US system, but in Canada I don't believe employers are obligated to pay maternity benefits. Government funded employment insurance, which all CAs pay into, pays those who qualify for mat leave, and some company benefit plans top those payments up. Employers are only legally required to keep the person's job for them while they are on mat leave. Bascially you can't fire someone for having a baby.