Greatest nation on earth

[gibson]

V.O.C !

USA sucks. I'd rather live in some village in zimbabwe.

I'm curious are you serious or trolling? If you're serious why so? I've found that most European stereotypes of the United States aren't in any way true.

[Gendarme]

The two main reasons I see USA as a fucked country is the fact that the people are in deep debt (almost nobody uses credit cards in Sweden, for example), and the amount of garbage food you are eating.

[deleted_user0]

And yeah btw Germany is the greatest place ever : )
cheap food and cheap alcohol, all you need as a finn. and culturally they're rather close to Finland if you don't count swedes and norwegians.

nordish union incoming <3

Kalmar Union!

[princeofkabul]

V.O.C !

USA sucks. I'd rather live in some village in zimbabwe.

I'm curious are you serious or trolling? If you're serious why so? I've found that most European stereotypes of the United States aren't in any way true.

How could you know about EU stereotypes about US. You're from Tuvalu afterall.

[oats13]

"the west is the best" Jim Morrison 1967-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSUIQgEVDM4

[Mr_Bramboy]

V.O.C !

USA sucks. I'd rather live in some village in zimbabwe.

I'm curious are you serious or trolling? If you're serious why so? I've found that most European stereotypes of the United States aren't in any way true.

I'm serious. After world war 2, the USA became the worst thing to ever happen to this world. Not that I have anything against American people, I just don't like the nation.

[dicktator_]

I don't really put much thought into which countries are the best or how good or how bad my country is. I'd still be the same person with the same problems regardless of which country I was born in (barring third world countries).

[gibson]

V.O.C !

USA sucks. I'd rather live in some village in zimbabwe.

I'm curious are you serious or trolling? If you're serious why so? I've found that most European stereotypes of the United States aren't in any way true.

I'm serious. After world war 2, the USA became the worst thing to ever happen to this world. Not that I have anything against American people, I just don't like the nation.

Care to expand on that?

[jesus3]

I don't really put much thought into which countries are the best or how good or how bad my country is. I'd still be the same person with the same problems regardless of which country I was born in (barring third world countries).

I see what you're getting at but no, just a few tweaks here and there - for example economic situation, culture and so on would've also changed the way you got socialised and thus made you another person (you won't even need that big of a difference). What you mean is probably more like "The nation doesn't define me and I am, as a person, not characterised by the country I was born in but my individual traits and skills"

[Gendarme]

He probably means all the wars in the Middle East and their consequences.

[Vinyanyérë]

Sweden, because it is simply among the best in all of those aspects: price of booze, scientific accomplishments, food, social accomplishments, and rights. Our price of vodka is twice that of Germany, we were among the first to break free of the biological paradigm and realise that there are in fact 328 genders, potatoes with meatballs is probably the most luxurious and innovative dish in the world, Swedes are extremely antisocial - reaching heights no other nation has ever been able to reach before, and everyone has the right to pay tax.

This but unironically

[Gendarme]

the greatest nation is the one which has achieved to brainwash the highest percentage of their citizens to believe it's the greatest nation, or else be too afraid to show dissent. So naturally, the greatest nation is North Korea.

Do you think North Koreans believe their nation is great, or do they only say that in fear of their lives?

[deleted_user0]

it's irrelevant for this question, as you can read in my post.

[Gendarme]

I'm not sure how I missed the last part, lol.

[SoldieR]

Hard to say because I've never stayed in another country, but things that could improve would be:
Work-life balance
Less separation of classes (financial)
Less violence
Less debt, or education on money (lotttt of people with credit card or student loans, who won't have any actual savings until age 35)

[dicktator_]

I don't really put much thought into which countries are the best or how good or how bad my country is. I'd still be the same person with the same problems regardless of which country I was born in (barring third world countries).

I see what you're getting at but no, just a few tweaks here and there - for example economic situation, culture and so on would've also changed the way you got socialised and thus made you another person (you won't even need that big of a difference). What you mean is probably more like "The nation doesn't define me and I am, as a person, not characterised by the country I was born in but my individual traits and skills"

Yeah I worded it poorly and didn't really think. Basically what you said and I don't think I'd be any happier if I'd been born into a country with a higher standard of living.

[Papist]

American exceptionalism is what our government wants you to believe in (it distracts from the government's detrimental ventures). I would say our people are not too bad, but our government is filled with crooks. The main reason for that being that our government is not democratic at all, it's legacy based. You have politicians/CEOs here paying their son's/dauighter's way through ivy league schools with "sizeable donations" to the law/business departments of their respective schools. And future CEOs alongside future congressmen in the same classes in these ivy league schools, cheating/scamming their way through college together. No wonder they cheat and scam together when they grow up and inherit daddy's position in life.

I think you're making it out to be a lot more complicated and conspiratorial-sounding than it actually is. These are the biggest problems as I see them, and they have nothing to do with higher education.

1. Money has polluted our political process to such a degree that politicians are more accountable to big campaign donors than their constituents . This is reflected in the disparity between what voters want and what Congress actually accomplishes.

2. Heightened polarization is resulting in gridlock at all levels. Politicians feel that any compromise is a defeat, and that every single issue is "make or break". Any time a new party takes power, their number 1 priority is dismantling all the work the other has done, good or not.

[Papist]

I do believe the United States is an amazing country, but the idea that we are somehow number one just because we're the United States is ridiculous. It can also be destructive, because it urges us to be content with what is often unacceptable.

[Gendarme]

The saving grace of USA is its constitution, I think. Although USA is far from "the land of the free" as it perhaps once was, it is in some aspects still better than many of the "progressive" European countries. Freedom of speech is declining across the whole western world, but it is met by heavy resistance in USA due to the respect for the first amendment - and regarding the right to bear arms USA is probably the country everyone thinks of. While arms are legal in Sweden too, they are legal only for hunting and competition purposes. If Sweden had the same gun crime problems as USA does, most people would probably not bat an eye if guns were completely prohibited.

[deleted_user]

With enough polling and surveys for qualitative data combined with data-cataloging of quantitative metrics like unemployment, healthcare, life expectancy, etc I'm sure some formula can be put into place to find the "greatest nation." It's almost certainly a smaller, efficient nation. The United States most likely fails due to the cluster fuck that is private health care.

Nationalism contorts objective views. Nationalism is a byproduct of one's upbringing and the culture surrounding them. Culture dictates which metrics of the "greatest nation" formula an individual values most.

There's probably no real way to have this conversation without obvious bias creeping in like that. People will take attacks on their country as an attack on them and even as such, each experience is individual, the same country can be both great and terrible for two different individuals.

[deleted_user0]

The saving grace of USA is its constitution, I think. Although USA is far from "the land of the free" as it perhaps once was, it is in some aspects still better than many of the "progressive" European countries. Freedom of speech is declining across the whole western world, but it is met by heavy resistance in USA due to the respect for the first amendment - and regarding the right to bear arms USA is probably the country everyone thinks of. While arms are legal in Sweden too, they are legal only for hunting and competition purposes. If Sweden had the same gun crime problems as USA does, most people would probably not bat an eye if guns were completely prohibited.

america is in many ways freer now than it has ever been. In the past you weren't free if you were a woman, black, chinese, native american, mexican, irish, communist or gay.

[AOEisLOVE_AOEisLIFE]

With enough polling and surveys for qualitative data combined with data-cataloging of quantitative metrics like unemployment, healthcare, life expectancy, etc I'm sure some formula can be put into place to find the "greatest nation." It's almost certainly a smaller, efficient nation. The United States most likely fails due to the cluster fuck that is private health care.

Nationalism contorts objective views. Nationalism is a byproduct of one's upbringing and the culture surrounding them. Culture dictates which metrics of the "greatest nation" formula an individual values most.

There's probably no real way to have this conversation without obvious bias creeping in like that. People will take attacks on their country as an attack on them and even as such, each experience is individual, the same country can be both great and terrible for two different individuals.

there are actually things like the "world happiness index" and "human freedom index", the last time i checked countries like norway, sweden, denmark, swiss and new zealand has been on top, it kinda combines things like living standards, corruption, political freedom, average income etc.. that doesnt mean though that i am saying those are the best countries.

personally i experienced the happiest/friendliest people in new zealand and norway...

[sc]

my corrupt leaders are more powerful then your corrupt leaders so HA!

[Gendarme]

@AOEisLOVE_AOEisLIFE Do you want me to spank you or spank your butt?

[jesus3]

With enough polling and surveys for qualitative data combined with data-cataloging of quantitative metrics like unemployment, healthcare, life expectancy, etc I'm sure some formula can be put into place to find the "greatest nation." It's almost certainly a smaller, efficient nation. The United States most likely fails due to the cluster fuck that is private health care.

Probably Netherlands or Estonia or sth like that

Nationalism contorts objective views. Nationalism is a byproduct of one's upbringing and the culture surrounding them. Culture dictates which metrics of the "greatest nation" formula an individual values most.

Nationalism is just completely irrational and dumb but the easiest thing people can fall back to if they're frustrated as a means of identification. The smallest common denominator

There's probably no real way to have this conversation without obvious bias creeping in like that. People will take attacks on their country as an attack on them and even as such, each experience is individual, the same country can be both great and terrible for two different individuals.

For now this is quite lovely compared to other political threads but I'm positive it will change soon