Views on America
Replies
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I don't get the fact that, while many European countries start school early for their children (like around 4 years of age), Americans don't start until around 6 years of age.
American children have the option to go to pre-school or headstart at 4 (nearly all, if not all do, I believe), and public school begins at 5.
Other than that, I'm on board with you.0 -
Do we have warts ? ...... Yes
Does the world dislike the USA ? ...... Probably
Do we stick our nose in too much of others business ? ..... Could be
Would there be a United Nations without the USA ? ..... No
Has our military brought instability to the world ? ..... No , but we have added to it
Has our military brought stability to the world ? ...... No , but we have added to it
Am I glad Rick Santorum is out of the presidential race? ..... No , he was not my pick but we need everyone's voice heard. ( it is beyond ironic that others want to decry the lack of liberty at the hands of Christians by attempting to silence them )
Am I glad that those who do not wish to live in the USA can leave ?......... Yes
Would I welcome them back ? Yes , but only on equal standing with other immigrants who go through the process of legally being here
Do I own a gun ? .....yes
Do I know how to use it ? ....yes
Have I used it to end life ? .....yes , hunting to provide for my table
Religion ? ...... Unashamedly Christian , not in name only , but truly seeking to follow Christ
Tolerant ? ....... Yes , but not accepting everything as truth
Do I love my Country ? Yes , enough so that I couldn't resist looking at this thread and being saddened by my fellow countrymen
Enough said by me ? ....... Absolutely0 -
I could make a long list about the pros and cons of America, but I'll give you the top of each. America in unity cannot be stopped from achieving any goal. Sadly we are rarely united.
Con-I do not blame politicians for the current mess in this country, I blame the citizens. Blaming a politician is like blaming a snake when it bites you, it's in it's nature. We have more people in our nation that put more thought into who they are going to vote for on American Idol than for the presidency. Amd for the majority of those who do vote, they are slaves to a two party system and continually vote for the party, not the person. The idiocy of it can be seen today, as many liberals who hated Bush and his policies are silent as Obama continues them. On the flip side, the conservatives who could find no fault in Bush hate Obama.....for the same policies. Makes no sense.0 -
This! There are lots of individual Americans who are lovely, but the system itself just seems so messed up.
As someone from a "1st world" country, it actually seems completely barbaric that you have to pay for health care in America. I have never in my life met anyone that thinks paying for healthcare is a good thing. In Scotland, and presumably the rest of Britain, the NHS (national health service) is one of our most valuable things.
Also, the guns thing, that is **** scary. I'd never seen a gun in my life till I went on a school strip to the American embassy in London, and it terrified me, can't imagine living somewhere where the police all carry guns and people can actually buy them legally.
And the uber religion - Americans always seem to be terrified of the dangers of fundamentalist Islam yada yada, but don't seem to realise that fundamentalist Christians probably do more harm - as far as I'm aware, the muslim religion doesn't affect laws on a daily basis.
I never met a racist person until I was 16/17, I have yet to this day meet a real homophobic person (beyond ewwww that's gross in highschool), and yes our laws (at least in Scotland, I understand it's more entwined in England) are LAW and not RELIGION. The religious argument has no place in politics.
I think the reason America is so internationally disliked is that it always seems so "big headed", marching into national affairs and acting like king of the world, when it's still internationally regarded as er "stupid". Again, not individual americans, but the stereotype of the dumb american is still very very much alive, and I dunno why, if it's the system, or if it's the steady stream of "only in America" stories (ie people suing mcdonalds for getting fat etc).
It's like, I get it, you're uber capitalists, but you need to find the balance between socialism (GASP! OMG I SAID IT!) and capitalism - when you have people in the ghetto starving and turning to real proper dirty crime for money, or people literally dying of illnesses because they can't afford health insurance, the capitalism has gone too far. If you want your world where you can chase your dreams and become rich, you need to understand it is not possible for EVERYONE to do this - there will always be waiters and street sweepers and people on minimum wage with no health benefits - and to have a truly complete society you need to take care of these people.
Massive rant there, I just have quite strong views, and I wanted to put them carefully so I didn't offend any of the good Americanos :P
And finally, my biggest issue with America... THE PHRASE IS COULDN'T CARE LESS! COULDN'T! COULDN'T!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7O0MFkmpw
I love everything you just said, and the video cracked me up. "I could care less" is one of my biggest pet peeves!!0 -
There are a lot of great things about America. I love the National Parks from the Coast of Maine to the Rockies, the Gran canyon and places like Yosemite and Buck Island National Reef - there is probably no other place with such diverse landscapes.
I love the atmosphere in which I am free to work where I want, to take the jobs I want, to go to school for what I want, and having served a short time in the Army, I realize that all this is not how people live in other places.
I have traveled in 13 countries outside the US and in all them I found poverty and wealth. I found people with the same basic life pains from addiction to health care concerns. I also found people of faith and those in dire need of hope.
What I love about America the most is that we have chance to get off our *kitten* and do pretty much anything we want to. We can work hard, become educated or we can blame someone else because they made it and we didn't. We are free to do both.
You know, it's like this weight loss game. You can work at it and others might pass you by, and you may pass others by, but for those the keep doing it, they eventually make it.0 -
I'm another one who's lived in many places; Australia, South Africa, Papua New Guinea and The UK for the last 13 years.
I envy the patrotism that Americans display. Here in England, every time we try to display british pride we are labelled racist.
I hate the american medical insurance system - it upsets me when people can't afford to go to the doctor - how is that looking after the people?
Politicians suck the world over. Not because they are bad people, but because of the favours that get called in once they've reached the top jobs. Even the good guys will have to make bad decisions at some point.
I love that anyone can make a fresh start in America. But I hate that minority groups and immigrants suffer so much persecution at the hands of the fanatics. I'm sorry - your family was an immigrant at some point too!
There is a perception the world over that Americans blame everyone but themselves... Like "I tripped on my shoelace, so I'll sue Nike". Really?
HOWEVER all the bad stuff, I hope this is just a perception issue - like apparently ALL australians are drunks, ALL british don't shower, ALL South africans are racist, and ALL New Guineans are cannibals.0 -
Really? Where in America do you live that you can't speak your mind?You can't even SAY something like that over here...0 -
Bad
Terrible education. Seriously, it's horrible.0 -
I Love America ... but then I'm American ... and its HUMP DAY so who cares we all live and share this lovely planet so no matter your views there's one thing we can all agree on....
GAS PRICES ARE WAY TO HIGH !!!!!! :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble:
I might be the only American that thinks they're too low. We paid close to $8 a gallon for four years when we lived overseas. You know what we did. Biked, walked and didn't drive much.
America is the only country with a way off balance of carbon emissions compared to our population. I would love to see gas prices
triple. I think we could finally more towards more public transportation, which would help the poor out as well as the planet.
Too bad the food produced here is very dependent on the fuel. walking to the store is great if there is food there when you arrive , in quantities adequate to feed all , and at a price that can be afforded . I know what you mean in decrying the amount of fossil fuel consumed but the un necessary trips in the family car isn't all thats at stake here . We have by and large regulated ourselves into being a service and consumption economy . Let's at least retain the ability to feed ourselves and export food overseas too .0 -
I don't post very often, but I thought this was a very interesting topic.
I did a cultural exchange in New Zealand, and I found honestly very little different. Except perhaps that Kiwis really REALLY like rules. As a pedestrian, and seeing a "Don't Walk" sign, an American will walk up, look both ways, and cross if there is no oncoming traffic. As a Kiwi, it says don't walk, so you don't walk. That's a small example, but the mindset really permeates the culture (or so I noticed from my travels). Not saying its a negative thing, just something I found very interesting.
I don't seem to share (anyone's?) views so far. I'm an atheist conservative - what I suppose you could more or less call a libertarian. I firmly believe in capitalism and small government. Small government is exactly what the founder fathers wanted and is the exact OPPOSITE of socialized healthcare, public assistance programs, heck even income taxes.
I guess I'm a little confused by the people who say that Washington would be turning over in his grave because we *don't* have a socialist society? The Founding Fathers tried to limit government powers as much as they possibly could. Socialism is the complete opposite of that, it's giving the government too much control over your life. I believe it is the responsibly of the people, not the federal government, to care for the less fortunate through charity and *gasp* religious organizations.
Also, in regards to gun rights... The quickest way to tyranny is to take away the commoners right to bear arms. The law was put into place to help protect people from a corrupt government. What separated the millions of Jews rounded up and taken to concentration camps and the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust? Those in the Ghetto had guns, and they fought back because they had stolen guns and other weapons from the Nazi troops. If the Germans hadn't FIRST made it illegal for a Jew to own a gun, it may not have prevented the Holocaust altogether, but there would have been a lot less sheep led to slaughter. Also - I don't own a gun, though I may get one in the future if the country continues to spiral downhill. :ohwell:0 -
I am 56 and have lived in America all my life. I love this country and everything it stands for but, I am very worried and discouraged.
Politicians seem to be only interested in making a name for themselves. I am tired of the egos and the pis#ing contest. None of them put the country first. We can not be strong if we don't stand together. Everyone hates our choices but rely on us when anything goes wrong in the world. I think we need to consentrate on getting ourselves back on our feet. We are not what we use to be and the world is watching and waiting. I fear for my Grandchildren.0 -
In short, I've met a lot of wonderful people that are from the U.S. and a handful of idiots, it's about the same proportion in every country.
But if I was to believe people from the U.S. were represented by Fox news then I would be worried. I also think there are a lot of contradictions over there like the super wealthy Christians that seem to spread nothing more than hate which is quite scary. I also think it appears to be a super competitive country. I also don't understand the "World Series", it must be called the world series for another reason????0 -
One of the great things about the United States of America is that you're free to leave our country if you do not like it here.0
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Nope. In the Behind the Laughter episode it was revealed to be a small town in Kentucky. It was later changed to Missouri and references to landmarks in Springfields all over the states are made throughout the series.absolutely love Oregon, good friends there and I have found the people I have met very friendly and helpful.
on a side issue I believe Matt Groening has revealed where he based Simpsons Springfield.
Springfield Oregon :happy:
well this is where I read it
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-176734750 -
There are a lot of great things about America. I love the National Parks from the Coast of Maine to the Rockies, the Gran canyon and places like Yosemite and Buck Island National Reef - there is probably no other place with such diverse landscapes.
I love the atmosphere in which I am free to work where I want, to take the jobs I want, to go to school for what I want, and having served a short time in the Army, I realize that all this is not how people live in other places.
I have traveled in 13 countries outside the US and in all them I found poverty and wealth. I found people with the same basic life pains from addiction to health care concerns. I also found people of faith and those in dire need of hope.
What I love about America the most is that we have chance to get off our *kitten* and do pretty much anything we want to. We can work hard, become educated or we can blame someone else because they made it and we didn't. We are free to do both.
You know, it's like this weight loss game. You can work at it and others might pass you by, and you may pass others by, but for those the keep doing it, they eventually make it.
This :flowerforyou:0 -
I'm Canadian (Ontario) and have friends in the US. Individually I think Americans are very generous and kind people. As a country......not so much. What I really don't understand is why the schools don't teach outside of their own country. My daughter has many American online friends, and they know nothing about Canada or any other country. From what her friends ask her, we are typecast as living in log cabins with snow year round. It's unreal. Are there no maps of the world in American class rooms?0
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I am 56 and have lived in America all my life. I love this country and everything it stands for but, I am very worried and discouraged.
Politicians seem to be only interested in making a name for themselves. I am tired of the egos and the pis#ing contest. None of them put the country first. We can not be strong if we don't stand together. Everyone hates our choices but rely on us when anything goes wrong in the world. I think we need to consentrate on getting ourselves back on our feet. We are not what we use to be and the world is watching and waiting. I fear for my Grandchildren.
I agree with you. Problem is that so many people do not do their research about anything, especially politics. They just believe whatever the media tells them, or their professors, or friends, etc.0 -
I was born and raised in Europe and moved to America when I was in my late twenties. The immediate difference I noticed (and still notice today, over a decade later) is that Americans seemed very obsessed with the concept of freedom yet at the same time lead lives that are significantly more stressful and less 'free' than most European countries. I always make the comparison that a lot of European countries are geared towards the rights of the employee, while America is completely swayed towards the rights of the employers.
Just one example - back in England, I got 4 weeks paid time off when I started my job, and gained another week after 5 years service to the company. This was on top of the various national holidays. Most of my friends in different companies had similar setups. Here in America I get just two weeks PTO after ten years of service to the company... and I don't get paid near as much in terms of income to cost of living ratio. Most of my friends here work two, three, or even four jobs to make ends meet. How that is considered "freedom" I'm not really sure.
The irony is that my company in Europe got just as much work done, just as efficiently because the employees - while working less hours, were more refreshed and happy. There are more ways than one to meet efficiency goals, just sayin'.
America does a lot of things right though. I love this country, and I love living here, even if I am a lot more tired and a lot more broke :-)0 -
No. We do not believe in having maps of places outside of the United States in any of our classrooms. :huh:Are there no maps of the world in American class rooms?0 -
Love the landscapes, especially the Rockies, Andes, etc., but I guess this is mostly about the USA rather than all of America.
Not too keen on US imperialism, stomping around the world like it owns it. Reminds me of the British Empire and that's not exactly something to look back at and be proud of. However, the US is a young country and needs a few more hundred years of history before it can properly be judged.
American people, like people from everywhere are a superset of generous people, friendly people, kind people, fun people shallow people, selfish people, narrow minded people.... the whole spectrum really.
Of the many I know and have known, I'd say they tend toward the more pleasant end of the spectrum
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I love the USA :happy:
But then I judge a country by the people I meet and the experiences I have rather than the politics and laws and all those other things. Sure every country has its short comings , I think it would be a hard place to be if you didn't have a job especially if you got sick but then on the other hand the UK with all its benefits suffers with a huge problem of wasters who get paid to sit on their behinds and do nothing so no place is perfect !
Oh and your police are pretty scary :laugh:
I have been a few places in the US and I have to say I would happily live in NC tomorrow if I had half a chance and when I head back to Raleigh it now feels like coming to my second home, even if you do drive on the wrong side of the road
Its the only country I can buy jeans that actually fit ( thank heavens for American Eagle !) where I am yet to meet an impolite person ( people can be so rude in the UK !) and where the food rocks.. the healthy eating options are way way better than we have here , and completely seflishly you have the best range of vintage planes and airshows anywhere so count me as a fan !0 -
No. We do not believe in having maps of places outside of the United States in any of our classrooms. :huh:Are there no maps of the world in American class rooms?
There are OTHER countries!?!0 -
Oh I gotta chime in on the healthcare issue. It's broken in America - badly broken, but you know what... it's broken in England too. I remember waiting for days and weeks when I lived in England to see a specialist about what could have been potentially time-sensitive health issues. Not to mention the facilities and standard of care is deeply lacking. In America, I can go and see my doctor within a few hours, in confidence that she's highly capable, and in a clean and pleasant environment. American healthcare is broken because of the expense. British universal healthcare is broken because of the lack of resources in an overloaded system. I'm convinced the best solution has got to lie somewhere inbetween the two extremes.0
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Shhhhhh. We don't want Americans to know this, remember?!There are OTHER countries!?!0 -
I am 56 and have lived in America all my life. I love this country and everything it stands for but, I am very worried and discouraged.
Politicians seem to be only interested in making a name for themselves. I am tired of the egos and the pis#ing contest. None of them put the country first. We can not be strong if we don't stand together. Everyone hates our choices but rely on us when anything goes wrong in the world. I think we need to consentrate on getting ourselves back on our feet. We are not what we use to be and the world is watching and waiting. I fear for my Grandchildren.
I agree with you. Problem is that so many people do not do their research about anything, especially politics. They just believe whatever the media tells them, or their professors, or friends, etc.
this is same for england to,,,,, its all gone pear shaped, sort of just Britain now the Great isnt there any more.0 -
I live in America and I think there are a lot of things we can improve on (don't get me started). That being said, I do like living here. I know I am lucky to live in a country like this and I would never complain about it. However, I would also love to try living in a different country sometime. I've always kind of wanted to move to Canada. Or England...
Every country has it's own problems but I wouldn't mind getting away from ours for a while
^^^ this ^^^^
yup this!0 -
I don't get the fact that, while many European countries start school early for their children (like around 4 years of age), Americans don't start until around 6 years of age.
I don't get the fact that everyone has an opportunity to go to university, even if they failed half of their highschool classes.
Americans, compared to Europeans, are out of shape and a bit on the lazy side.
Americans are quick to blame everyone but themselves for problems in their lives. AKA, they don't take responsibility for themselves. This is one of the main reasons there is an obesity problem here in the U.S. "McDonalds made me fat. I think I will sue them." Come on. No one forced you to eat their food.
Americans are not as educated as people in other countries, especially when it comes to international politics, environmental issues, and geography. I was watching a video the other day where this British chap asked Americans about political issues. He then presented a map of the world to them, except that the countries were mislabeled. For example, Australia was labeled North and South Korea. When people said that No. And So. Korea were hot zones for war, they were asked to put a flag on those countries. They put the flag right on Australia without even questioning if that was the right name for that continent. Australia! For goodness sakes!
First off, I started school at 4 years old. All my friends also started at age 4 or 5.
Second, everyone does have the opportunity to go to uni, if you didn't pass high school classes you get a GED and go to community college.
Generalizing that Americans are lazy and out of shape is a pretty ignorant stereotype. Once again it's like saying that all Australians talk like Crocodile Dundee and cook shrimp on the barbie, or that all English people have bad teeth. There are a million stereotypes which could be true of any person in any country.
Lastly, because you watched one video that showed several Americans answering trivia, you assume that all Americans are uneducated? That is really sad for you. Sounds like you should do some more research. I bet I could pull up a lot of different videos here in the modern age that are pretty convincing on just about any subject. It's called editing.0 -
I Love America ... but then I'm American ... and its HUMP DAY so who cares we all live and share this lovely planet so no matter your views there's one thing we can all agree on....
GAS PRICES ARE WAY TO HIGH !!!!!! :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble:
I might be the only American that thinks they're too low. We paid close to $8 a gallon for four years when we lived overseas. You know what we did. Biked, walked and didn't drive much.
America is the only country with a way off balance of carbon emissions compared to our population. I would love to see gas prices
triple. I think we could finally more towards more public transportation, which would help the poor out as well as the planet.
Too bad the food produced here is very dependent on the fuel. walking to the store is great if there is food there when you arrive , in quantities adequate to feed all , and at a price that can be afforded . I know what you mean in decrying the amount of fossil fuel consumed but the un necessary trips in the family car isn't all thats at stake here . We have by and large regulated ourselves into being a service and consumption economy . Let's at least retain the ability to feed ourselves and export food overseas too .
Yes,I agree it is too bad. The rail system is so underutilized, and the agriculture system is so messed up here that consuming most of the world fossil fuels is an unfortunate side effect. There should be more regulation, less BIG AG and more farmers markets and family farms. We would stand to do well too, with not polluting our water and foods with more regulations on the type of crap we spray with. Organic farms are sustainable and don't take massive amounts of pesticides or fuel to spray those pesticides.
I agree, there's more effed up here than just low gas prices.0 -
One of the great things about the United States of America is that you're free to leave our country if you do not like it here.
Oh yeah? You footin the bill? Cause we'd love to leave, but don't have the money. People like us, in the lower middle class/upper working class don't have the money to just up and leave. Plane tickets, finding a place to live overseas, these things take money. The privileged can leave, but why would they? America favors them at the expense of everyone else.
This, I think comes off snarky, I don't mean to be snarky, it was more of an " oh yeah? Well what about...." type statement. I don't like it that people just say "you don't like it here? Then leave!" all the while knowing its not true, and that people just can't up and leave. Hell, some people can't even move cities or counties because of the fact that they're too poor, let alone entire countries.0 -
I am Australian (wee seem to be the majority on this thread..), but I've lived in the US for the past 6 years or so.
...
On the other hand, there are things I will never comprehend. The gun thing is just madness to the eyes of aussies - we have something like 100 random gun-related homicides per year. In the whole country. The blind adherence to the 'right to bear arms' with no critical consideration that more guns is not actually a good way to prevent shootings.
....
Some of us believe that we should have the right to bear arms so that we can overthrow the government when it becomes too radical or reactionary, and peaceful means to fix it have been exhausted. I believe that is the purpose of having the "well-regulated militia" referred to in the 2nd amendment. It is, afterall, how the authors of that amendment used their militia - to overthrow their government and create a new one. Obviously, small arms would not win a war against the actual army, but they may be enough to help gain some of the larger weapons required. (of course, I'm not saying that time has come, and I'm not advocating a revolution against the government of today, but I do want that option if it became necessary)0
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