Views on America

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  • Il_DaniD_lI
    Il_DaniD_lI Posts: 1,593 Member
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    I'll just say I would never want to live there and leave it at that. :happy:
  • ashreynolds09
    ashreynolds09 Posts: 257 Member
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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.

    this is same for england to,,,,, its all gone pear shaped, sort of just Britain now the Great isnt there any more.

    I have to say that I agree with the original comments here...I am 25 and I fear for my future and my children's future. I wish I would have paid more attention in school when we learned how politics work. For me, its hard to get into it and get passionate about one side or the other because as you said...Politicians don't seem to care about anything but making a name for themselves and it doesn't seem that politics is a fair game -- or that the people are really the ones voting for our leaders. Anyway...I try to bow out of political arguments and it drives my husband crazy. I think its about time I get passionate.
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
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    Are there no maps of the world in American class rooms?
    No. We do not believe in having maps of places outside of the United States in any of our classrooms. :huh:

    There are OTHER countries!?!

    hahaha!!!
    My teachers in middle school and high school had us take tests where we had to name every country in the entire world. But that was only two times in my entire schooling career, even in college I have not seen a single map.

    The stereotype that Americans suck at geography is a fair one lol.
  • LizKurz
    LizKurz Posts: 340 Member
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    :
    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.

    I agree with this, but would add a contingency. Its like the weight loss game in which the well off have access to MD's and healthy foods and the poor don't.

    O wait, that's actually real life. :frown:
  • SafireBleu
    SafireBleu Posts: 881 Member
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    Nobody likes war as people die as a result, but humanity will never be able overcome the political, cultural and religious differences that ultimately lead to conflict.

    That said, I am glad to live in a country that has no problem standing strong in the face of tyranny and those who wish to eliminate us because of our differences.

    I think I <3 you. I totally agree. However there are a few things I take issue with as an American. Foremost being that the politicians in this country seem to care more about corporate America than Americans. They allow corporate American to do things without regard for the people. ie: the food we eat and the crap they are allowed to add to it. There are other countries that do not allow certain additives in their food which we do allow. The excuse is that there have not been enough studies conducted but other countries deemed the studies that have been done sufficient to disallow those additives because there is a chance that it could harm our children. Here the thought seems to be that since it will cost corporations more to do the research or change the product it's okay. Our children and our health should be first. The national healthcare crisis- I am the child of immigrants. My father came into this country legally and busted his hump 80 hrs a week working. My mother owned a small business. We were/are taxpayers. We were/are property owners. But we had no health care. My father had his appendix burst because he didn't want o go to the hospital to get it checked out. Then they did the surgery threw him out in 2 day. He spent the entire time in a room with 5 other people and then they put a lien on his house because he could not pay the $10K hospital bill because he was fired from work because e was out for a week. There is no justice in that. There is no reason things like that should be allowed to occur in a 1st world country. Let's not get into the cost of higher education in this country and the fact that even after you graduate at the top 3% of your class you are waiting tables because you can not get a job despite the fact that you have 2 BAs and a MA. So yes I love my country and I am fortunate my parents chose to immigrate here when they did the reason so many people are dissatisfied with the state of this country is because the politicians care more about the $ than the people.
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
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    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.

    I think you might be the first American I have ever heard to say it's too low. I have seen many posts mainly on facebook complaining but the U.S. has really cheap gas for such a high demand product, if it was to come in line with other countries then there would be some complaints so count yourself lucky and if you aren't happy to pay use public transport or walk.
  • russellma
    russellma Posts: 284 Member
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    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.

    I'd have to say I agree with this.

    OP, what a great topic!
  • katielauren2001
    katielauren2001 Posts: 171 Member
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    Well I believe that the American Government is corrupt (but then most Governments are) but I do not dislike American people at all. I do believe that the country is seen as the 'American Dream' because in the Media we never see the extreme poverty that lies within America. It has good and bad people like everywhere, but I do think that it is still one of the most racist countries (not necessarily the people but the institutions) I do not think it is the 'land of the free' either, far from it actually. But that's just my opinion. There are some beautiful places that I would love to visit in America.
  • EmCarroll1990
    EmCarroll1990 Posts: 2,849 Member
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    Canadian here, and honestly, I barely notice a difference between the people there and the people here.
    I don't pay attention to politics, so I've got no word on that. My only issue is the fact that they send their people (and in turn our people) to go fight wars that have nothing to do with them or us. People's lives are wasted on things that only the government is concerned with and feel they want to do. It makes me sad, as these are wars that are so unnecessary.
  • goron59
    goron59 Posts: 890 Member
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    Are there no maps of the world in American class rooms?
    No. We do not believe in having maps of places outside of the United States in any of our classrooms. :huh:

    It is a funny stereotype, but I've met a few US citizens (in Iowa) that genuinely thought Alaska was an island near Hawaii because on the TV weather channel it always showed them both in a box to better fit the TV screen!
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
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    I'm a caucasian American. There are a million negative things I'd love to say about America, but I will just stick to...it's such a beautiful place with so much to offer...it's a shame we don't pull our heads out of our a***s.

    Out of interest, do you mean part of your family are from the Caucasus region or just that you are white?
  • LizKurz
    LizKurz Posts: 340 Member
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    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)

    Wait. What? This is what scares the ever loving *kitten* out of me with this country. :noway:
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
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    One thing I've always wondered is that when there was talk of a Universal healthcare all the reports and news I saw was to suggest that most people were against it yet out of the Americans I have met they always seemed to be for it, mainly the people that had been in accidents and were still paying for it. Is this just the way the media portrays it or is there a lot of backlash against Universal healthcare which I believe to be one of the cornerstones of society???
  • EmCarroll1990
    EmCarroll1990 Posts: 2,849 Member
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    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)

    Wait. What? This is what scares the ever loving *kitten* out of me with this country. :noway:

    I don't think the general public should have access to guns, just cops and the military. Guns scare the crap out of me as well.
  • jazzykay1971
    jazzykay1971 Posts: 58
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    I have a lot of friends in America. I love them to bits. As individuals they're amazing women.

    But, err... (damn it, I hope I don't offend anyone right now) monitoring your political situation scares me so bad. Religion has no place in politics and I'm fortunate to live in a country which has separated Church and State.

    I just can't get over that you don't have Universal Healthcare.
    I can't get over the abortion bill in Virginia.
    I can't get over the fact that the bill to allow employers to pick and choose what healthcare to cover only marginally got kicked out (we're talking like 4 votes between them).
    I can't get over the fact that someone like Rick Sanitorium could run for president and spread his hateful views on gays, coloured people and women, and name it all as a religious virtue.
    And although I love Barack Obama, I can't get over the fact that your President acts more like a celebrity than he does as a ruler of a country.

    But your people. I love your people. For the most part. Everywhere has bad eggs. Just your politics I cannot abide.

    I am from America and I could'nt agree more with everything you said. You and I think the same way. Things need to change, but there are so many self rightoues people in the political parties, I dont think it ever will!! :noway:
  • ampa916
    ampa916 Posts: 189 Member
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    You can't even SAY something like that over here... I FULLY agree with you though!! People are just CLAWING to hold on to this concept.. It's going out of the window with so many people but the politicians are holding onto it like a baby blanket!!! Religion and politics shouldn't mix!!!

    I am a religious gal, but I respect everyone's right to have their own opinion or none at all on the subject, so it really bothers me that we can't have a separation of Church and politics like we are supposed to. I love America and wouldn't want to live anywhere else
  • TheWinman
    TheWinman Posts: 700 Member
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    I want to thank the OP for starting this thread as my 15 year old daughter has been asking why we are viewed like we are in the rest of the world.
    I am so thankful the internet and social networking, we as a world are getting more connected everyday and this is a wonderful thing as we learn more about each other's countries, their beliefs and culture. Even us Americans are less ignorant about other countries like we once were. I admit I use to fall into the category of not knowing about anything outside our own borders. Not true anymore. I have met wonderful people (not in real life) through this site and other sites from all over the world. I hope to meet many of these people in real life. Thank you all!

    I'm a proud American who loves his country even now as I'm unemployed as I write this, have health Ins paid for by the government, and as I'm paying my highest prices I have ever paid for gas etc......

    Foreign policy - I guess it's easy to say looking in from the outside that we are way too involved in other nation's business, make bad choices that negatively effect the rest of the world etc.... That being said we are looked upon as the super power, the country that many countries look to as a leader. Like it or not we are in that position and every move we make is scrutinized to no end. We try our best and for the most part we think we are doing the right thing. IMO

    Military - I can't really defend Iraq and Afghanistan. It's still hard to tell what the complete motive by Bush was. IMO But for the most part over the last few years we were stuck between a rock and a hard place. We were already there, if we leave things go back to the way they were. etc.......
    Let's face it and correct me if you do not agree. Love or hate our military, but if your country was attacked by another country or terrorist group, I don't think you would mind if the US military was standing besides you helping defend your country, right? We always help our friends. Let me correct that, we always help anyone who is not our enemy.

    Education- Yeah, test score wise we are not were we should be and I feel we should a top 5 country in education. But that is not the case. In certain area we excel and in some basic stuff we have lagged way behind. My 15 year old daughter is a straight A student who is smart, but it baffles and frustrates me to no end some of the naive ignorant comments that she makes and some of the basic math she struggles with. That being said, I do not agree with and understand why other countries say "those dumb Americans". We are as a whole are pretty smart. IMO

    I can go on and on. We are far from perfect and in many ways I feel we are a country on the decline, but we have wonderful hard working people for the most part who care about others throughout the world.
  • katielauren2001
    katielauren2001 Posts: 171 Member
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    Oh and yes everything in America is privatised? That'll be happening here pretty soon. Private prisons? Private healthcare? Everything based on consumerism/capitalism not on the individuals of the country.
  • Natty0506
    Natty0506 Posts: 103 Member
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    I have a lot of friends in America. I love them to bits. As individuals they're amazing women.

    But, err... (damn it, I hope I don't offend anyone right now) monitoring your political situation scares me so bad. Religion has no place in politics and I'm fortunate to live in a country which has separated Church and State.

    I just can't get over that you don't have Universal Healthcare.
    I can't get over the abortion bill in Virginia.
    I can't get over the fact that the bill to allow employers to pick and choose what healthcare to cover only marginally got kicked out (we're talking like 4 votes between them).
    I can't get over the fact that someone like Rick Sanitorium could run for president and spread his hateful views on gays, coloured people and women, and name it all as a religious virtue.
    And although I love Barack Obama, I can't get over the fact that your President acts more like a celebrity than he does as a ruler of a country.

    But your people. I love your people. For the most part. Everywhere has bad eggs. Just your politics I cannot abide.

    As an American, I agree with you completely. I abhor the politics in my country.
  • ding30180
    ding30180 Posts: 53 Member
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    Englishman here, who has an American wife of 17 years (and therefore an extended American family), has lived in the USA for 12 years, and has traveled extensively in the USA over the last 25 years or so.

    I miss England dreadfully, and on balance would much prefer to live there, but that seems natural to me because it is my home. I will never consider America my home; I'm simply visiting.

    The USA is an extraordinary country of paradoxes, contradictions and colossal hypocrisy - in those terms I think it is unique.

    Having said that, in other ways it isn't much different to any other country in the entire world in that it does SOME things incredibly, brilliantly well, and it does other things incredibly, depressingly badly. My problem (and its a personal problem), is that all the things I truly value it generally does poorly, and most of the things that it does well, are things that I don't really value! That can make life quite hard for a displaced individual.

    Additionally I would say that whilst I think the 'American Dream' in its fullest, purest sense is basically an unobtainable myth for many, there ABSOLUTELY is a sense of optimism, 'can do' and general upbeat feel about business ventures and entrepreneurial activity which is refreshing, even for someone that generally tires VERY quickly of constant optimism (me)! It's refreshing to feel that the bank manager might just say 'yes', rather than expecting to hear 'no' all the time. Don't get me wrong, I still can't STAND the 'have a nice day' element of it, but I think it's quite often genuine.

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